Note from the Teacher

Website Review ~ Amazon.com

2009-07-08T15:54:00.003-05:00

Appropriate for ages: all ages

Helps with: Getting school supplies

Review: By now, I think we all know that you can buy things easily and safely from Amazon.com. You can even order your toilet paper from them! They have everything. But, have you considered ordering your school supplies from Amazon? I suggest this for a few reasons:

When you take kids to shop for school supplies, a lot of overpriced, unnecessary items catch their attention. You'll end up either fighting them off with a LOT of "no's" or you'll spend more money than you needed to spend. In this economy, that is probably not something you want to do. By ordering from Amazon, you can pick out school supplies when your kids are not around to drool over Hannah Montana notebooks and Transformer folders.
You can find good deals on Amazon. Often even after you pay a shipping fee (or qualify for FREE shipping) you spent less than you would have at the store.
It's convenient. We've all fought the crowds that surround the back to school section in stores. It's unbelievable! Avoid the crowds.
It's easy. You can buy packs that are pre-assembled with everything that your child will need. For example, there is a Back to School Kit with Essential School Supplies that includes Fiskars scissors, an 8 pack of Crayola Markers, 4 oz. bottle of Elmer's glue, 24 count box of colored pencils, a pink pearl eraser, a spiral notebook, a 12 inch ruler, a box of Puffs tissues, a 2 pocket folder, a box of No. 2 pencils, a pack of Crayola crayons (16 count,) a glue stick, a pack of loose leaf paper, and a one inch three ring binder all for $22.52 (valued at $56.29). Sounds like the basic supply list for an elementary student, doesn't it? There is another elementary school pack called the Grade School Age Back to School Kit with Essential Supplies that includes most of the above plus an additional, glue stick, 300 more sheets of loose leaf paper, 3 extra spiral notebooks, a 12 pack of erasable ball point pens, a pencil sharpener, 2 more pink erasers, a canister of Clorox disinfecting wipes, and a pencil box. (This one does not include the Elmer's glue or the folder.) This one sells for $33.90 (valued at $84.69.) Of course you can also buy packs for middle school, high school, and even college aged kids as well as individual items in case you are missing an item or you really do want Hannah Montana notebooks and Transformer folders. To see all items click here.
I know that most schools provide textbooks for the students to borrow during the year, but if by chance you go to a school where students must buy their own textbooks, or you home school and buy your own textbooks, Amazon is a great place to find those as well. Search for textbooks here.

Nature Identification Part 2

2009-06-24T16:17:00.002-05:00

Growing up, my grandparents loved nature. They had books to help you identify different birds and flowers. I think they were in alphabetical order, and each kind had a picture so you could learn what they looked like. Sometimes, my grandparents would find a new kind of bird or flower and look in the book to see what kind they had found. Look at your library. They should have books like this as well as books on trees, leaves, bugs, and other things that your kids may like. Then come up with some activities to incorporate the books.

Some further ideas are:

Have some fun with photography. Kids love taking pictures, and now that most people have digital cameras, it is easier to let them take a lot of pictures. Go on a walk. Let your kids take pictures of flowers, trees, or birds that they see.
Make a collage of the pictures you take, and label them. You can even make a digital collage on your computer.
Catch different kinds of bugs to look at under a microscope or put into a bug box to observe.
Label or draw pictures of your bugs.

Nature Identification Part 1

2009-06-23T15:39:00.004-05:00

Collect as many different kinds of leaves as you can find. When you get back identify them in a leaf/tree book.
Add to the activity by drawing pictures of the leaves you find and labeling them.
You could also make leaf rubbings by putting paper of the the leaves and rub a pencil across so the veins and shape of the leaf show in your pencil rubbing.
Another leaf activity for kids who like to be creative is to put your leaves in a book. Get page protector sleeves to drop the leaves into. Put in a piece of paper first with the name of the leaf on it. Then you can put a leaf on each side of the paper.

Penny Science Round 2

2009-06-15T17:14:00.000-05:00

This is a fun experiment for kids to try. You will need, a penny, an eyedropper, and rubbing alcohol, and a cup of water. First, fill the eyedropper from the cup of water. See how many drops you can place on a dry penny before it spills off of the penny's side. (You will be surprised if you have never done this before. I usually get between 30 and 60 drops of water on a penny.) Next, repeat the experiment by dropping drops of rubbing alcohol from the eyedropper onto a dry penny. (You will only get around 10-20 drops.) Explain to your kids that the difference is that water is cohesive (bonds with itself) while rubbing alcohol is not. (In kid terms, "water wants to stick to other water like best friends. We call this cohesion. Rubbing alcohol does not do that because it is made of different stuff and it happens to not stick to other rubbing alcohol very well.")

The Goal of American Education

2009-06-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

Recently I read an article about American society and how we view education. The article mentioned that we,as a society, push all kids to go to college and tend to look down on vocational training. If you want to read the article, click here. Of course I think that education is important, but he does have some good points. College may not be for everyone, and there should be no shame in vocational training. Those positions are necessary in our society, so we should appreciate the people who do these jobs.

I must admit my favorite part of the article was when he talked about parents not accepting their child's scholastic achievement level. He is exactly right. Most parents believe that their child is a genius, so if they do not understand they immediately blame the teacher. Of course we all want our children to be smart, but most children need extra practice at home in a few subjects to achieve their full potential.

I think it is still a good idea to push kids towards college for the most part, but there is nothing wrong with vocational training.

Penny Science

2009-06-11T16:58:00.000-05:00

I learned about this from a child's magic book. It fascinated me quite a bit as a child, yet the science behind it can be quite an educational moment. You will need a few cups of different sizes and a large stack of pennies. Put the cups somewhere that is OK to get wet. (I did mine in the sink) Then, fill the first cup with water. It must be full to the point of spilling if one more drop was added. Then, rub your finger around the rim of the cup to make sure that the rim is dry. After that, slowly place pennies in the water (carefully so as not to make waves.) You will see the water level bubble up out of the cup eventually. (It should not take too long if you filled the cup enough.) Let the kids discuss why they think the water is bubbling over the top of the cup, but not spilling. If you want, you can use this chance to teach them about the cohesive (bonding) properties of water. (It bonds to other water molecules so it stays together instead of spilling - to a certain point.) When the water eventually spills over, you can count the number of pennies that you put in the cup before it spilled. Then, repeat with a different size cup. After doing this a few times compare the number of pennies you got into each cup. Did larger cups hold more pennies?

Brain Tuner

2009-06-10T16:45:00.001-05:00

For those of you that have an iPhone, your child must want to play on it all of the time, right? Let me suggest an application that will be great for your child ages 6 and up. It is called Brain Tuner. It gives your child basic math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and then asks them to select if the answer given was right or wrong. Kids can pick 20, 60, or 100 facts and compete against the clock to be the fastest one. I love this because it encourages kids to know their facts so well that they can do them quite quickly. Kids love to get a new speed record, and parents love that they are practicing their math facts. If your children are younger, you can touch the small "i" in the bottom right corner of the main menu. From there you can turn each opperation on or off. That way younger kids can do just addition or even addition and subtraction. Older kids can do all four, or just pick one or two they need extra practice with. Another nice option on that page is the review option. You can turn this on so it will review the ones that your child missed.

The best part is that the lite version is free. (I have not bought the full version, but it is only a couple dollars if you are interested.) I personally think that the lite version is enough. It lets kids practice their facts as much as they need to or would like to, but with the feel of a game.

Helping Hands

2009-06-09T16:12:00.001-05:00

It is good for kids to learn to help out around the house. It teaches them responsibility as well as to take ownership. My mom used to make it fun for us to help around the house. Once in a while (usually on the BIG cleaning days) she would get out 2 plastic bowls. Then, while my brother and I were playing, she would cut paper into strips. On the papers she would write tasks for my brother and I. His tasks went into one bowl, and mine went into the other. Each of us would end up with around 15 strips of paper. 15 chores would probably overwhelm a child, but not all of our tasks were "work." For example, we might pick something like refold the clothes in your 2 messiest dresser drawers, but then the next task might be to give mom a hug. Often our chores would include dusting a room or two, picking up our own things, vacuuming, getting hugs, or maybe running around the house once. But it was more fun because you made it into a game. (We called it the cleaning game.) The idea of not knowing what will come next kept it exciting. Sometimes, when we were almost done, my mom would slip in a paper that said, "Go to Taco Bell for all of your hard work!) We would race to finish up everything from our bowls so we could go out for lunch! My mom got a lot of help out of us, and we enjoyed it.

11 Year Old College Graduate

2009-06-08T15:03:00.001-05:00

Recently an 11 year old boy graduated from East Los Angeles College. I am including a link to the news story below. You would think that a boy who finishes college by 11 must not have any time for extracurricular activities, but he has won many national championships in martial arts as well. This article is a short interesting piece. I thought the end was interesting when he mentioned why he does not like to play video games.

To view the article click here.

Take a Twist on Old Road Trip Games

2009-06-05T16:21:00.001-05:00

We've all played games on long road trips like the alphabet game where you race to find the letters of the alphabet in order. But try a new twist, such as finding the numbers from 0-100. It can prove to change things up a bit.

Another game is where you think of names of things like animals or people then you try to come up with another name from the last letter of the previous one given. For example elephant - tiger - rhino, etc. Make it more interesting (and educational) by thinking of different categories like state names, cities, landmarks, things on a map, etc.

Many traditional car games can be spiced up without much extra effort. If you have any suggestions or ideas feel free to share them with others in the comments below.

