Looking for a resource that can build both brain and body power for your kids? I recently discovered Karen Ronney's book Proud Parents' Guide to Raising Athletic, Balanced, and Coordinated Kids. Lots of studies in recent years make the connection between physical fitness and brain power. When and where can parents get the ball rolling for their children?
Tennis pro, coach, and awesome mom, Karen Ronney, says it's never too early to play physical games with kids to help develop their bodies and minds.
It turns out, some of the stuff you have already done, such as, lively games of Peek-a-boo, popping your head up from behind the chair in the living room and clapping hands in Pat-a-cake rhythms and reciting rhymes, has already given your kids a leg up on the academic ladder.
In Proud Parents' Guide, Ronney gives parents over 200 games to play with kids, in less than 10 minutes a day, from birth to age 6. Play toss with a rolled up pair of socks and a laundry basket while you're folding clothes. Have your child stack storage containers on the kitchen floor while cooking dinner, and bowl the boxes over with a potato. Use all kinds of household items and simple play equipment that you probably already own to develop healthy bodies and nimble brains.
Ronney explains all the whys and wherefores for how games build coordination, develop "natural athletic talent" and jumpstart learning. The book is organized in two parts, the first outlining how the mind/body connection works and how kids develop athleticism and coordination. The second half lists games separated by age group, the level of difficulty, and the benefits your child will get out of playing - besides giggles and a great time.
Here's the best part: Ronney says it's never too early or too late to begin playing games with your child to get those mind and body juices flowing.
In the last couple couch potato TV and computer generations, not only have kids gotten pudgier, they've gotten slower. Schools are beginning to rediscover the physical/mental relationship and the lost art of PE, but we are a long way from regular physical exercise and practice in coordination in most elementary schools. For homeschooling parents, creating opportunities for physical fun and workouts is a must.
Check out the book on Ronney's website http://www.karenronney.com/
Whether you take a look at Proud Parents' Guide to Raising Athletic, Balanced, and Coordinated Kids or not, think of ways to support your child in being physically active. Less trips to the school nurse and more energy to make it through all the demands of the day make both parents and kids happier.
Do you have a fun idea for an activity that you like to do with your child(ren)? Be sure to share it!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Correction With Love
I started taking Bikram Yoga classes (hot yoga) about a month ago to rehabilitate a running injury. Last week, the instructor saw great "potential" in me. Translation: He corrected my movements 13 times in one class - by name. "Trish make sure you ..."
I know because I counted.
Supposedly, I was on the verge of some big breakthrough, and this guy wanted to see me realize success. Instead, I couldn't do anything right. By the end of the class, even my "dead body pose" didn't meet his expectations. When you can't manage to lie down and look, well, dead, that's just sad. I suppose the instructor's intentions were honorable, to help me achieve the next level of yoga competency, but his need to fix every nuance of each pose in one session had the opposite affect.
This unfortunate experience reminded me of when I've watched adults get a little too overzealous in correcting kids, both parents and teachers. On rare occasions, I've been guilty of trying to make too many corrections at once, too.
When we do activities with our kids, from games to homework to chores, what can we do to encourage improvement while keeping everybody happy and confident?
CORRECTION WITH LOVE: Helpful hints
The most potent learning happens when kids feel competent and supported ... adults too, Mr. Yoga instructor. :-)
What kinds of things do you do with your child that generates confidence and good results?
I know because I counted.
Supposedly, I was on the verge of some big breakthrough, and this guy wanted to see me realize success. Instead, I couldn't do anything right. By the end of the class, even my "dead body pose" didn't meet his expectations. When you can't manage to lie down and look, well, dead, that's just sad. I suppose the instructor's intentions were honorable, to help me achieve the next level of yoga competency, but his need to fix every nuance of each pose in one session had the opposite affect.
This unfortunate experience reminded me of when I've watched adults get a little too overzealous in correcting kids, both parents and teachers. On rare occasions, I've been guilty of trying to make too many corrections at once, too.
When we do activities with our kids, from games to homework to chores, what can we do to encourage improvement while keeping everybody happy and confident?
CORRECTION WITH LOVE: Helpful hints
- Keep comments as positive and encouraging as possible.
- Before making a correction, give a specific, sincere compliment about something the child has done well. "Hey, look at that. You remembered your capital letter at the beginning of the sentence."
- Ask unemotional questions: Did you remember to ...? What do you think comes next? What do you think would happen if ... ? "Now what do you need to complete this sentence?" Answer: a period - or whatever ending punctuation is required
- If a child has made several mistakes on something, choose one or two things to focus on, and leave the rest for another time. Example: Your child brings a note to you, a reminder that there is a birthday party after school on a given day. There are no capitals or periods, words are misspelled, and the handwriting is barely legible. -Compliment your child on writing the note to help you remember the event. -Pick one concept to bring attention to and ignore the rest.
