Ask the Teacher Tuesday: Scaffolding

It has been a long time since being in school and learning all the educational lingo. There is a term called "scaffolding" that educators use. It pretty much means meeting a child where they are at and then just pushing them a little further, just like an actual scaffold.

I have always said jokingly that every thing you need to know you learn in fifth grade. Being a fifth grade teacher taught me a lot of things, which I am now passing to my kids.

So here are a few things that I have noticed teaching the boys recently:

Growing plants opens up a wide variety of teachable moments - for younger and older preschoolers. Here we planted sunflower seeds that their Babci got them for Easter. Evan planted both his and Carter's since Carter isn't quite old enough to understand what is going on. Did you know that when a plant "sprouts" the scientific term is "germinate". So when Evan was excited that his sunflower "sprouted" I knew he understood that concept, so I mentioned to him that that is also called "germinated". So we practiced a new word. Has he used that new word yet? Nope! But I nestled it in that sponge of his.

Also, once the plants started to grow, we have been talking about what plants need to grow (sun, water, air)  and what kids need to grow. These aren't very in depth discussions, just quickies when Evan checks his plants every morning.

And just for the fun of it, I have done an experiment with Evan, that he actually hasn't noticed yet and may not but it's still fun to try. Phototropism - or the way a plant leans toward the sun. So every morning I show Evan how the plants are leaning and then I rotate the plants and by the afternoon the plants are again leaning toward the sun. It goes right over his head, but it's still cool to watch :-)!

Geometric shapes: Evan has mastered all the basic shapes. So recently, I have been throwing out new terms. Yes, I was a fifth grade math teacher for many years so the terms comes easy to me but you can pretty much google math shapes and come up with some decent references.

Evan was checking out a diamond the other day and I mentioned to him that there was another name that he could use "called a rhombus". He thought that was pretty cool, unfortunately, he doesn't understand that not all words have many other terms :-). So now, every time we are looking at shapes, he asks if there are other "funny" names. So we have been practicing "rhombus", "parallelogram", "quadrilateral" etc. I don't exactly "teach" him what each one is, we just play the game of "how many names each shape has." And Evan just likes to hear the big words!!

Moon Phases: I know I mentioned this last week, but Evan and Carter both love finding the moon in the night sky (and sometimes in the day sky). We practice the names of the different moons. Evan loves to find the "crescent" moons, just because he knows the shape "crescent" :-)

He has asked my "why does the moon change shape?" I try to explain to him about the sun and the shadows as "dumbed down" as possible but he still doesn't get it. It doesn't really discourage him though, surprisingly. And fortunately for me he hasn't done the "why" routine with it because sometimes those "why conversations" can go on and on and on. He just asks again at a different time and again I try to explain it.

Jeremy likes to throw around graphic design and typography terms at the boys, which is pretty funny to listen to. But you never know what the boys will pick up?!

Now it's your turn. In what ways are your scaffolding and may not have even known it?

Ask the Teacher: Teachable Moments

I don't sit down with the boys and actually "teach" them. At these ages there is so much to explore and observe around them that I don't feel the need to actually "teach" them. But I do take advantage of most teachable moments. I try to make these moments as natural as possible. Just allowing the teaching to flow into the conversation so they (especially Evan) won't stop what they're doing but continue and hopefully learn something out of it. I have become a master at disguising learning because Evan is going through a stage right now that if he knows that I am trying to teach him something, he will automatically start being goofy and I will loose that teaching moment. Here are a few examples of what I am talking about.

• When going on walks, we talk about what we hear and smell. What we touch and feel. This is a great opportunity to use as many adjectives as you can think of. Allow them to explain to you what they see. As they mature their explanations will get more in depth based on how much you can explain to them. If they notice a new flower, they might say, "Look there is a flower." You could agree with them and move on, which sometimes is much easier to a brain-fried mom, but use this opportunity to smell the flower, discuss the color of the flower, the shape of the flower and have them touch the flower and use adjectives to explain these characteristics.

• Point out geometric shapes. As I have posted before, we go on shape walks and take pictures of different shapes we see around us. But even when we go on regular walks, I always try to point out a few shapes. Such as, Carter likes to fine the sewer access holes and stand on them.  I point out to him that he is standing on a circle. He has picked up on the game pretty quickly and now can point out any circle that he sees. He is becoming more and more observant, sometimes seeing things that I don't see. He knows the names of circles and squares but can point out triangles, rectangles and diamonds. Evan, though not as observant by nature, will point out an occasional rectangle or diamond. He likes to point out that the sewers are rectangle. He was playing with a dice the other day and noticed that one side not only was a square but if you tilt it, it becomes a diamond.

• Making eating time, learning time. After Carter was sick, the only thing he would eat for a few days were Fruit Loops - don't judge :-) - so we would use those fruit loops to make piles of the same colors, we would count them, we would play "let's eat the blue one" game. Who knew Fruit loops could be so educational- ha ha.

• Carter and Evan (Carter more) love finding the moon at night. Evan started noticing that the moon changes over time and asked why. Since I did teach moon phases in 5th grade for many years, it just came naturally to explain to him why. So every night we would go out and check to see if the moon was getting bigger or smaller and we would name what time of moon it was (waxing, waning, gibbous, crescent). Do I expect him to start naming them right away? No. But those names are now logged in that brain of his and when the time comes he will remember it.
• Snack time around our house has become a wonderful teaching time. We play all kinds of games. As an example, Evan has started lining up his snack and playing the "take away" game. Here he is playing what we do. A concrete model is the first step of learning. The next step is to be able to "visualize" what is going on. He did this today. Carter had two crackers left and he said, "Hey Carter, you have 2 and when you eat one you will have one left and then if you eat the last one you will have none left." So he was able to visualize what we had been practicing with the concrete manipulative.

