Yes!  It is mandatory in my 5^th grade classroom that all kids become comfortable reading aloud, whether it’s to the entire class or to a friend in a quiet moment. Why?  Here are a few reasons:

1.  In most Middle School, High School and Universities classes students are asked to read passages aloud as a means to both share an important point and cite text.  For instance, a teacher might ask, “Who can find the moment when King Lear realizes his mistake?” If kids aren’t comfortable with reading aloud this can be both a pain staking and frightening moment.

2.  Practicing reading out loud helps to build confidence.  Even a struggling reader will improve with practice. Being accepted by their classmates when they read will increase their self-esteem and make them feel better about themselves as a literate person. In the end, reading aloud will make a student a better reader.

3.  Reading aloud is a great way to share. Instead of pointing to a passage and saying, “Read this. It’s cool.” they can share by reading to someone else.

So what can you do in the house?  Here are a few ways to encourage your child to read out loud in your own home:

1.  Have them read their silent reading book to you. If they are reluctant, read every other page or every other paragraph with them. After 5-10 minutes, talk about what happened in the book.

2.  Encourage them to read out loud to a younger sibling or relative, just to get them rolling. The jump to reading their more challenging book out loud will feel a lot easier.

3.  If they are resistant, causally have them read grocery lists, newspaper headings or different “everyday” items. Once they build confidence, ask them to read their book to you. If they are reluctant, remind them of their previous successes reading out loud to you.

As children get older, reading out loud is one thing that goes by the wayside. Considered crucial for a youngster to develop strong literacy skills, it is something that needs to be practiced as they get older.  Ask your kid to read the newspaper to you when you cook dinner or something they found interesting in a book or article. And to act as a model for their kids, parents should get in the habit of reading aloud to the entire family.

Something I absolutely love about teaching the lower grades in elementary schools is being witness to the process of kids learning that they can write down their own ideas. I would watch a kid struggle making the circles and lines that form our alphabet, then to copy simple, dictated sentences and then something would click, the pieces would fall into place. Suddenly the kid whose manuscript was illegible is writing up a storm. And then I’m teaching a room of budding authors! It’s great!

In the midst of this explosion of creativity, what is your role as a parent? How much should you correct a young child’s writing? How involved should you be? What can you do to support the process?

Let Them Explore: One of the most important things to encourage a young child’s writing is to let them become an explorer with their writing. Encourage them to write about themselves, about the weather, observations from the grocery store to the bus ride home. Write notes, lists, dreams and letters. Create a newspaper, a family magazine and anything else you can think of. Encourage writing.

Inventive Spelling: As your kid is learning to write, you’ll see some very funky spelling. Clouds might look like “calowdz” or car might look like “kre”. At this point they are experimenting with the letter sounds that they have learned. Your job is to be a reader, not an editor. Let them experiment. If you being to correct them all of the time they’ll stop writing. Teach them by asking questions” “What sounds does the word ‘car’ start with? Hmmm. Let’s think about that.” Make it a discussion in which they can participate.

I like to use books to teach spelling. “Here’s a book about cars. Let’s see how they spell it.” Join the adventure. This is a good time to buy a “first” dictionary. You can find them in used bookstores or online because kids outgrow them within a year or two. But this is the time to use one. Ask, “Do you want me to help you with your spelling?”

Paper: Having the right paper is crucial. Requiring a young child who is learning to write to use college ruled lined paper is just not fair. I’d rather give them a blank piece of paper. You can use paper like these or like these.

Or, if you don’t have paper like that, get a ruler or use the side of a book and make some paper with big lines on it and a square at the top for a picture. Just like this: (a picture of writing paper)

or

Learning to write is a very exciting experience. Kids suddenly realize that they can now communicate in a whole new way. Make it easy. Have paper and pencils around. Ask for help. “Hey, would you write carrots on the grocery list? Oh, you want chocolate, too? Write it down!”

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that you put math in mothballs. Here are some ideas you might want to use to sneak some math problems in during summer:

Money

Put your kid(s) in-charge of money for an outing. When I was ten-years old, I joined my Mom for a two-week work trip. She put me in charge of some of our spending money. I not only had to keep track of what we had, what we could spend, but I started to understand what “to budget” meant. You can do the same. You can do this when you:

• Go out for dinner
• Shopping at the grocery store or Farmer’s Market
• The movies (what treats can you get after you pay for tickets?)
• The local garden store or nursery
• The corner store for a treat for the family

The list goes on and one. Give it a try.

How Far Have We Gone?

With the advent with so many on-line mapping devices, it is easy to calculate how long a trip will be, in both mileage and time. So, have your kid (who is probably more computer savvy than you) figure out how many miles or long it will take when you are planning to go somewhere. It can be a walk to a friend’s house, a drive to a local museum or a plane flight.

