Tag Archives: Learning

Schools winding down for the year

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If Kids Ruled the School ms

As the end of the school year approaches, many children and teachers are counting down to vacation. The activities and lesson plans in this collection will help you celebrate what you’ve all learned together and ease the anxiety of the transition to summer. Source

Articles for Teachers:

Let It Marinate: The Importance of Reflection and Closing

Scholastic collection of articles*Comprehensive source

Top 12 Effective End of the Year Activities

The Teacher Report: Fun End-of-Year Assignments

It’s Quittin’ Time!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Articles for Parents:

Get Ready for Summer! Ideas for Teachers to Share with Families

Summer Enrichment or Just Hanging Out?

Parenting over Summer Break: Keeping Kids Learning, Healthy, and Out of Trouble

Summer Learning Tips for Parents

RESEARCH SHOWS VACATIONS MAKE KIDS SMARTER-Study Shows Link to Academic Achievement in First Graders

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Summer facts

To succeed in school and life, children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. This is especially true during the summer months.

Many Americans have a wonderful image of summer as a carefree, happy time when “kids can be kids,” and take for granted the prospect of enriching experiences such as summer camps, time with family, and trips to museums, parks, and libraries.

Unfortunately, some youth face anything but idyllic summer months. When the school doors close, many children struggle to access educational opportunities, as well as basic needs such as healthy meals and adequate adult supervision.

Did You Know?

  • All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (White, 1906; Heyns, 1978; Entwisle & Alexander 1992; Cooper, 1996; Downey et al, 2004).

  • Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement, despite the fact that their middle-class peers make slight gains (Cooper, 1996).

  • More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college (Alexander et al, 2007).

  • Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children—particularly children at high risk of obesity—gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school during summer break (Von Hippel et al, 2007).

  • Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do (Duffett et al, 2004).

    Source

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Thoughts for the future in school districts-

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SUMMER LEARNING LOSS: WHY ITS EFFECT IS STRONGEST AMONG LOW-INCOME STUDENTS AND HOW IT CAN BE COMBATED

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Transgender and Gender Diverse Students

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While this is a hot topic politically. In public schools we have been working with diverse populations for awhile. Here is some information to better support Transgender and Gender Diverse students.

Start here:

 

Some statistics

How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?

Increasing numbers of population-based surveys in the United States and across the world include questions that allow for an estimate of the size of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population. This research brief discusses challenges associated with collecting better information about the LGBT community and reviews eleven recent US and international surveys that ask sexual orientation or gender identity questions. The brief concludes with estimates of the size of the LGBT population in the United States.

Key findings from the research brief are as follows:

  •  An estimated 3.5% of adults in the United States identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual and an estimated 0.3% of adults are transgender.
  •  This implies that there are approximately 9 million LGBT Americans, a figure roughly equivalent to the population of New Jersey.
  •  Among adults who identify as LGB, bisexuals comprise a slight majority (1.8% compared to 1.7% who identify as lesbian or gay).
  •  Women are substantially more likely than men to identify as bisexual. Bisexuals comprise more than half of the lesbian and bisexual population among women in eight of the nine surveys considered in the brief. Conversely, gay men comprise substantially more than half of gay and bisexual men in seven of the nine surveys.
  •  Estimates of those who report any lifetime same-sex sexual behavior and any same-sex sexual attraction are substantially higher than estimates of those who identify as LGB. An estimated 19 million Americans (8.2%) report that they have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior and nearly 25.6 million Americans (11%) acknowledge at least some same-sex sexual attraction.
  •  Understanding the size of the LGBT population is a critical first step to informing a host of public policy and research topics. The surveys highlighted in this report demonstrate the viability of sexual orientation and gender identity questions on large national population-based surveys. Adding these questions to more national, state, and local data sources is critical to developing research that enables a better understanding of the understudied LGBT community.Source

How to Talk to Kids About What it Means to be Transgender

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Other readings:

GLAAD Media Reference Guide

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trans children

Policies on Transgender Students for across the United States

 Atherton High School, Jefferson County School District (KY), Policy on School Space (2014), 

 Boulder Valley School District (CO), Guidelines Regarding the Support of Students and Staff Who Are Transgender and/or Gender Nonconforming (2016), 

