One thing I have come to realize, after years of teaching and tutoring, is that kids really don't know how to study. We may tell them to study before a test or quiz, but that doesn't mean they know what that really means. Their teachers remind them to study, but that doesn't mean that kids really will. Kids may believe they know how to study, but I'm willing to bet that they honestly have no clue. It's time, with the start of a new school year, that parents actually sit down with … [Read more...]
how to teach summary writing: the 1-hand summary
Summaries are difficult. Writing summaries, oral summaries--it doesn't matter. Both? Difficult. No matter the student's age, the act of reading something--anything--and either retelling or summarizing is really, truly tough. Summarizing is a skill that must be explicitly taught. And it's a skill that must be modeled. And it's a skill that is worth revisiting time and time again, year after year. This year, Maddy's been challenged with the weekly task of reading her choice … [Read more...]
halloween printable board games for kids
Need two quickie Halloween games for your kids? Maybe for a Halloween class party or for some after school fun? Want to up the fun factor of a playdate or just get a little more into the Halloween spirit? Here are two Halloween printable games for kids that my kids liked and that we'll be using for class parties this year. Simple but fun. Tic-tac-toe and Halloween Follow-the-Path. Here's the skinny. . . Halloween Printable Games for Kids: Half the battle … [Read more...]
raising strong students: study habits for smart kids
Once your kids hit elementary school, things get a little bit crazy. All of a sudden, your kids actually need to be at school on time. All of a sudden, you're buried under a mountain of papers, fliers, and notices. All of a sudden, your kids have real homework. All of a sudden, your kids get to buy lunch and play instruments. All of a sudden, you feel overwhelmed and inundated with kid projects and activities. In the blink of an eye, your little, innocent preschoolers are … [Read more...]
halloween word search
originally published 10/26/11 but republished today for you! Homework time over here this week and last has been a little spooky. Just a bit. Cora and Owen have been rockin the Halloween Word Search, which I made last year for Owen when he was on his crazy word search kick and which I made not a single change to this year. Owen is much more into the ole word search halloween, but Cora did give it a go twice, never actually finding all of the words--or even caring that … [Read more...]
brain teasers for kids
We're longtime fans of brain teasers for kids over here, in any form, at any time. We dig brain teasers at lunchtime, brain teasers in the kitchen, brain teasers for long road trips. Maddy went through a riddle stage last year, when every other day she shared one of a handful of riddles, and ever since then, we've been hooked. So I did a bit of poking around the 'net this past summer in an attempt to nail down any and all freebie brain teasers for kids I could find. I hit the jackpot … [Read more...]
get kids to read: Kindle eBooks for reluctant readers
These days, with school in full swing and cool 'big guy' neighbors across the street and a travel soccer team to keep him busy, my boy isn't that big a fan of reading. He's into Pokemon (ugh). He's wicked smart on Words With Friends. And he spends a good amount of his free time thinking about how he can eke time out of his Screen Time Cards for Minecraft and AnimalJam. Honestly, he's one of the coolest kids I know. And lately, he just hasn't been digging … [Read more...]
26 triangles: tricky, fun math game
We're winding down summer over here, but not before my kids finish up their math and reading assignments from school. Yes, we just started them this week. But whatever. We're getting there and doing what we can. One of the activities I thought was particularly cool was one of the days in Owen's math calendar. Simple. Challenging. Tricky and fun. It was a 26 triangle math puzzle, and it had us stumped for a long, long time. Here's the skinny. . . 26 Triangles--Tricky, Fun Math … [Read more...]
what to say when kids make reading mistakes
originally published on 8/5/10 but sharing again because we all need these refreshers. . . So what should you say when a child makes mistake during reading? I've been asked this question so many times by my friends, by parents of students I tutor, and by many, many readers of this blog. And because we've run into this situation most recently this week after our trip to the library for fish books, I thought I'd share some ways that parents--and teachers--can handle those … [Read more...]
play with letters or numbers: cool summer learning for kids
The following Rockstar Sunday guest post is written by a woman whose third language is English and who has two little ones and two rockstar blogs. Birute Efe writes Playtivities which is full of fun toy-making, learning, and creative parenting ideas, and she writes Attach From Scratch, a blog full of attachment parenting, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and all that fun stuff. Pretty impressive, I know. Today, Birute is sharing a quick and fun way that you can help your kiddos learn a little … [Read more...]
fractions with FOOD: hands-on math
This post about fun with food and fractions is written by Jen of Beyond Traditional Math. Hopefully after reading it, you'll never look at food quite the same! Thank you, Jen, for your time, effort, and expertise! ____________________ Fractions with Our Favorite Thing…Food! by Jen Before you first meet me, I should tell you that I am certifiably nuts about being anti-worksheets right now, so I am going to try to dial it back a bit to write this post. This past school year, … [Read more...]
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