[quicktime]http://evan.quantable.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/subtraction.mov[/quicktime]

Kids will learn the most during these teachable moments. Because they are already engaged and interested in the subject. So use this time to just plant little seeds of learning in them. They don't even need to know that you are teaching them.

It's your turn. What teachable moments have you taken advantage of recently?

Happy Birthday to You! Dr. Seuss

This week's Ask the Teacher Tuesday is to celebrate Dr. Seuss. How appropriate that his birthday falls on a Tuesday this year! I love Dr. Seuss and my boys do too! We have many of his board books but some of our favorites include, The Foot Book (which is personally one of my faves), Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! (which is Carter's favorite right now), Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?, and The Tooth Book, besides many others!

Thank you Dr. Seuss for creating books that children adore, especially my boys! Although I now have most of the books memorized, my boys love to hear the stories of Dr. Seuss over and over again!

So now it's your turn? What's your favorite Dr. Seuss book? What are your kid's favorites?

Ask the Teacher: He Asked and They Answered

I am so excited for today's Guest Post from Paul at Redneck Latte. He is one funny guy and if you have never read him before, I encourage you to go grab a coffee and stop on over and get a few laughs. But today, he is stepping away from the funny and discussing another part of his life: Education. I approached Paul about guest posting because he has a very special job with some very special kids. What I love about this post, he asked a question to some of the teachers he works with and they gave him some very candid answers! Check it out!

Ever have 'that conversation'?  You know, the one where your dreams are talking for you.

• If I won the Lottery, I'd...

• If I had no worries at all, I'd...

• If I could do anything at all, I'd...

• If I could just have one thing, I'd...

We all do, and we all have it often.  But, are you really ready for the answer? Well, I asked, and they told, so here goes.

A little about me, really one of my favorite topics and all;  I'm not a teacher.  I'm a sub.  I've been a student helper, and I've been a Stellar Sub, but I'm a sub.  Now, I can teach, and in the eight years I've been working at a High School, I've learned more than I've taught. I've learned from some of the most professional, dedicated people I know.  Teachers spend a lot of money to get and to stay in their chosen profession.  And that's truly what it is, a profession.  I'm proud to be a just a small part of it. So, when Cortney asked me to weigh in on "Ask The Teacher Tuesday", I thought, what the heck, I'll ask my very special group of Special Education teachers and friends...maybe they'll tell.

And they did.

I posed the question:

If any parent asked: "What can I do to make your job better?  What would you say?

Here's what I got.

From a Resource Teacher:

Right now, I wish parents would support political and budget decisions that promote learning.  Parents don't take action until there is a direct impact on their children.  I get that, but many of the decisions being made today WILL affect their children tomorrow. People (politicians, parents) talk about the importance of education but don't support best learning practices with their votes or their money.  I also think parents should think twice before attacking a teacher.  Teachers are villainized by our media and end up being the scapegoat in many situations that are beyond our control.  And one more thing...I'm tired of hearing people rationalizing teacher pay because of summer break.  Do the math...prorate the number of days we work and account for years of experience, education, and normal vacation time...is that how much a good teacher is worth?

From a Teacher of Self Contained Mildly Autistic Children:

I would tell them to contact their state representatives about supporting legislation that benefits teachers and education in general. Such as: not furloughing teachers*, allowing teachers to continue to receive base pay increases for continuing education and degrees. I think it's also important for those who are financially able to support HHH** and send in different supplies, like hand sanitizer, tissues, cleaning wipes, and different office supplies.

From a Resource Math and Science Teacher:

Help your child to become more responsible for themselves.   Help them to bring all materials and assignments to school, work with them at home on organization to help with maintaining all that is needed for school.

From a Resource and Collaborative Language Arts Teacher (who I'll admit is a little spoiled):

I would love a new computer.  I also would like for parents to be faster at signing and returning any paperwork that I send home.  (Just a note, one of my students told me the other day that he saw the "teacher computers" on e-bay for $20.00!)

From Collaborative Physics Teacher and one of our State Championship Baseball Coaches:

Provide extra funding to have someone take care of paperwork.

From  Resource Math Teacher, whom we call "One Child Left Behind, because he did!!

Make IEP's illegal.

From one of our Parapros:

Think to instill in their kids to be respectful to all adults...we so lack that in our young people.  They don't have to like us, just respect us for our years of service to this world!!

From a Vocational Preparation Program Teacher:

Home School your child (ha ha).  Write your representatives!  Have more tech. programs for our kids.  And it takes more than 1 parent to do this.

From a Collaborative Social Studies Teacher -

Teach your children good manners and a strong work ethic, and pass it on.

From one of our Speech Therapists:

Oh you got me thinking now, I guess I'd say send us a child who respects others and has curiosity about the world.

So, It boils down to this:

Don't ask the teacher to do it all.  Get involved: Contact State and Local Leaders and make yourself heard.  Take responsibility as a parent to make your child understand that it's his education, and he has to get it.  And while he's there - behave!

*The Governor of Georgia decided that all county employees would be furloughed for six days this year without pay...it's not been a real morale booster!

*HHH=Helping Hand and Hearts, a very successful Benevolence program at our school

Paul Brads, aka Redneck Latte is a Retired Phone Guy who spent 30 years with "The Phone Company" through all it's name changes, and retired in 2001.  Since he got very bored, he then went to teachin' the youngins at a high school where he still works on a part time basis.  Paul's focus is Special Education, although he is not certified in Special Ed. He's a collector, reader, writer, teacher, husband, father, and blogger, who loves the sound of his own voice on paper! A native of Virginia, Paul is an Expatriate living in Georgia.