Website Review ~ ASLpro.com

2009-06-04T15:22:00.000-05:00

Website: ASLpro.com

Appropriate for ages: all ages

Helps with: Learning American Sign Language

Review: Kids are interested in Sign Language. This is a great website to help them get started on the basics. It is not a website to take you from knowing nothing about Sign Language to being fluent in signs, but it will help you learn some signs that you can experiment with. When you first load the page, you will see an introduction. Scroll down; from there you will see links to area of the site. The site is grouped by categories of signs such as signs for babies, religious signs, conversational signs, etc. Click the link to start learning what you are interested in. Once you feel confident, you can even try to take a multi-choice quiz. The thing that I liked about this site is that it shows videos of each sign. This is much more effective for teaching signs than illustrations! Elementary age kids are often very interested in Sign Language. See if you can't experiment and learn a few.

Sort it Out

2009-06-03T15:48:00.000-05:00

Sorting can be such a good exercise for younger children. Everything from a stash of old buttons to a small pack of M&Ms can help a child learn organizing skills. Encourage your child to sort their toys when they put them away, or sort Legos as they build. Many items, like the Legos, can be sorted in many different ways. Suggest they try to sort them in different ways, such as by size and then by color later. If your child is not naturally an organizer, make it into a game or an art project by giving them a large handful of Fruit Loops and asking them to string them according to a pattern that they come up with. Another idea is something that my grandmother did for me. She collected old buttons and saved them in a box for me. Then when I came over, she let me string them or sew them onto an old washcloth. When I was done, we would usually cut the thread and dump the buttons back into the box, but it was a lot of fun trying to find matching buttons and make patterns on the string and washcloth.

Book Review ~ Worth

2009-06-02T15:41:00.001-05:00

Title: Worth

Author: A. LaFaye

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 4 (worth 4 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 10-14

Movie Version Available: No

Review: This is a work of historical fiction that explores the feelings of belonging and fitting into a family. Nathaniel is working on his family's farm when he is involved in an accident. Due to this accident, he is no longer able to work on his family farm. An orphan train comes to town, and his family adopts an orphan boy to help with the tasks Nathaniel can no longer help with. Both boys have troubles adjusting to this new way of life. Nathaniel feels like he has been replaced, while John, the orphan boy, feels more like the help than a part of the family he longs for. The book follows the boys as they sort out their feelings and adjust to this new lifestyle. It is a nice book, and I think that kids can relate to feeling a little out of place and trying to find out how to fit in.

Fun Sand Art

2009-06-01T13:51:00.003-05:00

Kids of course, like sand art. Make your next vacation into a memory by incorporating it into the sand artwork. If you stop at a gas station for a drink, the bottle you get could become the container for the art project. If you stop at a beach, you could get the sand and some small shells from there. Incorporate many small items in your sand art instead of just layering sand.
Some examples could be:

dried flowers
special rocks
small souvenirs
shells
any thing from your trip or day at the beach that would fit in the bottle will work.

Summer Learning Calendar

2009-05-29T16:09:00.002-05:00

Website: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/GrowthSeason/calendar.html

Appropriate for ages: 5 - 11

Helps with: Summer Learning

Review: This is a calendar of small things to do every day for seven weeks of summer vacation. The calendar is designed to accommodate all elementary age children. Most of the activities are very simple and short. Quite often they are fun things that kids will enjoy doing. The activities are varied and cover reading, teaching, learning, culture, and even college.

A Little Nature Trip

2009-05-28T16:11:00.001-05:00

Many areas have orchards where you can go to pick strawberries, blueberries, etc. with your kids. Often they will let you eat as much as you want while you pick berries. Many places will let you buy the packages of berries that you pick at reduced prices. Or, if you don't want to keep them, some places will keep your berries and pay you for picking them.

This can be a great outing with your kids. They will get to see a farm/orchard in action. It is nice for kids to realize how we get our food. It is not as simple as going to the store. They will see how food is grown and picked. Also, it is a nice way to spend a day as a family, and kids will enjoy getting to eat as many berries as they want in the process.

Book Review ~ Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia

2009-05-27T16:04:00.000-05:00

Title: Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia

Author: Barbara O'Connor

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 4 (worth 3 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 9 - 12

Movie Version Available: No

Review: This is a cute book about a friendship between two kids that both feel a little out of place. They bond while preparing for a Spelling Bee. The story starts a little slow, but I really enjoyed it. I read it to a class of fourth graders. They enjoyed the story as well. It is a nice little story about family, friends, trying to fit in, and hopes and dreams.

Also by Barbara O'Connor

Easy "Painted" Artwork

2009-05-26T12:50:00.000-05:00

Kids love to paint, but what a mess! This is an easy and simple way to make "painted" artwork without the mess. You will need coffee filters and markers. I think you need washable markers, but the other ones may work. Let your kids color the coffee filters so that the entire filter is covered. Usually you are going more for colors then an actual picture. Then, run water over the filter. The colors will bleed just a little to give a painted look to the artwork.

Website Review ~ Coloring Pages

2009-05-25T12:46:00.002-05:00

Website: http://www.coloring.ws/coloring.html

Appropriate for ages: 8 and under

Helps with: Coloring

Review: There are many websites where you can get coloring pages. This is one of my favorites. There are quite a lot of different kinds of coloring pages. They are nice large patterns that are fun and easy to color. I also like how the site is pretty well organized. It is easy to find what you want.

Educational Leaf Art

2009-05-22T11:45:00.002-05:00

One summer, while on a camping trip, I made some leaf art that was quite fun. We used muslin fabric (cheap off-white fabric) and put the leaves between two layers of muslin. The leaves need to be fresh green leaves. Then use a rubber mallet to hit the muslin (with the leaves in between.) The chlorophyll will come out leaving the imprint of the leaf on the muslin. It is a very pretty art project, and it also helps to show children what chlorophyll is.

I have not tried this with construction paper, but it MAY work as a substitute for the muslin.

Book Review ~ The Westing Game

2009-05-21T15:57:00.000-05:00

Title: The Westing Game

Author: Ellen Raskin

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 5 (worth 8 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 10 - adult

Movie Version Available: no

Review: This book took me a few chapters to get really in to it, but when I did, I couldn't put it down. It is a mystery, but it is feels more like a regular story than a mystery. The clues are given so that a young person could figure out parts of the mystery, yet even an advanced mystery reader will probably still find parts of the end surprising. I am not usually a big mystery fan, but I really liked this book. I think you will find it fun to read. The plot is full of exciting twists and turns.

Also by Ellen Raskin

Flower Art

2009-05-20T11:42:00.002-05:00

What you need: Construction paper, crayons, muffin liners, pipe cleaners, cereal like fruit loops.

Glue a pipe cleaner to a sheet of construction paper (at the bottom.) Then glue the muffin liner at the top of the pipe cleaner to make a flower. Then let kids decorate with crayons and glue down fruit loops to the muffin liner to finish the flower.

Via I love that Teaching Idea.

Website Review ~ Family Fun

2009-05-19T15:36:00.000-05:00

Website: familyfun.go.com

Appropriate for ages: 5-13

Helps with: Traveling

Review: This is a great site for more fun things to do in the car. You can print puzzles like mazes, word searches, find the differences, etc. Everything is really pretty and eye catching, but it may eat up some of your color ink in the process. Over all, I think it would be worth it.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2009-05-18T16:02:00.002-05:00

Since we are focusing on more laid back topics for summer time, I thought I would write some character teaching ideas too. Any teacher can tell you that children who cannot be kind and respectful are almost impossible to teach. Learning basic character qualities will prove to be very helpful in the classroom for your child, not to mention help solve many friend issues that they may come upon.

Kids need to learn how to respect each other. We have all met a lot of adults who never learned this important quality. They are hard to be around, aren't they? Talk to your kids about how everyone is different, but still valuable. To help them understand here are a few ideas:

Think about the human body. Feet may not be your favorite part of your body, but try going without them. Even if your foot is just injured, it greatly impacts your whole body! Or maybe you don't really like the look of your ears or nose. Now try to think of what life would be like without one or both of them. People are the same. We are all different. We act different, we do different things, but every part is very important and all people deserve kindness and respect. If we were all the same it would be like having a whole body of just hands or eyes. It would not work!
Build a basic block house out of legos or building blocks. What if you took out a few bricks? The heat or cold would get in. It would not be a nice place to live. If you see a brick on the side of the road, it would not look too important, but imagine that was a brick from your house. You'd want it back! People are like that. You may look at one person and not see them as very important, but everyone is important. If they are not there the world would not be the same.
You can think of several other examples based on your kid's interests. Some could be: a sports team that is missing a member, a favorite toy with dead batteries, etc.

Book Review ~ Princess Academy

2009-05-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

Title: Princess Academy

Author: Shannon Hale

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 6 (worth 10 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 10-13

Movie Version Available: no

Review: This is a cute book that girls will enjoy. It is about a poor neglected area in a kingdom. The next princess will be chosen from their area. Classes begin to train the girls how to become a fitting princess. Then the prince will choose a bride. Miri soon learns of plots that will endanger them. She must organize a way to save everyone. The story is cute, and I liked the ending. I think many young girls will enjoy this story.

