Monthly Archives: May 2012

Experience the Great Outdoors

Posted on May 31, 2012 by amymorris

I love June! The days are long and warmer (but not too hot), and the great outdoors are calling to me. The little seedlings in my garden are growing into lettuce and other delicious things, and the warmer weather beckons me for an evening walk in the park. It’s a great time to be outdoors-and there are so many resources to help your child have a great outdoor learning experience…they may not even realize they are learning!

Did you know June is Great Outdoors Month? This event began as Great Outdoors Week in 1998, and expanded to Great Outdoors Month in 2004. During this time, there are all kinds of special events to raise awareness of issues related to promote outdoor recreation and conservation—and fee free entrance days on all national parks!

Great Outdoors Month kicks off with National Trails Day this Saturday- June 2^nd. Join in one of the thousands of events taking place across the country- not just hiking, but also birding, geocaching, and children’s activities. Find an event near you: http://www.americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/

Another great event in June is National Get Outdoors Day—June 9^th. Over 100 events organized all over the country, including festivals, free fishing days, fairs and more. http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org/locations/

To help us celebrate National Get Outdoors day, all national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuge areas and BLM lands are having a fee free day! Here is info about the fee free day: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparksbystate.htm

I grew up near Zion National Park, and one summer my sister and I were Junior Rangers. I remember going on nature walks with a real ranger, who taught us about the wildlife in that area. Some national parks still have hands-on programs like this, and others have booklets packed with kid-friendly information you can fill out during your visit to the park. Check out the program near you: http://www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.cfm

Here is one more resource to help you find parks, trails, and other nature sites in your area: http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/NatureFind.aspx

Happy trails!

Free images from
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Summer Reading

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Julie Meyers Pron

It’s here! Summertime! Summer of fresh fruit, splashes in the sun, water pistols and sunscreen. Summer of mud baths, unstructured play, camping and canoeing. Summer of ice cream, watermelon, lemonade and fireflies. Whew! With all that busy-ness, who has time for reading ,right? Adults know the value of summer reading: an opportunity to slow down, relax and improve our skills and knowledge. But for many kids, summer reading is a slow down they don’t want when they could be outside having fun in the sun.

Whether your child loves reading or not, it’s important to keep him reading through the summer months so that, on the return to school in the fall, he hasn’t slipped down the slide. (For information on neutralizing the summer slide without overdoing it, read The Summer Slide, Is It Something To Fear?) What can you do? Encourage your child to read without making it a chore.

Implement Rest Hour

Every afternoon in our home, we have rest hour. During that hour everyone spends time doing something on his or her own, in his or her own space, quietly. I like to read a book or a magazine (it sets a good example and, usually it’s a reward for me to get quiet time to read.) Sometimes the kids play LEGOs or do puzzles. Other times we’ll find them drawing or designing a cool new city for their Hexbugs or falling into a much-needed restful sleep. Usually, they end up reading a book for at least a part of that hour. Rest hour allows children to unwind and think on their own. When you provide quiet activities for a child to do, and the time to do it, he’ll take himself into his own world and get lost in himself which is critical for independent growth.

Join a summer reading club

A summer reading club allows young readers to set goals and gain rewards for completing their goals. Children will log the books they’ve read and when they hit a “reward”, return their reading chart or log to receive a prize. Locally, you’ll find clubs at libraries. Barnes and Noble is offering a program this summer, Imagination’s Destination, that awards children with a new book after reading and logging 8 books. Read2Dream was started by a school teacher in her classroom and has spread nation wide this year–offering children a membership to a club where they set personal and team goals for reading encouragement.

Create your own goals

With your child, create your own goals and rewards system. Stronger readers can track reading time or chapters, while new readers can track books or time. Come up with rewards your child desires–be it new books, staying up an extra hour, a trip for ice cream or to the movies. Make sure your goals are reachable so that your child won’t have to wait all summer for a reward. Shelley at How Does She? featured a fabulous program she created, Summer Reading STAR!, (she included free printables!) that rewards children for reading with individually created prizes.

