GenParenting

Parenting resources for all who love and care for children

How to Make Writing Fun

How to Make Writing Fun (Part 2)

Most students feel challenged to complete their writing assignments. As an intervention elementary school teacher, I love to empower students with imaginative and engaging writing assignments. For example, my second-grade students wanted to learn more about rattlesnakes after hearing my personal story about being bitten by a rattlesnake. Here is an outline of questions they asked for our writing activity:

  1. How did I get bitten by the rattlesnake?
  2. Why do snakes bite people?
  3. Where was I when it happened?
  4. What did the bite feel like?
  5. Did I catch the snake or did it get away?
  6. What did I do after the bite?
  7. Did I phone 911?
  8. Did an ambulance transport me to the hospital?
  9. What did I do while waiting for the ambulance?
  10. What happened when I arrived at the hospital?
  11. What type of medication did the doctors use to fight a venomous snake bite?
  12. What does venomous, antivenom, and antidotes mean?
  13. How is antivenom created?
  14. What types of animals help create antivenom antidotes?
  15. How long did it take to get better?
  16. Do I still have problems with the bite?
  17. What can a person do so they do not get a snake bite?

[Read more…]

Homework: A Guide to Inspire Learning 

Homework: A Guide to Inspire Learning

Last week we had our grandkids stay with us for a few days while their parents worked and traveled. Packets of homework and home learning projects were sent along with their clothing. As credentialed teachers, Grandpa and I decided that we could each focus on our strengths while guiding our grandkids to complete their assignments. I focused on language arts while Grandpa focused on math assignments. Our greatest challenge was to inspire independent problem solving while encouraging learning. [Read more…]

College and Career Explorations

College and Career Explorations

When children are preschoolers, they love to think about what they want to be when they grow up. Some want to be garbage collectors, doctors, princesses, and athletes. Whatever career passions children relish, it is important to reinforce these interests with relevant play activities and enrichment outings to learn more about various careers. Parents can help children visualize a plan for a career opportunity by encouraging their children to:

  • Communicate with folks in specific professions.
  • Research the educational and job requirements for potential careers.
  • Participate in field trips and community activities to learn more about specific careers.
  • Attend parents’ work activities and shadow parents, colleagues, and friends to explore various careers
  • Encourage children to help at work with duplications, mailings, and computer inputting if permitted by the company.
  • Secure community service volunteer responsibilities, internships, and paid jobs.

As children enter middle school and explore various careers, they must learn how to research various college and career academic requirements to ensure that they are taking the proper courses for a specific career. They can attend career exploration days, meet with college counselors, and attend college tours to learn more about academic preparations. The more children understand the requirements for specific careers, the greater their successes will be to prepare and plan for appropriate course selections.

Early College Options

Early college, or the ability to take college courses in high school, can save thousands of dollars in educational preparations and tuition costs later. Middle school and high school students can learn more about early college by contacting their local school district to determine which high school campuses offer community college courses at the high school site. Parents and students can also contact their local community college to learn which courses high school students can register for during and after the school day. Additionally, many state and private colleges offer summer and vacation break intra-sessions on different careers including computer coding, science and math academics, performing arts, and writing workshops.

Community Service Leadership Opportunities

As part of their high school graduation requirements, most high school students are required to participate in community service activities. Some students use this time to explore careers and provide community services at elementary schools, for youth sports teams, and at various social service agencies. During summer breaks, students may participate in an international business program or cultural exchange program in another country. Other students work at summer jobs or internships to learn about merchandising, computer coding, and legislative support services for a local legislator.

Much success supporting your children’s school leadership and career planning options.

Academic Learning in Home-Based Activities

Academic Learning in Home-Based Activities

Children learn best by exploring their world at their own level of understanding with toys and projects that will facilitate learning in many different ways. Parents can select toys that reinforce social and emotional skill development through situational play, games, and books. These may include situational play activities when constructing houses and communities with building blocks, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Magna Tiles, Lego, and other construction materials. Preschoolers and younger elementary age children love to play house, cook, be a fireman, respond to emergencies, play doctor, and create construction sites with various props and relevant toys. Older elementary school-age children and teens love to play Monopoly while they invest in properties, the game of Life as family members make life plans, and the game of Clue as they solve a murder mystery. There are a multitude of books that help children learn about how to manage feelings and challenging social/emotional situations at home and school. [Read more…]

Consider Children’s Needs for School Choice

Consider Your Children’s Needs for School Choice

When considering different school options, you can ask yourself the following questions about your child or collectively about your children:

  • What is my child’s personality type?
  • Does she prefer playing or socializing in small groups, large groups, or by herself?
  • Does she like to lead a group in various activities?
  • Would she prefer to watch others and then follow in small group play and socialization activities?
  • Is she easily frustrated when playing and socializing with others?
  • Does she get angry when things do not go her way?
  • What are her favorite activities?
  • Does she prefer outside or thinking types of activities?
  • Does she prefer paper and pencil activities or large muscle and interactive activities?
  • Would she learn best by reading with you, listening, or watching others?
  • What are her academic experiences?
  • Does she recognize letters and letter combination sounds?
  • Has she exhibited other pre-reading or reading skills?
  • How does she apply number sense in everyday activities?
  • What has the teacher said about her social, emotional, and learning skill development?
  • What concerns do you have about her academic success and learning challenges?

[Read more…]