Ask the Teacher Tuesday - Questions I have been contemplating

Today's post isn't necessarily discussing a single topic about education. It actually deals with some of the things that I have been dealing with as a mom who happens to be a teacher.

I am analytical by nature. I love math and I love data. I guess I am kinda weird like that. I love research. Give me a good case study with data and I will eat it up.

Now before I continue, I am not trying to be controversial in ANY way and if you ask those closest to me, they will tell you that I HATE controversy, period. So I am not writing this to get in a debate with anyone, I am just stating some things that I WOULD love to study some day and see some good raw data on the topics.

There are several topics that one day I would love to study. And I say one day, because these topics that I am interested in, I believe, may not have real statistical information for many years to come. I am only writing about two today.

Topic #1: The first topic that really interests me is the topic of technology and the implications of when/how we use it with our children. I know that we will never go backward in the use of technology, as a parent I have drug my feet when it comes to introducing it to Evan, particularly computers. I finally broke down and bought Evan a computer game for his 3rd birthday.

As a teacher, I have seen the negative implications of too much use of technology in this generation of kids. Students now a days "need" to be entertained in the classroom. If what is being taught in the classroom, doesn't have fast moving graphics, bells, whistles, interaction, music etc., students aren't interested. The attention span of students seemed to decrease each year I taught. Do I believe this has to do with the ever increasing use of technology amongst our students? Yes, in some part, but not fully responsible!

Just by talking to the students, you begin to realize just how much time is spent in front of the computer, along with time spent in front of the television playing video games.

How much is too much? I am not anti-technology (geeze, I own a blog for goodness sake and Evan is proficient on the iPhone). But I do believe that technology is not the answer to everything, all the time. School districts are paying millions of dollars to implement software (study games) for studying for the achievement tests, teachers are encouraged to have websites with study information, teachers are also bombarded with games and interactive websites to share with their students on projection screens. When and how is this too much?

Going back to my introduction, someday in the future, I would love to see hard core, unbiased data on how technology has increased or decreased intelligence. Are kids smarter then they were ten years ago? Are IQs increasing or decreasing? Are students losing their common sense and trading it in for better test scores?

As a parent, with a teaching background, I would love to know how much is too much? And how much is needed to just keep your kids up with the ever-changing technology?

Topic #2: How the bombardment of parenting books - in particular baby rearing practices - have long term implications on children. I've read the books, I know the arguments. I chose what, I felt, was best for my children. What is interesting to me as I read the books and articles, were the arguments that were given against other methods. Both sides have somewhat valid arguments, but neither have any hard-core mathematical studies to support their claims.

I just think this whole phenomenon is intriguing. What did parents, especially mothers, do before "the experts" wrote books. Oh yeah, they relied on their mothers for advice and relied on their God-given instincts on what was best for their children. I find it almost humorous that first time mothers run to their books for advice, stress about not being able to find a written answer to a question. Don't get me wrong, I am not judging or making fun of any one. Besides, to an extent I was that mom (with Evan), running to the "experts" who obviously know everything, so they obviously know how I should handle Evan. With Carter, I was much more carefree and just allowed myself to love Carter, not worrying about what the "experts" had to say. Besides who knows my boys best - me! I still, will on occasion, read up on child rearing practices. Obviously I am NOT saying that I know it all, I will always listen to advice from my parents and of experts. But I don't necessarily follow ONE particular source to the tee and do exactly what one person says to do. That just doesn't make sense to me.

Basically, there are some startling and discouraging "statistics" given in some of the best selling parenting books, if you don't follow their guidelines. (No wonder why moms are so stressed!) I would just love to see how these children turn out in the long run. Are these claims, ones that should be taken seriously, or are these people quacks who have impacted a whole generation of moms. I don't know, but I would love to see some mathematical and scientific studies about it one day.

So now it's your turn.  If you have come across some great case studies and would like to share them with me, please share. Remember I love the data, not just merely opinions.

Are there any issues or topics that you have really been interested in since becoming a mother?

Ask the Teacher Tuesday - Preschool Math and Art project

This week I am making a mobile with the boys. Obviously Evan is making his own and I am "helping" Carter with his. This is what we are doing:

1. I cut out geometric shapes out of foam board with an x-acto knife (a triangle, rectangle, square, hexagon and circle)
2. The boys are painting each shape. This is a great opportunity to show the boys how to mix the paints to create new colors. Actually Evan remembers the different color mixtures from previous crafts, but it never hurts to review and this is Carter's first exposure to it!
3. Once the paint is dried on all the shapes, the boys will be decorating the painted shapes with various stickers, glitter glue, pom poms etc.
4. I will then write the name of each shape on each individual shape with a Sharpie.
5. Allow each shape to dry thoroughly.
6. I will then punch holes in each shape and tie together with string. This will also be a great practice for Evan to string the yarn through the holes (fine motor skills). And hang the mobiles in their rooms.

Evan is super excited about this project. Carter LOVED practicing the different colors! Due to running out of time today we only finished the triangles so no pictures yet. I will post pictures next Tuesday!

I may try this craft later in the winter time but using letters instead of numbers, so that Evan can practice his letter recognition - which he needs.

Ask the Teacher - Thanksgiving (Monday) Edition

What? Ask the Teacher is not supposed to be on Monday? I know, I know. I have thrown all of you for a loop! I apologize, but it occurred to me this weekend (after being sick and dealing with 2 sick boys last week) that my topic is on Thanksgiving and showing "Thanks" and most students are out of school starting on Wednesday. So that would mean this post would be useless. Did you catch all of that? Anyway, today's post is pretty simple? When you think of how your child's school year is going so far, what are you thankful for? Does you daughter finally understand fractions? Or your son finally enjoys gym class? Does you daughter enjoy Music class for the first time since she started school? Does your son speak have a new interest in writing short stories because his English teacher is inspirational? There are probably many things that have been positive so far this year.