However you encourage your children to read this summer, give them time, help them to find books, and make it fun. Happy reading!

Help Your Child Avoid the Summer Slide

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Breeanne Martin

While having a break from school is fun, taking three months off of academic work can result in loss of learning over the summer. Help your kids avoid spending the first weeks of school catching up by keeping their minds active during the break. Spend the summer practicing real world application of their math skills and don’t forget to have them read!

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20 Fun and Educational Summer Activities for Kids

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Tonya Staab

Summer vacation has already started for some, and it’s time to schedule fun, yet educational (shh, don’t tell the kids) activities to keep those young minds learning before school starts back.

Here are my top 25 summer vacation activities that kids are sure to love.

Nature walk – go on a nature walk with the kids, don’t forget to take a piece of paper and crayon for bark rubbings, and a camera to document what you see. Bring home a couple of leaves, and flowers to press, you can place these in a frame or memory book, or attach them to a blank greeting card to send to someone special.
Prepare meals with kids – get your kids into the kitchen this summer. Involve them in the process of choosing snacks, washing fruit, making salads or sandwiches, and then take your meal into the backyard with a picnic blanket.
Volunteer – contact your local non-profit organizations and volunteer at events cleaning up beaches or rivers, sorting thrift store donations, or handing out meals at your local shelter.
Family Game Night – set aside one night a week for a family game night. Kids will love this special time spent as a family playing their favorite board or card games.
Pitch a Tent – If camping at a camp ground is not on the cards this summer, pitch a tent in your backyard on a clear night. Light a small fire pit and make s’mores, and learn about the stars.
Try Geocaching – if you haven’t been geocaching before, the summer vacation is a great time to give it a go. Visit geocaching.com to learn more.
Science experiments – have some fun with kid-friendly science experiments. Learn about floating and sinking, gravity, magnets, and reflecting light. All you need to do is use your computer’s search engine and you’ll be amazed by how many fun experiments there are to try with everyday household items.
Fly a kite – check your weather forecast and plan a day to head outside and teach your kids how to fly a kite. Get creative before you go and help your kids make their own kites.
T-shirt painting – give your kids some plain white t-shirts and let them go crazy with a little fabric paint creating their own design. Don’t forget art smocks and to place a board or piece of card inside the shirt so the paint doesn’t go through.
Story time – check with your local library and books stores for their story time schedule.
Make it or build it – some craft stores (such as Michael’s), and hardware stores (such as Home Depot) have days where children can attend fun classes. They’ll learn to build or craft something fabulous to bring home. Check their websites for further details.
Memory books – make a memory book with your kids where they can document their summer adventures. They can practice writing, attach pressed flowers, or ticket stubs, and draw pictures of their fun activities.
Pick-your-own – contact your local farms to see if they offer pick-your-own days. Kids will love picking their own fruit. Enjoy some fresh, then get the kids into the kitchen to turn some of that fruit into pies, homemade ice-cream, or can it.
Day or week-long summer camps – there are so many options out there for summer camps for kids. Not only will they make new friends, but they will also learn something new: from nature camps, to sports camps, there is bound to be a camp out there your child will love.
Visit museums – some museums offer free or discounted days, check their schedules ahead of time.
Book crafts – read your child’s favorite book to them, then organize some fun craft activities to do based on their book. I’ve got a few ideas prepared for you for Pinkalicious, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Magic School Bus, and Boogie Monster.
Obstacle Course – turn your backyard into a fun-filled obstacle course complete with tires for running through, a net to crawl under, a knotted rope hanging from a tree to climb up, and other assorted activities that kids have to climb over, under, or through.
Exercise – schedule 30 minutes a day for fun workouts with the kids. Choose from a variety of things such as skipping rope, bike riding, walking, hula-hooping, dancing, and yoga. Not only are these fun activities, but your kids may have the chance to learn something new too.
Put on a play – let your kids dress-up in costumes and encourage them to make up a play for a little before dinner entertainment.
Rusty and Rosy Reading- let’s not forget about our favorite educational software. That’s right, our very own Rusty and Rosy Reading for just 15 minutes every day is a great way to keep the kids learning over the summer.

