Bionicles

In this post you can listen to me talking about my Bionicles, which are some of my favorite toys.

Bionicles:

Arthur Makes The Team

Arthur makes the team is about, as you probably know, an Aardvark named Arthur. Arthur tries and tries with the help of Francine, the coach assistant, to catch a ball the right way, and soon he's good at it, and he teaches Francine how to throw a ball straight.
Because she always throws it over the fence!

Get Arthur Makes The Team:

Too Much Noise!

Too Much Noise is a book about a man that thinks his house is very, very noisy. He wants some peace and quiet so he goes to a wise man and asks how his house can be quiet. But the wise man tells him to get more animals. The end is quite surprising.

Get Too Much Noise:

SuperFudge

Superfudge is a book, sometimes a funny book. And it's about a boy named Peter and a boy named Farley Dexter Hatcher. But everyone calls him Fudge. I've read this book a few times and quite enjoyed it.

Would you like to know about Peter's friends? One is named Jimmy Fargo. Another is named Alex Santo. And a half friend named Daniel.

Peter's mom is going to have a baby in this book and Peter worries that it's going to be just like Fudge and make his life miserable.

Get Superfudge on amazon.com:

Kid Spelling Help

Help Your Children Be Better at Spelling

She insisted that her daughter not be penalized for misspellings--but spelling counts even out of the classroom, whether we like it or not. And millions don't like it, and it's no wonder. After all, English is not only loaded down with ninety spelling rules, they're accompanied by about 3,500 exceptions! And forget about spelling a word the way it sounds. The first lines of this poem prove that:

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through . . .

I'll start by asking which of these words are correctly spelled. segue, dicotomy, bouillion, scissars, brouhaha, begger, shepard, lieutenent, calander, guaruntee. Are you sure? Remember that you can't look them up. This is a test--just like the ones your child takes in school. Answers come later; for now, it's enough if you're starting to sympathize with the spelling-challenged.

Spelling demons abound-troublesome words loaded with silent letters (ache), and words that sound alike but are spelled differently (allowed/aloud). Then there are those troublesome double consonants where only one is sounded (allowed). Ever wondered about them? Educator James Cornish offers this explanation: During the Early English period, printers were paid by the letter. Adding an unnecessary one here and there increased their earnings-and messed with our heads forever after. As for those ninety spelling rules, the only one most of us recall is the "i before e, except after c," but then weird neighbors come calling.

So now that you've taken a spelling test, been reminded of the vagaries of English, and are either a bad speller yourself or know one-perhaps your child--read on for some tips:

1. Talk often about the importance of spelling and play spelling games, such as Scrabble, Hangman, and Boggle.

2. Explain that all final copies, even worksheets, should be well-spelled.

3. Carelessness accounts for many misspellings, so remind your child to double-check by rereading the piece backward, starting with the very last word.

4. When unsure about a spelling, your child should circle it as she writes and look it up later.

5. Since looking up a hard-to-spell word can be a problem, consider investing in How to Spell It. Here, you find the word as you think it's spelled, as in numonia, and right beside it is the correct spelling, pneumonia.

6. When asked to look over written work, don't make the corrections yourself. Instead, place a light checkmark in the margin beside the line with the misspelling.

7. Frequently misspelled words should be recorded in a personal dictionary for easy reference. Just jot down the letters of the alphabet, each on a separate sheet of paper, together with several of their spelling demons.

8. For confusing words, encourage your child to come up with a mnemonic. (dessert: "Strawberry Shortcake is my favorite deSSert.")

9. For repeatedly misspelled words, try VAKT (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Tactile). On a long sheet of paper, slowly write the word in cursive, saying it at the same time. Your child then traces it with a finger, while also saying the word. When ready, she turns the paper over and spells the word. If incorrect, these steps are repeated.

10. Help your child "hear" how some words are actually spelled, like "choc-o-late," and "la-sag-na."

11. Remind your child that a computer spell checker can reinforce correct spelling but also mislead. It doesn't know, for example, that there's a difference between then and than.

Answers: segue is correct. Correct spellings of the others: dichotomy, bouillon, scissors, brouhaha, beggar, shepherd, lieutenant, calendar, guarantee

Carol Josel is a teacher and learning specialist. Her books offer expert advice, activities, and lessons to help parents and their children both at home and at school. Vist http://CarolJosel.com for free parent resources.

