Boost Your Child's Vocabulary... At Any Age!

Our thoughts are composed of words to explain ideas.  If we want to improve our children’s thinking, then we need to improve their vocabularies.    A rich vocabulary gives our children the tools to comprehend and explain more complex concepts.   It allows them to think and process on a higher level.

“Vocabulary is the best single indicator of intellectual ability and an accurate predictor of success at school.”  WB Elley

While students learn vocabulary in school, you can also introduce and play with new words at home.   Words are fun, and engaging your children will make learning them fun.   Regardless of the ages of your children, implement some of the ideas below into your daily lives to foster growing vocabularies.

1.  Find a “Word of the Day” that you talk about at dinner.  You can sign up for a word of the day email at www.dictionary.com.   Today’s word is splendiferous.   It wouldn’t take much effort to have fun with a word like splendiferous. 

2.  Display a “Word of the Week” on your refrigerator.  Take turns choosing the word, and then have a competition to see who can use the word in the most clever way.  Each family member writes on a card how they used the word that week, and everyone votes to decide the winner.  Be sure to make the prize worthwhile!

3.  Make a list of words that you don’t know from the books that you are reading.  The person with the most words written on his list at the end of the week wins a prize.   The idea here is to make sure that unknown words are being written down AND that challenging books are being read!

4.  Play word games together as a family.  You can play scrabble, boggle, and hangman or complete crossword puzzles, anagrams, and word jumbles.   Be sure to try to come up with new words each time you play!

5.  Practice defining words and feed the hungry at www.freerice.com.  For every word that you get correct, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Program to help end hunger.   You get to learn new words while you help others!

At the end of day, don’t forget to use a rich vocabulary at home and don’t forget to have your children read!   These still remain the most effective ways to ensure that your children are developing strong vocabularies that will serve them well their entire lives.   

Nurture a Love of Reading at Your Public Library

In our world of electronics, treasures like the public library often get overlooked.   When our children ask us how a windmill works, for instance, we quickly pull up google so that we can provide an intelligent explanation.    We often go to a computer to answer curious questions, when we could be giving our children experiences that encourage a genuine love of reading.     Next time you get a question, take a trip to the public library to find the answer!   You can use some of the following ideas to help have a successful and engaging trip.

1.  Get your child a library card.   It doesn’t matter if your child is 2, 12 or 22, get a card.  Keep the younger ones' cards with you, but when it comes time to check out their books, let them do it themselves.

2.  Find out about story hours, family nights, and library clubs that might interest your children.   Many libraries have wonderful age-appropriate programs that children love.

3.  Give your kids their own library bags that they use every time you go to the library, and choose a specific number of books that you check out each time.  These will both help when it is time to return the books!

4.  Give your kids a color of the day.   The books that you check out on a particular day are blue books, for example.   This gives children an opportunity to choose books that they might not look at otherwise.  They may find a new interest in a blue book!

5.  Choose an author to explore.  Have a Kevin Henkes day, and get all of the wonderful mouse books like Chrysanthemum, Wemberly Worried, and Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse.    Look up all of the Beatrix Potter stories so you can learn about Peter Rabbit and all of her other sweet characters.

6.  Have a topic of the day.  Monkeys are the topic, and only books that have monkeys get checked out that day.    As the school year winds down, find books that have to do with summer vacation.   If a big snow storm is on its way, take a quick trip and get as many books about snowmen that you can find.

7.   Go to the library before an outing.   If you are going to the zoo, go to the library first and get books about the animals you’ll see at the zoo.    If you are taking a trip to the Grand Canyon, go find out all of the amazing facts about the Grand Canyon first.    You can keep it simple too, and get a book about ice cream before you go to the ice cream parlor. 

8 Mnemonic Devices Every Student Should Know

When we need to remember something, we use strategies called mnemonic devices that help translate information into forms that the brain can remember better.   If we can make the information relatable, instead of abstract or impersonal, the brain is able to store the information more easily.   Some devices work better for certain information and for particular students, and it helps to know what the most effective strategies are.   For instance, some students can remember anything if they put it into a song.   The examples below show how some of these mnemonic devices can be used, but students should experiment with these to find the ones that are the most effective for how they learn and remember.    

1.  Orders –

The order of planets (Mars, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto)

My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles.

The order of math operations (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction)

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.

2.  Acronyms –

FACE for the notes on the spaces of the treble clef.

HOMES for the great lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).

3.  Names –

ROY G. BIV for the colors of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet).

Pvt. TIM HALL for the essential amino acids (Phenylanine, Valine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Isoleucine, Methionine, Histidine, Arginine, Leucine, Lysine).

4.  Rhymes –

30 days hath September, April, June, and November. 
All the rest have 31
Except February my dear son.
It has 28 and that is fine
But in Leap Year it has 29.

5. Music –

The ABC song to learn the alphabet.

The Skeleton song to learn the bones of the body.

6. Spelling –

Spell a word as it sounds for words like Wed-Nes-Day (Wednesday) and Feb-ru-ary (February).

Remember an expression for words like ARITHMETIC: A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream

and NECESSARY: Not Every Cat Eats Sardines. Some Are Really Yummy.