Do Kids Really Need to Learn Over the Summer?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Nadia “Justice Jonesie”

Research shows that children DO lose some of their math and reading skills over the summer break. Research by Duke University Professor, Harris Cooper, showed that “summer loss was somewhat greater in math than reading. [Additionally,]summer loss was greatest in math computation and spelling.” While many of us enjoy the break from homework over the summer, it’s important not to let those fundamental skills deteriorate. As a working mom, I don’t really have much flexibility or loads of time to implement a summer learning camp at home. And while I agree that everyone, especially children, need some time to decompress and give their mind a rest, there are some simple and fun ways in which you can give children an opportunity to practice their skills during the summer. My children will be in a summer fun camp that has a focus on fun and active play. They will be going bowling, swimming, horseback riding and more. It will be up to me to ensure that the learning continues. With that said, here is what I plan to do to ensure that when they return to school in August, they will do so with fresh and revived spirits, but also with a good foundation to start the next grade.

Simple & Effective Ways To Keep Summer Learning During the Summer

FLASHCARDS: I have been a big fan of flashcards and have used them with all my children. I have cards with sight words, addition, subtraction, and multiplication. When my children were toddlers, we used letter recognition cards to teach the alphabet. Using flash cards in the car during road trips is my favorite thing. Gives my kids a break from the electronics or movie. I play a little flashcard game with my kindergartner, one that he usually wins. If he gets the card right, he keeps it, if he gets the card wrong, I keep. We add up the cards at the end to see who wins. This adds a small element of fun to the process but of course, it’s not necessary.

LIBRARY VISITS: Our library has undergone some recent budget cuts over the years but in the past, it would offer some fun educational opportunities for children. Some of those opportunities included story time with a craft after, science projects, or math labs to work on certain math skills. The programs were free and I loved them. It would be worth a try to check them out.

READ-ALONG BOOKS ON CD: This is a great idea for the emerging reader. Our library has a great collection of these and we usually check out a few each week. Since we switch out the books, my kindergartner and first grader really enjoy reading when they can listen to the words and watch the pictures.

For other fun ideas, please take a look at these websites as well.

Summer Learning by Mommy Meastra

Five Fun Ways to Keep Your Child Learning This Summer

Educational Games for Family Vacations

Watching her Grow Thrills Me

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Annie Shultz

I have three children – and watching all three of them grow and learn makes my eyes well up with tears. But I have to admit, watching my oldest grasp new concepts makes me the most giddy.

Maybe it is because she learns the new things first. Her little brother and sister learn their colors, days of the week, and numbers after she has already known them for awhile. It is just as thrilling when they learn new things too, but Lizzie’s knowledge is fresher, newer. Being my oldest, she is the first one to learn how to read, how to add and subtract, and how to create stories with her dolls.

We cuddle on the couch, cradling her heavy storybook on her lap. “Mommy, what story do you want to read?”

I pick out one of Belle – my favorite princess because she loves to read, just like I did as a young girl.

As we read the words, slowly pointing to them, she excitedly points to “for.”

“Mommy! That is my sight word!”

We read the sentence again, and I wait until we get to the word “for” and let her read it. My heart pounds with excitement and pride. My little girl is reading!

Her creativity impresses me too. Like the time she was drawing on my Android tablet. I asked her to draw her favorite letter.

She draws the letter “A.” But she doesn’t stop there. She draws a head on top and arms and legs.

“Mommy! I made an A dress!” Her smile is contagious. I laugh with her.

Five years old is my favorite age so far. Her mind is brimful of curiosity and she picks up new ideas so quickly. I struggle to keep up with her hunger for learning. The Rusty and Rosy software on the computer is perfect – she goes at her pace through them and I monitor what she is learning so I can enhance it in other activities.

Isn’t watching your kids learn just the most thrilling thing in the world? How old are your children? What are they learning right now?