Check these sites to help them map it out:

Google

Map My Ride

Map My Run

A Problem Based Upon The Day

There are very few kids who LIKE to do math word problems, but if you disguise them, they can be seen as fun.

Create a problem that has to do with a real-life challenge, based upon something they want or something you are trying to do. For example, if you’re having a dinner party with ten people, have your child figure out how much food you will need or simply how many chairs. I would do it like this:

“We are having ten people over for dinner tomorrow. I want to cook chicken with asparagus and rice. A two-pound chicken will feed approximately four people. One bunch of asparagus will feed three people. One cup of rice will feed three people. How much do we need to get of each item?”

You can also add in a zinger like, “One of the ten people is a former football player so he will eat as much as two people” or simplify it, by asking, “How many glasses will we need to set the table if we need a wine glass and water glass?”

Go in either direction. It will take you all of two minutes to write it down, but it will take them ten minutes to solve. And most importantly, they will feel that they have had an important role in planning a function and used their brain in a helpful, positive way. It makes them feel more a part of your life.

Try these three tips to keep math a part of your life all year round.

There is nothing better than a kid taking control of their life.  This blog is exactly that.  Written by a child about her experience growing up with Celiac, Gluten Free Rocks discusses the challenges and opportunities of being gluten free, from the kid’s point of view and how it really isn’t that bad.

It’s filled with recipes, tips and stories. And it’s written by a kid!  I love it!

Click here to check it out.

I love the imagery and creative voice that kid’s find through the process of writing a poem.

Although there are many ways to approach the teaching of poetry when writing in classroom I place particular emphasis on helping my students recognize a poetic moment.  I encourage them to trust their inspiration and pick up a pen and begin to write.

I was thinking about those special moments of inspiration this last week when I noticed at the end of the hallway another teacher had taped a paper archway to the window.  It was labeled “Poetry Window”.

At any time her students could look out of this little archway and write a poem about whatever they saw. Since they were peering out onto a New York City street, things were changing every millisecond, but it could have been looking out anywhere at anytime and the viewer would find inspiration.

Try making a “poetry window” at home on the backdoor, out a window in the house or apartment or even the car window and see what they write.  Write poems together, on alternate days or designate poetry times.  Decorate the “poetry window” and move it around the house and create a collection of poems!

The K5 Contributor and chef Carlin Greenstein has some great idea for spring cuisine and what you can make with your kids:

Springtime is a fantastic time to orient your kids with your local farmer’s market.  After a long winter in the Northeast, the arrival of springtime brings more color and vibrance offering a great opportunity to introduce new fruits and vegetables at home.  When you bring your child to the farmers’ market, you not only offer the chance for them to meet and chat with the farmers that actually grow the food but you also teach them how different seasons present new offerings.  In my experience, most city kids think that vegetables grow in the supermarket!

Here is a sneak peak of what to look for in the coming weeks at the market:

-ramps (aka wild leeks)

-asparagus

-parsnips

-kale

-fiddleheads

-radishes

-lettuces

Try these two simple and kid pleasing recipes at home once with your springtime bounty:

Scrambled eggs with ramps and asparagus

Serves 4

All the ingredients in this dish can be found at the farmers market now!  Asparagus is rich in Vitamins A and C and Folate, fiber rich too.

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup thinly sliced trimmed ramp bulbs, stems and green tops (set aside the tops)

6 medium asparagus spears, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces

8 large eggs, beaten to blend

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ramp bulbs and stems to skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add green tops and asparagus; sauté until ramps are soft and asparagus is al dente, about 8 minutes.

Add eggs to skillet and gently stir until eggs are very softly set, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Divide eggs between 4 plates and serve immediately.

Roasted parsnip puree

Serves 4

Roasting brings out the rich earthiness by caramelizing the natural sugars of the parsnip.  Kids will love the sweet flavor and smooth texture of the puree, it beats the pants off of mashed potatoes!  Parsnips are rich in Vitamin C and Folate.

2 lbs parsnips, peeled, cores removed and chopped

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 cup water or chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel parsnips, make a cut off the top of the fat end of each parsnip. This will show you extent of the inner core. Often this core is stringy and woody, especially at the larger end of the parsnip. When you are prepping the parsnips, cut around this core.

Place chopped parsnips in a medium sized bowl, add the melted butter and stir to coat. Lay out the parsnips on a roasting pan in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, at 400°F, until lightly golden, turning the parsnips once half-way through the cooking.

Put cooked parsnips into a blender or food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups water or broth, and pulse until puréed to the desired consistency. Add more liquid if necessary. Add nutmeg, sea salt and pepper to taste.

It is the old game of Concentration, but there are a million different ways to play.  It improves memory, but there are many other skills that can be improved upon that relate to a wide array of subject areas, such as science, math and reading.