The most potent learning happens when kids feel competent and supported ... adults too, Mr. Yoga instructor. :-)
What kinds of things do you do with your child that generates confidence and good results?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Just Say NO to Hiccups!
At our family Easter bash today, a kindergartner came down with a serious case of hiccups. To this little boy's amazement and joy, we got rid of them instantly. Over the years, I've done the spoon-in-glass technique with literally hundreds of kids (and adults, too) with 100% success.
To nix the hiccups:
If you're in a place where you don't have easy access to a glass or metal spoon, have no fear. It may take an extra try, but paper cups and plastic spoons work, too (For some reason, it doesn't work as quickly with a fork. Go figure).
Margaret Gordon, my friend Jeanne's mom, gave me this spoon-in-the-glass hiccup remedy when I was in third grade, some thirty years ago, and it hasn't failed yet!
To nix the hiccups:
- Fill a glass of water.
- Put a spoon in the glass, head down, with the handle poking out.
- Lean the tip of the spoon against the hicupper's forehead before suggesting to drink as much of the water as possible. (Actually it doesn't matter how much water gets swallowed, but it sounds good.)
- Viola! The hiccups are gone.
If you're in a place where you don't have easy access to a glass or metal spoon, have no fear. It may take an extra try, but paper cups and plastic spoons work, too (For some reason, it doesn't work as quickly with a fork. Go figure).
Margaret Gordon, my friend Jeanne's mom, gave me this spoon-in-the-glass hiccup remedy when I was in third grade, some thirty years ago, and it hasn't failed yet!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Names for 10: the Mathematical Boost
Most of us have lots of names: our formal name, full name, possibly a title at work, a nickname our friends call us, "Babe" or however our partner refers to us, Mom or Dad ...
If you stop and think about it, most of us answer to all kinds of names; why should it be different for the number 10?
Since life tends to be expressed mathematically in base 10, kids who know the Names for 10 become math whizzes on paper and in their heads.
Knowing the Names for 10 (10 and 0, 9 and 1, 8 and 2, 7 and 3, 6 and 4, 5 and 5, 4 and 6, and so on) helps kids solidify number relationships. You'd be shocked to know how many kids, even sixth graders, don't have a solid understanding of these partner relationships.
All kinds of number functions become clear and easy once the Names for 10 become second nature.
Since games and food make learning more fun, try this (and don't be surprised if your own mental math gets faster too):
Use Skittles, M&Ms, Fruitloops, Goldfish, or (for the more healthy minded) almonds or dried soy beans - anything that allows your child to count out 10 pieces to put on a plate, napkin or table. To cover a portion of the food items, use a cup or the child can use a (washed) hand.
At the end of a game, let your child eat each item, one by one, tell you how many pieces have been eaten, and what partner number of morsels to make 10 must be left.
The above activity helps with reasoning skills, addition, subtraction, and number relationships.
After the first time, most kids can set up the game and do most of the steps themselves while you're making dinner or doing another activity if you have a time crunch.
Car or doctor's office variation: Take turns "guessing" the partner when one of you says a number aloud. (What is the partner for 6? Answer: 4) When you get good at it, make partners or "Names" for 100. (What's the partner for 43? Answer 57) As the games get harder, they're more fun, and the kids get more into it.
If you have other ideas for variations, other math games to share that work for your family, or a question to ask, leave a comment. :-)
If you stop and think about it, most of us answer to all kinds of names; why should it be different for the number 10?
Since life tends to be expressed mathematically in base 10, kids who know the Names for 10 become math whizzes on paper and in their heads.
Knowing the Names for 10 (10 and 0, 9 and 1, 8 and 2, 7 and 3, 6 and 4, 5 and 5, 4 and 6, and so on) helps kids solidify number relationships. You'd be shocked to know how many kids, even sixth graders, don't have a solid understanding of these partner relationships.
All kinds of number functions become clear and easy once the Names for 10 become second nature.
Since games and food make learning more fun, try this (and don't be surprised if your own mental math gets faster too):
Use Skittles, M&Ms, Fruitloops, Goldfish, or (for the more healthy minded) almonds or dried soy beans - anything that allows your child to count out 10 pieces to put on a plate, napkin or table. To cover a portion of the food items, use a cup or the child can use a (washed) hand.
- Have your child count out 10 items.
- Tell your child that you are going to figure out what number partners go together to make 10.