Start Their Day Off Right

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Melinda

There is something to the old saying “Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day”

Breakfast is the fuel that gets not just the body moving but also the brain. The body wakes up craving water and nutrition to function properly. A healthy and nutrient rich breakfast is vital to your child’s growth and health while giving them an advantage on their daily intake requirements of vitamins and minerals.

As adults we use the excuse of time constraints and busy schedule to skip meals. Our children have no excuse to not eat properly. Parents need to ensure their children are waking in enough time to have a balanced meal before heading off to school. A meal packed with smart choices is important not a meal packed with whatever. Fruit, juice, milk and yogurt is a simple plan, something any family can accomplish. Donuts and other sweets only offer a short-term full belly. Pack their meal with protein and know that their meal will get them through classes and recess with the brain power and energy needed to have a successful day.

Simple Breakfast Ideas:
Yogurt or Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
Whole grain waffles or pancakes with peanut butter and bananas
Fresh fruit smoothie
Eggs, any style cooked with little fat
Ready to eat whole grain cereals with low fat milk

Let’s not forget those people who aren’t traditional breakfast eaters (I’m one of them). They shouldn’t be forced to eat what they don’t enjoy. Their bodies still require the fuel you just may have to try a different approach to food. Offer items that still pack in the nutrition but are have a different flavor profile.

Breakfast Alternatives: (include milk and juices to round out nutrients)
Cheese on whole grain toast
Peanut Butter on whole grain crackers
Granola bars
Anything leftover from dinner tucked into a tortilla

The point of breakfast is to get kids out the door ready to battle the day armed with power, energy and strength. Studies show those that skip meals often feel tired, grumpy and lack concentration. Give your kids the best chance at school and on the playground by keeping their bodies stimulated and productive.

Simple Games Can Teach A Lot

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Michelle

Over the years I have come to learn the value of simple games. Sometimes I will find myself thinking a certain game is too difficult for my child. I am always surprised to see that with a little twist on what I think the rules are my child is perfectly capable of playing it with me. One particular game we have been playing for many years has turned out to be very educational, too. Can you guess it? I Spy! In my opinion, when it comes to learning you are never too young or too old for I Spy!

When my oldest was just starting to really understand his colors and shapes during preschool years, I found myself in need of a serious distraction to keep him well behaved while we had a long wait in the car. Growing up we always played I Spy and Twenty Questions on trips, but I knew he could not play those, yet, or so I thought. Playing I Spy with a young child in a parked car is a lot easier than playing while the car is moving. His little eyes could not take everything in fast enough while moving, so I took advantage of the time we had in the parked car. Plus, remember I was desperate for any distraction! With a little trial and error tweaking, we suddenly came up with a game that ended up entertaining, educational and one he could not get enough of. He still loves it three years later. I also blame my youngest child’s success on learning colors and basic shapes so quickly on her desire to play this game with us!

Image: t0zz / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here is an example of how we played it. This is a typical conversation when we first started:.

Player 1 (Adult): I Spy with my little eye something green. (A tree)

Player 2 (Child): That! (pointing at a yellow sign)

Player 1: No, that is yellow. That is not what I Spy.

Player 2: That! (pointing at a green bush)

Player 1: That is green, but that is not what I Spy.

Player 2: That! (pointing at a tree)

Player 1: Yes! A green tree is what I Spy!

Player 2: Again!

We focused on shapes and colors in the beginning and eventually moved on to letters and numbers. I kept it general for the first couple of years. Meaning, that if he pointed at any tree and the tree was the “I Spy item”, then he got it. I was also the only one who got to be Player 1 at first as he gained confidence in his finding skills. Once he understood the game enough to be Player 1, I discovered he would do the exact same thing I did, “nope, that is a square not a circle. That is not what I Spy.” Playing the game this way allowed us to make it as simple or as challenging as we needed it to be.

I have been so excited with simplicity of this game and how much my kiddos love it. I believe it has not only helped teach them their shapes and colors, but helped them improve their communication skills, practice turn taking and expand their attention spans.

What are your family’s favorite games to play?