Why not write a Thank You note to a special teacher to show your appreciation on Thanksgiving? Or better yet, have your child decorate a "thank you" card and write a few sentences detailing one positive that he/she has had.

Let me just give you a little tidbit about teachers. Shhhh, don't tell anyone I have told you this. Right about now, students aren't the only ones that need a 5 day break! For most teachers, this is their first "real" break of the school year that doesn't have work strings attached. They are worn down just as much as the students are or possibly even more. Right about now, the stress of State achievement tests, is starting to knock on their classroom doors, students are beginning to show their true colors, cold and flu season has started, in many areas cold weather has sunk in which means more indoor time (and less time to work off the excess energy of busy kids which begins to become evident in behaviors inside the classroom), the antsy-ness of the holidays and the list goes on and on.

How nice it would be for your child's favorite teacher to receive a little note of appreciation on Tuesday before leaving on Holiday Break. Just a suggestion. But if there is a special teacher in your child's life, right now would be a great time to show them your Thankfulness!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I will see you next week!

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment HERE or contact me.

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Ask the Teacher November 17

I am taking a sick day today! With both boys sick and myself dealing with this virus, I decided I am taking the day off. If you are new to Ask the Teacher you can check out some of my latest Ask the Teacher posts HERE. If you're a regular, thanks for stopping by and come back next week, when hopefully my household will have kicked this nasty bug and I will be back to my normal routine.

Remember you can always ask a question in the comments section or email me your question.

Ask the Teacher: National Young Readers Day

Today is National Young Readers Day. It is "set aside as a special day to recognize the joys and benefits of reading".  It is celebrated in schools across the country but it begins at home with you! As mentioned in yesterday's post, as a teacher who is now a mom, I make mandatory D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) times of at least 30 minutes a day with my boys! It is such an easy thing we can do that will benefit our kids throughout their lives!

Your homework this week is to write some reading goals for you and your kids. If you already read with them daily, that is awesome, keep up the great work! If not, think about ways you can incorporate more reading into your schedules, maybe a quickie after naptime or family read-ins every evening before bed. Get creative, your kids (and their future teachers :-) ) will thank you one day! Once you set some goals, drop me a comment and share them with me, I would love to hear what you come up with!

And just for fun, hop on over to yesterday's post and join the link up. It will be open until Sunday night!

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment HERE or contact me.

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Ask the Teacher Tuesday - A Fun Math Activity

This is one of my Evan and Carter's favorite books! Evan and I read it non-stop before Carter came into our lives.  I read it to Evan because of the math (after all I was a math teacher-geeze) but Carter just absolutely LOVES this book, and I didn't really make a big deal over it with him as I did with Evan. It has become a mandatory read every day. When I read it to Carter, I usually trace around each shape with my finger, while I am reading. As of the last week or so, he has started to do the same thing with his finger as I read. *Side note - we pulled into Target the other day and when he saw the sign he said two things: "Target" and "circle". So it is never too early to start basic math skills!

I mentioned awhile ago, that Evan has become obsessed with "taking pictures". He will either follow me around with our old 35mm camera or with our (now deceased) digital camera - he didn't break it, I did - and take pictures of things that he finds interesting. This whole scenario reminded me of an activity I did with my 5th graders that I have now started to do with Evan.

It is very difficult for young children to connect mathematics with the natural world around them. This activity connects geometry with everyday surroundings. When I take the boys on walks, I let Evan take the camera, I suggest finding something during our walk in the form a any given shape. Because of his age, I focus on just one shape. Circles are the easiest to start with because they seem to be everywhere in nature.

When he finds that shape, he will take a picture of it! Now granted most of the pictures he takes are out of focus, so I usually have to discreetly take the camera and take a picture of what he just took a picture of, so that we can look at them when we get home.

Not only is this a fun activity for a child to do, but it shows Evan that math IS everywhere and it is a great review of geometrical principles.

If your child is older and has mastered the 2-dimensional shapes, there are more geometrical concepts that can be used, such as (but not limited too):

1. 3-dimensional shapes
2. angles (right, obtuse, acute, straight)
3. Similarity
4. symmetry
5. congruence
6. lines - parallel and perpendicular

Here are a few pics of shapes he took recently. More to come when he masters the art of focus and I buy him a camera that I won't mind him carrying around :-)!

Now it's your turn! Are there any fun math activities you do with you preschoolers? I would LOVE to hear what you have tried!

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment HERE or contact me.

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Non-Fiction Reading: Getting Started Early

Toddlers and Preschoolers have a thirst to learn as much as they can. They are born with a natural desire to understand the world around them. Why not use this time to foster non-fiction reading skills?

The boys and I go to the library at least twice a month. The first several trips were just to get acquainted with the library, allowing the boys to explore. But one particular trip changed the way I approached my strategy with teaching reading to my children.

If you follow this blog or know me personally, you are aware of the fact that Evan LOVES sports. I think you can technically say he is obsessed with not just a sport but ALL sports. We were getting reading for a visit to the library when Evan starting talking about baseball, and it was like you saw the lightbulb go off.

"Mommy, does the library have books on baseball?"

I enthusiastically replied to him that, yes the library has baseball books, and we should ask the librarian where those books are. It was absolutely adorable the scene that played out at the library. As soon as the doors opened (Evan likes to "open" the doors for me by pushing the handicapped button), he ran to the information desk and asked the librarian as politely as I have ever seen him,

"Excuse me, do you have books on baseballs?"