Remember the difference between two words like dessert and desert.   Dessert has the SS, like Strawberry Shortcake.

7. Loci –

Imagine placing items in specific locations in a familiar room.   When you look around the room in your mind, you can see the items that you need to remember.

The MILK is on the couch.  The EGGS are on the coffee table.  The BREAD is on the rug.

8. Chaining –

Create a story where each word or idea will cue the next idea to recall.   

To remember the freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, the press, and the right to bear arms:   The group of people gathered in front of the church.  They began to give speeches about the right to have guns for protection.  Reporters arrived and began videotaping the event.

Three Steps to Get Your Student Using a Planner

“I didn’t know I had a test.” 

“I forgot to bring that book home.”

“The teacher didn’t say I needed the paper signed.”

If these are common utterances in your home, it is likely that your student needs to learn how to effectively use a planner.   Some well-intentioned students already have a planner, but have no earthly idea what to do with it.   They end up keeping it in their backpacks and writing a few token assignments in it every once in a while.    Now is the time to step in and make sure that your student is using a planner well.

1.  Choose a Good Planner

ü  Make sure that it is a good size for your student.

ü  Check to see that it has a weekly view.

ü  See that it has enough space to write each subject.

2.  Teach Your Student HOW To Use the Planner

ü  Write every subject on every day.   If a class has no homework that day, simply write “nothing” for that subject.

ü  Bring the planner to each class and have it out on the desk.  When the teacher announces an assignment or quiz in the middle of class, the student doesn’t have to try to remember to write it in the planner at the end of class because it is out and ready.

ü  Use the planner at the end of the day to determine what materials and books need to come home.   Make sure to look a couple of days in advance so that test preparations can be done early.

ü  When assignments are completed, cross them off of the list.  Every subject should be crossed off before the next school day. 

ü  Have a section for each day to write about upcoming tests and projects, papers that need to be signed, or money due.

ü  Develop a system with stickers or highlighters to make upcoming tests dates and project due dates easily seen.

3.  Keep Your Student Accountable

ü  While your student develops the habit, ask to see the planner nightly to help her make any necessary adjustments.

ü  Help your student develop a plan for preparing in advance for tests and projects.   Test performance will improve greatly if your student develops the habit of early preparation.

ü  If you are struggling to get your student to write the assignments during the day, enlist the help of her teachers.   Let the teachers know what you are trying to accomplish and ask them to initial the planner each day.   Since students typically aren’t crazy about doing this, they will usually get in the habit fairly quickly.

Once your student gets in the habit of using a planner well, he will start to see the benefits. Hopefully this will be incentive enough to keep using the planner, but keep an eye on things to make sure that your student doesn’t start slipping in the planner department!

Why is Homework Time So Painful?

In many homes, peace and harmony are not part of the nightly homework routine.  Instead, we have battles, frustrations, and tears.  As parents, many of us are left wondering what we are doing wrong and why this time together has to be so intolerable.   The main difficulty is that kids have different and fluctuating reasons for not wanting to do homework.  Just when we think we have it all figured out, the reason changes and the frustrations come back.    This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to figure it out.   It simply means that we should be aware that many factors play into homework struggles, and we need to pay attention to which is the culpable issue.  Take a look at some of the possible causes, and experiment to find some viable solutions for your student.

1.        Is your student hungry or tired?    This is a common problem that is easily overlooked.  It can be solved with a snack, a cold drink and a break to boost energy.   Keep in mind that some kids cannot even think about doing their homework until after dinner when they’ve had ample time and their bellies are full.   

2.       Is your student overwhelmed?   Some kids see several pieces to their homework and consequently shut down.   Step in and help make a plan to get it all finished one piece at a time. Show them that their work is manageable.   Help them make attainable goals, and don’t let them wait until the last minute!

3.       Is your student distracted?   The television, other kids playing, dogs barking, and a variety of other distractions cause serious problems for many kids.   Make sure that you turn off as many distractions as possible and provide a workspace that is effective for your child.   If your child works better in his room and gets his work finished well there, then let him work in his room!  When you have to take away distractions, you can make them the reward for finishing their work.

4.       Is your student bored?   We all have subjects that we find more fascinating than others, and our kids are no different.  Some subjects simply bore them, and we can help by scheduling breaks and sandwiching the tedious material in between the more interesting projects. 

5.       Is your student lazy?   It is sometimes hard to admit, but the reality is that some kids are lazy.  If you have a student who simply doesn’t want to work, you can take the opportunity to teach about the value of hard work and work ethics.  Spend the homework time working alongside your child.  Work ethic is a value to model to your children, and remember that this is a marathon lesson, not a sprint!

6.       Is your student frustrated from a lack of supplies?    Not having notecards, pencils with lead in them, calculators, and other supplies is annoying to all of us and can cause major meltdowns for some kids.   Make sure that you have a place to keep supplies well stocked so that everyone can find what they need when they need it. 

7.       Does your student want to do something else?   Throughout the day, most of us have times when we would really prefer to be doing something different.   Show your student that life is about balance, and then help schedule time for homework and some other activity.  Show them the light at the end of the tunnel because some kids can’t see that far ahead to know that they don’t have to do homework the entire night.

