Submit to Your Inner Geek: Video Games

I am a rare creature; I am a teacher and mom who likes to play video games. I admit it, I love them. I like them so much, that I got a master's degree in educational technology. (I am also a certified literacy specialist.)
Many of you are not gamers, but you have kids that are. I'll be honest, you can find research to back up just about anything. But, video games are very controversial. The research is just as much pro as it is negative. In fact, the research is so overwhelming, that this article took me days to write.

What I have learned from the research, is that video games are all about how you handle them in your home. They can be a tool for learning, or they can be detrimental. As a gamer mom, I want to encourage video games in a safe, productive way. So, I compiled some of the information, so that I could make some guidelines for my family and I'm sharing them here with you.

Submit to your Inner Geek: Comic Books

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Supporting Your Struggling Child

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Is Handwriting Important?

Not long ago, a friend told me that our sons' school was not going to teach cursive anymore. Apparently they feel that there isn't enough time in the day for cursive to be taught. Furthermore, with advances in technology, cursive is going by the wayside. Now, although I am not certain, I am pretty sure they're still teaching printing. But, the question is, is handwriting really that important?

Printing instruction is definitely important. In the primary years, handwriting instruction improves reading and spelling. This is due to the fact that the child often learns the sound of the letter as they are forming it. Furthermore, practicing writing increases fine motor skills.

In later grades, lack of handwriting instruction & practice can hinder learning. If a child's handwriting is labored, he or she will not want to write. This not only can effect their academic performance, but their self-esteem as well.

The Arts - Poetry

Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood
-T. S. Eliot

You may not know this but 45 out of 50 states have adopted the new Common Core State Standards. One of the subjects that is addressed in those standards is poetry. Whether you like poetry or not, it is a valuable component to education. First of all, poetry increases reading fluency (the ability to read words like you are speaking) because kids tend to reread the poems. The rhythm of poetry is engaging, and if it rhymes, the kids can usually predict some of the words even if they can't read them well. If your child is too young to read, make sure that you do pick rhyming poems because the practice of rhyming sounds is a foundational reading skill. Poetry also creates imagery which can help children understand feelings and language.

The Arts - Music

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Lesson Plans - Week 3

And the 3rd week of plans is now available. The dinner menu is all from Can You Stay for Dinner? This website has healthy, low-fat meals. I can not say if they are tasty, as I have not tried them yet. I'll get back to you on that. Just go to the "Weekly Mommy Plans" at the top of the page.

I just started the plans this week. So I just finished up the 1st week of plans. I have to say, it's going pretty well. I'll admit, I didn't get to everything. My downfall seems to be exercise. Grrr. I really need to make that happen. Plus, I have been having a hard time getting to some of the cleaning duties. I really need to get better at keeping the toddler occupied. Too much time is spent trying to keep him from scaling furniture or defacing things with the pens he has somehow gotten from the baby-proofed drawer. (He might be a spy one day.)

The photos on here are highlights of this week. I am taking pictures each week. You'll notice in the 2nd week of plans, I have started a scrap-booking project during learning time. I will let them use the photos from the previous week to paste in their books. They will write about what we did. The 9-year old will write on his own, but the 5-year old will dictate his sentences to me. They will get to add sticker to the page afterwards. We think I may only be able to stay at home for a year due to finances. So, this is the year of Mommy and I want to make sure they remember what we did.

The Arts - Drawing & Painting

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At Home Science

I love doing science projects with my kids. I know that as a teacher, doing science projects at school are really hard because of  all the set up. Doing them at home is soooo much easier. I want to start adding science projects to my Lesson Plans, so I am doing the research today. Here are the fruits of my labor.
The Kitchen Pantry Scientist has the most amazing kit with links to printable science experiments. The rest of the site is pretty incredible too. I plan on visiting it a lot. I am excited to try the Nasa Soda Straw Rockets.
Okay, we have all seen the make your own bouncy balls a hundred times. But that doesn't make it any less cool. About.com has a great tutorial on making a Bouncing Polymer Ball.
Science Bob has a great site with experiments, videos, and science fair project ideas. I am especially excited by the Fizz-Inflator.
When I was a kid,I loved looking at constellations and the stories that went along with them. When I saw these Constellation Viewers by the Austin Children's Museum I was so excited. In fact, these will be in next week's lesson plans!
Steve Spangler Science has a plethora of science experiments. The best part about this site is it has video tutorials for the projects. I think the Square Bubbles video and project is pretty fun.
Since one of my kids is preschool age, I like to have some projects geared for his age level. Preschool Crafts for Kids has some great crafts that can be incorporated into science ideas. I especially like the Sun, Earth, Moon Model.