Also by Shannon Hale

Web Art

2009-05-14T14:20:00.001-05:00

Spiders are not my favorite creatures, but spider webs can be a fun art project. Show your children some pictures of spider webs. Then give them some black construction paper and some Elmer's squeeze glue (not stick glue.) Let them create some spider webs of their own. You can even stick some plastic spiders in the glue webs as they dry to help with the effect. (Also good at keeping them out of your bed and shoes as practical jokes if they are stuck to art projects!) If you have learned about spiders in science class, let them write some facts about spiders on their art projects.

Website Review ~ String Figures

2009-05-13T15:24:00.001-05:00

Website: http://alysion.org/figures/main.htm

Appropriate for ages: 7-13

Helps with: Following Directions

Review: This is a site that teaches kids how to make shapes with string like Jacob's ladder, cup and saucer, crow's feet, etc. It also teaches how to play Cat's Cradle. I like this website because the illustrations are clear and simple to follow. I have seen many kids (girls especially) get so excited when they learn a new string trick. This may be a great activity to work on during a long road trip.

Inventions

2009-05-12T12:59:00.003-05:00

Get your kids excited about learning about the world around them by inventing. Here are some ideas:

Read Mistakes that Worked about how some mistakes have turned into our favorite inventions and creations.
Invent a new food. Start with something small like a new sandwich, cookie, or pizza. Maybe you could even try to make it!
Try to invent a new machine. Don't worry so much about the mechanics of it. Just try to get the imagination and creativity to come out. Have them draw a picture of their new invention.

Book Review ~ Notes From a Liar and Her Dog

2009-05-11T16:07:00.001-05:00

Title: Notes From a Liar and Her Dog

Author: Gennifer Choldenko

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (worth 7 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 9-14

Movie Version Available: no

Review: This book is about a girl named Ant who does not feel like she belongs in her family. She believes that her parents only love her two sisters and not her. She can only confide in her dog and her best friend Harrison. In the book she makes friends with her art teacher who is a bit meddlesome, but also somewhat helpful. Ant must face all of her lies and try to work with her family to find a place to belong. Overall I liked the plot of this book, however, a word of caution, Ant lies a lot and is often disrespectful to her parents. There are lessons learned about this, but in the book her parents are written to be as much as fault as she is. I didn't really appreciate that her attitude was not cast in a more negative light.

Also by Gennifer Choldenko

Think it Through

2009-05-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

Summer is a great time to work on critical thinking. It's a life skill that comes in very handy in school, but it doesn't feel like school work. Here are some ideas:

Get your kids involved in puzzles. They are great for car rides, waiting at doctor appointments, or something to do at a house with no toys when you visit someone.
Puzzles that require logic are especially helpful. Let your kids try them. They may really like them.
Ask your kids to explain things to you. Ask them questions that can't be answered with a yes or no answer. If they make a value judgment (like choosing the park over a museum) ask why they chose that way. Keep trying to get them to think deeper on topics of interest.
Explain things to your kids. Kids are known for asking why. Instead of brushing them off, give them an opportunity to learn.

Website Review ~ Car Games

2009-05-07T17:13:00.001-05:00

Website: Mom's Minivan Printable Games

Appropriate for ages: 5-14

Helps with: Traveling

This is a great site for finding games to play in the car. I am going to post the links to several printable games.

The Dot Game (Where you take turns drawing a line to make squares)

Tic Tac Toe

Car scavenger hunt for big kids

Car scavenger hunt for little kids

Battleship (with instructions)

Battleship (with more game boards instead of instructions)

List of states (to mark off which license plates you see)

Silly song lyrics

Nature Walk

2009-05-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

Most likely your kids are still in school, and they are probably having some severe cases of cabin fever from having to stay inside all day. Get out and take a walk with your kids! You'll enjoy it, and they will let out some cooped up energy. To make your walk a little more Scientific, turn it into a nature scavenger hunt. You can make up your own list if you want, but I am going to include some links to websites that have lists already prepared.

http://www.campingtripfun.com/scavenger-hunt.html (Scroll to the bottom)

http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/kids/scavengerhunt.htm This is a really good one! It includes all of your senses by giving things to listen for, smell, etc!

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/articles/nature-hunt-project.html This one is a little more involved. It has activities and things to photograph as well. It would really be good to save for a camping trip.

Book Review ~ Pish Posh

2009-05-05T16:08:00.001-05:00

Title: Pish Posh

Author: Ellen Potter

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 5 (worth 6 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 9-12

Movie Version Available: no

Review: At first I was not impressed with this book because the main character is a little girl who is entirely too stuck up. I stuck with it, however, and it was worth it. There was a nice sprinkling of humor throughout the book as well as a few much needed lessons. I think that young girls will enjoy this book because they can imagine living the dream life of Clara Frankofile. She gets to meet all kinds of rich and famous people, has quite possibly the coolest house in the history of the world, and gets to solve a light mystery to boot. Moms will like it because of the lesson that all people are of equal importance.

Also by Ellen Potter

Declutter the Fridge

2009-05-04T16:33:00.002-05:00

Kid's artwork and school work can cover a refrigerator in no time. Here is a neat idea for an art project that will also help you to keep your fridge organized.

You will need:

A poster board

Glue

Tape

A Gallon size Ziploc Bag

Magnets (If you do not have any, you can use the ones people give you as a magnetic business card, etc. You will just have to cut them and hot glue them on.)

Decorating materials (crayons, stickers, glitter, etc.)

Instructions:

Have adults help with cutting, and hot gluing (if required.) Cut the poster board into 4 strips. The strips need to be cut so that they will make a frame around the gallon Ziploc bag (that will become the "glass" in your frame.) Once the poster board is cut, glue the corners together, and then tape the bag to the back side so that you do NOT see the Ziploc part at the top. (This will not need to be zipped so it is fine to tape it down.) Now you should have a frame made of poster board around "glass" that is made of a Ziploc bag. Let your child decorate the "frame." Then, stick magnets on the back. Now the frame is ready to go on the refrigerator. Tell your child that they can pick one thing to display in the frame. A few other favorites can be stored behind the one on display so the child can switch them out. The Ziploc frame should hold a standard size sheet of paper. Kids like it because the frame is a piece of their artwork, but it also helps them to understand that only one piece at a time can be displayed. Giving them the choice over what goes on display makes them feel like they have some control over it. They are less likely to be upset about not having ALL of their work up at the same time if they know they can have a piece framed and switch it whenever they want.

Just for Fun

2009-05-01T16:17:00.000-05:00

During the months of May and June I will be focusing on activities, websites, and tips that are mostly just for fun. Some of them may be educational as well, but I would like to take a more relaxed approach as most people are off for the summer. Starting in July I will focus on back to school topics since many people start to buy supplies, meet the teacher, etc. in the end of July. If you have hints or tips to share please feel free to write me using the "Contact Us" area, or write it in the comment section of any post if it applies to that topic.

Website Review ~ Car Bingo

2009-05-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

Website: Roadside Bingo
Car Bingo

Appropriate for ages: 5-14

Helps with: Traveling

I used these Bingo boards with teens on a 10 hour trip last summer. I think that they can be fun for all ages who want to play. The links include 2 kinds of bingo boards. The first one is things that you would see on the side of the road. The other is different kinds of vehicles you may see as you travel. It is a mess to use bingo chips, pennies, etc. to mark what you have found. I suggest you just print off enough that you can mark things off with a pencil or pen instead of trying to reuse boards.

Obviously, you don't want everyone to have identical boards. Each of these games comes with 4 kinds of boards. I have included the links to the first ones. When you open them, look way up at the top and you will see an arrow that says "Next Card" by it. Click there to find the other 3 boards. Make sure you print a variety. If you have more than 4 players, you can work as teams or give a couple people matching boards. Chances are they won't see things exactly the same way so it will not be a problem.

Tour Your City

2009-04-30T15:01:00.000-05:00

Many times people do not do the "touristy" things in their own city. Take a "vacation" in your own city this summer. Go to a welcome center to pick up brochures, and look on your city's website for more ideas. Visit museums, monuments, landmarks, festivals, zoos, science museums, etc. Most places have discounted prices for kids. Sometimes, you can even find places that are free or offer free times on off days (usually Monday - Thursday through the day.) You may be surprised by educational and cultural activities in your area!

Book Review ~ Amber Brown is not a Crayon

2009-04-29T16:07:00.001-05:00

Title: Amber Brown is not a Crayon

Author: Paula Danzinger

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (worth 1 point)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 7-11

Movie Version Available: no

Review: This book is a bit predictable. It is made to be a beginner chapter book, so kids may not mind a predictable story. The plot line is simple with a few breaks in the main story for some humor attempts. As basic as this book is, I think that young kids may enjoy it.

Other Amber Brown books

Also by Paula Danzinger

Check Out Your Library

2009-04-28T14:54:00.000-05:00

Now is the time to find out what your library offers. The summer will be upon us soon! Many libraries offer programs that you may be interested in such as:

Summer Reading contests/programs
Kids' programs
Book Mobile - Some libraries offer a book mobile that travels around the area for people who cannot make it to the actual building. You can order books on-line and then pick up them up close to your house on the book mobile. You can also return books to the book mobile.
Movies - Many libraries are now loaning new movies. You usually can only keep them for a few days. (Think Block Bluster, but often it's free.)
Audio books - These could be an alternative to CONSTANT movie watching on a road trip.

For more information ask your librarian or look on their website to see what your library is offering this summer.

Website Review ~ NASA Kid’s Club

2009-04-27T16:52:00.002-05:00

Website: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html

Appropriate for ages: 6-13

Helps with: Science

Review: This website has several games for kids. Many are educational. At the top you can click on the level you want to play on and it will scroll to the appropriate games. The bottom has games that are for all ages. Kids can play with Buzz Lightyear and learn space facts, and science skills, or dress up for space while learning about the parts of a space suit. There are quite a few game options.

