Ask a Teacher - How do I keep my kids learning over the summer?

It's midway through summertime, and you may find yourself in a slump, particularly when it comes to educational activities for the kids. Teacher Emilie Blanton, who blogs over at Teaching Ain't for Heroes has some great suggestions for you.

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I often have parents ask what they can do to ensure their children are still learning over summer vacation. It's true that students sometimes experience minor losses over summer break, at least as far as testing is concerned. However, summer shouldn't be about drilling new skills or introducing concepts children aren't ready for. Summer is a great time to use your children's natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge to help keep them on their toes for the coming school year. Here are a few things you can do with your children to make the summer as useful as possible.

1. Have a routine.
First and foremost, have some kind of set schedule that you can at least vaguely stick to. It doesn't have to be super structured like a school day, but knowing Monday is Park Day, Tuesday is Library Day, and so on can help kids immensely. It keeps them feeling secure because they know what to expect. It gets you out of the house for at least a little while so you don't have to yell "STOP TATTLING ON YOUR SISTER!" for four hours straight from your living room. Hopefully it wears them out and they sleep better, too.

2. Hit up the library!
It's free, y'all. Go there. Enjoy storytime. Check out books about whatever they want. Grab a book for yourself. The library is one of the best things a child can experience. Get them their own card and let them experience the joy of checking out their own books. Clear off a shelf on your bookshelf or buy a dollar store crate and keep your library books in them so you don't have to hunt all over the house for them. And if you go once a week for your routine, you won't have to worry about forgetting a due date since you'll be back there next week anyway.

3. Make them write.
Remember when the beginning of school would roll around and your hand would cramp up the first day because you weren't used to writing in so long? Help your kids avoid that ride on the struggle bus. For older kids, have them keep a journal and write in it daily. They can write what they did. They can write what they like. They can write "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE!" enough times to fill a page, just have them putting pencil to paper at least once a day. For the younger crowd who aren't as adept with writing yet, try having them write individual words or sentences. They can help you write the grocery list (I know it will take longer, but it will be worth it), write down their favorite animal they saw at the zoo, anything to keep their writing skills growing.

4. Have some type of group activity.
It could be camp, the aforementioned story time at the library, an organized playdate, sports, anything. Just make up some excuse for your kids to interact with other kids. Kids are not naturally polite. Social manners are a skill just like reading and writing. They need practice waiting their turn, not interrupting, sharing, and everything else that's vital to a group learning environment.

5. Give in to their random curiosity.
You want to learn about lemurs? Let's find a book at the library! You want to know how car engines work? Let's watch a YouTube video together! You want to read all the Chronicles of Narnia? Knock yourself out! Summer is a great time to let kids run wild with their imaginations and interests. Try not to force a given curriculum on them over summer break. Instead let them learn something because they want to. They'll have plenty of time to fit into assigned curriculum. Summer is a time when they can pick anything they want to learn about. They can develop a love of learning, the actual skill of learning, that will last them their whole life.

Above all, try not to stress out. They might forget a few letter sounds or their pencil grip might slip a little, but most of the first two weeks of school is geared toward fixing those minor skill losses. And if you have to sideline the routine because of a doctor appointment or you never quite set that playdate, don't sweat it. The fact that you're taking initiative at all is a huge advantage for your child.







 

Home Schooling Co-op Confusion - Guest Post

Today, I'm especially lucky to have Tracey Birch from Inside the Mommyvan explaining what co-ops mean to home schoolers...and what they don't. Thank you, Tracey!

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If you spend much time around homeschoolers, you'll probably hear them talk about their "co-op" days. I was recently asked for an explanation of these mysterious organizations by someone who'd heard they they were "like school, but without qualified teachers."

I suppose that description may fit some co-ops, but I'm fortunate to live in an area where that couldn't be farther from the truth, at any of the half-dozen co-ops in my general vicinity (and those are just the ones I've heard of).