The librarian looked at me slightly dumbfounded and immediately replied to Evan that they certainly did have baseball books. She then asked him what type of books he was looking for, then glanced up at me with a quizzical look on her face. I mouthed to her that it didn't matter what type of baseball books to lead him too (she was concerned that the books they had were too advanced for him). I knew it didn't matter, he would just be too excited to see books with pictures of baseballs in them.

Well, when she led us to the sports section, you could almost see the skies open up and hear the angels sing. Evan was in heaven.

"Mommy, look!!! Baseball books, oh oh and basketball books, and football books and tennis books and volleyball books."

He looked at the librarian with eyes wide open and a big toothy grin, "Thank you!!"

So that day we ended up bringing home the six books in the above picture. While checking the books out, the lady behind us smirked, "I wonder what his interests are!"

The amazing thing was, that even though the books we brought home from the library were for older elementary students, Evan would sit and listen to Jeremy read those books to him over and over again. Jeremy would read then explain, and read and explain some more. Finding what your toddlers and preschoolers interests are is the first key element in teaching successful non-fiction reading skills. If you can teach solid reading skills early on with what your child's interests are, then mandatory non-fiction reading in school will be an easy transition for your child.

Here are some useful tips and strategies to try with your children when reading a non-fiction book. Allow the questioning to come effortlessly, non scripted and smoothly. You don't need to have these questions rehearsed. Remember you are modeling to your children. Allow them to watch how you approach it.

1. Allow your children to verbalize what they already "know" about the topic before you read the book, by asking them probing questions on what they already know about the topic. You are not looking for correct assumptions.

Just allow your child to talk the topic at hand. Evan is completely in to pumas right now, so the first time we picked up the puma book, I just asked him to tell me what he liked about pumas. He mentioned he liked how big they were and the loud roar they make. We learned later on in the book that pumas don't roar. So it doesn't matter whether their assumptions are correct or not. Most preschoolers want to read the same book over and over again. You don't neccessarly need to have them repeat this step every single time.

2. Preview the text. Allow your child to look at the pictures on the cover and inside the book, read key words to them, read titles to them. Explain/ review those key words. Many of the key words in non-fiction are new vocabulary words that need to be explained. When they are old enough to read, they will read the key words and titles themselves. This peaks their interests and actively engages your child  into the book.

3. Review what your child learned after you are finished with the book. This doesn't have to be an oral quiz, a list of questions and answers. Allow it to be organic! You can start this conversation by saying something like, "wow, I didn't know pumas didn't roar, what did you learn from what we read?" Children at this age will want to tell you all kinds of new information. Just let it roll!

4. Review the topic later. I always like to bring up a topic at dinner time to let Evan tell Jeremy what he learned in one of his books that day. This is a great time for sharing for your preschooler. They feel actively involved and important in the dinner conversation. This also allows for the information to become permanent in their memory, by repeating what they read. Sometimes just to throw a curve ball, Jeremy or I will give a wrong fact, just to see if Evan is paying attention and corrects us. It's a fun game to play!

5. Use new vocabulary, as much as possible, in other various conversations and topics. This will reinforce what your child previously read! And before long you will notice them using those words in their conversations with you and others.

Now it's your turn! What topics are your preschoolers / toddlers completely obsessed with lately? Have you used those obsessions for some great learning opportunities. I want to hear from you, let me know by leaving a comment!!

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment HERE or contact me.

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Tips for a Successful Science Fair Project

This week's post is written by Corinna from Down to Earth Mama. If you have or  know someone who has a Jr. Higher and/or High Schooler, this is a MUST READ!!

The science fair project. Few things are as simultaneously frustrating and exhilarating for the parent, student, and dare I say, teacher. However, science fair projects are one of the best hands-on learning experiences a child can have. The students become real scientists. They develop higher level thinking skills. They become problem solvers. Finally, science fair projects require writing across the curriculum. They also require creativity and patience.  Here are a few tips to help you and your child have a successful, stress free science fair.

• Help your child choose a topic of interest and one that will challenge him/her. The point is not to rehash topics your child already knows, but to stretch their intellect and learn something new.

• Choose a topic that can be tested. Even though research science fair projects can be very interesting and informative, the best science fair projects put the student in the role of scientists. They are able to see the process at work and become true problem solvers.

• Start the process a few weeks in advance of the due date. Run several trials.  Run the trials concurrently if the project you selected requires weeks of observations (i.e. experiments that involve growing plants).

• Identify the control, the independent variable, and the dependent variable. The control is the part of the experiment that produces a normal result. For example, if you are experimenting on what to do in order to make a banana stay fresh longer, the control would be a banana that simply sits on your kitchen counter. The independent variable is the variable that the student changes in the experiment. The dependent variable is what changes when the dependent variable changes.

• Record observations in a journal at all times.  Leave room for calculations that need to be completed as part of the analysis.

• Do not do the project for your child or suggest that the data is wrong based on your knowledge. This is a learning process for your child. Many scientists do not prove their initial hypothesis.  Data that is collected should be written down regardless if it makes sense or not. Do not try to fudge the data or mold it to fit the initial hypothesis. Do not change the initial hypothesis. If the results do not make sense, ask your child what might have gone wrong. This helps to develop higher level thinking skills. Encourage your child to repeat the experiment if you think it is necessary.

• Make sure that your child knows what the results mean. The purpose of the experiment is to develop the student’s analysis and evaluation skills. Ask leading questions to help the student along, but do not tell the student what the findings mean. The student will learn and retain more if they can answer themselves.

• Finally, research the background as much as possible.  Start with the easy concepts and work up. The more the student can explain when presenting the project, the more impressed the teacher will be.

The science fair is an exciting and wonderful learning experience.  It can help you bond with your child while fostering interest in the sciences. Enjoy!

