comprehension
learning during read-alouds: making connections and questioning (with siblings!)
We have been putting in a lot of pool time lately, but we’ve also been spending a boatload of time indoors–staying cool in the comfort of our ac, eating popsicles ...
how to teach kids to search the web: read, research, evaluate
We see the same beautiful apple tree every time we walk to or from the pool. And we often talk about how beautiful the tree is and how much we ...
a word a day: getting the family involved
Maddy, Owen, and Cora have loved the Word a Day we’ve been doing for the past two weeks–more than I anticipated and much to my surprise. It’s been funny to ...
learning during lunch with muffin tin meals
We took it easy today, after a late night filled with a lot of sushi-eating and a slow and rainy morning. So after swim, dive, and mini-team, we zipped home, ...
playing with money: counting, wrapping, estimating coins
This week our Smart Summer Challenge theme is Government–and what better way to start the week off than by playing with money? Okay, so we really started the week off ...
questioning and connecting during read-alouds
I’m not going to lie–some summer days, I really think that if it weren’t for the 15 minutes of Adult Swim, my kids wouldn’t stop moving all day long. Even ...
cars 2: what you should do before you see the movie
Ka-CHOW! Have plans to see Cars 2 anytime this summer? Want to know how you can throw in a little bit of learning–and I mean a little bit–before you hit ...
learning during read-alouds: 5 things never to say to emerging readers
Sometimes it’s very easy for teachers and parents to feel impatient with emerging readers. It’s hard to listen to kids sound out every word on a page and get through ...
learning during read-alouds: activating schema
According to Rachel and Mary Gabriel, the “schema theory tells us that prior knowledge is essential for comprehension of new knowledge and that learning difficulties can often be traced back ...
learning during read-alouds: making connections
My kiddos are huge fans of popping pop beads, stringing beads, connecting nuts and bolts, and just sticking things together. Not only are these great activities to help develop kiddos’ ...
making connections with nonfiction texts (and our new turtle friend)
Between the insane weather we’ve been experiencing over here (tornadoes! wind gusts! rain, rain, and more rain–and then the next second–sun!?), we’ve had some really cool outside learning going on ...