- Model for your child by saying that 10 and 0 are partners. Then cover 1 item, and have your child tell you how many are left. Tell your child that 1 and9 are partners. Then cover 2 items (8 are left, so 2 and 8 are partners), and so on.
- Then have your child cover 1 item and tell you 1s partner (9), and continue the process consecutively until all 10 items are covered (0 and 10 are partners).
- Don't spoil the discovery. Let your child tell you about the commutative property of equality (4+5=5+4) when it becomes apparent.
- If your child is tired at this point, stop here.
- If you're still having fun, model by asking your child to cover a number of morsels with a cup or hand. Count the leftovers, and "guess" how many your child has covered, based on the number partner to make 10.
- Switch roles. This time, you cover a number of items, and let your child "guess" how many are covered using its partner number to make 10
At the end of a game, let your child eat each item, one by one, tell you how many pieces have been eaten, and what partner number of morsels to make 10 must be left.
The above activity helps with reasoning skills, addition, subtraction, and number relationships.
After the first time, most kids can set up the game and do most of the steps themselves while you're making dinner or doing another activity if you have a time crunch.
Car or doctor's office variation: Take turns "guessing" the partner when one of you says a number aloud. (What is the partner for 6? Answer: 4) When you get good at it, make partners or "Names" for 100. (What's the partner for 43? Answer 57) As the games get harder, they're more fun, and the kids get more into it.
If you have other ideas for variations, other math games to share that work for your family, or a question to ask, leave a comment. :-)
Friday, April 3, 2009
Make Math Fun and Easy With "Names for 10"
Since our entire math system is in base 10; 10 cents in a dime, 10 dimes in a dollar, 10 tens in 100, 10 hundreds in 1000, etc., if your child knows all of the "Names for 10" well enough to play with them, mental math and all kinds of other concepts are a snap.
So what are the "Names for 10?"
0 and 10
1 and 9
2 and 8
3 and 7
4 and 6
5 and 5
6 and 4
7 and 3
8 and 2
9 and 1
10 and 0
When your child knows these relationships, inside and out, you won't believe how numbers will be easy to add, subtract, multiply and divide on paper as well as mentally. Dealing with money, word problems, even geometry concepts are a snap when the Names for 10 concept gets thoroughly internalized. How the numbers fit together make sense on a whole different level, whether manipulating single, double or triple digits.
Stay Tuned for fun ways to develop Names for 10 skills ...
So what are the "Names for 10?"
0 and 10
1 and 9
2 and 8
3 and 7
4 and 6
5 and 5
6 and 4
7 and 3
8 and 2
9 and 1
10 and 0
When your child knows these relationships, inside and out, you won't believe how numbers will be easy to add, subtract, multiply and divide on paper as well as mentally. Dealing with money, word problems, even geometry concepts are a snap when the Names for 10 concept gets thoroughly internalized. How the numbers fit together make sense on a whole different level, whether manipulating single, double or triple digits.
Stay Tuned for fun ways to develop Names for 10 skills ...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Supercharge Reading and Writing, or Get the Gears In Motion
Get reading and writing skills in high gear by using your child's own words to boost motivation and get the literacy gears clicking.
This process, called "Language Experience," is most often used with children and adults who are learning English.
But Language Experience, using kids' own words to teach them to read and write, works wonders for just about everybody!
Here's how it works:
1. Choose a picture from a magazine, a photograph, or a toy together. Your child will have buy-in if he gets to help pick out the item.
2. Ask your child as many questions about the item as you can think of.
Examples: Who (or what) is in the picture?
What are they (What is it) doing?
Why do you think ... ?
What have you done that is kind of like what you see in the picture?
3. Ask the child to make up a quick story about the picture or toy, and tell him that you will write it down.
Hints: Prompt the child to include a beginning, middle and end.
Keep the story as simple as possible.
4. When the story is finished, read it aloud and let the child make changes, if desired.
5. In your neatest printing, write the first sentence from the story on a long strip of paper.
Hints: Paper can be cut into 3x12 inch strips from construction paper or lined writing tablets. These can be purchased at the drug store or variety store in the stationary section.
If you live near a teacher supply store, you can also buy "sentence strips."
6. Have the child point to and read each word in the first sentence. This will not only help to reinforce letter sounds and blending, it will develop a sight word vocabulary.
7. When your little reader is comfortable reading that sentence, copy the next one, and repeat number 6.
8. Continue the process until the child gets tired, you run out of time, or the story comes to an end.
9. Read whatever portion of the story you have written on strips out loud together, and put the sentences in order.
10. If your child is excited and would like to keep going, mix up the first three sentences, ask him to read each sentence and put them back in order.
If the kid is tired, don't make him keep going or he won't want to come back to it later.