First off, what is a homeschool co-op? Details vary, but in general it's when a group of homeschoolers get together--usually once a week--for a day of more-or-less classes. These are often, but not always, taught by the co-op parents, and the subject matter can range from belly dancing to advanced biology. There is usually a fee for classes, which generally goes to the individual teachers to pay for their time and supplies. Some large co-ops have a paid administrative staff, but most are truly co-operative, relying on parent volunteers for everything from scheduling classes to cleaning up the lunch room. The best organizations double as a support and social group for both parents and students. Some have the interpersonal drama you might expect from any organized group of individuals, but no more than you'd find in a PTA or neighborhood organization.

As for the teachers' qualifications, there are a few things to keep in mind. One, many former professional teachers homeschool their own kids; two, co-ops often attract outside (non-homeschooling) teachers and experts; and three, truly unqualified teachers are easy to avoid. As word gets around, and it does, about their lack of teaching skills or subject-matter knowledge, they're not invited back to the co-op or people just don't enroll in their classes. How many traditional-school parents have (or wish they had) that option? The reality is that public school teachers are often placed in classrooms far outside their areas of expertise (take a look at your state's minimum requirements for a teaching certificate sometime), and much of their class time is spent on high-stakes standardized test preparation. Worst-case at co-op: we've spent an hour a week for one semester in a worthless class. At a traditional school, that class with the "bad" teacher may be the student's entire day, every day (for lower grades) or their only opportunity to take an advanced class in the upper grades.

Some co-ops add on many of the extra-curriculars found at traditional schools: field trips, yearbooks, science fairs, student council, art shows, even prom and graduation ceremonies. Others focus on rigorous academic subjects, with highly qualified teachers and loads of homework. Still others are relaxed, with an eclectic mix of classes where age or grade levels are mere suggestions and parents, often with babes-in-arms, can be found sitting in on class sessions.

Whichever type you choose, co-ops can be a valuable addition to a homeschooler's toolbox for academics, extra-curriculars, and social time. My kids are currently taking a science & nature class from a long-time professional educator (who brings in all sorts of critters for the kids to see and touch) and a class on playing games (fall semester focused on old-school games and good sportsmanship, this spring is games from around the world complete with geography and culture lessons). In the past they have taken arts & crafts classes (with themes from a storybook reading), Lego construction (including simple machines), ballet, tap, and hip-hop dance, exploring water (from physical/chemical properties, art, and nature perspectives), local plants & wildlife (great day-long field trip that semester), and Waldorf-inspired art.

We also spend hours on the playground and at the park each week, just hanging out and playing with friends. This may be the best part of our co-op experience, as kids of all ages play together and look out for each other; cliques and bullying are practically non-existent.

So yes, it is sort of like school... but the difference isn't in the teachers, it's in the parents and students.


 

Ask a Teacher: What Do I Do If my Child Is "Struggling"

Today, Emilie from Teaching Ain't For Heroes gets personal. She talks about what parents should remember should their kids get a "struggling" assessment in a certain area during the early grades.

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I received my son's first report card. As a teacher, I've prided myself on knowing how to teach and when to teach various things. My first fieldwork experience was with kindergarteners (22 of them), so even though I teach high school, I felt that I had experiences that could help me teach my son.

My son received all checks and his report started out glowing. His teacher talked about how he was sweet and hardworking. She said that sometimes he's disruptive with talking, but he's easily corrected.

And then she said that he was struggling with printing and letter sounds. My pride took a hit with that word "struggling" because I know what that word means in my teacher jargon. In my classroom, I use struggling for kids who are below grade level and in danger of being left behind. I don't use struggling lightly. Struggling is for kids who are missing basic skills necessary to master standards.

It stung. I've been doing everything right. We read every night. He practices writing at home. We always do his homework (yes, homework in preschool!). He loves learning. He loves playing school. He's said he wants to be a teacher, just like me.

But he's struggling.

The idea of a range of normal is just that, a range. There's early readers and late readers and kids who fall somewhere in the middle of that enormous spectrum.

Not every kid can be advanced and perfect at everything they do. It's hard to accept that your child isn't the best in their peer group.

Despite my son's struggles in the first term of preschool, it's unlikely that he'll struggle in the same way that many of the students I have known do. He may not be an early reader like I was, but that doesn't mean that I have failed in someway. Every kid is different and will learn at their own pace.