Memorization Tip ~ Sing a Song

2009-04-24T15:26:00.002-05:00

Learning a list to a simple tune can really help you recall the information. In fact, just this last Saturday, I was talking to a ninth grader from my church. He was telling me that he had to learn the list of prepositions to a tune. That reminded me of when I was in Junior High. I had to learn the list of prepositions too. I had used the tune to "10 Little Indians". Immediately they all cam back, "Aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, amid..." I could remember them easily because I had learned them to a tune. Help your children come up with little songs to learn things. It will stick with them for a long time.

Also, along the lines of learning through songs, Animaniacs was a popular cartoon when I was in upper elementary school. I bought some of their tapes. They turned out to be very educational. They are not in print anymore, but you can find them on Amazon. They have songs that help you learn your states and capitals, the water cycle, how to say hello in several languages, islands of the world, countries of the world (probably somewhat out of date now,) the planets and their order, your senses, the U.S. presidents (through Clinton,) and many more. I to this day sing parts of these songs in my head to remember some of the more obscure presidents or state capitals. Upon meeting someone from another country, I can remind myself of a greeting in their language from "The Hello Song". They are pretty good CDs. Along with the educational stuff there are also several fun songs on each album, and in Animaniacs tradition, they are very silly and kid appropriate.

Animaniacs
Yakko's World
Animaniacs Variety Pack

Book Review ~ Cluck O’ Clock

2009-04-23T15:06:00.001-05:00

Title: Cluck O' Clock

Author: Kes Gray

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 2 (worth a half point)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 7 and under

Movie Version Available: No

Review: This is a charming little picture book about a day in the life of a few hens that live together on a farm. The book is written in a lyrical rhyming form. I think it will really appeal to young readers/listeners. In my opinion, a good picture book must have good illustrations. The illustrations in this book are very cute. They are full of beautiful colors and attention to details. I love it when the pictures build on what the author writes to add further information. This book does a great job in that area. I enjoyed reading it, and I think that kids will enjoy it as well.

Also by Kes Gray

Memorization Tip ~ Acrostics

2009-04-22T16:36:00.001-05:00

Try to learn things by making an acrostic. When you have to learn a list of things, try to make a word out of the first letters. Some times this can be difficult, and you may have to tweak the words a little bit to make it fit, but if you can come up with an acrostic, it will help kids remember the list a lot better come test time.

Website Review ~ National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

2009-04-21T15:22:00.000-05:00

Website: http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/topic_t_1.html
Appropriate for ages: 7-12
Helps with: math

Review: This website has every kind of math manipulative imaginable. You can make charts, practice with money, work with base 10 blocks, try patterns, use number lines, and much more. This is great for practice. I think it also may help with homework. Often kids get to practice with these kinds of items in class, but most families do not have these kits at home. By using this website, kids can use familiar items to help them visualize homework problems.

Toy Spelling Bea

2009-04-20T13:15:00.005-05:00

When I was young, my mom helped me learn my spelling list by putting on a Spelling Bea. I would get all my toys together and have them spell my words out. If "they" were wrong, they were out of the contest. Try starting with a set number of toys (like 5 or 10.) Go through the list of words 2 or 3 times. To make it fun you can set a reward for each toy who makes it through to the end. Keep it small; offer something like 3 Skittles or M&Ms per toy that "wins" the Spelling Bea.

As a side note... my husband and I have disagreed on if it is a Spelling Bea or a Spelling Bee. I googled it to find out. Apparently many people spell it both ways. This is what I came across...

"Yes, 'bee' was the first word in history to be misspelled. Someone spelled it 'B' trying to be cute in 1776.

In 1850 when they tried to correct their mistake, they tried, 'be'. But that was wrong.

A committee was formed in 1941 at the start of WWII and a competition was held. It was composed of all women, since the men had been drafted.

The female mastermind Bea Este Masters took home the prize of 50 jars of honey with her correct spelling of 'bee'. Hence, the 'Spelling Bea' was coined, named after her. And people have been misspelling the event ever since."

Book Review ~ Judy Moody

2009-04-17T23:46:00.001-05:00

Title: Judy Moody was in a Mood. Not a Good Mood. A Bad Mood.

Author: Megan McDonald

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (worth 1 point)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 7 - 10

Movie Version Available: No

Review: This is a book in a series of books about Judy Moody. She is quite a fireball with big hopes, dreams, and criticisms. It is a good transition into chapter books because the print is large, and the book is not that long. Parts of the book are pretty funny. It is written to appeal to a child's sense of humor, frustration, etc.

Other Judy Moody books

Also by Megan McDonald

Rubrics

2009-04-16T15:40:00.001-05:00

Teachers often use rubrics (a written plan for how to grade something) when they are grading things like projects, speeches, writing papers, etc. Ask them ahead of time if you can get a copy. Keep it out so your child (and you) can refer to it as you work on these types of things. Teach your child how to make a plan to achieve the desired level. This is great practice for kids, and it teaches them that they can control the outcome of their grades.

I graded all of the students' writing papers this way. I tried to teach them these skills, but a little extra practice with it at home goes a long way to help "make it stick."

Website Review ~ RIF Reading Planet

2009-04-15T16:37:00.000-05:00

Website: http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/content/read_aloud_stories.mspx
Appropriate for ages: 7 and under
Helps with: Reading

Review: This is a place where you can read books (picture books) on-line. The site will read out loud for the child, but words are also on the screen so kids can practice reading along. Several books are available.

Edible Geometry

2009-04-14T16:42:00.000-05:00

When you start working with shapes and 3D figures, get some marshmallows and toothpicks. Poke the toothpicks into the marshmallows to make your figures. When you get to upper elementary and kids start learning about vertices, edges, and faces, this will also help. Marshmallows are vertices; toothpicks are edges; and faces are the open spaces in between.

Book Review ~ Silly Goose

2009-04-13T16:23:00.001-05:00

Title: Silly Goose

Author: Marni McGee

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: N/A

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 8 and under

Movie Version Available: No

Review: The illustrations in this picture book are beautifully done. Kids will enjoy looking at this book as much as they enjoy the story. The book is about a fox who is trying to trick a goose into being his lunch. However, goose has some loyal friends who will try to help him out. The story is cute, and the entire book is adorable.

Also by Marni McGee

Homework Help ~ Motivation

2009-04-10T16:35:00.005-05:00

It can be hard to motivate kids to do their homework. The younger they are, the easier it seems to be to motivate them. Often, the younger kids like doing their homework because it makes them feel grown up. However, as they get older and the homework starts to pile on, it starts to get old quick. Sometimes the only motivation that works is "no TV or video games till homework is done." If you are looking for other simple ideas some are listed below.
*Have special homework pencils or pens that are ONLY for homework. (For younger children, cartoon characters should work. Older kids may like a special color or grip.)
*Ask teachers if they mind homework being on special paper or done in special ink colors. Some teachers do mind, so check first, but I know that I never minded because it was something fun for kids. If teachers don't mind, you could let them use colored paper or green colored pencils. Getting to do something unconventional makes it a bit more fun.
*Let kids enjoy their afternoon snack during homework time. Obviously, this works best if the snack is something dry and not too messy.
*Let kids "get comfy" to do their homework. Sitting on a beanbag chair can be fun during homework time.

If you have ideas to add, please share them in the comments below.

Website Review ~ Language Adventure

2009-04-09T16:33:00.000-05:00

Website: languageadventure.net
Appropriate for ages: 5 and up
Helps with: Spanish Vocabulary

Review: This website has categories of words (like food, verbs, etc.) After clicking on the category you will see pictures to illustrate different words. The Spanish word for that picture is underneath the graphic. If you click on the picture, the site will pronounce the word for you so that you can hear it. I noticed that I had to keep hitting the back button on my browser after listening to the pronunciation, however. This is a nice website, because kids absorb new languages so well. The optimal time to learn a new language has been reported to be 12 and under. Also, young children are interested in trying new languages, so this can be a good way to expose them to new words in Spanish. After kids have mastered the words, there is a link to try a few games. (You actually have to click on the description below the word games and not on the actual word "games.") Kids can try to play matching type games here to test out their new language skills.

Homework Help ~ Philosophy

2009-04-08T16:14:00.000-05:00

Check with your child's teacher(s) to find out what his or her philosophy on homework is. Some teachers want homework to be done completely independently. They do not want parents to help because they plan on grading the work. Other teachers want parents to be partial participants, letting the kids do the work and the parents check it. Still others want parents to be highly involved. This is my personal preference. I want parents to re-teach anything that kids do not understand. I teach during class the way that I've found to work best for the majority of students. However, your child may not be in the majority. You as a parent can work with your child to find the style that works best for him. You can try different methods until he gets it down. Typically teachers will not want you to give the answers to your child, because that will not teach him how to do it. Teaching how to do it (without giving the answers away) is a whole different story. That is very helpful. Once the child understands how to do the work, make sure you give the child an opportunity to try some problems on his own. He needs that practice before he gets all the way to the test. I also wanted parents to check problems and have kids fix problems that were incorrect.

Talk to your teacher(s), and find out how they feel about homework. Then, coordinate your evening homework routine to fit that particular model.