 California Interscholastic Federation, Guidelines for Gender Identity Participation (2015), 

 Chicago Public Schools (IL), Guidelines Regarding the Support of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students (2016), 

 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Guidance for Massachusetts Public Schools Creating a Safe and Supportive School Environment Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity (2014), 

 Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (AK), Transgender Student Guidelines (2015), 

 New York State Education Department, Guidance to School Districts for Creating a Safe and Supportive School Environment for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students (2015), 

 Rhode Island Interscholastic League, Rules & Regulations (Article I, Section 22 – Gender Identity), 

 Shorewood School District (WI), Nondiscrimination Guidelines Related to Students Who Are Transgender and Students Nonconforming to Gender Role Stereotypes (2014), 

 Washington Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Prohibiting Discrimination in Washington Public Schools (2012),

LGBT Resource List

 

 

Behavioral practice

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Every kid has a point in time when they need either their parents and/ or teachers to support them with learning new behavioral skills.

Practical Practice Ideas for developing a variety of social emotional skills.

Taking Turns and Being Patient

Please take a moment and practice these skills at school and at home by:

  • Playing a Game
  • Reminding me to wait my turn
  • Asking me what
  •  I can do while I wait for my turn

 

Having rules and Following rules

Please take a moment and practice these skills at school and at home by:

  • Asking your student why rules are important
  • By playing a game with rules
  • By creating new rules

 

Feelings and Emotions

Please take a moment and practice these skills at school and at home by:

  • Asking your student to name as many feelings as they can
  • Encourage your student to verbally name their feelings
  • Verbally expressing your feelings as the parent/teacher
  • Asking your student to identify the feelings of others in a story or on television
  • Have your student show you what different emotions look like

 

Using “I” statements

Please take a moment and practice this skill at school and at home by:

  • Having you student use “I” statements throughout the week (e.g. “I feel…”, “I want…”, “I think…”)
  • Ask student why it is important to use “I” statements
  • Ask student in what setting they should use “I” statements

 

Anger

Please take a moment and practice recognizing Anger at school and at home by:

  • Asking what your students body look like when they are Angry.
  • Ask your student to explain the Grouchometer
  • Ask your student where they are on the Grouchometer throughout the week

 

Words and there meanings

Please take a moment and practice these skills at school and at home by:

  • Asking your student what kind of messages words send.
  • Ask your student to give examples of “Nice” words
  • Ask student why people may say “Not Nice” words

 

Anger

  • Asking what your students what they should do when angry
  • Ask your student to explain things that may be triggers for Anger
  • Ask your student what they can say if they are Angry
  • Practice “Stop and Think” to calm down

 

Teasing

  • Ask your student, “What does teasing look like?”
  • Ask your student what are their options for dealing with teasing (ignore, agree, tell adult, ask, “Why did you say that?” Say, “I want you to stop”).
  • Role-play situations and ask your student what they would say or do in these situations.

 

Consequences

  • Recognizing that there may be both positive and negative consequences.
  • Have your student list positive and negative consequences throughout the week.
  • Role-play scenarios and have your student state appropriate consequences.
  • Play a board game that has consequences

 

Problem-Solving

  • Role-play disagreements and ask “what does each person need?”
  • Have students consider consequences
  • Have your student make the best choice or make a plan to help with problem solving.
  • Reflect on whether or not the plan worked

Other Resources:

Vanderbilt CSEFEL- Practical Strategies for Teachers/Caregivers

“You Got It!” Teaching Social and Emotional Skills

Fostering Social and Emotional Skills Development in Early Childhood – PPT

Resilience Booster: Parent Tip Tool – APA resource

 

Home School Communication

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Parents teacher meeting

Home school communication a great tool in working with challenging behavior. Parents often hold the keys to change.

Here are some examples:

Look at examples on pages 35-37

Principles and examples of home school communication from PENT: here

More examples of blank templates: here and here

Articles:

11 Rules for Better Parent-Teacher Teamwork

Sharing Data to Create Stronger Parent Partnerships

Visually readable progress reports

Simple:

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Source

To more involved:

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Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRC)

Ongoing communication between home and school is an important component to behavior plans. DBRCs can be a very easy, efficient and helpful way of motivating students as well as informally monitoring behavioral improvement with intervention. Teacher behavior report cards can be designed to accomplish the following:

  •  Point out to the students behaviors that they need to learn (skill deficit).
  •  Provide a schedule of teacher attention/feedback for positive behaviors.
  •  Motivate students through reinforcing positive behavior that teachers want to increase, and providing consequences (e.g., a sad face) for negative behaviors they want to decrease.
  •  Increase home-school communication (increase accountability with additional opportunities for positive or negative consequences for behavior).
  •  Evaluate whether the intervention is working or not when used with other measures.