5 Ways To Help Your Kids Do Math

Uh oh. Your kids arrive home with their school reports and it's poor marks from the math department. Now what do you do?

You may not be a math teacher, but thankfully there are ways you can help your kids improve their grades.

Studies have shown that children are much more likely to perform well in a subject that interests them. So here are 5 ways to get your kids excited about math and actually looking forward to the next math class:

1. Inspire them.

Some kids don't enjoy math because they just can't see the point of it. Unlike reading or painting, all those mathematical symbols and numbers don't seem to mean anything.

What you need to do is show them how important math is in the real world.

Tell them stories about the great engineering feats throughout history. From building the great pyramids of Egypt, to the Hoover dam, to the latest space missions to Mars, nothing would have been achieved without mathematics, and mathematicians.

2. Get practical.

Involve your kids in some real world math away from the classroom. Find something your child is interested in and relate it to math in some way.

For example, do they like baseball? Terrific. During a game, ask them how many points the losing team has to score to beat the other one. And how many games do they need to win before they have enough points to win the league?

If they enjoy helping around the home then let them do the "clever stuff". Ask them to work out the sizes for that wood you're going to cut. Or get them to measure out the ingredients for the cake you're about to bake.

When you're in a store, ask your kids to add up the prices and keep a running total while you shop. Then ask them how much change you should expect at the checkout.

3. Take life "step-by-step".

Success in math - as in life - is largely about breaking large projects down into manageable, bite-sized pieces.

Many kids feel overwhelmed when they see a list of math questions, and it's at this point they may decide that math is "boring" or "hard".

Show them the magic of taking one question at a time, and breaking it into tiny steps that make it easy.

4. Encourage creativity.

Kids may become mentally "stuck" on a topic because they're only looking at it in one way. Perhaps they need to step outside the box and see it from a different angle.

Show them the beauty of alternative viewpoints. Help them to see situations from other people's perspective.

Get them into the habit of exploring different ways of solving a problem. Even something simple like tidying up a room can have several possible "solutions" or ways of approaching it.

Crosswords and lateral thinking puzzles are good for this kind of flexible thinking.

5. Be positive.

Eliminate negative statements like "math is hard" (even if you thought of yourself as a math dunce at school!).

Explain how everyone has a natural ability to do math and that solving math problems isn't so different from solving other kinds of problems in life.

Above all, inspire confidence in your kids. Teach them persistence and how there's always a solution to every problem.

We all perform better when we enjoy what we do, and getting kids interested in math is the real key to success.

They may not turn into mathematical geniuses, but they'll thank you in later life when they enter the world of work and start counting their salaries.

Now who said your kids couldn't do math?

Kenneth Williams is author of Fun With Figures at http://FunWithFigures.com

Brain Food For Kids

While mom's favorite line was, "You are what you eat," she should have added, "Eat well; what's good for your heart is good for your brain." After all, the two go hand in hand and both require good habits.. It takes a lot to think, learn, and remember.

Now, if your child has ever said, "I can't do that; it's too hard!" here are a few brainy facts to stop her in her tracks. Remind her that her brain uses 20-25% of her body's energy, so it's no wonder that thinking is as tiring as physical labor. She must feed it well. Then wow her with the fact that a computer built with her brain's capacity would cover the state of Texas and be 100 stories tall! Couple that with experts' suggestions that we use only between one and ten percent of our brain's capacity and out the window goes that "It's too hard" complaint. No more excuses.

What's called for instead are some mind-boosting suggestions to keep brains running smoothly and performing at their best--tips that are simple, beneficial, proven. You know now that thinking burns lots of energy-just ask your child after a test-filled day. To ward off further mental fatigue during homework/study time, turn off CD's and TV's and be sure he takes an exercise break between assignments and test prep. Researchers say that physical activity not only strengthens bodies, it also increases blood flow, hence oxygen, to the brain. In fact, says University of California's Carl Cotman, "Exercise stimulates the production of all kinds of wonderful molecules that keep neurons (brain cells) strong . . . and increases these molecules in the brain." Quite a pay off!

The right foods are essential, too, so here are a number of mind-boosting nutrition tips to take to heart:

1. To keep your child working faster, testing better, and being more creative, serve breakfast every day, like a bowl of cereal or plate of pancakes topped with berries.

2. Choose low-fat varieties of dairy products, soups, meats, etc.

3. Include calcium-rich foods, such as skim milk, low-fat yogurt, broccoli, and spinach to "clean" the brain.

4. Enjoy a daily serving of soy in one of its many forms. If tofu is distasteful, try edamame, soy milk, power bars, and nuts. (Heat a cup of chocolate soy milk in the microwave for yummy hot cocoa, topped with a marshmallow).

5. Folate is essential for a good mind, so include lentils, fortified cereals, wheat germ, papaya, asparagus, cantaloupe, and eggs in your meal planning.

6. Dish up beans and other legumes, like peas, black beans, and chick peas..

7. Serve seafood at least twice a week, including omega-3 rich tuna, salmon, and herring.

8. Replace chips and pretzels with seeds, nuts, and raisins.

9. Shop for whole-grains: cereals, breads, rice, pasta.

10. Aim for seven to nine daily servings of brightly colored fruits and veggies: tomatoes, strawberries, yams, spinach, and so on. Best of all is the blueberry, otherwise known as the brain berry.

Here are a few extras, too. Researchers say that learning how to read music and play an instrument helps kids with thinking in space and time, fractions, proportions, and the like-a worthy pursuit. Mind games also keep brains in top working order, so get your child reading, doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles, working on math exercises, playing cards, and enjoying board games like chess, checkers, Scattergories, and Monopoly.

Meanwhile, try following a map together into unknown territory, visiting exhibits, meeting new people, and by all means, playing words games. For instance, can you come up with the 200 or so smaller words embedded in TRANSPORTATION?

Carol Josel is a teacher and learning specialist. Her books offer expert advice, activities, and lessons to help parents and their children both at home and at school. Vist http://CarolJosel.com for free parent resources.

Helping Your Kids Love School

I thought these tips on how to help your child enjoy school were good whether you send your child off to school or homeschool.

Helping Your Kids Love School

To some, it's a magical place-one of discovery, camaraderie, empowerment. For others it's akin to a lock-up, a holding cell until real life can actually begin-and the wait seems endless.

School, to them, is little more than boring lectures, useless facts, teachers' dirty looks-and you've got to wonder why. How come some kids value the importance of a good education, while others see no point to it at all? In "A Letter to the World," the unknown writer speaks: "So world . . . teach him the wonder of books, give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill."

It all begins at home, always has. We have to stop paying mere lip service to the value of a good education-how it opens doors and is a means to a better end-and start backing it up with our words and deeds. We need to model the behavior and attitudes we want to see in our young, promoting the work of schools and making it our top priority. Homework should be viewed as an opportunity, not a burden, and study, the highest calling. Adulthood demands accountability and self-discipline-and it takes a parent, not a village, to prepare the way. Start by finding out what makes learning easier or harder for your child. Sometimes it's the teacher and/or the pacing of the material; sometimes, it's the subject matter itself; sometimes it's getting needed help and attention-or not. Then, keep building on that foundation:

1. Frequently tell your child how grateful you are to his teachers and how excited you are about what's being taught.

2. Remind her that every teacher has something new and important to share, so to be sure and listen well-and make a note of it.

3. Create an environment that supports and values life-long learning. Visit historical sites, be frequent guests in libraries and museums, be caught reading often, and converse about the day's events-at home, in school, locally, and globally.

4. Keep expectations and standards high, and don't accept 'good enough' as good enough.

5. Encourage him to work even when not in the mood-just like the rest of us- and set up a schoolwork schedule, starting with the hardest subject first.

6. Limit television, video games, and instant messaging.

7. Keep telling her that you believe in her ability to learn; eventually she'll come to believe it, too.

8. Rather than insisting on straight A's, insist on best effort.

9. Emphasize learning, not grades.

10. Help him feel proud of his efforts and celebrate accomplishments.

11. Praise only the praiseworthy. As someone once said, "Not every picture belongs on the fridge door."

12. Commend good grades and improvements; map out strategies to raise disappointing performance together.

13. Encourage friendships with kids who make academics a priority. Bill Gates adds, "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."

14. Instead of asking, "How was school today?" ask, "What did you learn today?"

And finally, keep on learning yourself, never losing your fascination with this world of ours, always sharing that wonderment with your child. I mean, did you know that your nose and ears will never stop growing, that women blink twice as much as men, or that Americans eat an average of eighteen acres of pizza every day? Remarkable, don't you think? Now, pass it on.

Carol Josel is a teacher and learning specialist. Her books offer expert advice, activities, and lessons to help parents and their children both at home and at school. Vist http://CarolJosel.com for free parent resources.