Graphing with kids!

Colorin Colorado has a wonderful new article on creating bar graphs that is free to reproduce and share with parents.  Head on over to http://www.colorincolorado.org/pdfs/edextras/43814-en.pdf and take a look at this wonderful resource.  It also includes recommended picture books that go along with this topic.  This article is also available in Spanish if needed.  Just drop us an email and we can direct you to that link.  Thanks!

Communities helping students succeed.

Every Year

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

WHAT SCHOOLS CAN DO 

WHAT COMMUNITY AGENCIES CAN DO 

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO

Inform parents about what children are expected to learn and do at every grade level through school orientations as well as school newsletters.

Hold parent/teacher conferences to identify strengths and strategies for improving student success in school.

Identify non-traditional ways to connect with parents unable to attend regularly scheduled parent/teacher conferences.

Communicate regularly about children's progress, not just when problems arise.

Send home homework or learning assignments.

Hold family math and literacy workshops aimed at helping parents learn about what they can do at home to help children advance their skills.

Partner with schools to help parents understand what to expect in a high quality educational program and how to determine the best match for their child.

Help to identify positive solutions when conflicts arise between school staff and parents about how to promote a child’s academic achievement.

Assist parents in identifying when their child might be at risk because of an undetected learning disability and/or they are disengaging from school.

Partner with schools to offer workshops on family math and literacy as well as other relevant parenting topics.

Use home visitors who reflect the cultural and linguistic background of families to help parents acquire skills to help their children at home.

Create lending libraries offering families access to learning materials that they can use at home.

Think about the kind of educational program your child needs to learn and thrive, and seek placement in those schools which meet his or her needs.

Know your child's teachers. Let teachers know that you want to be contacted immediately about any concerns.

Attend parent-teacher conferences and regularly seek out information about your child's progress.

Request a developmental assessment if a learning disability is suspected.

Watch for signs that your child might be at risk.

Use activities at home to develop their knowledge and skills, and utilize community resources (museums, libraries, youth centers) to create additional opportunities for learning.

Parent's helping students

ESL tidbits

Homework Tips for Parents

By: Reading Rockets (2010)

Study the same things in different ways and places

Help your child learn about new words or content in a variety of ways. Talk about new vocabulary words several times over the course of the week, in different settings. This will help enrich your child's understanding of the word.

Mix up the study time

If your child prefers to do a little math, a little reading, a little word study and then back to math, that's okay! Mixing up the practice time may leave a greater impression on your learner.

Space out the learning

If your child has a big test coming up next week, help her study a little bit each day rather than cramming it in the night before. An hour or so every other day, spacing out the learning, is a better way to really learn the material.

Help your child get organized

Help your child pick out a special homework notebook or folder, and make sure your child has homework supplies, such as:

• pencils
• pens
• writing paper
• a dictionary

Show your child that you think homework is important

Ask your child about her homework each day, and check to see that it is completed. Tell your child that you are proud of the work she is doing.

Help your child without doing the homework

It's important to answer questions if you can — but remember that homework is supposed to help children learn and that doing your child's homework does not help in the long run.

Talk with your child's teacher

Find out what the teacher's homework rules are. If your child has a problem completing or understanding homework, call or e-mail the teacher to talk about the issue.

What to do over the summer????

If your district is like ours, you are winding up for the year about now. The countdown has begun for teachers and students in a happy way and sadly for parents! The question we hear most from parents is "What do we do over the summer to keep my child's skills fresh?". Usually parents are looking for something inexpensive and easy to access. I don't blame them.

Teachers are the kings and queens of finding items and activities on the cheap. Typically I like to recommend our public library as a resource. They usually will have some type of a reading program for the children to encourage reading over the summer. Our public library even offers the children incentives of prizes for a certain number of books read over the summer. Barnes & Nobel has a similar summer reading program available nation-wide.

The next question we hear is "What should my child read?". Luckily our district has what we call Championship Playbooks for each grade level. Within each playbook is a recommended reading list for the summer. I am posting our list for first grade going to second.