Source

Top Five Reasons to Engage Parents

1. Decades of research show when parents are involved students have:

  • – Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates
  • – Better school attendance – Increased motivation, better self-esteem
  • – Lower rates of suspension
  • – Decreased use of drugs and alcohol
  • – Fewer instances of violent behavior

National Parent Teacher Association

2. Family participation in education is twice as predictive of students’ academic success as family socioeconomic status. Some of the more intensive programs had effects that were 10 times greater than other factors. Walberg (1984) in his review of 29 studies of school–parent programs.

3. School Benefits:

  • – Improves teacher morale
  • – Higher ratings of teachers by parents
  • – More support from families
  • – Higher student achievement
  • – Better reputations in the community

A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement, edited by Anne T. Henderson and Nancy Berla, Center for Law and Education, Washington, D.C., 1994 (third printing, 1996)

4. Parent involvement leads to feelings of ownership, resulting in increased support of schools. Davies, Don. (1988). Low Income Parents and the Schools: A Research Report and a Plan for Action. Equity and Choice 4,3 (Spring): 51-57. EJ 374 512.

5. Parents express a genuine and deep-seated desire to help their children succeed academically, regardless of differences in socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and cultural background. Mapp (1999)

Source

 

 

I am giving a brief talk tonight!

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COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE &
SPECIAL PARENTS INFORMATION NETWORK(CAC & SPIN)

JOIN US AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS!

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016 FROM 6:30PM TO 8:00PM

PVUSD DISTRICT- BOARD ROOM
294 GREEN VALLEY ROAD, WATSONVILLE
REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED

Meeting Topics

 Addressing Social and Learning Needs Through Utilizing Web-Based
Resources, Presented by Corey Tamblyn
Blog: https://buildingmomentuminschools.wordpress.com
 The Importance of Movement- Adaptive Movement from the
Adaptive Yoga Project, Presented by Annica Rose

The CAC is composed of parents of individuals with disabilities enrolled in public or
private schools, parents of nondisabled students, students and adults with
disabilities, general education teachers, special education teachers and other school
personnel, representatives of other public and private agencies, and persons
concerned with the needs of individuals with disabilities.

Letter of Introduction

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openletter

From year to year our students change teachers and the transition can be difficult for all parties. Learning about what works at school for that particular student is especially important if they require different support at school. I recently can across an example of a letter of introduction that was written by a mom who really knew how to articulate “what works” for her child. Here is a link to her letter and some other examples to help with introducing your kids particular needs to a new teacher.

A Letter to My Child’s Teacher

A student letter from an older student might read:

 

This article is property of and copyright © 2003-2007 Jene Aviram of Natural Learning Concepts. Reference of this article may only be included in your documentation provided that reference is made to the owner – Jene Aviram and a reference to this site http://www.nlconcepts.com

FIFTEEN THINGS ABOUT ME

Hi, my name is XXX and I am in your class this year. I want you to know a little about me.

I’m nervous to be in your class because it’s new and I don’t know what to expect. I need some time to adjust and then I will feel comfortable. Please don’t judge me on my first few weeks.

As the time goes by, you will be amazed by the skills you never thought I possessed. I sometimes look like I don’t understand. That’s just because I don’t have the same expressions and reactions as other people. I might not look at you when you talk but that doesn’t mean I didn’t hear you. I did. In fact I usually hear more than most people.

As I become familiar with your classroom I will begin to shine. A great way to speed up this process is letting me know what to expect.

Written or picture schedules for the day reduce my anxiety.

A five minute warning before a change of activity can help me greatly too.

You are my teacher and I look up to you. I want to succeed this year but I can’t do it without your help and most importantly, your belief in me that I can do it!