As parents, it's so easy to get hung up on the successes of our children that we forget that they are individuals who don't need to be measured against their peers.

The fact that so many of us Facebook craft our children's lives so that they appear perfect doesn't help. Hey, I'm guilty. I held my phone just right so that the part about disruption and my son's struggles wasn't visible when I posted a picture of his report to Facebook. When you find yourself feeling down on yourself as a parent, remember that just out of frame, others' lives aren't perfect either.






 

Ask a Teacher: How Does Differentiation Work?

Emilie over at Teaching Ain't for Heroes is our resident teacher, and she takes questions from parents about pressing school issues. If you have a question for her, leave a comment here or on our Ask a Teacher Page where you can also see the other questions that have been answered.

This week, she's dealing with differentiation.

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I was recently asked "How does differentiation work in practice?"

First, let's cover what differentiation is and what it is not. Differentiated instruction is providing students with multiple learning styles and levels the opportunity to access and develop skills in the classroom. Differentiation is not handing a student with a higher skill set uninstructed work to keep them "busy" while helping other students. This is important to remember as it seems some parents expect that latter. I'm not sure if they're just remembering their own schooling and some bad pedagogical practices they experienced, but handing a student higher level work without instruction is a recipe for disaster.

In the lower grade levels, differentiation looks a lot like station work and task rotations. I know it's been awhile for most of us parents, but if you remember your kindergarten and first grade classroom, it was likely split up into different sections based on content. I personally loved the reading carpet the best, shocking I know. During "free time" students have the option to visit various sections to work on whatever they want. Inevitably, your child will pick what they like best, but a good teacher will encourage them to visit sections where they may be struggling. They don't need to visit the areas they are struggling with daily, as that gets exhausting for them. School should be fun at least some of the time. During non-free time, teachers in lower grades will use station work as a way to meet the needs of a variety of students while being able to instruct the class as a whole.

The further your student moves in school, the more differentiation looks like choice within the classroom. My classroom is obviously not divided into content sections as I only teach English. Instead, I offer students choices as far as what book they read and how they wish to be assessed on their work. A cool tool to use with higher level grades is something called the "Comprehension Menu". This is a tool that allows teachers to see what students know and what they need to work on while giving them the option of how they wish to show that information. Comprehension Menus offer students options based on learning styles rather than skill level.

To help your child with differentiation, it's important to know your child's strengths and areas for growth. It's important to know what your child already knows, but it's just as important to know HOW they know what they know. Look into what type of learning style your child may have. Are they kinesthetic? Auditory? Visual? Some combination? Help your child identify the way they learn best and encourage them in those areas.

Even with differentiation, your child is going to be bored at some point. Taking notes is boring, but it's a valuable skill to have. Talk to your child about why they might be feeling bored. I dread note taking with an unholy passion, but I'm still glad that I know how to do it. If your child is beginning to lose focus because of boredom, it's time to talk to the teacher and see what a normal lesson/day is like for your student. I won't lie and pretend that all teachers are perfect or all classrooms are model classrooms. However, it's important to remember to get both sides of the story and see how you and your child's teacher can work as a team to help your child the most. 

 

Toddler Tricks - 99: Teaching Tools are Games

Problem: You're all bored. It's summer, and you've gone to the pool or lake everyday, then it rained for a week and you saw every movie, went to every library and store just to get out of the house, and even went to the mall playland. You're fresh out of ideas and you've got eight hours before bedtime.

Solution: Teach them stuff. I got play clocks and dry erase marker boards with the letter lines on them at Target in those dollar bins. They're amazing. If we can't get outside, or we've played all the games, we break out the learning tools. These are just as good, if not better, than games for the girls. They love practicing writing, and the activity can keep them engaged and involved for more than an hour. I'll show them how to draw and "A" and they'll each take a turn practicing, drawing "A"s in a line after mine. They'll be quietly amused and so proud of themselves, too. And, honestly, it's amazing to see your children start to write. This can start any age, really. My kids and I have been playing with / learning with the clocks from about that age. They still can't tell all the times, but they've got the hours and half hours down. Geography is great and easy, too. Buy a map, spread it out, point to stuff. Done, done, done. It's better than playing Barbies (in my opinion) for sure.

