Reading aloud to your child can be a relaxing way to end your day. After she has a hot bath or shower, there’s nothing better than to tuck her in with a story. This habit can start before she is even born! Reading aloud and conversing with her helps her learn crucial language skills.
What to do if your child has a short attention span? Choose short, simple books with large colorful pictures. Use an excited voice and ask your child to look for various details in the pictures. Ask her what comes next. Or perhaps ask her to tell a new ending to the story. Don’t give up; eventually your child will sit through the reading of a book and be a better reader/writer because of it.
Another great time to enjoy a story together is when you’re driving in the car! Go to the library and get a book on CD. Next time you’re on a trip, pop in the CD so you and your family can listen to the story while you drive. Who knows, maybe it’ll spark some great conversation at the next rest stop?
What are some of your child’s favorite books? Leave me a comment below.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Indoor Winter Fun
If the weather isn’t great, there’s a lot you can do indoors with your child! I don’t own any video/computer games so here are some of my favorites:
Snow experiments—
• The Great Melting Race—make two snowballs, one tightly and the other loosely packed. Put them in waterproof bowls. Predict which one will melt faster. Predict how long it will take each one to melt, and time them! You can put them in different places in your home to affect the melting rate—on a heater, in the refrigerator, etc.
• The Snow to Rain Ratio—snow is a good insulator because it has a lot of air mixed in. Depending on the density of the snow, the snow to rain ration is about one to about seven-nine. Here’s an experiment to show this:
1. With a meter/yardstick, measure the amount of snow that is on the ground.
2. Scoop some loose snow into a cylindrical see-through container like a canning or mayonnaise jar.
3. Measure how many inches of snow you scooped.
4. Have your child predict how many inches of water the snow will melt down to.
5. Then, have her do the math to see how much rain would’ve fallen if the snow had been rain! (how much snow is on the ground x how much melted snow is in the jar)
While snow is melting you can enjoy:
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Board games
• Twister, charades
• Crafts of all kinds
• Of course, on a nice stormy day, I always love to read a book!
What do you like to do on a snow day with your child? Leave me a comment below!
Snow experiments—
• The Great Melting Race—make two snowballs, one tightly and the other loosely packed. Put them in waterproof bowls. Predict which one will melt faster. Predict how long it will take each one to melt, and time them! You can put them in different places in your home to affect the melting rate—on a heater, in the refrigerator, etc.
• The Snow to Rain Ratio—snow is a good insulator because it has a lot of air mixed in. Depending on the density of the snow, the snow to rain ration is about one to about seven-nine. Here’s an experiment to show this:
1. With a meter/yardstick, measure the amount of snow that is on the ground.
2. Scoop some loose snow into a cylindrical see-through container like a canning or mayonnaise jar.
3. Measure how many inches of snow you scooped.
4. Have your child predict how many inches of water the snow will melt down to.
5. Then, have her do the math to see how much rain would’ve fallen if the snow had been rain! (how much snow is on the ground x how much melted snow is in the jar)
While snow is melting you can enjoy:
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Board games
• Twister, charades
• Crafts of all kinds
• Of course, on a nice stormy day, I always love to read a book!
What do you like to do on a snow day with your child? Leave me a comment below!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Outdoor Winter Fun
Here’s something to think about: Have you played outside with your kids lately? It’s a great way to get some exercise and teach your kids how to have fun and be safe in winter weather.
The key to enjoying outdoor activities in the winter is to dress appropriately. If you don’t wear enough, you’ll get cold. If you wear too much and you get sweaty, you’ll get cold. Layers are the way to go. That way if you start to overheat, you can peel one off.
You also need to think about your activity—how strenuous is it going to be? Snowshoeing, for example, is very active so you don’t want to dress too warmly. Ice fishing is just the opposite—lots of sitting around so you need to layer up!
I prefer mittens to gloves and neck warmers to scarves. I tend to get scarves caught on things—choke! (Word to the wise: Make sure your child goes to the bathroom before dressing for outdoor activities.)