Book Review ~ Molly and Her Dad

2009-04-07T16:17:00.001-05:00

Title: Molly and Her Dad

Author: Jan Ormerod

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: I could not find an AR quiz currently available

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 4-8

Movie Version Available: No

Review: This is a picture book about a little girl named Molly who wants to know her father better. She doesn't know a lot about him, so she makes it all up in her mind. Then, he comes to visit for a week while her mom is out of town. The story is OK, but I think it would be nice to have just a few more details about his trip. It seems to be the focal point of the book, yet it rushes by quite quickly. It feels like Molly's dad is only there for 2 or 3 days instead of a week. The illustrations remind me a little bit of Ramona Quimby in the Beverly Cleary books. They seem to be done with chalks. While they are not particularly my style of art, some of them are pretty cute, and I love that they elaborate on the narrative. It's hard to grow up without a dad. Maybe this book could help.

Also by Jan Ormerod

Homework Help ~ Atmosphere

2009-04-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

Homework needs to be done as far away from distractions as possible. The living room or the kitchen table can work (especially if you want to be around to help,) but only if you can keep siblings, pets, and general noise at bay. If that is not possible, their bedroom or a study will probably be your best bet. Distractions are not only extrinsic, however. Intrinsic distractions can be just as problematic. You don't have to be a parent too long to figure this out! Try to have the homework place set up so that these distractions are as limited as possible. For example, have a supply of pencils (to replace the one that will inevitably get broken,) plenty of paper, perhaps a drink of water, and anything else your child typically needs. This will help your child focus, and hopefully get through his homework quicker.

Website Review ~ Animal Corner

2009-04-03T16:42:00.000-05:00

Website: animalcorner.co.uk
Appropriate for ages: 7-12
Helps with: Science, Research

Review: This website is full of animal information. It's not the most kid friendly layout, but they will quickly figure it out. Kids might like to even just look around on the site just for fun, but I can see it being a big help if they have to write an animal report. Animals are categorized by where they live to help kids find what they are looking for.

Synonyms

2009-04-02T16:25:00.000-05:00

To practice synonyms, start out by having your child write a common kid's song or poem. For example, have him write "Shoo fly don't bother me." Then, have him change the lyrics to come up with as many synonyms as possible. The song could end up something like leave bug don't annoy me. It's not important that it fits with the tune anymore. Just focus on coming up with good synonyms.

Via, I Love that Teaching Idea

Book Review ~ Charlie Hits it Big

2009-04-01T16:23:00.001-05:00

Title: Charlie Hits it Big

Author: Deborah Blumenthal

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (worth a half point)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 10 and under

Movie Version Available: No

Review: This is a cute little book about a guinea pig that runs off to find fame and fortune in Hollywood. The little girl that takes care of him is quite distraught to find him missing, but Charlie leaves a note to tell her where he has gone. The illustrations are adorable; there are a couple that are quite humorous (Charlie flying on the airplane sitting on 3 pillows and his suitcase so he can reach his tray and Charlie getting his foot stepped on.) The story is also very charming. Charlie apparently does not realize that he is not a human! I think you will enjoy this little picture book.

Also by Deborah Blumenthal

Homework Help ~ Get a Routine

2009-03-31T16:21:00.000-05:00

Homework will be most successful if you stick to a routine. Try to do homework in the same place and at the same time every day. This helps kids to get into the homework mode. Also, if there is a set routine it helps kids to know what is expected of them. With kid's schedules as busy as they are, it can be tough to stick to a routine, but really work on making it a priority. Try to create a routine that will work for your family, and then stick to it!

Some routine suggestions:

Don't put it off! Try to get it done as soon as you get home.
No TV, videogames, etc. until homework is done. If your children are able to come straight home from school, they may have a long enough evening that you could give them a half hour to unwind first. However, if children have daycare or after school activities, there may not be enough time to schedule in some down time before homework. It's nice to have time to relax before bedtime as well. That will help kids get to sleep better. If your evening does have enough time for relaxation before homework, consider outdoors time rather than TV and videogames. This is great for several reasons. First, TV leads from one show to another, and soon your schedule is shot or you are fighting with your child. Videogames can be the same way; ever heard, "I have to finish this level. I can't save it yet!"? Another point is that later on it will be too dark to go outdoors, so encourage it while it's still early.
If you break routine, determine to get right back on it the next day.

Website Review ~ A + Math

2009-03-30T13:16:00.002-05:00

Website: Aplusmath.com
Appropriate for ages: 6 – 10
Helps with: Math

Review: This website has math games, flashcards, worksheets, and help for homework. I like the home work helper because it allows kids to put in the problem along with their answer. Then, it tells them if it's correct or if they should give it another try. I like that feature because it does not just give kids the answers. It makes them figure it out for themselves. I think you will find quite a bit of math activities for your kids to experiment with.

Working with Dialogue

2009-03-27T16:18:00.002-05:00

Practice the punctuation of dialogue by using comic strips. Have the child write the comic in paragraph form. This way he can focus on his punctuation instead of coming up with dialogue. It is a great way to practice, but kids enjoy it a bit more than usual because it involves comics.

Via I Love that Teaching Idea

Book Review ~ Pirate Girl

2009-03-26T16:15:00.002-05:00

Title: Pirate Girl

Author: Cornelia Funke

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (worth a half point)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 5-8

Movie Version Available: no

Review: This is a picture book. The author incorporates some larger words, which is a nice feature. Younger kids will be able to understand it, yet broaden their horizons at the same time. The book is a little quirky. That can be a good thing, but I didn't really care too much for this book. It is pretty hum-drum. It reminded me of the Pippi Longstocking books, but without the humor and with a less interesting plot. I think it was a bit too predictable, and I was not a fan of the illustrations. I like bold, colorful, cartoon-like pictures in a picture book. These illustrations reminded me more of The Farside comics, or a Shel Silverstein book. However, sometimes young children are far less critical. Maybe a young child would enjoy this story. I think the fact that it is a bout pirates should work in its favor.

Also by Cornelia Funke

Math Dice

2009-03-25T15:54:00.002-05:00

To practice addition, subtraction, or multiplication, get some dice! Have your child roll the dice then add, subtract, or multiply the 2 numbers shown. It's good practice, but children enjoy it a little more, because it feels more like a game. For older children, add more dice. They can either add 3-4 numbers, or they can use them in pairs to make two digit numbers.

Website Review ~ Weather Eye

2009-03-24T15:49:00.002-05:00

Website: http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/forecast/figger_cloud.html
Appropriate for ages: 8 - 12
Helps with: Science

Review: This website teaches kids how to predict the weather by looking at clouds. Then, it gives them a couple opportunities to try out their new skill. I think it will be interesting for kids, because it is something they can try in real life. After trying the little quiz, you can try wind forecasting if you like.

Predict the Future

2009-03-23T16:12:00.002-05:00

When kids read, it is good to have them predict what will happen later on in the book. That keeps them engaged in the book. It also teaches them to pay attention to foreshadowing (clues the author leaves to hint about what will happen.) Any time you can get children to pay more attention to what they are reading, you are bound to improve comprehension. You should ask questions to children as you read about what will happen next. (Perhaps at the end of a chapter or an exciting point in the story would be a good time.) Later, talk about if the predictions were correct or not.

Book Review ~ The Boxcar Children Series

2009-03-20T15:06:00.002-05:00

Title: The Boxcar Children series

Author: Gertrude Chandler Warner

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3-4 (worth 2-3 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 7-11

Movie Version Available: No

Review: These books were my first chapter books. I started reading them in first grade, and I was hooked on them. They are a little bit older, but I think kids will still enjoy them. The idea of being on your own as children is quite an adventure for little imaginations, and then the children find their grandfather, who turns out to be wealthy. It is quite an intriguing setting. I like several things about this series. For one, the books really promote good family relationships. The brothers and sisters are very kind to each other and they really look out for each other as well. Another nice thing about this series is the quality of the mysteries; they are challenging for young minds without being overly frightening. That can be a difficult balance to find in a child's mystery, but I think the Boxcar Children books have struck it perfectly.

Facts and Opinions

2009-03-19T15:16:00.001-05:00

Next time you are watching TV with your kids, make the commercials into an educational time. Have your kids listen for facts and opinions in the commercials. List the facts and opinions that you noticed in the commercials verbally. See who can find more.

Via I Love that Teaching Idea!

Website Review ~ AAA Math

2009-03-18T15:48:00.000-05:00

Website: www.aaamath.com
Appropriate for ages: 7-11
Helps with: math

Review: This site is designed to help children practice writing numbers in expanded and standard forms. First you will see a brief description of how expanded form works. Scroll down and there is a box for practicing. You must push start. Then, the computer will give you three digit numbers written in expanded form. The child needs to write the number in standard form and push enter. I have noticed as a teacher, that some kids have a tough time grasping this concept. I think that if your child falls into that category, this would be excellent practice. It gives some easier and some tougher problems to help them practice on all kinds of numbers. The down side is that I did not find a place to practice going the other direction (turning standard form into expanded form.)

Colorful Spelling Words

2009-03-17T15:54:00.002-05:00

Writing spelling words can be monotonous practice. To make it more fun, have your child write them with crayons or colored pencils. There are several activities you can do with the crayons:

* Write your spelling words with two or three colors in your hand. Kids enjoy the way it looks, but make sure they work to keep the letters neat so it is readable as well.

* Pick one color for vowels and one for consonants. Write your spelling words using the two colors to distinguish between the two.

* Many spelling lists work on phonics, prefixes, suffixes, or a certain grammar rule. Highlight the featured rule(s) in a special color. For example, the list works with words that have double consonants like the word hitting. So, they would write the word hitting using a special color to write the "tt" part.