11. Mix up the next three sentences, have the child read them and put them in order, and so on.
12. Once your child has been through the whole story a couple times, cut up the first sentence to make word cards. Have your child read each word, mix up the cards, and let him put the sentence back in order.
Note: Since these are your child's words, these cards will become reading sight words or "instant words" that your child knows because he learned them in context.
13. Provide a piece of paper and pencil for your child to read each word and copy it to write the complete sentence.
14. Repeat the above process with all of the sentences until your child has copied the entire story. Ask your child to read the story aloud.
IMPORTANT:
-The entire process may take several sessions.
-Quit working before your child gets exhausted.
-If your child tires of the story before you make it through the entire process, pick a new object, and start a new story. There's no rule that says you have to finish all the steps for each story.
-Keep reading picture books to your child for variety and to stimulate story ideas.
HAVE FUN!
Thanks for the question, Stacy. :-)
If you have a question, please leave a comment. The answer to your question may be the next post!
This process, called "Language Experience," is most often used with children and adults who are learning English.
But Language Experience, using kids' own words to teach them to read and write, works wonders for just about everybody!
Here's how it works:
1. Choose a picture from a magazine, a photograph, or a toy together. Your child will have buy-in if he gets to help pick out the item.
2. Ask your child as many questions about the item as you can think of.
Examples: Who (or what) is in the picture?
What are they (What is it) doing?
Why do you think ... ?
What have you done that is kind of like what you see in the picture?
3. Ask the child to make up a quick story about the picture or toy, and tell him that you will write it down.
Hints: Prompt the child to include a beginning, middle and end.
Keep the story as simple as possible.
4. When the story is finished, read it aloud and let the child make changes, if desired.
5. In your neatest printing, write the first sentence from the story on a long strip of paper.
Hints: Paper can be cut into 3x12 inch strips from construction paper or lined writing tablets. These can be purchased at the drug store or variety store in the stationary section.
If you live near a teacher supply store, you can also buy "sentence strips."
6. Have the child point to and read each word in the first sentence. This will not only help to reinforce letter sounds and blending, it will develop a sight word vocabulary.
7. When your little reader is comfortable reading that sentence, copy the next one, and repeat number 6.
8. Continue the process until the child gets tired, you run out of time, or the story comes to an end.
9. Read whatever portion of the story you have written on strips out loud together, and put the sentences in order.
10. If your child is excited and would like to keep going, mix up the first three sentences, ask him to read each sentence and put them back in order.
If the kid is tired, don't make him keep going or he won't want to come back to it later.
11. Mix up the next three sentences, have the child read them and put them in order, and so on.
12. Once your child has been through the whole story a couple times, cut up the first sentence to make word cards. Have your child read each word, mix up the cards, and let him put the sentence back in order.
Note: Since these are your child's words, these cards will become reading sight words or "instant words" that your child knows because he learned them in context.
13. Provide a piece of paper and pencil for your child to read each word and copy it to write the complete sentence.
14. Repeat the above process with all of the sentences until your child has copied the entire story. Ask your child to read the story aloud.
IMPORTANT:
-The entire process may take several sessions.
-Quit working before your child gets exhausted.
-If your child tires of the story before you make it through the entire process, pick a new object, and start a new story. There's no rule that says you have to finish all the steps for each story.
-Keep reading picture books to your child for variety and to stimulate story ideas.
HAVE FUN!
Thanks for the question, Stacy. :-)
If you have a question, please leave a comment. The answer to your question may be the next post!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Fun for Mom: The Womens Blogger Directory
Hey Moms,
Check out The Womens Blogger Directory for lots of fun information and insights from the girls.
A friend of mine, Kelly Armstrong, author of The Embassy Wife,
a hilarious account of what it's like to raise American kids abroad (http://kellyarmstrong.pnn.com),
recently won the Womens Blogger Directory Sisterhood Award
The Womens Blogger Directory
(http://womens-blogger-directory.blogspot.com/)
lists blogs by ladies with all kinds of expertise and wisdom. Listed in categories such as parenting, health, recipes, and poetry, there's a whole array of blogs to enjoy.
Try it out and have some fun!
Check out The Womens Blogger Directory for lots of fun information and insights from the girls.
A friend of mine, Kelly Armstrong, author of The Embassy Wife,
a hilarious account of what it's like to raise American kids abroad (http://kellyarmstrong.pnn.com),
recently won the Womens Blogger Directory Sisterhood Award
The Womens Blogger Directory
(http://womens-blogger-directory.blogspot.com/)
lists blogs by ladies with all kinds of expertise and wisdom. Listed in categories such as parenting, health, recipes, and poetry, there's a whole array of blogs to enjoy.
Try it out and have some fun!
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