Winter outdoor fun ideas:
•Snow angels—show your child how to lie on her back in the snow and move like she’s doing jumping jacks. Help her get up carefully and turn around so she can see her angel in the snow!
•Snow people and other sculptures—the sky’s the limit what you can sculpt with snow! There was a green Loch Ness-like monster in a local pond recently!
--It’s also fun to put food coloring and water in a spray bottle to color your creation.
--Don’t forget to dress up your snow person!
•Snow forts—I don’t recommend tunneling in the snow—just build walls. You can help your child build snow furniture, too!
•Snowball fights—make sure the teams are even and the snowballs aren’t too tightly packed. You don’t want anyone getting hurt.
•Ice skating—make sure the ice is thick enough on lakes and ponds. Set a good example for your child and obey the thin ice warnings—don’t skate if it’s not safe!
•Snow shoeing, downhill, or cross-country skiing are all very fun and great exercise!
•Snowmobiling—don’t forget helmets! Again, obey the laws and be safe.
What outdoor winter activities does your family enjoy? Leave me a comment below.
The key to enjoying outdoor activities in the winter is to dress appropriately. If you don’t wear enough, you’ll get cold. If you wear too much and you get sweaty, you’ll get cold. Layers are the way to go. That way if you start to overheat, you can peel one off.
You also need to think about your activity—how strenuous is it going to be? Snowshoeing, for example, is very active so you don’t want to dress too warmly. Ice fishing is just the opposite—lots of sitting around so you need to layer up!
I prefer mittens to gloves and neck warmers to scarves. I tend to get scarves caught on things—choke! (Word to the wise: Make sure your child goes to the bathroom before dressing for outdoor activities.)
Winter outdoor fun ideas:
•Snow angels—show your child how to lie on her back in the snow and move like she’s doing jumping jacks. Help her get up carefully and turn around so she can see her angel in the snow!
•Snow people and other sculptures—the sky’s the limit what you can sculpt with snow! There was a green Loch Ness-like monster in a local pond recently!
--It’s also fun to put food coloring and water in a spray bottle to color your creation.
--Don’t forget to dress up your snow person!
•Snow forts—I don’t recommend tunneling in the snow—just build walls. You can help your child build snow furniture, too!
•Snowball fights—make sure the teams are even and the snowballs aren’t too tightly packed. You don’t want anyone getting hurt.
•Ice skating—make sure the ice is thick enough on lakes and ponds. Set a good example for your child and obey the thin ice warnings—don’t skate if it’s not safe!
•Snow shoeing, downhill, or cross-country skiing are all very fun and great exercise!
•Snowmobiling—don’t forget helmets! Again, obey the laws and be safe.
What outdoor winter activities does your family enjoy? Leave me a comment below.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Traveling With Friends and Other Critters
Traveling with children can be so much fun! You get to see new places and learn new things through their eyes! Traveling with a friend is even more fun! My favorite traveling friend is Little Red Hen. (She’s a stuffed toy but she doesn’t know it.) We go to lots of interesting places and take loads of pictures. Then we put those pictures into scrapbooks.
Studies show that people who travel are happier. I read about a study that compared the emotional well-being of people who shop and acquire things versus people who go on vacations. People who shop are happy for a very short time. People who go on vacation are happier for longer periods of time and continue to be happier when they relive their experiences. Scrapbooks are an excellent way to help you relive those experiences.
Here’s some tips for taking interesting vacation pictures.
Take pictures of:
• The before and after activities such as packing and unpacking
• Traveling to the destination—we photograph the train or plane ride to the cruise ship
• Signs that tell you where you are and what you’re looking at—that helps you remember when you go to make your scrapbook
• Funny things—anything that you find interesting and/or weird
• The people you’re with and meet along the way— sometimes you need to ask permission if you’re photographing someone you don’t know
• Food you eat
• Things you do—take pictures of everything!
Other tips:
• You need at least 200 pictures to make a 20 page scrapbook. You won’t use them all but it’s important to have a good selection.
• Take the pictures in both landscape and portrait format. That gives you more options when it comes time to putting your pictures into your scrapbook.