Corina Fiore was a high school science teacher for 7 years before taking time off to raise her children. She was one of the select few chosen by Boeing to attend a special Advanced Space Camp for Educators in her tenure as teacher, offering numerous insights and activities to be used in the classroom. Corina remains dedicated to education and to the sciences, getting involved in local schools by serving as “guest scientist”.

Questions about the "Dreaded" Science Fair? Leave them here, in the comment section, we will be happy to answer those!

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment HERE or contact me.

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Who Wouldn't Want a New Kid by Friday?!

Disclaimer: I love my boys and although I think they are perfect little angels pretty good kids, I do believe there is always room for improvement :-)! And whether you are like me, who doesn't necessarily think you are doing that bad of a job, or you are at your wits end and don't know what else to do, this is merely a suggestion. I am not getting compensated for this post!

As you know, I was fortunate enough to get away this past weekend to the Hearts At Home Conference where I heard Dr. Kevin Leman speak. WOW! If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, I would highly encourage you to do so. Because I was so encouraged and convicted after hearing him speak, I went immediately to his booth and bought his latest book:

Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child's Attitude, Behavior & Character in 5 Days

If you are a parent (especially a toddler parent as I am), I would HIGHLY recommend reading this book, so that you can lay the foundation of discipline down early. But according to Dr. Leman, this philosophy will work for your 3 year old, your 12 year old or even you 20 year old. If you are a teacher, I would HIGHLY recommend reading this book. It is interesting because as I teacher, I did most of these principles, but as a parent, it is a good reminder that I need to be more responsive to my kids behaviors (respond NOT react) and to stay consistent with them. I tend to stay consistent but will lose my temper more than I would like to admit, and tend to repeat things more than I should. Which, I believe, is a big part of the stress I am feeling as a parent! This book and Dr. Leman is a God-send. Education, priorities, respect all begin in the home and will translate into the classroom. That is why I felt justified to post this book suggestion to my Ask the Teacher Tuesday. It is an easy read. The main principles only take up about a third of the book, with the rest of the book giving suggestions and examples on every day situations. Jenny actually read most of the book aloud on our way home and we discussed each chapter before moving on. It is practical, easy to implement, down to earth and rewarding (within days).

Let me know: Have you read this book and if so, did it work for your family? But if you haven't read this book, go read it and come back and let me know how it works for you.

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment HERE or contact me.

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Ask the Teacher Tuesday - How's the Year Going So Far?

By now, your children have been in school for about 6 weeks. How are things going? It is a great time to re-evaluate your child's habits and needs. For this post I decided to review some helpful tips to encourage a more successful school year.

1. By now, you should be in a pretty good routine and schedule. Here are a few things to remember and evaluate when it comes to schedules.

• How much sleep is your child getting each night? From the ages of 6 - 12, children need 10 - 11 hours of sleep. Sleep plays a very key role in your child's education. Think about what time your child needs to get up and to get ready WITHOUT having to rush. Work backwards 11 hours to determine what time he/she should be asleep. From that time add a half hour of wind down time to insure that he/she is ready when it is time for bed.
• Get rid of TV's. Okay I am going out on a limb here and against all popular belief! Get the t.v.s out of your children's room and do not allow them to watch it right before bed time (within 30 minutes). Instead encourage a more relaxing activity such as reading together.
• Are you making homework time a priority? Have you set aside a time and quiet place for you child to do his / her homework. If not, I would highly encourage you to set a time (let's say from 4:00 to 5:30 to work on homework, study and read) and set a quiet place to work. I would recommend the dining room table where you can be easily accessible if questions arise and also so that you can occasionally check on the progress.
• For younger students, go over homework together. Check for completeness and whether it is done correctly.
• Are you spending a little bit of time every night studying? As I have mentioned before in previous posts, spending even just 15 minutes a night studying improves understanding and helps relieve test taking stress! No CRAMMING!

2. Besides schedules, how about your child's nutritional needs?

• Are you making breakfast a priority? All children NEED breakfast. Studies have shown how eating breakfast increases test scores. Breakfasts could include an hard boiled egg with a banana, or a whole grain muffin with milk or a breakfast burrito with a side of fruit. All of these breakfasts can be made ahead of time and reheated in the morning. Notice I didn't mention cereal. If cereal is your child's favorite, please make sure it isn't a sugary one. Although, a sugary one is better than no breakfast, the sugar high does run out before lunch.
• Speaking of lunch? A low fat lunch packed with fresh fruits/veggies, lean meats and whole grains will allow your child's blood sugar to remain constant through the end of the day. Most kids blood sugars drop right after the lunch recess, making it very difficult to learn during those last couple of hours of school.

3. Have your child prepare his book bag the night before. If organization is an issue, come up with a list together that he can check off every night to make sure he has everything for the following day. More organizational tips to come in future posts!

4. Eat dinner together EVERY night. The best part is, that research has shown, it ISN'T what you make, it is the time together that makes the difference. Although a healthy, home cooked meal is ideal, take out or delivery pizza eaten as a family, every night has the same benefits.

5. Do you know all the names of your child's teachers? And do you ask/talk about them on a regular basis? This communicates to your child that his/her education is very important to you. In turn they will live up to the standard of school important to them also.

These are just a few things to consider. I will be doing a similar post in a few weeks with some more items to evaluate. How are you and your kids doing so far? Are their areas that could be improved upon? Do you have a specific routine that works well for you and your family? I would love to hear about it!

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment HERE or contact me.