* Write each syllable in a different color. If they aren't sure, they can look up syllable divisions in a dictionary.

Book Review ~ Duck

2009-03-16T15:10:00.001-05:00

Title: Duck

Author: Randy Cecil

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (worth a half point)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 8 and under

Movie Version Available: no

Review: This is a picture book that is written by a man who is primarily an illustrator. The illustrations are too cute, and the story is charming. Duck is a carousel animal that lives quite a life on the side. He is full of hopes, dreams, and the ability to love. I thought it was a great little book, and my four month old seemed to enjoy it as well.

Also by Randy Cecil (some he authored and some he illustrated)

World Map Skills

2009-03-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

This is an idea for working on world map skills. Get a copy of a world map (preferably one you can write on) or print one. (Click here if you need a map to print.) You will also need your local Yellow Pages. Have your child flip to the section where restaurants are listed. Then, have him map the restaurants matching them up with the country the food originates from. For example: In Italy you could write down Olive Garden, etc.

Website Review ~ Free Rice

2009-03-12T13:26:00.002-05:00

Website: www.freerice.com
Appropriate for ages: 8 and up
Helps with: math, vocabulary, foreign languages, geography

Review: This is a great site because children can practice scholastic skills and help fight hunger around the world at the same time. The idea is that you pick a subject and answer questions. For each question that you answer correctly, 10 grains of rice are donated to hungry people through the UN World Food Program. If you go to freerice.com, it will automatically put you in the vocabulary section. But, if you go to the top of the page, you can click on the subjects tab. That will give you the option of answering questions about famous art, chemistry, English grammar or vocabulary, geography, foreign language, and math. Kids can pick a topic of interest and try their best to answer (learning new things at random,) or they can pick a topic like multiplication where even an upper elementary student could be successful. It is a great way to practice your multiplication facts while helping others at the same time. The nice thing about the site is that you can adjust the level of the questioning. Also, the site learns to adapt to your skill level. Questions get gradually tougher, but as you start to miss them, they start to ease up again. As you get questions correct, your bowl (on the right side of the page) will fill up with rice.

Timed Flashcards

2009-03-11T13:26:00.005-05:00

Flashcards are a great way to help kids study. Here's an idea to take it one step farther: use Power Point to create a simple slide show of the flashcards. (Even if you have no experience with Power Point, you could put together a slide show quite easily.) The great thing about using Power Point is that you can time the child's response easily. You can set the slides to change every so many seconds, so that you know if the child answers in time. This would be a great tool for practicing any timed response. For example: math facts, sight words, vocabulary words, etc. Then, the child has until the slide changes to answer.

Book Review ~ Wayside School Series

2009-03-10T13:16:00.002-05:00

Title: Wayside School
Series

Author: Louis Sacher

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (worth 3-4 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 8 - 12

Movie Version Available: Yes (animated – not really a common movie though, also a weekly cartoon)

Review: I love to read these books with my class. They are so animated and full of child-like imagination. Kids love to imagine all of the nonsense that goes on in Wayside School. Kids will laugh their way through the entire series. I must admit that I enjoy it as well. It is a nice story for kids who are just starting out on chapter books because each chapter is a standalone story. It makes a large undertaking like beginning a chapter book, more possible since it can be done in small steps.

Also by Louis Sachar

Test Taking Tip ~ Multiple choice

2009-03-09T13:47:00.002-05:00

More and more, tests are becoming multiple choice. It is a great idea to give your kids a few pointers on how to test well. Obviously, it's not a great idea to guess on your tests, but if your child can not come up with the answer, then it is nice to have an idea of how to pick wisely.

One thing to pay attention to on multiple choice is distracters. The wrong answers are called distracters, for obvious reasons. Often, two or three of the answers will be very similar or have quite a bit in common. That way if you are close to the right answer, but not 100% sure, the similar answers make it a bit more difficult. However, if you have no idea of where to head on the answer, this can help you as well. Look for the answers that have some similarity. That should help narrow your choice just a bit. It will most likely be one of those answers. This technique may increase your odds to a 50/50 or one out of three.

Website Review ~ Hippo Campus

2009-03-06T13:11:00.001-06:00

Website: http://www.hippocampus.org/
Appropriate for ages: 8 and up
Helps with: Math, Science, Government, History, Psychology, and Statistics

Review: This website is a great tool. You can search through all of the topics listed above and find video lessons on hundreds of subtopics. For example, you can search U.S. History and find videos of most major historical events. Additionally, you can switch to the textbook tab and search through quite a few textbooks. Each textbook includes a list of topics to help you find what you are looking for quickly. This site is very easy to navigate through and holds a wealth of information.

Memorization Tip ~ Rhyming Phrases

2009-03-05T13:51:00.002-06:00

When you are memorizing information, creating a rhyming phrase can really help you remember something. I find myself thinking "30 days hath September, April, June, and November..." any time that I need to know if a month has 30 or 31 days. Another example is, "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Recalling this information is easy because I know a little rhyme to help me remember it. I have applied this to help me study for numerous tests (especially history with all of its facts and dates.) Maybe next time you help your child study for a test, you can come up with some sort of rhyming phrase to help him remember the information.

Book Review ~ Shadow Children Series

2009-03-04T13:46:00.002-06:00

Title: Shadow Children Series (Among the Hidden)

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 4-5 (worth 5-7 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 12-15

Movie Version Available: no

Review: I really enjoyed these books. They are full of suspense and plot twists. They are written on the fourth and fifth grade level, but use caution before giving them to children that age. I know a few fourth graders that love this series, but many students that age would not be ready for them yet. They are set in a future society where government leaders have decided that there is not enough food. To "fix" this problem, they decree that each family may only have two children. The series follows several children who were born into families already having two children. They must, consequently, live in hiding or get a new identity. The children, their families, and their supporters try to change the government so all children can be safe. Some situations may be too intense for younger children. However, if your kids are old enough to handle these books, they are very well written. Readers will be kept on the edge of their seats at all times.

Also by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Teach Me

2009-03-03T13:16:00.002-06:00

Next time you have been working on a skill or concept with your child, have him try to "teach you" the material. This is a great way to assess if your child has grasped the concept or not. If a child can teach it back to you, then he has truly mastered what he was learning. It is also a great way to find areas that still need a little polish. Children usually like to feel like they are teaching an adult something new, so it should not be too hard to get your child to cooperate. Ask questions to make sure he explores all areas of the material in his lesson. Obviously, this idea will not work too well if the student has not understood the material himself. So, make sure you cover it thoroughly before having him teach it back to you.

Website Review ~ Kids Health

2009-03-02T18:06:00.002-06:00

Website: http://kidshealth.org/index.html
Appropriate for ages: 8 and up
Helps with: Learning about health

Review: This website has individual pages for parents, kids, and teens. The site provides articles about health as well as ideas for science experiments and health related puzzles. The kids' site is very age appropriate. I think that kids might enjoy some of the puzzles. Also, I think this site would be very helpful if a student needs to do any research relating to health. There are lots of articles to read and a glossary of medical terms.

Free Tutoring

2009-02-27T13:55:00.000-06:00

As a teacher I have seen so many people pay for tutoring, buy practice books, etc. Usually, you can get all the help your child needs for free. Teachers often get kits with their textbooks of all the things they need to supply each student. These kits have to be used for several years, so the teacher cannot give you the supplies. However, if you are a parent that can be trusted, the teacher will often let you borrow things. You could probably get things like rulers, sets of coins and bills for money practice, protractors, compasses, calculators, small clocks for practicing time, counters, shapes, fraction bars (to help with learning fractions,) etc.

Another thing that teachers get with their textbooks is extra practice books. If your child needs help, have them do some extra practice at home. Teachers cringe on the inside when you ask for extra worksheets, because they honestly don't have the time to make more copies. If you would like the extra help for your child, ask the teacher to write down the lesson numbers she has planned for the next week. Then go into school (schedule a time with her ahead) and make copies from the extra workbooks that the students don't use in class. Usually a teacher will work with you on that and be happy to give you the books if you will look up the pages and make the copies yourself. Most books have the lesson numbers on each page somewhere so you should be able to figure out what to copy from the list of lesson numbers that you asked for.

One final thing that parents often asked me about is tutoring. Honestly, tutors can be counterproductive sometimes. If the tutor doesn't teach a skill the same way that the teacher did, it can be confusing to the child. Also, the tutor doesn't know how the test will look. So, who knows all of this information besides the teacher? The textbook companies do. In most cases they are the ones that write your child's tests, so they would know how to tutor your child. They also are very likely to present the material in the same way that the teacher did, since she is teaching from their books. How are you going to get the textbook company to tutor your child? Actually, most companies provide free e-books online. This is great because your child can do homework on the computer using the e-book and not have to lug home 20 pounds of book weight. Most of the time, these sites will also provide extra practice, re-teach lessons, games, and tutoring for each lesson in the book. You will probably have to ask the teacher to give your child a user name and password to access the site. Once you have that information, you should have access to all kinds of resources (for free) that hit on the exact skills your child is covering in class.