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Things Your Kids Should Be Able to Do by Four

Oftentimes, I live in a hellish world of lunacy where children just less than four make the rules. And this seems totally reasonable. Why? Well, they're the only people I see all day, so suddenly playing markers in nothing but underwear and throwing cereal on the floor when we're pissed seem like reasonable things to do.

Okay, those are exaggerations, but the point is, don't be fooled. They're wrong. Your kids are wrong. They simply don't know what they're talking about, and they don't know what's good for them. It's true.

Here's a short list of things your neurotypical child should be able to do by the time she's ready to turn four.

1) Use the bathroom by herself.

This is the main driving point behind this post. One day last week, I was at my rope's end. I had been sitting in the bathroom, with my perfectly capable children, reading them stories or making up stories to tell them while they were on the potty. It started when one of them had a bit of constipation and I was attempting to distract her while she tried to go. But what started out as one ten-minute story became dozens of stories "until I'm done, until I've gone poopoo." Two and a half hours, that day, Dulce made me sit with her. I had lost my mind.

Then I realized I could get up. There was nothing stopping me from getting up. So I did.

And I went right to facebook to ask if I was being immeasurably cruel by no longer sitting with my kids in the bathroom. The resounding comment cascade? "What are you, nuts?"

Apparently no one in the history of the world does this for their children. Except me. Because my kids told me that sitting in the bathroom was appropriate and that everyone did it. And I believed them.

Don't believe them.

2) Dress herself.

That night I had a major break down / break through. I also stopped dressing them. Because they are freaking almost four years old and they know how to dress themselves. They just don't. And they tell me that I'm supposed to do it. And I believed them.

My girls are more than three feet tall. Have you ever seen a child almost as long as a meter stick stretch out on the floor so you can put her overnight diaper pullup on? Like she's an infant?

It looks ridiculous.

So, I said, no more. You put that on yourself, and your nightie, too. And you take your own clothes off. And do it standing up. For all the commotion in this house, you'd have thought I declared World War Three.

But they finally did it. And they've been doing it since. Because, let's face it, they've probably known how to do it for a whole year, and they were just laughing behind my back as I continued to slave over and baby them.

3) Clean up.

I'm not even going to go into detail about this one, but your child knows how to put toys away. He just does. He knows where they go because he has to go get them to throw around the house, right? And he's seen you put them back hundreds of times. He knows what "pick up your toys" means. Don't do it anymore.

4) Eat.

We tackled this one a long time ago, and my kids are now adept at using silverware. But they'll still be jerks about it when they remember. I can't count how many times I've watched one of my kids aimlessly "try" to stab a piece of chicken, only to victoriously call out that she "can't, it's too hard." Or they'll push the fork so softly, holding it barely erect so that it will clatter to the floor before poking up that squash.

So many times, they've looked at me like, "see? I can't do this." And I've been like, "Well, use your right hand, then." And done.

They know how. It's that simple.


And the interesting thing about this is that they are happier doing things for themselves. They just don't know it. They assume they're happier having you do things for them because it shows you care, or it gives them attention from you, or whatever, but it's probably almost as annoying to them as it is to you. Almost. They just get so used to the routine that they can't imagine life any other way. And neither can you.

It doesn't have to be this way. Stop the insanity. Your kids, and DEFINITELY my kids, can do almost anything by themselves. I just have to stop letting them convince me otherwise.

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Teaching through Toys

"Where are we going today?" asks my husband in a deep voice while holding the Superman doll.

"Swimming! The beach!" the babies shout.

"Okay then. Let's get in the car. Come on, Supergirl! Get in the car!" My husband switches to a falsetto. "No, I want mommy to strap me in. No no no. Crying. Waaaaah. I'm going to cry!"

The babies look up, confused.

"No, Supergirl. Mommy doesn't have to always strap you in. Sometimes Daddy straps you in. If you are going to cry, we'll just stay home. Okay, fine. We're staying home."