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Ask the Teacher Tuesday - Parent Teacher Conferences

Time to think ahead - Parent/Teacher Conferences are coming up soon! This is a great opportunity to sit down with your child's teacher to discuss how the school year is going. Speaking as a teacher, we spend a significant amount of time preparing for these conferences. It is a labor intensive time because we write out individualized conference reports for each student. These reports usually state a couple of positive things we have seen from each student along with a couple of areas that each student can work on. But to get the most out of your conference, come prepared! Here are a few ideas that will make your parent/teacher conference run more smoothly and for you to gain some valuable information from you child's teacher about your child.

• First, start looking for your conference appointment slip. Many teachers will send home a scheduled time for your conference about a month prior to conferences. Check to see if this appointment will work on your calendar, add it to the calendar and if it will not work for you, let the teacher know as soon as possible so that the conference can be rescheduled to work best with both you and the teacher. Most teachers will again, send another notice home, the week before the conference as a reminder.
• Start writing topics down that you would like to discuss. I don't know about you but I will think of important items while in the shower or making dinner, most of the time I will forget about them by the time I need to remember them, if I don't write them down immediately.
• Along with writing down topics, jot down a couple of positive observations you have seen from your child. Such as "Susie really seemed to enjoy the unit on the Solar System, she talked about each planet during dinner" or "Bobby has been working extra hard on his math facts and it has paid off" or "Mary has been talking a lot about how easy math is this year because you have helped her during study hall" etc. If your child has had some positive experiences so far in the school year, let the teacher know.
• Jot down questions or concerns you may have. "Susie seems to be struggling with fractions, is their anything I can do to help her during study time?" or "Tommy hasn't been talking about his friends as much as he usually has, do you notice anything unusual that could be going on?"
• Be understanding and respectful about your scheduled conference time. Be aware that most conferences are scheduled in 15 minute increments. If you believe you will need more time than that, communicate that to the teacher before hand so that accommodations can be made. Also try to get to your conference a few minutes early so that your conference can start on time. If you believe you will be late or can't make it during the scheduled time, call as soon as you can so that other arrangements can be made.
• Be ready for some constructive criticism. It is our job to help your kids succeed in school. And as a teacher, there are never "perfect" students. What I mean by that is, we can always give suggestions on how to improve. Even if your child is a great student, there is always some room for improvement. Be willing to work together with the teacher on how to resolve issues. Remember that the child you see at home, may not be the same kid at school. Issues that your child's teacher will bring up may include behavior, quality of work, time management, social and peer interactions etc. Be opened minded. If you question a conclusion made by the teacher, voice your opinion and work together on a solution.
• Discuss the conference with your child. This is probably a no-brainer but your kids want to know what was said and most likely (if they are older) can tell you what the teacher talked about with you. They are pretty good at knowing where they stand and if they are fulfilling the expectations of you and their teachers.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you get ready for your parent/teacher conferences. If you have any other questions concerning parent/teacher conferences you can leave a comment on this post or send me an email.

Now I want to hear from you! Are there any other suggestions that were not previously stated that have worked well for you, that you think other parents would find beneficial? Secondly, I am curious to know if you come to your parent/teacher conferences with notes written down or do you just "wing it"?

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment HERE or contact me.

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Ask the Teacher, Saturday?

Okay so it's not Tuesday, but with school in full swing, I thought I would give my readers an extra chance to ask me some questions. How are things going? Whether you are a parent of a preschooler or a Jr. Higher or any grade in between, I can help you find answers to questions you may have. One thing I haven't done, is give you a little background about me! Here is a little bio for you just in case you need to know my credentials. I graduated with a B.S. in Elementary Education with a concentration in Math. I love Math and I love teaching math. I taught 5th grade math and science for 7 years. I am currently half way through my Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies of Elementary Education and Math. And although I LOVED teaching, I LOVE my own kids more and VERY fortunately I was able to become a stay-at-home mom after I had my second son, Carter. I worked full time the first year of being a mom, to help my husband's business get off the ground. Although it has been a struggle sometimes to make ends meet, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have been blessed and challenged in so many ways being at home with my boys. I have found, that although I may not be physically in the classroom now, that I still desire to help others and find the BEST possible ways to help my own children learn. And as much as I love being home with my boys, I do miss teaching and helping others learn. That is the reason for "Ask the Teacher Tuesdays". My goal is to help parents out with questions you may have that you may not know who to ask, or may not feel comfortable asking your child's teacher. It also allows me to stay current with today's educational topics. Because trust me, if there is a question asked that I truly am not comfortable answering, I research all the latest info until I feel comfortable to help, and/or ask colleagues of mine who I trust! So keep me busy!! I look forward to this endeavor and even if you don't have specific questions, stop by on Tuesdays and see what topics I am discussing and questions parents are asking. You never know what you might come across and hopefully find something that will help your job as "parent" a little bit easier!

So keep in touch and if you are new to my site, WELCOME. I look forward to getting to know you.

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment here or contact me.

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Ask the Teacher Tuesday: A New Reading Strategy and Gift-Giving!

This first topic is a "part 2" of a previous question, posted a couple of weeks ago (Ask the Teacher Tuesday Reading and Study Skills). I would encourage you to read that post before reading this one since I will be bouncing off what I said in the original post.

The original question was: Do you have any advice on when/how to start teaching reading?

I came across some very interesting information this week that I wanted to share. It has to do with the topic that was discussed a couple of weeks ago about when and how to teach reading. I went to the library this week to pick up some books on activities to do with toddlers, just to get some fresh activities into the mix and to plan for the next few months of wet, cold and snow (need I say more?). I came across a great resource: Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love by Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn. I was very pleased to see that their approach on reading paralleled my views on teaching reading. But I did find a bit more information very helpful that I, myself, don't do, but have definitely starting doing,this week. A few very important statements from their book that I wanted to share with you:

• Countless studies have shown that children whose parents read to them from very early ages (regardless of how they do it) tend to talk earlier, read better and think in more complex ways than children whose parents don't.