  1. What is my general disposition?

 

  1. What am I really, really good at?

 

  1. What do I absolutely LOVE doing?

 

  1. What do I absolutely HATE doing?

 

  1. What academics are my strong areas?

 

  1. What academics do I need a lot of extra help with?

 

  1. Which skills would my parents really like me to work on this year?

 

  1. How do you know when I’m getting frustrated?

 

  1. What can you do to calm me down before the storm hits?

 

  1. Too late! The storm hit! What can you do to calm me down?

 

  1. What strategies work really well to get me to do something I don’t want to do?

 

  1. What typically makes me laugh?

 

  1. What consequences back-fire and don’t give the desired results?

 

  1. I don’t like consequences, but which consequences work well for me?

 

  1. I would also like you to know…

Source

Or

For younger children- The ABC’s Of My Child

Here are some materials to help identify your child’s strengths.

Checklist: Know Your Child’s Strengths

Child Strengths Checklist

Capture Your Child’s Super Strengths

Below is an example of how to simply display your students needs at school.

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Classroom Behavior – Big Ideas

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smiling_class

Classroom Behavior is a big topic, but I think that it is one that needs to be reflected upon even if your classroom is running well.

Big reads

Classroom Management & Culture

Case Studies in Educational Psychology  by John W. Santrock

Starting Small Teaching Tolerance in Preschool and the Early Grades

Great PowerPoints

Teaching Expectations and Reinforcement Systems

 

Establishing and implementing classroom rules

Jones and Jones stated that effective, general rules in a classroom should pertain to (a) health and safety (e.g., “Walk in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria.”), (b) property loss and damage (e.g., “Respect others’ personal property and touch it only with the person’s permission.”), (c) legitimate educational purpose (e.g., “Be on time for class and with all assignments.”), and (d) disruption of the learning process (e.g., “Ask for permission to speak before saying anything in the classroom.”).4 The following are characteristics of good classroom rules regardless of teaching level:

The fewer, the better.
It is wise to keep the number of rules to a minimum. For primary-level students, three or four rules should suffice; for older adolescents, as many as five or six may be necessary. There are ways to cover many activities in a rule by composing it in a broad fashion. Instead of limiting the rule to only the classroom (e.g., “Walk at all times in the classroom.”), a broader rule could state, “Always walk in the classroom, hallways, and cafeteria.”).
Use simple language.
There is no need to write elaborate rules with complex language. Just be direct and simple (e.g., “Raise your hand and wait for the teacher to call on you before speaking.”). If anything, direct, simple language allows for students to remember the rules more easily.
Use a positive voice.
If at all possible, write the rules in a positive format and tone. Try to avoid, “You shall not talk in the classroom without teacher permission,” by stating the same rule as, “Ask for permission to speak before saying anything in the classroom.”
Special context, special rules.
Different rules can be used for special situations and learning stations in the same classroom environment. Rules for using computers in a classroom (e.g., “Always use headphones when listening to music on the computer.”) can be made very specific to that activity and station only.
Create an effective display.
Rules need to be prominently displayed in the classroom or in a special activity area. When students are first learning the rules in the beginning of the school term they need to be bombarded and reminded of them as much as possible. Put them on a bulletin board, duplicate them on the classroom whiteboard, write them on a handout to distribute to class members, and place them in special activity areas (e.g., computer stations). I once witnessed a teacher hanging each classroom rule from the ceiling on both sides of long poster board for all to see in any section of the room. (Now that’s displaying them prominently!)

 

Podcasts for Educators

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So awhile back I walked into a classroom after school and the teacher was listening to an educational Podcast on classroom behavior. He introduced me to a series of Podcasts on the BAM! Radio Network. It is now the largest all-education talk radio network in the world, offering programming from the nation’s top education organizations and thought leaders and reaching a wide audience of people passionately committed to quality education.

The K-12 Greatest Hits is a good place to start.

Description

BAM Radio has compiled the most popular segments, hosted by the Executive Directors of the nation’s 14 leading education associations including ; the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Parent Teachers Association ( PTA), the National Head Start Association (NHSA), The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP), the National Afterschool Association (NAA), the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and more.. K-12 Greatest Hits bring together the most insightful, relevant , compelling and up to date thinking on the education issues that parents, educators and advocates really care about — through interviews with the nation’s leading advocates and educators. Subscribe and get a 360 degree perspective from some of the leading education thinkers in the nation.