• You can use a traditional scrapbook method where you print the pictures and manually glue them into a scrapbook.
• You can digitally scrapbook on line through various websites like Shutterfly and Kodak.
• If you don’t want to make a scrapbook you can also make posters, calendars, and more at those websites.
It’s even more fun to travel with a friend like my Little Red Hen. Next time you travel, bring one of your child’s small stuffed animals and take pictures of their adventures! It’s fun! It’s also a great way to get a young child to hold still for a picture. Happy traveling!
Studies show that people who travel are happier. I read about a study that compared the emotional well-being of people who shop and acquire things versus people who go on vacations. People who shop are happy for a very short time. People who go on vacation are happier for longer periods of time and continue to be happier when they relive their experiences. Scrapbooks are an excellent way to help you relive those experiences.
Here’s some tips for taking interesting vacation pictures.
Take pictures of:
• The before and after activities such as packing and unpacking
• Traveling to the destination—we photograph the train or plane ride to the cruise ship
• Signs that tell you where you are and what you’re looking at—that helps you remember when you go to make your scrapbook
• Funny things—anything that you find interesting and/or weird
• The people you’re with and meet along the way— sometimes you need to ask permission if you’re photographing someone you don’t know
• Food you eat
• Things you do—take pictures of everything!
Other tips:
• You need at least 200 pictures to make a 20 page scrapbook. You won’t use them all but it’s important to have a good selection.
• Take the pictures in both landscape and portrait format. That gives you more options when it comes time to putting your pictures into your scrapbook.
• You can use a traditional scrapbook method where you print the pictures and manually glue them into a scrapbook.
• You can digitally scrapbook on line through various websites like Shutterfly and Kodak.
• If you don’t want to make a scrapbook you can also make posters, calendars, and more at those websites.
It’s even more fun to travel with a friend like my Little Red Hen. Next time you travel, bring one of your child’s small stuffed animals and take pictures of their adventures! It’s fun! It’s also a great way to get a young child to hold still for a picture. Happy traveling!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Feeding Geese
Feeding wild waterfowl can be a fun and inexpensive winter family outing. You only need to travel as far as your nearby park, as long as there’s a pond or other body of water. There are several things to keep in mind when you’re feeding wild birds. The first thing to do is to check and make sure it’s legal. Not every municipality wants people feeding the birds. If feeding the birds is okay, it’s time to get ready to go! Make sure your family is dressed appropriately for the weather and you have a good supply of birdfeed on hand. If you want to record the memories, bring a camera to capture the moment!
The worst thing to feed the wild birds is moldy bread. It could make them sick! The best thing to do is to get cracked corn, hen scratch (cracked corn, wheat, barley, and oats), and duck pellets from the feed store.
When you get to the park, encourage your family to be quiet and move slowly. You don’t want to scare the birds. Watch where you walk because there’s probably poop on the ground. Not only is it smelly, it’s also slippery! Bring a beach chair and sit, watching the birds. After observing them for a few moments, ask your child: What do you notice? This is a great opportunity to help your child use her observational skills. Encourage her to describe what she hears, smells, and feels as well as what she sees. Enjoy a nice conversation about what the birds are doing and why. If your child asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, be honest and let her know that she can help you look it up when you get home.
Once the birds are used to their human visitors, it’s time to try and feed them. It’s not good to sprinkle the feed in the water. Sprinkle the feed on the ground near the edge of the pond. You can even sprinkle it in a “path” that leads closer to your child’s chair. Have her sit down, wait patiently, and chances are a brave bird will start nibbling her way.
http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/birds/canada-goose.htm (info, coloring pages, a maze, etc.)
http://articles.lovecanadageese.com/feedingcanadageese.html (info)
The worst thing to feed the wild birds is moldy bread. It could make them sick! The best thing to do is to get cracked corn, hen scratch (cracked corn, wheat, barley, and oats), and duck pellets from the feed store.