* Feature Image: Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Comprehension, Understanding, Internalizing and Making Connections in Reading

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Julie Meyers Pron

Reading is much more than reciting words that one sees on paper. Even before one achieves phonemic awareness and phonics, he’s learning to comprehend, understand, internalize and make connections.

While a child learns to read the letters and sounds, he continues to practice his comprehension skills. While so much time is spent teaching students that symbols that are called letters make sounds and these sounds push together to make words, it’s often forgotten that those word-sounds won’t make very much of a difference if a child doesn’t comprehend what he’s reading,

Last week, I met with our school principal. As we discussed my son’s progress in school and his reading abilities, I was reminded of some very basic questions regarding reading,

The Modus Operandi* of the reading process

Is he able to read?
Is he comprehending?
Does he internalize the stories?
How does he express connections?

Is he able to read?

Reading is a several-step process Parents of a budding readers, no matter their child’s skill or quickness to pick up the process, recognize that students reach an independent reading level at different times. This question, while it seems simple to answer, is quite and in depth one. Reading isn’t only the sounds, it’s recognizing that the sounds make words which together make a story, and truly understanding the story that he reads or listens to. Only when a child can read and understand, is he truly able to read.

Is he comprehending?

Comprehension and understanding go hand-in-hand. A child who listens to what others say, or what he reads and acts on that knowledge is showing signs of comprehending.

Does he internalize the stories he reads?

The next step in reading is when a child takes the story or knowledge and applies it internally. Think back to a time that your dreams revolved around a story that you’ve read or imagined or you began imagining yourself as a part of the story. When a story becomes a part of a reader and lives within, he internalized the reading.

How does he express his connections to the story?

The final step in the modus operandi is reached when a reader takes the story and makes a connection to his own life or surroundings. A child who is reading a story of Greek Mythology may begin explaining that a seed is sprouting with the help of Persephone or a bolt of lightening represents the anger of Zeus. In these cases, the reader is connecting his life and his surroundings to something that he read.

How can parents assist children to progress through the Modus Operandi of reading?

It’s important to remember that reading comprehension is much more than learning letter sounds or even reading the words in a book out loud. Continue to read to your child to help them improve their listening comprehension skills which will, in turn, strengthen their reading skills. Have conversations about what they are reading. Challenge children often with new stories, rather than repeating old favorites again and again. (There’s nothing wrong with repeating old favorites, but throw in some new stories to assess their skills.)

*Modus Operandi is a latin term meaning mode of operating or working. (dictionary.com). For the purpose of teaching reading skills and talking with parents, I created the term “Modus Operandi of reading.”

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recordable Books for Kids

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Tonya Staab

Whether you have grandparents who live a plane flight away, a member of your family travels for work, or you have one who serves in the military, there are still ways for that family member to read to your children. There are a number of different recordable options out there.

Use a video recorder to tape a family member reading a child’s favorite book to them, the child can watch these on a portable DVD player in the car, while traveling, or on the television at home.
Purchase a recordable story book, such as those offered by Hallmark, DaySpring, and Record-A-Story. These can be read anytime, and anywhere.
Use an AnyBook Reader to record the reading of each page of your child’s favorite book, the child simply taps the reader onto a special sticker on each page to hear the story being read. The benefit of this option is you can attach the stickers to any book, whether you purchase a new book from a bookstore, or place the stickers in a tried and true favorite from home.

Only hearing their loved ones voices on the phone, or via Skype is a thing of the past. Your children will retain such a special bond as they lay in bed at night watching, or listening to their parent or grandparent reading them a story in bed and saying goodnight to them. Have early readers follow the story by pointing to the words as they are read, they will gradually begin to memorize the story, and thus the words being read to them.

We have been through a number of long military deployments and having family living both overseas and on the other side of the country mean that our children go through long periods of time without seeing the special people in their life in person. They absolutely love being able to hear that persons voice. We also find these recordable books extremely helpful in the evenings. We can read to one child, while the other opens up a recordable story book, then we switch over. There is no more whining or falling asleep as one child waits for us to finish reading to the first child.