Suggested Summer Reading List for First Graders

Moving Up to Second Grade

Level Name of Book

E All By Myself by Mercer Mayer

O Bats by Gail Gibbons

M Berenstain Bears by Jan and Stan Berenstain

I Big Dog, Little Dog by PD Eastman

G Carrot Seed by Robert Kraus

G Curious George by H.A. Rey

J Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

K Franklin and the Tooth Fairy by Paulette Bourgeois

K Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

K Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crock Johnson

G Just Grandpa and Me by Mercer Mayer

L Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

J Little Bear (series) by Elise Minarik

P Magic School Bus (series) by Joanna Cole

M Mitten, The by Jan Brett

O Moon Book, the by Gail Gibbons

J Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel

J Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel

J Mr. Putter and Tabby (series) by Cynthia Rylant

K Nate the Great... (series) by Marjorie Sharmat

J One Fish, Two Fish by Dr. Seuss

G Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel

J Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert

J There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer

I There's An Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer

M Three Names by Patricia McLaughlin

M Thunder Cake by Patricia Pollaco

J Very Hungry Catapillar by Eric Carle

H We Are Best Friends by Aliki

M When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

F Who Will Be My Friends? By Syd Hoff

We use the Rigby reading levels to rank books from A-Z (easy to more difficult). This list gives a variety of levels to choose from for your child. You can find our Championship Playbooks at : http://www.cityschools.net/instruction/instruction_news/championship_playbook.php. You can find the first grade list on page 26 of the first grade playbook.

Remember: if you ask the children what they need to do over the summer they will tell you that they need to be swimming in the pool. But children cannot live by chlorinated water alone! They need to stretch those brains and continue reading over the summer. So check out your local library and see what type of summer program they offer.

See you in August!

Behavior: I'm Right and You're Wrong

As a parent and a teacher I have run in to that one child who wants to argue EVERYTHING. What do you do so it doesn't become a power struggle? I came across the following article and wanted to share it.

"I'm Right and You're Wrong!"
Is Your Child a Know-it-all?
by James Lehman, MSW

Does your child always insist that they're right and everyone else is wrong? Some kids have a bad habit of asserting their opinions by drowning out everyone else in the room—regardless of whether or not they know what they're talking about. Understandably, this overbearing behavior can be very annoying and frustrating for both parents and family members alike.

"If you want a child to be a real pain in the neck—if you want to strengthen some behavior or characteristic—just argue with them. It will serve to exercise that muscle and make your child feel more powerful."

Before I give you ideas for dealing with this behavior, I want to make one thing clear: As kids grow, they need to develop their interests and ideas, and they need to learn how to express them. They also have to learn where they end emotionally and where their parents begin—what we call "emotional boundaries." At different developmental periods, kids go through a process called separation and individuation. Sometimes this process is not very noticeable at all, and sometimes it occurs very intensively. As an older child or teen, they continue that process by learning how to form their own opinions. So realize that some of the behavior you're experiencing with your teen or pre-teen is very normal for this stage in life.

I also can't stress enough the importance of listening to your child once. I know they can be obnoxious and irritating—but just remember that sometimes they might be stating an opinion about something you really need to know about. It might be something the teacher is doing that may be inappropriate, a dangerous thing the bus driver is doing, or a risky behavior on the part of your child's friends. It's important that you listen to your kids with an open mind, because when something important does come along, you want to make sure they feel free to bring it to you.

Saying that, if your child's need to assert their opinions crosses the line and becomes obnoxious, there are things you can do to help curtail that behavior and teach them more socially appropriate ways of behaving, both inside and outside of the family.

* Don't Be Frightened by Your Child's Opinions

Do not be frightened by kids' opinions—just respond to them honestly. I think it's much more effective to judge your child by their behavior rather than by their opinions, thoughts or ideas. Often their ideas are based on peer conversations at school, rumors, cultural events, or something they've seen or heard in the media. When your child or teen is talking to you, they're often trying to shape their own opinions. It's better to hear your child out, state your opinion honestly, let them respond, and then respectfully disengage from the conversation. That way, nobody gets their feelings hurt and you've avoided an argument.

So don't be threatened by your child's opinions and assertions, even if they're wrong. The more you ignore these kinds of statements, the sooner they will go away. In fact, if you want a child to be a real pain in the neck—if you want to strengthen some behavior or characteristic—just argue with them. It will serve to exercise that muscle and make your child feel more powerful.

* Don't Keep the Argument Going

If your child is trying to start an argument with you, don't keep it going. Parents often feel like they have to get the last word in to be in control, which in reality only serves to further the child's urge to argue with you. If you disagree with your adolescent child, they often think it's because you don't understand what they're saying, so they'll keep trying to put it another way. This is because people who are immature in their communication styles aren't always able to see that you don't agree with their position. They think that if they could just explain it a little better, you'd understand and accept it. This is another reason why arguments with kids can keep going even after you've explained your point of view.