First of all, let’s review the rules of the game:

Concentration is a card game where all of the cards are shuffled and are laid face down on a surface in orderly rows and columns.

All of the cards must have a mate (pairs).

Each turn, two cards are flipped over.  If the cards do not match or are not a pair in one form or another, they are both turned back face down.  If the cards match or are a pair, they are left face up and the person who made the match receives a point.

With a regular deck of cards, the pair is considered the card with the same color and number (so the ace of hearts matches the ace of diamonds).

Concentration can be played with regular playing cards or with special themed cards.  It can be played by 1, 2, 3 or 4 people.  More than 4 people can be divided into teams.

Now that we understand the rules, let’s explore a few varieties of the game.

Here are a few examples:

For reading:

Make a set of cards with the picture of something from a magazine – an animal, object, anything that your child will recognize – and then the corresponding work on another card. Have them match the two cards.

Make two sets of cards with matching words. Put them out and see if they can match them.

Make a set of cards of articles, adjectives, nouns and verbs. Mix them up and place them face down.  The object is to find two words that can go together.  For example:

I run

blue sky

big feet

Math:

Write a problem down on a card and the answer on a separate one.  They have to match the two.

Write down a series of addition, subtraction, multiplication or division problems. The cut them up or re-write the separate parts on separate cards.  Turn them all over and your child has to find the numbers to make up the equation.

These are just five ideas. There are a million ways to use concentration to help your child’s memory and skills, and it’s fun, too.  If your child is studying Earth Science, make cards that match lava and volcanoes or fault lines and earthquakes.  Have fun with it.  And one of my favorites:  write down each family member’s name on five different cards. Then write down five of their favorite foods or things to do.  Then play as a family.  Can you match the family member with one of their favorite things, or is that just too personal?!  Maybe just stick to the other ideas!

Whichever you decide to play, have fun!

It’s time for similes and metaphors next week. And do you remember the difference between them?  And how do I explain them to my kid?  Arghhh…does it bring you back to that nasty grammar class in 6^th grade.  Help is here.

It’s all about “as or like” and “is”.

Let’s start with a simile.

A simile is an approximation. It’s something that almost “is” but just isn’t, and that is why we use the words “like” or “as”.  For example:

“That dog looks LIKE a wolf.”  The dog isn’t a wolf but looks like one so SEEMS like one.

A sunny day at the beach is AS nice as a three-month vacation.”  Even though it may FEEL as good as a three-month vacation, a sunny day does not equate TO a three-month vacation. Again, it is an approximation.

Now, a metaphor is a different story. It’s not an approximation. It is an equation. For example, you’re saying exactly what the thing is but using an image.

“An artery is a super-highway for blood in the body.”  An artery isn’t really a super-highway for blood, but it equates TO what the artery actual does, which is carry blood through the body.

“That teacher was a real gem.”  Now the teacher wasn’t an actual a gem, but the teacher is someone that is valued and important.

Simile = as or like

Metaphor = is or was

Now, here’s the activity:

1. Fold an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of white paper into 1/4ths
2. Take a pen and draw a line around each box, like they are a picture frame.
3. Have your child write the sentences that describe each picture on a separate pieces of paper
4. Have your child draw a picture of two metaphors and two similes.
5. Now you have to match each sentence with the appropriate metaphor or simile.

Here’s an example of one of my student’s work:

Understanding the difference between similes and metaphors can be as easy as cutting warm butter.  At least I hope.

We all know that reading is an important and great activity to share with your children.  But what can you do to help your kids pay more attention to the content of what they are reading?  Here’s a terrific activity that is simple and easy to do, and will create great artwork to stick on the wall.

It’s important for kids to begin to understand the concept of a beginning, middle and end to any story, whether it is a chapter book or a picture book.  It helps to identify the plot, setting and most importantly, what changes, or what happens during the story.  So, how do we do this?

Take a piece of paper and draw three large boxes next to one another: one for the beginning, one of the middle of the story and one for the end.

After they are finished reading, have them draw a picture of what happened in the beginning in the first box, what happened in the middle in the second box and the ending in the third box.  They can also write a sentence or two below each box if they like.  Write the title of the book at the top of the page and the name of the author. Done!

Now they have analyzed the story they read, created some artwork to post on the fridge or the wall in their room and they are one step closer to understanding how to write the Great American Novel, their first screenplay or a book review.

Fore a few more ideas on what to do when reading with your child, check out our video on how to improve your child’s comprehension.

Good luck!

Not the most pleasant topic, but I have read this blog a few times and author Dave Bry has some very funny things to say about parenting and well, explaining death to his fiver-year-old son.  Take a break and read it. I guarantee you’ll relate to what he says and find yourself laughing in minutes.  Click here to read Death & Parenting.