When you get to the park, encourage your family to be quiet and move slowly. You don’t want to scare the birds. Watch where you walk because there’s probably poop on the ground. Not only is it smelly, it’s also slippery! Bring a beach chair and sit, watching the birds. After observing them for a few moments, ask your child: What do you notice? This is a great opportunity to help your child use her observational skills. Encourage her to describe what she hears, smells, and feels as well as what she sees. Enjoy a nice conversation about what the birds are doing and why. If your child asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, be honest and let her know that she can help you look it up when you get home.
Once the birds are used to their human visitors, it’s time to try and feed them. It’s not good to sprinkle the feed in the water. Sprinkle the feed on the ground near the edge of the pond. You can even sprinkle it in a “path” that leads closer to your child’s chair. Have her sit down, wait patiently, and chances are a brave bird will start nibbling her way.
http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/birds/canada-goose.htm (info, coloring pages, a maze, etc.)
http://articles.lovecanadageese.com/feedingcanadageese.html (info)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Getting Back Into the School Routine
Now that winter break is almost over, it’s time to help your child get ready to return to his regular daily school schedule. With New Year’s landing on Friday night, chances are the family is staying up late and sleeping in on Saturday.
Here are some strategies to try:
On Saturday and Sunday, have your child
1. Eat healthy meals/snacks similar to his school day schedule.
2. Drink lots of water.
3. Get out and play in the afternoon.
4. Check if his homework is done.
5. Have him pack everything he needs for Monday morning (library books, sneakers, homework, etc.).
6. Have him get to bed at his regular school night bedtime both Saturday and Sunday.
7. Have him get up on Sunday as close to his school wakeup time as possible.
Do you have any tips on how you help your child get back into the school routine after a vacation? I’d love to hear them! Please leave a comment below.
Here are some strategies to try:
On Saturday and Sunday, have your child
1. Eat healthy meals/snacks similar to his school day schedule.
2. Drink lots of water.
3. Get out and play in the afternoon.
4. Check if his homework is done.
5. Have him pack everything he needs for Monday morning (library books, sneakers, homework, etc.).
6. Have him get to bed at his regular school night bedtime both Saturday and Sunday.
7. Have him get up on Sunday as close to his school wakeup time as possible.
Do you have any tips on how you help your child get back into the school routine after a vacation? I’d love to hear them! Please leave a comment below.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Learning Differences
Parental instinct is the strongest instinct there is. No one knows a child better than his parents. If you ever suspect your child has developmental delays or differences, trust your gut. Maybe your child isn’t hitting developmental milestones that his peers or siblings did. Or maybe he is struggling with learning in school. Maybe, you notice behavioral issues that don’t seem to add up. Trust your “gut”! Speak up and say something to your pediatrician and, as appropriate, your child’s teacher.
Parents have the right to request that their children be tested once they enter the school environment. If you put that request in writing, the school system is legally obligated to comply with your wishes within 45 days of the request. (There is all sorts of information on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website regarding parental rights.) The sooner your child receives intervention services the better he will learn.
If your child is diagnosed with a learning difference, take action. Parents are children’s best advocates. Speak to your local Special Education Advisory Committee in your town. If there isn’t one near you, join support groups, chat with other parents and professionals through social networking groups and get involved with your school district’s special educational department. Every child deserves a quality education, even if he has learning differences and your school district is required to provide them. Ensuring a proper education for your child is priceless—for success in school and in life.
How has the educational experience been for you and your child? I'd love to hear about it. Please leave me a comment below.
Parents have the right to request that their children be tested once they enter the school environment. If you put that request in writing, the school system is legally obligated to comply with your wishes within 45 days of the request. (There is all sorts of information on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website regarding parental rights.) The sooner your child receives intervention services the better he will learn.
If your child is diagnosed with a learning difference, take action. Parents are children’s best advocates. Speak to your local Special Education Advisory Committee in your town. If there isn’t one near you, join support groups, chat with other parents and professionals through social networking groups and get involved with your school district’s special educational department. Every child deserves a quality education, even if he has learning differences and your school district is required to provide them. Ensuring a proper education for your child is priceless—for success in school and in life.
How has the educational experience been for you and your child? I'd love to hear about it. Please leave me a comment below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)