Learning happens in many ways, especially in our day-to-day activities. Tasks such as cooking, doing laundry, running errands and surfing the Internet all provide learning opportunities that your family can embrace.
Here are 10 fun and easy ways to make literacy part of your family's daily life.
When making your grocery list, have your child write out the items you need to buy.
At the store, ask your child to count out the money to make the purchase.
Make it a habit to always read a story together at bedtime.
When cooking dinner, involve your children in measuring the ingredients. This helps them understand fractions and measurements.
Driving is the perfect opportunity to practice literacy. Read signs, billboards, and licence plates together, and show your children the proper way to read a map.
While on the Internet, make time to research something new that your family is interested in. Researching skills are important and help with reading and comprehension.
In the car, sing along to songs on the radio. Singing encourages learning patterns of words, rhymes and rhythms, and is strongly connected to language skills.
When playing a board game, read the instructions aloud to each other or count how many spaces to travel around the board.
Involve your kids when you pay bills. This will teach them strong financial skills early on in life.
Children follow by example, so ensure reading is part of your daily life too!
For more family literacy tips, activity ideas and information please visit http://www.familyliteracyday.ca/
January 27th is Family Literacy Day. Celebrate it!!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Parent Teacher Relationship
Top Ten Things Teachers Wish Parents Would Do
Participate in their children's education. Parent involvement helps students learn, improves schools and makes teacher's job easier.
Provide resources at home for reading and learning. Supply books and magazines for children and read with them each day.
Set a good example. Show your children that you believe reading is enjoyable and useful.
Encourage children to do their best in school. Help them set obtainable goals and monitor involvement in other activities.
Concern themselves first with academic progress, next with students' preparation to assume adult responsibilities, (work, etc.), then finally, involvement in athletics and activities.
Support school rules, discipline policies, and achievement goals.
Call teachers as soon as a problem becomes apparent so that prompt action can be taken.
Teach basic self-discipline, good manners and other social skills that children need throughout their lives.
Understand that alcohol, tobacco and excessive partying are problems as serious as drug abuse. All these can cause both a student's health and classroom performance to suffer.
Remember that teachers are people, too. Many are parents, and share your parent challenges. Teachers want your students to succeed: Help Them!
Participate in their children's education. Parent involvement helps students learn, improves schools and makes teacher's job easier.
Provide resources at home for reading and learning. Supply books and magazines for children and read with them each day.
Set a good example. Show your children that you believe reading is enjoyable and useful.
Encourage children to do their best in school. Help them set obtainable goals and monitor involvement in other activities.
Concern themselves first with academic progress, next with students' preparation to assume adult responsibilities, (work, etc.), then finally, involvement in athletics and activities.
Support school rules, discipline policies, and achievement goals.
Call teachers as soon as a problem becomes apparent so that prompt action can be taken.
Teach basic self-discipline, good manners and other social skills that children need throughout their lives.
Understand that alcohol, tobacco and excessive partying are problems as serious as drug abuse. All these can cause both a student's health and classroom performance to suffer.
Remember that teachers are people, too. Many are parents, and share your parent challenges. Teachers want your students to succeed: Help Them!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Welcome to Holland
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It is like this....
When you are gong to have a baby, it is like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The Gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It is all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I am supposed to be in Italy. All my life I have dreamed of going to Italy."
But there has been a change in the flight plan. They have landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It is just a different place than you planned.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. You will meet a whole new group of wonderful people that you would have never met otherwise.
It is just a different place. It is slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you have been there a while you catch your breath, you look around.....and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy....and they are all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes that is where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever go away....because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss.
But.....if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things.....about Holland!!
By: Emily Perl Kigsley
When you are gong to have a baby, it is like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The Gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It is all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I am supposed to be in Italy. All my life I have dreamed of going to Italy."
But there has been a change in the flight plan. They have landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It is just a different place than you planned.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. You will meet a whole new group of wonderful people that you would have never met otherwise.
It is just a different place. It is slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you have been there a while you catch your breath, you look around.....and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy....and they are all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes that is where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever go away....because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss.
But.....if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things.....about Holland!!
By: Emily Perl Kigsley
Monday, November 21, 2011
Habits of Effective Students
1. BE PROACTIVE - You always have the freedom to choose! Rather than reacting automatically to a situation, take a moment to decide how you want to respond. Realizing what you're in control of and focusing on those things can empower you.
2. PUT YOUR BIG ROCK FIRST - It is okay to say no sometimes in order to focus on your highest priorities. What matters most to you? Tackle those things first. You'll manage your time better and feel more fulfilled at the end of the day.
3. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND - Start each day, task, or project with a clear vision of the end result. You might realize that what you're striving for is a it unrealistic or maybe too easy to accomplish. Setting SMART goals can help guide you in this process.
4. BECOME A GROUPIE - Get more involved in groups. Everyone stands to benefit when people bring different experiences and expertise to the table. If a group is hard to find, a partner will do just fine. This applies not only to academics, but also to organizations and extra-curricular activities.
5. FIND A BALANCE - To stay happy and healthy, it's important to balance various areas of your life. Whether it's joining an intramural soccer team, seeing a concert with friends, or making a biology study group, all students have their own ways of getting physical, social, spiritual, and mental fulfillment. Finding an equilibrium among all your interests can be hard, but it will keep you from burning out.
3. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND - Start each day, task, or project with a clear vision of the end result. You might realize that what you're striving for is a it unrealistic or maybe too easy to accomplish. Setting SMART goals can help guide you in this process.
4. BECOME A GROUPIE - Get more involved in groups. Everyone stands to benefit when people bring different experiences and expertise to the table. If a group is hard to find, a partner will do just fine. This applies not only to academics, but also to organizations and extra-curricular activities.
5. FIND A BALANCE - To stay happy and healthy, it's important to balance various areas of your life. Whether it's joining an intramural soccer team, seeing a concert with friends, or making a biology study group, all students have their own ways of getting physical, social, spiritual, and mental fulfillment. Finding an equilibrium among all your interests can be hard, but it will keep you from burning out.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Math Test Tips
Here are a few tips to help with your math exams
Glance over the entire test before you begin. If you don't have extended time, this will help you estimate how quickly you will need to proceed.
Answer questions out of order. Begin with the questions you know how to do. Tackling the easy questions first will build your confidence. Check the problems off as you go along, so you don't miss any.
If you get stuck on a problem, move on to the next one. You can always go back later.
If a problem has more than one part and you can't do the first part, proceed with the second. Often, partial marks are awarded for what you do.
Read the questions carefully, and make sure that you don't omit any parts to the problem. You don't want to miss the opportunity to receive full credit.
Verify that the final answer makes sense. You may catch a lost decimal point.
Take extra time to check your basic calculations.
Before the test, avoid hanging out with classmates who tend to make you worry or cause your stress levels to rise.
Glance over the entire test before you begin. If you don't have extended time, this will help you estimate how quickly you will need to proceed.
Answer questions out of order. Begin with the questions you know how to do. Tackling the easy questions first will build your confidence. Check the problems off as you go along, so you don't miss any.
If you get stuck on a problem, move on to the next one. You can always go back later.
If a problem has more than one part and you can't do the first part, proceed with the second. Often, partial marks are awarded for what you do.
Read the questions carefully, and make sure that you don't omit any parts to the problem. You don't want to miss the opportunity to receive full credit.
Verify that the final answer makes sense. You may catch a lost decimal point.
Take extra time to check your basic calculations.
Before the test, avoid hanging out with classmates who tend to make you worry or cause your stress levels to rise.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Musical aptitude relates to reading ability
http://www.psypost.org/2011/10/musical-aptitude-relates-to-reading-ability-7588
Great write up. Check it out
Great write up. Check it out
Thursday, October 20, 2011
National Learning Disabilities Awareness Dy
Today is National Learning Disabilities Awareness Day across our country.
- 1 in 10 people have a learning disability
- Having a learning disability doesn't mean that the person is lazy or dumb
- People with learning disabilities have average to high average IQ's
- More children in Canada have a learning disability than all other types of disabilities combined.
- All people have wonderful qualities if we take the time to see them.
- Respect and treat all students with dignity.
- Celebrate every success!
- Knowledge and understanding are the most important aspects of addressing learning disabilities and ADHD.
- People with learning disabilities are as unique from one another as are people without learning disabilities
Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan runs many programs to help those with learning disabilities achieve their dreams and goals. Please contact us for support at 306-652-4114
- 1 in 10 people have a learning disability
- Having a learning disability doesn't mean that the person is lazy or dumb
- People with learning disabilities have average to high average IQ's
- More children in Canada have a learning disability than all other types of disabilities combined.
- All people have wonderful qualities if we take the time to see them.
- Respect and treat all students with dignity.
- Celebrate every success!
- Knowledge and understanding are the most important aspects of addressing learning disabilities and ADHD.
- People with learning disabilities are as unique from one another as are people without learning disabilities
Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan runs many programs to help those with learning disabilities achieve their dreams and goals. Please contact us for support at 306-652-4114
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