Book Review ~ Narnia Series

2009-02-26T13:54:00.002-06:00

Title: Narnia Series

Author: C. S. Lewis

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 5 (worth 6-7 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 9-15

Movie Version Available: Yes (several versions)

Review: The popularity of this series has swelled again recently due to the new Disney movies. I enjoyed the books. They are well written and pretty well known, so not much of a review is needed. My main point in recommending these books is to say this: there are two orders in which to read this series. They were written in this order: The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. Yet when they were published, they were released in a different order: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle. People have many views on which order you should follow when you are reading them. As a person who read them first by the publishing order and later on by the order they were written in, I must say that they make a WHOLE lot more sense when read in the order they were written.

Also by C. S. Lewis

Make a Puzzle

2009-02-25T13:54:00.000-06:00

Teachers are known for being resourceful. Nothing can be wasted! I learned a way to turn old calendars into puzzles. First, I would laminate each month's picture. (I laminated them because they were for my class. If you are making them for use at home, you could choose to skip that step.) Then, I would cut the pictures into various shapes (usually squares to save time.) Finally, cut out the small picture from the back cover of the calendar that matches the picture you just cut. This will serve as a guide. Put all of the pieces in a Ziploc bag with the guide facing out.

My third and fourth graders loved them. They seem easy to solve, but if you cut squares, it's hard to tell how they fit together because any side could be the top, and there's no curves to match up.

Website Review ~ Circus Builder

2009-02-24T13:54:00.000-06:00

Website: http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/3_4/circus/circus.htm
Appropriate for ages: 6-10
Helps with: Phonics – Vowel sounds

Review: This is a quick game that helps children learn their vowel sounds. However, it is not as simple as it may sound. It is geared more for a second through fourth grade student. I do believe that it would be good for younger students as well, but they may need assistance reading some of the words. The basic idea is this: you read a word, then, pick from three choices the word that uses the same vowel sound. What makes this a bit more challenging is that all three words might have the same vowel, but all using different sounds. It is a good little review game if your child needs extra practice in this area.

Fractions

2009-02-23T13:53:00.000-06:00

Often we focus on parts of a whole when we work with fractions. The age old example of using a Hershey bar to illustrate this comes to mind. This teaches about breaking something into pieces and working with the fractional parts. But, sometimes fractions are wholes that are part of a group. In other words, sometimes things don't have to be broken to be part of a fraction. M&Ms can be a great way to illustrate this kind of fraction. You may have 10 M&Ms. 5 of them are blue. None of them are broken. The 5 whole blue M&Ms show the fraction 5/10 or 1/2. Many times, children only get experience with fractions that deal with broken parts. Then, when they see whole parts of a group, they do not understand. Pull out some M&Ms and practice this kind of fraction with your child. He will gladly work on his fractions if he can "clean up" the candy when he has proven that he understands.

Book Review ~ Gooney Bird Greene

2009-02-20T18:30:00.001-06:00

Title: Gooney Bird Greene

Author: Lois Lowry

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (worth 2 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 8-11

Movie Version Available: No

Review: Kids will enjoy this book because it is silly and humorous. Teachers and parents will like it because it teaches children the parts of a good story. Through the wild tales that Gooney weaves to share with her class, kids learn the elements of fiction. Gooney explains the elements in some detail to her fellow students, so they too can tell wonderful stories. Though this book is very educational, it is extremely entertaining. I read it to my class of third graders. They loved it, and I was able to gain a lot of teachable moments through this story. Another added bonus is that Gooney loves to use big words. Often, she explains what they mean. That is a great learning opportunity for kids as well.

Also in the Gooney Bird Greene series

Also by Lois Lowry

Corresponding with Teachers

2009-02-19T13:06:00.000-06:00

There are 3 main ways to correspond with your teacher outside of scheduled meetings: phone, e-mail, and notes. Find out which your child's teacher prefers. By corresponding in the way that your teacher prefers, you are greatly increasing the chance that you will receive word back quickly. For example, some schools do not have phones readily available to teachers, and if they do, it is not usually convenient to answer the phone during school hours. Some teachers like notes because they have a hard copy that they can stack or file. Still others like e-mail because it is easily accessed on their computer desktop with no paper clutter. After you have found out the preferred method, keep these simple etiquette tips in mind:

Be patient. Teachers are overbooked, and there is really nothing they can do about it. Realize that it may take a couple of days for your child's teacher to get back to you. Often, teachers do not even get a chance to read notes or e-mails until after school is over. Therefore, it may take awhile before the teacher can respond.
Be brief. Again, teachers are overbooked. Get to the point of the message quickly. This will also help to ensure that your return message deals with the question you are asking.
Be polite. Emotion does not always come through in written form as you intended it. If you are doubtful of how your message will be received, have someone else read it and give you their opinion. Be cautious about writing notes if you are upset. Teachers usually keep all notes on file for the entire year.
Write legibly. This seems obvious, but I have gotten many handwritten notes that I cannot decipher.

Website Review ~ Glubble

2009-02-18T12:57:00.000-06:00

Website: Firefox add-on: Glubble
Appropriate for ages: 14 and under
Helps with: Internet safety and general education

Review: Glubble is a Firefox add-on. In other words, it only works if you use Firefox as your internet browser. If you are not a Firefox user, you may want to consider it. Firefox is a free download, and a wonderful browser with many free add-ons to personalize your internet experience.

Glubble can be used to help your kids ease into the internet. It helps you find educational activities on the internet for your kids to play with. There are even puzzles and audio books. Also, you can make a family page where kids can connect with their extended family (or whoever you give access to the page.) That is a nice feature if your child wants to be involved in social networking, but you aren't quite ready for them to have a facebook account. Once you complete the registration for glubble you will have a page that is accessible from any computer on the internet. That is a great feature because you won't have to worry about packing it on the flash drive.

Become a Volunteer

2009-02-17T13:26:00.001-06:00

Teachers often have many tasks that they would love to receive help with. Volunteering is a great way to learn a little about your child's class and help out at the same time. A few things to remember are:

Copies – Keep papers and books organized. A jumbled stack of papers that are all mixed together will not be very profitable.
Grading – Your child's teacher may or may not feel comfortable with accepting help with grading. If he does, remember that all grades are confidential and must not be discussed with anyone.
Filing – This may seem like a mindless task, but make sure you are paying attention. No one likes to have things filed in the wrong spot.
Cutting things out/ getting projects ready – Teachers often like help with getting things ready for projects, art time, etc. Sometimes these things are even projects that you can take home to work on.

Teachers love help! On the plus side for you, teachers are often more willing to work with and help out parents who have made the effort to be a classroom helper.

Book Review ~ A Series of Unfortunate Events

2009-02-16T16:06:00.003-06:00

Title: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Author: Lemony Snicket

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: Mostly 6, but a few are 7s (most worth 5-9 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 8-13

Movie Version Available: Yes (covers the first few books)

Review: When these books first came out, libraries and bookstores could not keep them on the shelves. I was teaching third grade at the time, and several of my students were absolutely in love with this series. I read the first book. I could not stand to read any farther. Many adults that read them with their children felt the same way. There must be something about them that adults just don't "get." For whatever reason, kids seem to like them. They are written in a classic style. The vocabulary used in this book will surely stretch your child to new levels. I think this series is very educational in that aspect. While they were not my favorites, I think they are good for kids. Not many books on the market today are written with rich language and complex wording. They have not been "written down" on a child's level. They are much more like the classics of old. It may be good for a child to experience such a work of literature.

Are you under Involved?

2009-02-13T11:14:00.001-06:00

Your child probably spends more of his daytime hours with his teacher than with you, his parent, in a typical school week. Have you taken the time to meet the person with so much influence on your child? Many parents do not take the time to meet their child's teacher, but believe me, on the first sign of supposed trouble, they are in the classroom complaining. This is not a good way to get help. Please realize a few things:

Teachers do not get into teaching for the money! They teach because they care about children. Teachers do want the best for your child. They are not trying to sabotage your child's education. They have no reason to just decide to pick on your child. This is true with very few exceptions. Do not automatically take your child's side. Do now assume that your child has told you the whole truth on every situation.
If you want a teacher to help your child, schedule a meeting. Then, calmly and rationally work with the teacher to find out what you can do to help your child improve.
Show some interest in your child's class. Do not just contact the teacher when you need something or want to complain. A quick note of thanks will go a long way. It might help you gain more cooperation from the teacher when you do need help. Offer to help. Teachers understand that you work and lead busy lives. Offering to help out from home can be a great way to volunteer. Your teacher will sincerely appreciate this effort.

Website Review ~ The Science Explorer

2009-02-12T12:43:00.001-06:00

Website: http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/
Appropriate for ages: 8-12
Helps with: Science

Review: This website has several simple science experiments. They are intended to be done with items from around the house. Some require adult supervision, while others could probably be done independently. I like this website because it can help to cultivate a child's curiosity in a good way. It is good for children to learn how things work and to experiment with science in everyday life. I found that the experiments are very clearly illustrated. It should not be hard for children to follow these directions with a little help or (if there are no safety issues) on their own.

*If you like this site, they have published 2 books full of more experiments. The Science Explorer and The Science Explorer: Out and About.

Critical Thinking Skills

2009-02-11T09:43:00.001-06:00

Education is moving away from memorization and towards critical thinking. Obviously memorization will always be a part of school, but its role is becoming smaller and smaller. The amount of information in our world is growing exponentially. New ideas, technology, and ways of doing things are being created every day. Simply memorizing the facts will not cut it anymore; you could never keep up. Education has realized this, and is turning to teaching "how" and "why" as opposed to lists of facts. Students today need to be able to figure out answers instead of just recalling them.