• The second item is a term they coined "Dialogic Reading". All this means is to bring dialogue into the context of reading. Not just reading the words but modeling how and what we think while we are reading. This type of reading, answers questions in the reader's mind. The "how", "why" and "Where" types of questions. Let me just interject here, that as a teacher I was trained to approach teaching with this style. While reading a text, it is important to pause with the students and reflect what we were reading. But I have to admit that I haven't thought to do this type of reading with young children (my own kids). Because in my mind, babies and toddlers couldn't truly understand these types of questions and since they can't talk to me, why try? I have been convinced otherwise and feel very foolish for being so naive.

• They cited a experiment done between dialogic reading and basic reading and what they found convinced me to definitely begin doing dialogic reading with my own kids and to inform you, my readers about it. The study took parents who ALREADY read to their TODDLERS on a daily basis and broke them into two groups. One group was encouraged to go home and continue what they had been doing and the other group was given the information on dialogic reading and shown how to do it with their toddlers. At the beginning of the study all the children were pretty much at the same developmental skills but after only 1 month, the group that did the dialogic reading were 8 and 1/2 months ahead on one measure and 6 months ahead on the other. And after 9 months of the study this group continued to be 6 months ahead of the other. Keep in mind, also, that all the children were found to be 6 months ahead in reading to their peers, before the experiment, due to parental involvement in daily reading.

Here are some examples of types of questioning to use:

"What's Dumbo doing? He's flying!" "Where do you think Dumbo is going?" "What do you think Goldilocks told her mommy when she got home?" "Why do you think he is mad?" "From the picture, so you think she is happy or sad?"

HOLY COW! How did I not think of this, as a teacher? But starting early, at 6 months, this type of reading seems to definitely improve language and reading skills.

Pretty much the authors state that a good question, is one that inspires your child to say something. If you want more information on how to apply this type of reading, I would highly encourage you to check out the book at your local library or purchase a copy for you own.

I can't wait to get to the Mathematics section of the book and report my findings to you.

The next question that was posed to me this week, that I thought would be a great one to discuss early on, isn't actually on education per say, but on a more personal level with your child's teacher.

Jenny asked, "What is a good teacher gift? I am already stressing over what to get Joshua's teacher for Christmas. I don't want to get her something she will get 1,000 of. What are some of the best gifts you got when you were teaching?"

I LOVE talking gifts and this actually is a fun one for me, because during the holidays and birthdays, us teachers would joke about our gifts. DON'T get me wrong, we definitely appreciate the kindness and thoughtfulness of the students and parents, but sometimes we wished we could do a "wish list" for parents to see. My teaching partner and myself actually starting joking with the kids early on in the school year of what we wanted for Christmas, in hopes to score some great gifts.

A few thoughtful and useful gifts:

1. Gift Cards! I think this one is probably on the top of any teacher's wish list. Gift cards could be for restaurants, retail stores or even salons. The beauty of it is, we teachers know that it is more the thought then the price tag!! We would be tickled pink to get a $5 gift card to Bob Evans, Starbucks or Bath and Body Works. If you can afford more, feel free to indulge your teacher in a larger amount. But DON'T feel bad if $5 is all you can afford. We understand and truly appreciate just being remembered during the holidays. It truly is the thought that counts
2. Find an interest that you know your child's teacher is into. I can think of 3 all-time favorite gifts that I received. And none of them were expensive or extravagant! The first being a University of Michigan bell. It was a small, porcelain bell that I could use in my classroom but also after the school year was over, I could place it on my sports wall at home. Believe it or not, that was the only University of Michigan gift I received in 7 years of teaching {insert jokes here...I know many of you OSU fans will jump on that one}. The second was a bag of bird seed. You may think that that is an odd gift to give a teacher, but this particular student knew how much I loved watching birds and that I had many bird feeders in my yard. What was even more thoughtful, he knew how much I enjoyed Cardinals in the middle of winter time, so he made sure it was black oil sunflower seeds - Cardinals favorite seed. To be honest, I almost cried after opening that gift because it showed me that the student really picked up on that particular interest of mine during the school year. The third gift was actually gifts for my kids. This particular student of mine was extremely into sports. It was phenomenal the information he could give me about "who did what, in what year etc" so know how much my Evan is into sports, he got Evan a Nerf Set of balls (the one with a basketball, a football and a basketball) and got Carter a book on sports.  I also got a very generous gift card, but it was more thoughtful that the parents though of my kids too.

Now that I have given you a few things that are wonderful to receive as gifts, a few items that we tend to get A LOT of:

1. Coffee mugs. I don't know really why parents think we drink a lot of coffee or something - LOL but I got on average 5 coffee mugs a year. I do love my coffee, but unfortunately I don't have room for 35 extra mugs in my kitchen. Instead, buy them a nice bag of coffee (i.e. Starbucks, Caribou etc)
2. Candles. I love Yankee Candles but I don't use up that many during the year. A possible alternative is the Bath and Body Works Wall Flowers and a set of refills.
3. Lotions. I got a lot of lotions. And this one is border line because I love to small pretty but I actually have an allergy to many of the scented lotions, so many times I had to re-gift those. If you want to get lotion, get them a gift card instead to some place like Bath and Body so that they can pick out something that they will get to use. But one thing that I never got tired of was getting hand lotions, because teachers are always washing their hands and my hands will crack during the winter months. So the mini hand lotions were perfect for putting on my desk and using at school.

Hopefully those suggestions help!

So this week, what I want to hear from y'all is two-fold. Any books that you have read (on activities to do with toddlers) that are good recommendations? What special, creative gifts have you given teachers?

If you have questions or concerns, not related to this post that you would like to bounce off me, you can leave a comment here or contact me.

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