Second Week Of Mommy Lesson Plans

Very excited to have finished next week's "Lesson Plans". It seemed like they took forever to make because I kept getting interrupted. As moms, I'm sure you can relate. In fact, I just got interrupted again trying to write this post!
The Dinner recipes have been taken from the website Ready Set Eat. I like this site because it offers simple, inexpensive recipes that take little time to prepare. If you ever want to access past plans, just click on the tab above.
Mommy Lesson Plans Week 2

Cognitive Milestones (Mental Development)

This is the first post in a 4 part series on child development.  I like knowing what milestones my child needs to be doing, so that I may help guide him in that area. For example, I made a picture book of photographs for my toddler to help him identify family members. I also like to know why I am doing something. We all play peek a boo with babies, but did you know that it was to help your baby anticipate events? I thought I was just doing it to make him laugh. Furthermore,  This information is taken into consideration when I write my Mommy Lesson Plans.

I have a child with Asperger's Syndrome. When he didn't meet milestones, I started to freak out. I also freaked out with child number two who is not on the spectrum. Now, I have a  toddler, and am starting to freak out again. I have to keep reminding myself, that this mild hysteria is neither good for myself or my kids. So, please learn from me and take this as a guideline only. Don't obsess.



0-6 Months
Listens attentively to sounds and voices (by 1 month)
Cries deliberately for assistance (by 1 month)
Coordinates eye movements (by 2 months)
Discovers hands and feet as extension of self (by 3 months)
Likes to repeat enjoyable acts (by 4 months)
Recognizes and responds to name (by 5 months)
Studies objects intently (by 6 months)

6-12 Months
Anticipates events (by 7 months)
Finds hidden objects (by 10 months)
Can point to body parts
Puts nesting toys together correctly
Develops expectations about familiar events
Waves bye-bye

12-18 Months
Identifies family members in photographs
Enjoys cause and effect relationship
Is able to make choices between clear alternatives
Begins to solve problems
Remembers more

18-24 Months
Sorts shapes and colors
Mimics adult behavior
Points to and names objects
Refers to self by name
Learns by helping
Learns concepts such as size, shape and weight as he/she moves and plays with objects in the environment.

2-3 Years
Comprehends size
Beginning to understand time sequences (e.g. before lunch)
Matches shapes and colors
Counts and manipulates objects
Is beginning to think about consequences
Is able to concentrate for longer periods of time

4-5 Years
Comprehends special concepts (e.g. around, in front, high, next to)
Rote counts up to 20
Can complete a 6-8 piece puzzle
Begins to understand time concepts
Understands simple math concepts
Recalls main details of a story

6-10 Years
Retains knowledge about subjects they like
Develop reading and writing skills
Understands money concepts (6 years)
Understands complicated time concepts (7/8 years)
Begins to research information and complete projects (10 years)
Needs reduced stress situations

For more information go to
ACT • Quality Professional Development for Childhood Care and Education Professionals.
Livestrong

Learning Time Part 2

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Learning Time Part 1

Right now it is the summer, so instead of "Homework Time", we will have "Learning Time". This is very important for several reasons. First, children often lose up to 2 months of learning over the summers. As a former teacher, I can tell you that the first month of the school year is all about reteaching. Second, it is necessary that we retain a structure that carries over from the school year. My oldest son has Asperger's Syndrome and structure is very important for him. He likes knowing what is planned. Third, my middle son is starting Kindergarten next year - it is a half day program with large enrollment. I feel that there will be many holes to fill in his learning. (I am sure his teacher will be excellent, but probably can't teach much in only 2 and a half hours.)

A few skills that I often find older students need to practice religiously are math facts and reading comprehension. For math facts, I recommend Xtramath. It is free to sign up and works on addition, subtraction, multiplication,and division. I also highly recommend Sumdog. It has free games based on the state's math standards that your child can play to improve his/her math scores. My son loves it.

As far as comprehension is concerned, the best thing you can do for your child is make them read EVERY day. Bookadventure is a wonderful, free website that allows your child to take a test on regular children's literature. It also lets you print lists so that you can get books at the appropriate grade level.If your child earns enough points, s/he can earn prizes such as a free subscription to Highlights magazine. Pretty cool, huh?
My next post will cover Pre-K skills.