 

Collections / Themes

The On Being radio podcast series is inspiring and educational. This is a sight to grab some inspiration!

Other Notable Sources

Best Education Podcasts

50 Educational Podcasts You Should Check Out

Best Educational Use Of Media – 2014 Edublog Awards

 

 

Developing Functional Independence in Children

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All children have to learn skills that lend to their independence and autonomy. Developing  Functional Independence is a parent’s main duty. Educators can team with parents to support independence in their students by helping identifying a need and suggesting strategies that support self reliance in a child. Chores are a great way to introduce concepts of developing independence.

There are 5 questions I think you can ask that will help you as you decide how to handle the situations at home to promote independence.

  1. What things are really important to you as a family? If taking care of pets is really important and your child has a role in that, then as a family, that’s an important piece. But if no one else makes the bed in the family, for example, it may not be an important thing to expect of that child. This is what I mean by choosing what you’re going to do battle over.
  2. What things are really important to your child and their life? It may not be important to you that your child chooses their own TV programs in the evening. But for your child, it may be really important to do that. Or it may be very important for your six-year-old to pick out her own clothes. If these tasks give your child age appropriate independence, I say let them do it.
  3. Does the expectation contribute to the family or household? If your child has a responsibility to empty the dishwasher and that helps the next person who has to set the table, that’s a more important task than something that doesn’t have any connection to anyone else in the family.
  4. Can there be some give and take? Can there be a choice to do something similar but different? There may be something your child is more willing or able to do that might be more meaningful to the rest of the family. Remember, the goal is for your child to succeed at what he’s doing and to build on that success.
  5. Are there things you can do to help organize your child? Can you help structure that particular task or responsibility so that your child can be more successful? Setting it up so your child can more easily sort the recycling by having a designated area and special bins set up might do wonders to get the job done. Source

Videos

 

Great Video-How to Strengthen Your Parent-Child Bond

Young Children

Developmentally Appropriate Practice – Adaptive/Self-Help Skills

Developing Young Children’s Self-Regulation through Everyday Experiences

Developing children’s social and emotional skills

Child Development Principles and Theories

School Aged Children

10 Great Ways to Teach Children Responsibility

Parents told: ‘use chores to teach children basic skills’

How To: Teaching Life Skills Through Physical Education

Building Social and Emotional Skills in Elementary Students: Empathy

Across the Span Infancy to Adolescents

The ultimate guide to chores

Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence

Responsibility: Raising Children You Can Depend On

Parenting: Raise Independent Children Are you raising responsible or contingent children?

Special Education

Building Independence In Children with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism

LIFE SKILLS & STRUCTURED FOR LIFE (SFL) HANDBOOK

Life Skills Activities, Worksheets, Printables, and Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans for Teaching Self-Determination

Activity Ideas-Based on Age

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Erikson was keen to improve the way children and young people are taught and nurtured, and it would be appropriate for his ideas to be more widely known and used in day-to-day life. It is good to take stock in what should be accomplished at each stage of development to help keep expectations in perspective when parenting toward independence. Source

eriksonstages

Touch Math

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touchmath20numbers

TouchMath is a multisensory math program that makes critical math concepts appealing and accessible for students who struggle to understand grade-level content.

• Built on the Common Core State Standards
• Blended solution of print and technology
• Complete instructional core programs for pre-k through 2nd grade
• Additional collection of programs for upper grades
• Unique, student-friendly manipulatives to reinforce learning and differentiate instruction

Instructions

Touch math is a quick and easy way to help your child learn his/her math facts. Counting on fingers may work for a time, but as the numbers get larger counting on fingers becomes cumbersome and less accurate. To be able to do “touch math” successfully your child needs to be able to count to ten forwards and backwards with ease (please practice often). Touch math uses dots in a certain pattern on numbers that we touch with a pencil to help keep track of our counting. At first this process takes time because you are putting the dots on the numbers, but as your child memorizes the patterns on each number the counting becomes more automatic and the need for the dots subsides. When completing a math fact we put dots on both numbers and we count until we run out of dots. For subtraction we place the first number in our head and count backward until we run out of dots.

The Teaching Process

Longer Teacher Training Manual

Who is it for?