What can you do to help your child prepare for this phenomenon so he will do well in school and ultimately in life? Make sure you ask your kids to evaluate things. Have them give their opinion, but then have them back it up with why they think their opinion is valid. Get them involved in solving puzzles. This will improve logic which in turn improves critical thinking. Instead of just telling your children things, have them think things through. Far too many parents are thinking for their kids. This does not benefit your child at all. Make sure you are interacting with your kids in such a way that they are stimulating their brains and learning to reason. This will be so helpful to them in school, but really, it is a life skill that kids cannot live without.

Book Review ~ Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2009-02-10T11:04:00.003-06:00

Title: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Author: Judith Viorst

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 3 (0.5points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 5-9

Movie Version Available: No

Review: This was one of my favorite books as a child. Alexander is having "one of those days" where if anything could go wrong, it did! Children will enjoy laughing at Alexander's miserable day and the adorable illustrations that accompany it. I think the thing that makes this book so inviting is that we've all felt exactly the way Alexander feels. In his self-pity, he warps reality just a bit, but we can all relate. After all, "some days are like that, even in Australia." It is a picture book, so it is a quick read. It is perfect when your child's day didn't go quite according to plan. Although, I must admit, I love reading this book even when I have had a great day.

*If you like this book, she has written a couple more to go with this mini-series: Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move; Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday; and Absolutely, Positively Alexander (which is all 3 books bound into one book.)

Also by Judith Viorst

Are you over Involved?

2009-02-09T14:53:00.001-06:00

Yes, there is such a thing as a parent that is too involved. Don't get me wrong, teachers do appreciate parental volunteers. I love it when I have parents who make my copies for me, and I ADORE parents who are willing to grade spelling tests. (Oh, how I hate to grade spelling!) But, some parents just go too far. A few rules to remember regarding classroom etiquette are as follows:

You are a guest. The point of a classroom is for education. Teachers are grateful for your help, but don't disturb the learning process. Make plans ahead of time so the teacher expects you. That way she can have everything ready when you come. You can go over instructions, etc. ahead of time so learning can continue as you enter the classroom. Do your best to minimize interruptions. Children have short attention spans, so the teacher will have to start from the beginning when the lesson is interrupted.
Do not undermine the teacher's authority. The teacher understands that it is your child, but she has to accomplish a lot in a little amount of time. Also, for the sake of sanity, she must have a set of institutional rules for her class. For example, it may not seem like a big deal to you if your child talks in line, but if that is the rule, then you are causing problems with the teacher as well as the other students when you encourage your child to break this rule. No matter how small or insignificant a rule may seem, support the teacher's authority.
Accept "no" for an answer. Teachers appreciate your help, but they also have different personalities. Some teachers do not want parents to help them with grading, etc. Often, the jobs that teachers need help with are not the most enticing ones. I used my volunteers to make copies for me. I know that is not the most fun job, but that is what I needed. If the job you are looking for is not one they have available for you, gracefully accept it.
Do not follow your child's class around constantly. Sounds crazy, but parents do it! School is not the time to socialize with your child or his teacher. Teachers are required to get more done in a school day than they are given time to accomplish. Having parents follow your class everywhere makes it very difficult to get things done. It is disruptive because students are distracted by extra people in the room.
Schedule your appointments. Teachers are professionals. It is amazing the amount of requirements (outside of teaching) that are placed on teachers. Time is very limited. If you need to speak with a teacher, schedule an appointment. Also, give the teacher an idea of what your concerns are. That way he can be prepared with helpful information at the meeting.

Website Review ~ Books.Google.com

2009-02-06T11:18:00.002-06:00

Website: http://books.google.com/
Appropriate for ages: All Ages
Helps with: Reading and Research

Review: This is a collection of books and older periodicals. The nice thing about this site is the variety. Also, since it is run by Google, it is very organized and easy to navigate through. Many of the periodicals cover topics of science and history so they will be wonderful for research. The books, however, can be disappointing at times. The problem is not the variety or amount of books. The problem is that they often omit the end of the book. This is mostly due to copyrights. By leaving the end off, they can possibly get you to buy the book from them. I would just suggest that you scroll through books and see if the end is missing before you get too involved. Otherwise, this is a great book resource, and closer than the library.

Rounding

2009-02-05T09:58:00.000-06:00

I have noticed that, for some reason, children have a tough time grasping the concept of rounding numbers. The teachers on my grade level came up with some strategies to help with this.

1.) First underline the place that you are rounding to. So if you are rounding 5,469 to the nearest ten, you would underline the six because that's the place you are rounding to. This keeps you focused on the correct number. Kids very easily get confused. I have noticed that they often want to round to the first number regardless of what the directions say. I think this is a result of the worksheets they are given in class. When kids are taught to round they first learn how to round to the 10s place so they practice on 2 or 3 digit numbers. Then they learn to round to the 100s place; the practice has 3 or 4 digits. Through this they learn that the place rounded to is always at the beginning. Later on when they are given bigger numbers, they don't understand the difference.

2.) Circle every digit after the one you underlined. That helps kids realize that all of those numbers will become zeros. Sometimes they forget and only make the first number a zero. By circling all of them, they can remember to make them all zeros.

3.) 5-9 rounds up; 0-4 rounds down. To help kids remember which ones round up and which ones round down, use an illustration they are familiar with. We told them that you become a "big kid" when you go to school. You go to kindergarten at age 5, so 5 and up are big kids and round up. Kids under the age of 5 don't go to school so they are "little kids" and get rounded down.

These are some of the tips we used to help kids pick up on rounding. With a little practice, they can use these skills to master this concept.

Book Review ~ The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

2009-02-04T11:54:00.003-06:00

Title: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Accelerated Reader (AR) Level: 4 (2 points)

Ages that Will Enjoy the Book: 9-12

Movie Version Available: No

Review: I must admit; I judged this book by its cover. It looked boring to me, and I was not interested. However, I selected it because it won an award in my state for being one of the best children's books published that year. Still I was skeptical. I asked a fifth grade teacher what she thought. (She had read it to her class.) She said that her students really liked it, and she would recommend it. Still doubtful, I started to read it to my class (fourth graders that year.) We fell in love with this book pretty quickly. I even found myself reading ahead, because I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. I think this book is best when read aloud. It is a great book to read as a class or to share with a parent in the evenings.

The main character, Edward Tulane, is a collectable rabbit doll. He does not understand love or kindness. Edward is very proud, but he soon learns many lessons about this sort of behavior. The journey that Edward finds himself on is rather unbelievable. The book takes you through many different emotions as you travel with Edward. The story is wonderful no matter how you read it, but I just cannot stress enough how special it would be as a parent/child read together book.

*Also by Kate DiCamillo

Pay Attention

2009-02-03T14:31:00.001-06:00

I have noticed as a teacher that many kids have a hard time listening to what is being said to them the FIRST time it is said. Sometimes kids have to be told a direction even 10 times before they can comprehend and follow through on what they have been told to do. Now, I am not talking about kids who don't want to do what they are told. I am just talking about kids who do not listen and pay enough attention to get the directions. Being able to focus during school is crucial. In early grades (K-2) many tests (especially standardized) are given orally. Often, the teacher will not be able to repeat the instructions more than once or twice. It would be a shame for a student to miss a question that he knows the answer to just because he did not hear it. Oral tests continue through the upper elementary years as well. Most students in upper elementary are still taking oral spelling tests. When the days of oral testing draw to a close, it is time to start taking notes (middle and high school.) Students need to be able to catch what a teacher is saying and write notes after hearing it only once or twice.

What can a parent do to help their child pay better attention? Start by practicing at home. Focus in on how many times you repeat directions for your child. Are you saying the same things several times? If you are you need to talk to your child and explain that you are going to help them learn to pay attention. Then, start saying things once (maybe twice) without any more repeats. Expect kids to listen to what you say the first time you say it, and have consequences if they do not. Obviously this may take awhile if bad habits are already in place. It can be tiring for you and for your child, but it is important that you are consistent. I have had many parent teacher conferences that start out with parents who wonder about their child's grades. Often by the end of the conversation, it boils down to this: the child is not paying attention. Many parents have even told me that they don't think about it. They just repeat themselves until the child follows the directions. This is an easy rut to get into, but trust me it flushes out in their school work. I find that it often affects more than just listening. Often these same children (many of whom are not found to have Attention Deficit Disorder) have a difficult time following written directions. That starts affecting every test at that point.

So, what if your child does have Attention Deficit Disorder? Many times parents with elementary aged kids use this as an excuse. I understand that it is a legitimate problem, but I also understand that eventually the child has to become responsible for what he hears ADD or not. In high school the teacher will not repeat 20 times because your child did not listen the first time. I have dealt with many ADD kids. The best thing you can do for them is to help them practice paying attention while they are young. It will be time consuming and require extra effort, but it is so helpful for them down the road. That way when someone does expect them to be responsible for what they are told, they won't have years and years of bad habits to break.

Website Review ~ The Math Worksheet Site.com

2009-02-02T15:25:00.001-06:00

Website: http://themathworksheetsite.com/
Appropriate for ages: 6-11
Helps with: Math

Review: This website will generate math worksheets in the following areas: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, measurement, graphing, telling time, and 1-100 charts. The worksheets can be made quickly, yet it is easy to tailor them to meet your exact needs. You can pick the number of problems and even print up a key to go with it. The site also has the option of a subscription. If you subscribe (as an individual or as a school,) you can get access to almost 200 more worksheets. However, the ones listed above are available for free. It is a great way to practice math skills, but I would especially recommend it for timed tests where students have to do a certain number of math problems in one minute.