If your child tends to be argumentative and you stay in the argument with them, it makes them feel more powerful and in control. Don't forget: kids only have the power you give them. Some of the power they need to have is very important; it helps them develop their personal and social lives. In fact, it's very important that they gain increasing access to power as they grow older and individuate more. On the other hand, when it comes to discussing house rules or consequences or privileges, I think that after they state their opinion, you say, "I understand, but this is the way it is," and then leave. If you stand there, they think it's OK to keep talking. When you get out of the situation, it takes the power out of the room.

One of the most powerful things you can do with kids who are know-it- alls is not respond to them when they try to drag you into an argument. Be respectful but disengage, because each time you respond, they feel compelled to answer back—and as you know, the discussion will just keep going and going.

When your child has come up with some erroneous statement in an attempt to prove their point, the best thing you can do is state your opinion honestly. When they state their counter opinion, you can say, "That's really interesting. I have to go downstairs now." If what they are saying has to do with health or safety: then you should correct it and walk away.

* Don't Let One Child Ruin It for Everybody

If family members are having dinner, watching TV or a movie together at home, don't let one child dominate the conversation in such a way that it blocks everyone else from expressing their opinions. It's very important to understand that while everyone's opinion is valued, it's usually valued once. After that, it becomes harassment. If one of your children doesn't like what you're having for dinner or doesn't care for the movie choice, give them their options and don't let them sit there and continue to annoy everyone with their negativity. Always have a back-up plan. This usually includes having them go to their room until they can let go of the topic or complaint they're stuck on. This does not have to be a punishment or consequence. It's just a time out for your child in his or her room, until they can get off the subject. Often, when kids are over-stimulated, anxious or frustrated, it's hard for them to switch thoughts on their own. A change of scenery and a few minutes away from the stimulation can be very helpful.

* Use Cues

Many parents of children who act in an overbearing way find it effective to come up with a cuing system with their child to signal that they're "doing it again." You and your child should agree on a signal, just like a cue in a movie or play. The gesture means, "Really stop it now. You've stated your opinion and you need to let it go. If you go further, there are going to be consequences." Many parents find this a very effective, non-verbal tool for helping their child curtail inappropriate behavior without embarrassing them in front of others.

* My Child Won't Let His Siblings Express Themselves

If your child won't let his siblings express themselves, or will not listen to their opinions, what I would recommend is that you say "Jack, you aren't listening to others. How can you keep arguing your position when you won't even listen to your sister's answer? Why don't you give her a second and hear what she's saying?" That way, you provide an example to your other kids so they can learn to say, "You're not listening."

If your kids won't stop arguing back and forth, you can also say, "I'm tired of this bickering. This conversation has 60 more seconds, and if you don't stop, you're going to your rooms." At first, the child who's the know-it-all might get more obnoxious, but just follow through with the consequences so he learns how to stop. Give them the responsibility that the argument has to stop in 60 seconds and when it doesn't, you hold them accountable. In this way they learn to meet the responsibility of stopping the argument, as well as a more socially appropriate way of behaving.

Remember, as a parent, you don't have to attend every argument you're invited to; you can make choices. Although it is very important that kids feel like they're being heard and responded to, it does not mean they get to go on endlessly. We can all debate about a lot of things, but we're responsible to a structure in our home. The truth is, we all have varied opinions about our jobs, our supervisors, or our teachers, but as we mature, we have to learn to deal with our thoughts and feelings independently and keep our opinions separate from our functioning at school or work, as well.

This is very important for kids to understand: There's a difference between his or her opinion about things and the way the family structure—and the world—operates.

Empowering Parents is a weekly newsletter, online magazine and blog published by the Legacy Publishing Company. Our goal is to empower people to empower people who parent by providing useful problem- solving techniques to parents and children. For more information,
visit www.empoweringparents.com

Websites to check out

We have gathered together a small list of websites that we have come across that have had useful information.  This group will be adding to this list as time goes on.

www.lessonplanspage.com

www.atozteacherstuff.com

www.funlessonplans.com

www.123child.com

www.successcertificates.com

www.childfun.com

www.literacycenter.net

www.earlychildhoodnews.com

www.si.edu.com (Smithsonian)

www.history.com (History Channel)

www.homeworkhotline.info