Jun 25 2019

Fun Elementary Language Arts Activities

We are now enjoying hot summer days! And our children are already wondering how to fill their days with lots of fun-filled adventures. Many parents are worried how to keep their children from backsliding on their learning skills during these few summer weeks. Here are five interactive reading activities that we can share with our kids: [Read more…]

Danielle Gentry

Danielle’s first step in education did not begin with education at all. It began with her first love for science. She received a B.S. in Biological Science, with a concentration in Molecular Biology. Her five years of experience as a chemist in the biotech industry at SYVA and Dade Behring Diagnostics include both areas of quality control and research and development. Her contributions were qualifying products for release to sell to the diagnostic market as well as developing new diagnostic technology for immunoassay detection. Danielle’s subtle transition to discovering her passion for education was through the birth of her daughter. She became a stay at home mom. Her uber volunteerism at her daughter’s elementary school gained her access to her path of education. She now holds a multiple subject teaching credential and M.A. in Education from National University. She has over ten years of experience at Sakamoto Elementary School as an educator in kindergarten, sixth grade, second grade, and a 2/3 combination class. Her teaching is rooted in a constructivist model while fostering independence and accountability in the classroom.

Jan 15 2019

Is Your Child Reading Below Grade-Level?

At your last parent teacher conference did you discover your child was performing at below grade-level in reading? I know it’s January, but don’t despair. Hello, my name is Danielle Gentry and I’m a second- grade teacher in South San Jose. I’d like to give you some sound advice about what you can do at home to help your child and questions you can ask their teacher.

Questions to Ask the Teacher

First, let’s talk about valuable questions. How does my child read? What is my child’s reading level? Get specific answers. Most, if not all primary teachers have some kind of reading assessment that will inform the teacher of their student’s fluency, prosody, and comprehension. A deeper understanding of your child’s specific reading struggles can help you have a more directed reading experience with them at home. [Read more…]

Danielle Gentry

Sep 18 2018

Encouraging Reluctant Readers with a Growth Mindset

When my children were toddlers, they used to love story time. We’d pull out their favorite board book, they’d sit on my lap or snuggle on the couch, we’d make all the animal sounds as they pointed to the pictures and we’d retell the story using puppets. It was so much fun! [Read more…]

Jaime Koo, Encouraging Literacy

Discovering the joy of teaching while in high school, Jaime pursued her B.A. in English at Santa Clara University. She also received a teaching credential and a M.A. in Education Administration from Santa Clara University. Jaime taught English Language Arts at Rancho Middle School, motivating and inspiring young people to become effective communicators and contributors in their community. From being a Middle School English Language Arts/English Language Development teacher to becoming a stay-at home mom, Jaime is an education consultant who presents literacy workshops. Her workshops focus on a combination of her ten years of teaching expertise with tried-and-true experiences that she uses with her own children. Jaime is also a Teacher Consultant with the San Jose Area Writing Project. Jaime’s mission is to share effective reading and writing strategies with families to encourage literacy.

Jul 18 2018

Transportation and Construction Reading Activity

Transportation and Construction Reading Activities with Kids!

You can read with your children about different types of vehicles, how to construct a road, or you can help your child learn how to identify vehicles when driving on errands. When reading to your children, help them learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills by asking questions and talking about the story. Listed below are stories, discussion questions, and relevant California Common Core Standards used by teachers for early elementary students to develop effective language arts skills.

Suggested stories or books on transportation and construction may include:

There’s a Hole in the Road by Mary Ann Burke reprinted by permission on GenParenting.com
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
Wheels at Work Construction book
Find it: Things That Go
Spot the Difference Building Site

A Hole in the Road Story

The story below was created by Grandma Mary Ann and her grandchildren after her car slipped into a sink hole at the bottom of a hill. Although there is some truth to the story, it is greatly exaggerated and can be read to your children with much imagination and humor. After reading the story, you can answer the comprehension questions and submit a comment to GenParenting.com Comments. [Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.

Jul 03 2018

Welcome to the GenParenting Summer Blog Reading Series!

Welcome to our six-week summer blog reading series for parents and their children. Starting on Tuesday, July 10 through Thursday, August 16 we will provide three blogs each week using the Common Core Standards and STEAM activities per the following schedule:

July 10, 11, 12: Nature exploration blog, reading activity, and family play for preschoolers and early elementary children (Automobuild Workshop on August 2 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
July 17, 18, 19: Transportation and construction blog, reading activity, and family play for preschoolers and elementary children (Automobuild Workshop on July 19 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
July 24, 25, 26: Get ready for school with siblings, twins, and multiples blog, reading activity, and family play for infants and preschoolers (Automobuild workshop on August 9 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
July 31, August 1, 2: Promoting family literacy blog, reading activity, and family play for elementary children
August 7, 8, 9: Career explorations blog, reading activity, and family play for middle and high school children
August 14, 15, 16: Talking about death and difficult subjects blog, reading activity, and family play for preschool and early elementary children

[Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert