How To Teach Kids

Constitution Day

Teacher Tips — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 01:32:45 +0000

Constitution Day is required by Federal law (Public Law 108-447) to be celebrated by all publicly funded educational institutions on September 17th, the day that the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787. Before this law was enacted in 2004, the holiday was known as “Citizenship Day”. Now, it’s known as “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day” to be exact, and this holiday also recognizes those who have become U.S. citizens.

Here is a great assortment of activities and links to videos, lesson plans, games, words to rap, a slide show, a timeline, and informational sites:

Download a Constitution Day video to make a DVD for your classroom or school assembly (or show online). Video features kids from elementary school through high school. Great video!
Art Activity: For young students, paint large flags using long horizontal stokes that cross midline and use ab pattern for stripes. For students a little older, do the same but count the 50 stars and 13 stripes as well as pattern and write a sentence or sentences (i.e. This is my flag.) using proper punctuation.
Create a constitution for the class listing the class rules, and have all the students, the teacher and any aides sign it.
Constitution Day, Sept. 17th
Make a Boston Tea Party booklet. Free printable booklet tells the story of the Boston Tea Party for grades 1-3.
Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: Games & Activities for grades K-2.
Constitution Games, Lessons, & Activities for all grade levels.
Lesson Plans for Constitution Day for all grade levels.
Constitution Day Ideas
Constitution Day Free Lessons to Download for all grade levels.
The Bill of Rights Match Game for Elementary Level or Secondary Level.
Constitution Day Rap to download (listed under grades 1 & 2). After downloading, go to page 11 for the rap.
Educator & Student Resources for Constitution Day
‘A More Perfect Union’ Slide Show
Centuries of Citizenship: A Constitutional Timeline (available in Broadband version & Low Bandwidth version)
Bill of Rights Online Game
Hand Motions for memorizing the Preamble
Constitution Day Resources & Lessons for Middle and High School students.
Constitutional Fun Facts for kids. Great for older students.
Interactive Constitution for older students.
Constitutional Principles: Representative Government video for High School students.
The Founders’ Library: Thinking as a Founding Father Lesson Plans for High School students.
National Constitution Center Resources
The Bill of Rights
Printer-friendly Version of Amendments 11-27
Lesson for this standard: “Demonstrate understanding of the issues related to the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution and the new Government it established.”

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Phonics Song from KidsTV123

Teacher Tips — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:40:07 +0000

I am an advocate of teaching phonics to children, so needless to say, I think this is a great video. Add that with the fact that music is an excellent way to teach skills to kids in a fun way, and you have an effective learning tool.

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Book Review: “EMERGENCE: Labeled Autistic”

Teacher Tips — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:44:18 +0000

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This is a review, or rather a partial review, of this book. These are key ideas that impressed me and are ideas I want to remember in teaching. I encourage you to read the whole book and choose the key ideas that impress you.

Emergence: Labeled Autistic

by Temple Grandin, PhD, & Margaret M. Scariano

Having seen the movie “Temple Grandin” three times, I was excited to read about her early years since those were barely touched on in the movie. She did not speak until age 3 ½ (movie says age 4), but I was surprised to find out that she was very destructive as a child. However, her mom especially loved, supported, and encouraged her, as well as her aunt and a teacher, which made a huge difference in her life.

She loved to spin in circles, was extremely sensitive to certain noises (the sound of a fog horn was actually painful to her), and she had a hard time keeping rhythm which not only affected being able to clap in rhythm but also hearing the rhythm in poetry. She often reacted in a fixated behavior pattern to offset her overly stimulated nervous system. Grandin had many nerve attacks as a child and as a teenager, and she would alternate between impulsive behavior and then withdrawing into herself. Uncontrollable laughter, constant questioning and talking, and a strong obsession with a certain topic are some common characteristics of many children with autism which are characteristics Grandin possessed.

Here are some ideas that Dr. Grandin presents that help in understanding and working with autistic children:

Autistic children have fixations, so utilize their fixations. In other words, use those fixations to motivate learning, reading, math, etc. If a child likes dinosaurs, for instance, then do math problems with dinosaurs and read books about dinosaurs.

More emphasis needs to be placed on developing a child’s talents instead of concentrating only on their weaknesses. Their talents can be developed into skills that they can use later in a job situation or maybe an enjoyable hobby.

People’s thinking styles, according to Grandin, an be divided into three basic thinking patterns: visual thinking (common in those with high functioning autism), music and math thinking, and verbal logic thinking (common in those with mild Asperger’s Syndrome). There are combinations of these three types as well. All three types are usually rigid thinkers and need to become more flexible in how they think.

Good jobs for visual thinkers are graphic arts, photography, drafting, computer network troubleshooting, computer repair, auto mechanics, industrial equipment design, animal care, and science research.

Good jobs for music and math thinkers are music related fields, mathematics, engineering, physics, chemistry, and technical fields.

Good jobs for verbal logic thinkers are translators, journalists, accountants, special education teachers, speech therapists, and librarians.

To encourage flexibility, show the child how an object can fit into different categories. For example, an apple goes in the fruit category, the color red category, and the round objects category. (This will be a good activity to do in the classroom.)

Albert Einstein, Mozart, Vincent van Gogh and many other scientists, musicians, and artists had either autism or Asperger traits. According to Grandin, today there are engineers, computer nerds, equipment designers, draftsmen, etc., who are undiagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. So, individuals can range from severely handicapped to brilliant.

Mentors are great to help with learning social skills. There are many good books and teaching materials on the market which are valuable for teaching social skills.

Anxiety and sensory sensibility can make functioning at social events or on the job very uncomfortable. Grandin herself had trouble hearing auditory detail. Her speech teacher helped her hear the consonants by enunciating them clearly. Grandin understood when an adult spoke to her, but when two adults talked quickly to each other it sounded like a foreign language to her.

For many people, there is a problem with the flicker on computer screens. A flat panel screen that doesn’t have fluorescent lamps is best. There are other things available to help those who are bothered by the flicker or the print vibrating.

Looking back, Grandin wishes that more time had been spent with speech therapists while she was growing up so that her speech wasn’t so different from the norm. Her speech was awkward and “flat” with no emotion.

One part that was very touching was when Grandin’s mother had taken her to a boarding school. When her mother was ready to leave, she said, “I’ll miss you, Temple.” Grandin says, “She walked quickly to my side and kissed my cheek. I ached to be enfolded in her arms, but how could she know? I stood rigid as a pole trapped by the approach/avoidance syndrome of autism. I drew back from her kiss, not able to endure tactile stimulation – not even loving, tactile stimulation.” Grandin actually designed and constructed a “squeeze machine” to simulate the hugs she desperately longed for but could not endure.

Dr. Grandin has been blessed in that she has been able to analyze herself through the years, and she has worked and is still working to improve the areas in her life that need improving. She has gone out of her comfort zone so many times and that has helped her to become the person she is today. Grandin does public speaking worldwide, has written several books, is a professor at Colorado State University, has a very successful career as a livestock-handling equipment designer which is one of very few in the world, and has opened the eyes of the world to autism in a way never known before.

CONCLUSION:

Dr. Grandin writes, “People treating autistic children should avoid falling into the trap of using just one type of treatment. A variety of methods used together would probably be the most successful…. The most successful programs start treatment by age three or four and provide contact with normal children. They are also very intense. Passive approaches do not work. A good program should also have flexible non-aversive behavior modification, sensory treatment (by an occupational therapist), speech therapy, exercise, and music therapy…. The most important component of the treatment plan is the presence of loving people to work with the child.”

Emergence: Labeled Autistic is an enlightening book that gives insight into autism from someone who is autistic, and the author has revealed more about the autistic world than just about anyone else.

* NOTE: Dr. Grandin is listed in TIME Magazine as one of twenty-five “Heroes” of 2010.

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Giveaway for WordWorld’s New DVD “Get Up and Move”

Teacher Tips — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 22:19:09 +0000

I believe that WordWorld is one of the best educational TV shows available for children. WordWorld DVDs are also available, and WordWorld is supplying their new one, “Get Up and Move,” in a giveaway on my other site, Healthy Home Blog. This DVD encourages children to exercise while also teaching them reading skills in a fun way,

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Autism Awareness & Tips

Teacher Tips — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 04:01:36 +0000

Along with April 2nd being World Autism Awareness Day, the U.S. is using the whole month of April as Autism Awareness Month to educate the public about issues within the autistic community. There has been a huge increase in the number of children diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) the past several years. For whatever reasons this has happened, there are certain things that we as teachers &/or parents can do to help.

I am still learning, but here are a few things I have learned:

Give commands in short phrases such as, “Mouth quiet, hands down, stop feet,” etc.
Use music to help in learning reading skills. Use the Leapfrog: Letter Factory video to help teach letter sounds. Students may be singing the songs for different letters at various times during the day. They love this video!
Use music to help in learning math skills. Use the Leapfrog: Math Adventure to the Moon to teach counting skills, patterns, skip counting, sorting, and problem solving. Again, students love this video!
WordWorld is an awesome program on PBS for children, even very young children, to learn their alphabet letters, sounds, and how to blend words together. I highly recommend WordWorld for ages one and up. They also have DVDs available in stores such as Target.
WordWorld.com is an excellent, free site to use at home or in a school setting. Their eBooks capture children’s attention, as well as the video and games on their site. They also have free printables.
Starfall.com is another excellent free site for learning alphabet letters, sounds, and learning to read. I highly recommend this site also that teaches children to read with phonics.
Use music for transitional times. Sing, “Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere.”
Some students need a light compression such as gently squeezing each of their fingers or maybe sitting behind them and placing your hands gently on their stomach, gently massaging when they start to get upset.
Some students might need “brushing” on their arms with a soft vinyl fingernail brush to help calm them down.
Students with autism are affected by schedule changes so plan ahead and try to foresee any problems and make adjustments where possible.
If you have access to a computer, the Edmark Reading Program has been successful with students. However, this has to be purchased in order to use it.
For those who are visual thinkers, make flashcards with the vocabulary word and a picture. It must have a picture. Flashcards can be purchased at Dollar Tree, the dollar section at Target, etc., that have the word and picture on each card. Then make flashcards with just the words to use after they have learned the words with the picture flashcards.
Use “Instant Learning Centers” and manipulatives for hands-0n learning.

Great info:Autism – The Way I See It by Temple Grandin (Different types of thinking in autism)
The DVD movie, Temple Grandin, is a wonderful movie that I highly recommend!

Here are some sites to read more about autism:

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WordWorld T-Shirt Giveaway

Teacher Tips — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:31:06 +0000

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WordWorld T-Shirts are available with the characters from this popular educational children’s TV program. If you are interested in entering a giveaway contest to win one of your choice, then head over to Healthy Home Blog to enter.

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Teaching Money: “The Coin Song”

Teacher Tips — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 03:27:18 +0000

This song has a cool beat to it that kids like. Here are some of the concepts taught through this song:

Values of a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, & dollar
How many pennies in a dollar
How many nickels in a dollar
How many dimes in a dollar
How many quarters in a dollar
How many dimes & nickels in a quarter
How many nickels in a dime
How many pennies in a dime
How many pennies in a nickel
Counting by fives
Counting by tens
Counting by twenty-fives

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Happy Valentine’s Day from WordWorld: Free Downloads & Video

Teacher Tips — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:25:42 +0000

Our whole family loves WordWorld! We were first introduced to it when our daughter and son-in-law let their baby start watching it when he was a year old. WordWorld was the only show or video he would watch. He loved it! And the great thing is that he started learning his alphabet, letter sounds, and started reading words from watching this excellent children’s educational programming.
WordWorld is wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day! Here is their Valentine for you:

Valentine’s Day DVDs are available at Target, Toys R Us, Amazon & select retailers nationwide.

Watch “My Fuzzy Valentine” Monday, February 14th, on PBS KIDS. Check your local listings.

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Now Featuring: Make “Valentine’s Day Pouches” to Hold Cards & Treats

Teacher Tips — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:43:58 +0000

Christi at The Frugal Novice developed a simple craft for her young children. Check out her easy directions for making homemade Valentine’s Day pouches that are adorable! By the way, the cute little boy in the picture just happens to be our grandson!

Need more Valentine’s Day ideas? Check out these:

Valentine’s Day: Origin, Activities & Books for Children

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Engage Students With Online Classroom Discussion Platform

Teacher Tips — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:01:03 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Collaborize Classroom. All opinions are 100% mine.

Collaborize Classroom: How would you like a free online learning platform for your students that is secure and safe? Collaborize Classroom offers just that! Teachers can extend classroom discussions in a private online community of students. The online platform is safely structured to continue discussions, facilitate online learning groups, and allow students to share resources and engage in collaborative learning.

Watch a Collaborize Classroom Video to see how this happens:

This online collaborative learning provides deeper participation inside and outside the classroom as students are engaged in online discussions, activities, and assignments. Students can share resources and engage in discussions that will result in a richer educational experience.

What’s great is that teachers can set up their Collaborize Classroom site in just minutes. They just need an email address to utilize this free online learning platform that complements classroom discussions and encourages discussion, participation, and engagement. Teachers can also create online lesson plans using free resources. Here are some of the free resources available:

Do’s and Don’ts for Student Forums
Rethinking Your Role
Art of Asking Questions
5 Activities with Collaborize Classroom

The platform is not meant to replace traditional instruction but helps to facilitate learning groups in a safe environment. All of the sites are secure and have a password protected process. The password is known only by teachers, students, and those who are invited to join the site. All information and data is protected and safe!

Collaborize Classroom is free, allowing teachers to accomplish more than they could otherwise, and the free resources are a valuable addition to using this online learning tool. The web-based technology provides endless possibilities for student learning. In my opinion, this is a great way to encourage student engagement, especially those who are shy and don’t talk in class. Most students are online at home anyway using social networking. This platform fits right in with the way they communicate online socially. And with the current economic crisis, the fact that this is free enables any teacher to use this platform.

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