"No!" the babies shout. "Go beach! Go beach, Supergirl!"

"Well," my husband says, "tell Supergirl that daddy can strap her in sometimes and that there's no crying."

"Supergirl, Daddy strap you. No crying. Go beach!"

And off Superman and Supergirl go to the beach to have wonderous adventures.

The next day when my husband and I took the babies somewhere, there was no crying when Daddy strapped them in. That had been a major problem up until this point. Only Mommy could strap them in. No matter what we said or did -- whether we pleaded or cajoled or threatened staying home or actually did stay home -- only Mommy could strap them in.

Taking the lesson outside of the situation allowed them to think logically about it, without being emotionally invested at the time, so that when they again found themselves in the car needing to be strapped in, they remembered calmly what had happened to Supergirl.

This has also worked for leaving the park and sitting down to eat in a restaurant. The twins see how ridiculous the obstacle is that is in the way of them having a good time in the third person. It's helping them to learn to prioritize. Slowly, they're learning to assign different levels of importance to different aspects of each trip or experience.

If you can't get a point across to your toddlers, try letting one of their toys do it for you. It's working for us, anyway.

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The Preschool Problem: Part I - Should You Do It?

My kids will be three in August. They are not babies anymore. They hang out at home with me as I clean the house and do freelance work here and there. We play games, we go for walks, we play on playgrounds, we swim and explore outside...but is it enough? As I've told you before, we have separation issues, and those issues are pretty much my fault. I'm always here. They're never without me. They're never without each other. We're a dynamic threesome, but they've never experienced anything else. Is it time?

Preschool sounds better to me than daycare. There is no reason for me to use daycare. I work from home, but it's piddly work that doesn't bring in much income, and I do it in between loads of laundry and rounds of housecleaning. I certainly don't need my kids out of the house for that.

But preschool. Could they benefit from preschool? Outside learning and activities with other children their age? Adult interaction that isn't simply mommy-alla-time, mommy-all-time? They could certainly benefit from socialization. And I'm certain their potential would be realized in the hands of professionals.

Still, the questions and doubts crowded my mind as I hunkered down and did some research yesterday.

First, I questioned myself. Was I a bad mom for wanting to enroll my kids in preschool? Was I a bad mom for not wanting to enroll my kids in preschool? How was I going to justify my free time? I'd have to pick up the freelance work tenfold at least, or look for a job outside the home. If I got a job outside the home (I'm in journalism) the hours certainly wouldn't be 9-5. So preschool wouldn't even matter, even if I put them in fulltime. Doesn't that make it more hassle than it's worth? If I didn't get a job, the hours start before we start our day presently, so I'd have to shift our schedules, which is a pretty big deal around here. Is it worth it?

Then I questioned my kids. What if they were bad? What if other kids were bad? What if they hated it? What if they cried all day? What if this isn't a good thing for them, and instead will regress them. Should I put them in the hands of others when I can do it myself? What if they get sick? They're insulated here. We've hardly ever gotten sick. What if they hold this against me, and resent me?

Then I questioned the center. What if they don't follow my instructions? What if they don't care about my kids? What if they don't like my kids? What if they're lying on their website, and they enforce rules I don't agree with in ways I don't agree with? What if they don't teach my children anything? What if my children get hurt? What if they hurt my children?

But, I carried forth, and searched the sites.

They all said the same thing. They're all loving, nurturing, learning environments that will help my children grow and develop at a fast rate. They all love children. They're all, apparently, super amazing places.

They're also all, apparently, free.

Not one page had pricing.

Not one.

Are you serious with me? If you're so comfortable telling me about how awesome you are, you certainly should be comfortable enough telling me how much I have to pony up for your magical experience. Not that I would ever put a price on my child's wellbeing and future and educational development, but my price happens to be what I can afford. If I can't afford you, why waste time? Even if I visit and fall in love with your school and my children must go there, I still won't be able to afford you. So...just tell me, okay?

Finally, after spending an entire afternoon reading glowing reports of dozens of preschools in my area, I was ready to start making calls.  But that's part II.

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