8.       Does your student not see the importance of homework?   It’s just homework, and because it doesn’t count as much as a test or project, it won’t really matter if it gets done or not.   Many students think like this, and it is important to SHOW your student how zeroes affect the final grade.   Play with the numbers and averages to let him see exactly what a zero or two does to a grade. 

9.       Does your student not understand the material?    If your child doesn’t want to do his homework because he doesn’t understand it, it’s time to get him some support.   Let him know that you believe he is capable, but that he has hit a roadblock.  Then find some help.  Reach out to the teacher to see what they are seeing in the classroom and what resources they have for struggling students.  Research tutoring options, whether they are at the school or private.   Don’t let this frustration spiral downward because most students eventually stop trying.

10.   Does your student not like to be told what to do?    Many kids don’t want to do their homework because they want control over what they do.   You should give them what they can handle, and be careful not to hover or nag.   Let them tell you what they would like to see happen, and then let them prove to you that they can succeed.  When they hit a roadblock, have them give you their plan for a solution. 

The next time you have tears or battles over homework, think about some of these possible reasons so that you can help your child get what they need to be successful. 

Find The Right Tutor With Three Questions

Finding the right tutor can be a daunting task, and it can be difficult to know what questions to ask.   A good tutor can make a huge impact in your child’s educational experience, and you want to be sure that you are making a good decision.   Ask the following questions to help ensure that you have a positive tutoring experience.

1.  What makes you a good tutor?

The right tutor will have a combination of knowledge, experience, and likeability.   The tutor needs to have knowledge of the subject, and you need to ask to what degree they understand the subject.    Experience is also essential to make sure that the tutor has taught students in some fashion before, whether in a classroom or as a tutor.    Some people stop after these two criteria are met, but they are not the only two things that make a good tutor.   Perhaps the most important factor is whether the tutor is likeable and personable.   Does the potential tutor seems sincere?  (Your kids will pick up on that almost immediately.)  Is this someone who would connect well with your child?   Would your child be able to be vulnerable with this person?   Finally, ask yourself, is this really someone who I want to spend an hour with my child? 

2.  What is your plan?

The right tutor will pay attention to what your specific concerns are and will create a plan to address them.   The key to a successful tutoring experience is having someone help you identify the problem, the source of the problem, and the solution.  Simply helping a student with math homework when he has struggled with math in the past won’t be a long-lasting solution.   A good tutor will be able to identify gaps from previous years and help fill in those gaps.   Similarly, if a child is struggling with reading, the tutor needs to understand the different ways that students learn to read and what to do when the strategies being taught in the classroom aren’t enough.    The right plan on how to reach the end goal is essential, and that plan will not be the same for everyone.  That is the beauty of individual instruction!

3.  How will I know if the tutoring is working?

The right tutor will communicate the progress your student is making so that you can feel confident that the tutoring is working.  It is especially helpful if the tutor is communicating with your student’s teacher to be sure that they are seeing progress in the classroom as well.    In addition, the tutor will also communicate with you about areas that still need improvement and how that works in the current plan.   When you have a tutor who is focused on accomplishing your goals, then you don’t have to cross your fingers and hope because you will know that you have made the right decision.

How to Get Your Kids To Open Up About Their Days

      We are all accustomed to giving short answers.  “How are you?” receives a “Fine.”   “What’s new?” gets a “Nothing much.”   So it’s really no wonder that when we ask our students how their days were, they will answer in a similar way.   “How was school?” gets a “Good” or a “Boring” or a “Fine.”   “What did you learn today?”  generally warrants a “Nothing.” Since they are at school for seven hours each school day, we can be fairly certain that they learned something and that something happened.  

     When we ask the right questions at the right times, we can engage even the cleverest kids who normally manage to find one-word answers to every question asked.   With the younger students, we will get a better response when we ask questions that are fun to answer.  For instance, why not ask them to tell you something that made them laugh today?   Find out things like what they would change about their teachers, who they would like to play with at recess, or who they could be nicer to in class.   Have them tell you about a student in the class who could really use a time-out or a student who helps the most.  Ask them what they would do if they were the teachers tomorrow or get creative and ask them if aliens came to school tomorrow, what would they show them about their schools. 

    Older students will typically talk more to you if you can ask them questions while engaged in some other activity.  Ask them about their days when you are driving, making dinner, or working on a project.  If they don't have to make eye contact, they feel less like you are grilling them for information.  You can ask them questions like which is their easiest class and what the other students in the class are like.  Have them tell you about the teachers, if they are fun or boring, strict or lenient.  Ask them which classes have the cutest boys/girls or what passing periods are like in the hallways.  Find out what part of the day they look forward to and what part of the day they dread. 

     It only makes sense that if we want to get our children to talk to us, we have to pay attention to what they want to talk about. Listen to which questions get the most response.  Make a mental note on the times your child opens up the most.  And most importantly, pay attention when they are talking to you!   Enjoy these times with your children, and take a moment to think about what Catherine Wallace had to say about listening to your children.