Creating a Sensory Table - Fun Indoor or Outdoor Activity for Kids

In the previous blog, we talked about the importance of engaging the five senses in creating learning experiences that last a life time.  In today’s blog, let’s examine the value of creating a sensory table in your home.

There is no “right-way” to create a sensory table.  You can choose any flat surface: table, cart (top shelf), or even a box will work.  Typically a sensory table consists of a collection of tubs, small boxes, or buckets that can be rotated regularly by changing out the different materials.

 Learning with a sensory table is more than a fun time filler.  It allows your child to gain an understanding about the world around him.  The sensory table provides essential hands-on experiences for investigating materials and different items.  Engage in a conversation with your child while he/she is exploring.  Here are a few questions you may try:

·         Is it smooth; wet; bumpy; or dry?

·         Is it sticky; gooey; slippery; or fluffy?

·         Does it tickle?

·         Does it change color somehow?

Provide different mediums for exploring with.  Use different containers to house: water, sand, dirt, rice or pasta, beans, clay, play dough, dry cereal, salt, sugar, oatmeal, pom poms, rocks, sea shells, Legos, cotton balls, and marbles.

Provide different items for scooping and measuring: spoons, cups, dippers, funnel, wooden and plastic utensils.

Remember there is no right or wrong way to use a sensory table.  Be mindful of any items that may be a choking hazard for your children and always supervise their play.  If you are using water, have towels handy and remove any valuables out of the way of splashing.

Encourage your child to explore and engage in “table talk” to increase your child’s understanding of textures, shapes, colors, and sizes of items.  Sensory play is designed to explore the senses in authentic learning experiences.  Have fun with your child and remember to change out the medium bowls frequently to stimulate your child’s learning and to keep him/her motivated.

Learning Through the Senses

Learning takes place when the senses are engaged in the process of retaining information.  Stop and think about your favorite memories.  Many times you can associate events with smells, tastes, or sounds.  You may associate musical lyrics with sounds that trigger your brain into recalling a flashback scene.  Many smells and tastes will remind you of childhood memories at Grandma’s house or in your mother’s kitchen.

Now think about how your learned how to ride a bike.  Did you conquer this skill in one attempt?  Did someone “tell” you how to ride and you learned it right away?  Of course not!  It took time and time again getting onto the bike, peddling, wavering the handlebars, falling off and getting back up again and again before you actually rode that bike successfully. That repeated practice and behavior molded your ability to learn how to ride a bike.  This repeated practice has to take place in all skill areas.  So when you are trying to help your child to become a reader and writer, the repeated practice of engaging ones senses in the learning process must take place.

First of all, remember to give your child many opportunities to investigate materials through: touch, taste, sound, smell, and sight.  You are helping him/her to develop and refine their learning skill set.  Exposing children to sensory play helps them develop and to refine their senses.  Engage your child in make-believe activities that will help to build self-esteem and creativity.

·         Touch: play games that require the use of muscles as in: running, jumping, skipping, and hopping.  Play leap frog, hopscotch and tug-of-war.  These activities will improve gross motor skills.  For fine motor skills, include: play dough, finger painting, coloring, and drawing.

·         Sight:  experiment with light around the home.  Make shadows with a flashlight.  Play “I Spy” and look for different colors in objects.  Play catch with a balloon or ball to improve eye-hand coordination.

·         Sound: engage your child’s musical side by playing different listening games. Talk about different sounds inside and outside your home.  Experiment with volume for loud and soft sounds.

·         Smell: utilize your kitchen to investigate smelling scents.  Go on a “smelly” walk outdoors and fine different fragrant flowers. Read Scratch & Sniff  books.

·         Taste: experiment with opposites: try frozen food versus hot foods; salty versus sweet; crunchy verses soft

Sensory play encourages children to use descriptive and creative language.  Children must experience something first hand in order to make sense of it and form a lasting memory in the brain.  When your child engages in eye-hand coordination, fine motor and gross motor activities, this will prepare his brain for learning more complicated skills.  By using sensory play, your child will feel a boost in confidence in decision making, and will be inspired to learn and experiment new learning opportunities with his/her senses. 

Slide into Summer with Fun Learning Activities

Now that the school year is coming to a close it doesn’t mean that learning stops.  There are so many ways to increase your child’s learning through everyday activities in the home.  Let’s look at a few tips that will keep your child engaged in learning throughout the summer months.

1.       Read with your child everyday: grab a book, any book, and read to your child at least three times a week.  Have your child read to you; another family member, friend, or even the family pet; for 20 minutes each day. Provide different forms of reading material: newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes, daily mail items, etc.   By showing that reading is a natural part of the day, you will plant the seeds for a lifetime of reading for your child.

2.      Encourage friendship outside of school:  give your child multiple experiences of interacting with other children in play groups, clubs, summer activity groups, camps, sport teams, and Vacation Bible Schools.  These experiences will strengthen your child’s emotional, mental, and physical development.  By engaging in group activities outside of the home, you are helping your child develop the necessary team building skills that will carry over back in the classroom setting.

3.      Bring learning into the kitchen:  why not bake a cake or cookies and have your child learn about measurement, following directions, and sequential order.  All of these skills are important in comprehension strategies; so you will be helping your child through involving him/her through practical steps in cooking.

4.      Visit local attractions: visit your community library for summer events and special guest attractions.   Check out an aquarium, museum, historical park, or other local venues that will help to increase your child’s cultural learning experiences.

5.      Teach your child to be responsible:  if your child doesn’t cleanup for himself at home, he/she is more likely to be messy at school.  Teach him/her to stow away toys, make the bed, take out the trash, and wash dishes.  Every house whole could use a little extra help and every child is old enough to start doing their part in the daily chores.  When this starts at home, keeping a clean desk at school won’t seem like such a big deal.

6.      Do step-by-step teaching at home:  make sure you have your child’s attention when you are giving step-by-step directions.  Give clear instructions for your little one to follow.  This will help your child to learn to follow directions and to listen to instructions.  Praise your child for good listening and following directions when the job is accomplished.

By following these simple tips during the summer months, you will be helping your child to experience learning opportunities that will carry over into the classroom next fall.  Have fun learning with your child this summer.  Every opportunity in life can be a learning experience that can be treasured by the whole family.  Enjoy your time together and stay safe and healthy.  

Avoid the Summer Slide - Tips for Summer Learning

1. KEEP YOUR CHILD HEALTHY AND SAFE
• Continue healthy eating habits- enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits
• Remind your child to wear a safety helmet when riding bikes and 4-wheelers
• Obey safety rules for swimming, hiking, and camping
• Get plenty of rest; wear sunscreen; and drink water everyday

2. READ 20 MINUTES EVERYDAY
• Take time to visit the local public library at least once a week and participate in storytime
• Engage your child in reading for fun- choose topics of interest
• Use electronic devices to read: computers, Nook Reader, Kindle, iPad
• Listen to audio books on CD

3. WRITE 10 MINUTES EVERYDAY
• Start a summer scrapbook
• Start a summer journal
• Write notes to family members
• Make Birthday cards or Get Well cards

4. KEEP PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS SHARP
• Practice math problems in the grocery store or on other shopping trips
• Make decisions or solve a mystery: give your child choices
• Do science experiments in the kitchen or garage Engage your child in fun activities that will stimulate his thinking and keep his mind active and learning. Remember to be safe and have a wonderful summer vacation time with your child.

Advice to Parents from Teachers at the End of the School Year

As we come to the end of the school year, parents can be very helpful to teachers during this time. Here are a few tips that teachers want parents to know about helping their child’s classroom prepare for the last few weeks of school.

• Sharpen pencils: stop by the classroom once a week and offer to sharpen classroom pencils to fill pencil boxes.

• Help around the classroom: an extra set of “hands” are always appreciated for: filing papers, organizing homework folders, and reorganizing classroom libraries, making copies, and wiping down desks and tables.

• Restock the supply closet: supplies are getting light at this time of the year so how about offering to supply tissue boxes, paper towels, sanitizers, and basic supplies that can be used for projects (colored markers, crayons, construction paper, etc.)

• Be a reader: offer to “buddy read” with students in your child’s class. This will encourage reluctant readers to have a parent to share in their reading time.

• Lead a small group: offer to work with small groups or individual students in: sight word drills, spelling practice or practicing math facts.

• Record your child’s favorite stories: read stories to your child and record them on a CD or MP3 player and offer to share them with your child’s teacher. She can set these up in a listening center in the classroom for other students to read and follow along in the book.

• Deliver a “treat” on a hot day: as the school year winds down, the temperatures are rising. Maybe you can offer to bring fresh fruit or cold drink boxes in on a hot day for a treat for the students.

Talk to your child’s teacher about any of the above opportunities that you would like to participate in for the class. You are strengthening your child’s connection with the school when you volunteer your time to help the classroom teacher. The teacher will appreciate any offered assistance at this time of the year. It will be a lasting impression on the students, as well.

Counting the days until summer? Use the calendar as a learning tool!

Now that we are coming to the end of another school year, before you throw out the old calendar, use this as a teaching tool to help your child with number sense skills.

1. Months of the year: your child needs to know the follow facts:
• There are 12 months in a year
• Name all of the months in order
• Use the ordinal words when naming the months: first, second, third, fourth, etc.
• Use the terms before and after to describe the relationship of months in order: October comes before November and after September

2. Days of the week: your child needs to know the follow facts:
• There are seven days in a week
• Sunday is the first day of the week
• Use the words before and after to describe the relationship of days: Monday comes after Sunday and before Tuesday
• Know the terms: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

3. Even and odd: your child needs to know how to:
• Recognize the even and odd numbers

• Count by even numbers: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 etc.

• Count by odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.

• Count by ones, fives, and tens

4. Digits: your child needs to understand that numbers are “digits”

• The numbers 0-9 are single digit numbers

• The numbers 10-31 are double digit numbers (or two digit numbers)

• The digits have place values: 0-9 are in the ones place

• Two digit numbers, represent the tens place and the ones place on the place value chart. (this concept will help when your child learns about the Hundred’s Thousand’s place on the Place Value Chart)

5. Number Value: your child can learn the value of numbers

• Counting the digits on the calendar is the came as counting objects

• The digits on the calendar can be compared to the value of coins: 1= a penny or 1 cent or .01. 5= a nickel or 5 cents or .05. 10= a dime, or 10 cents or .10. 25= a quarter or 25 cents or .25. To make this realistic, use real coins when comparing the digits on the calendar.

Now you have some ideas for using your old calendars for helping your child learn more about number sense skills and calendar facts. Another tip: use the calendar pictures to generate vocabulary growth by describing the scenes with picturesque words.

Teacher Appreciation - Simply Stated, Budget Friendly and Long Lasting

It is National Teacher Appreciation Week and here are a few suggestions for showing teachers your appreciation in a simple yet lasting way.

Teachers want to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to student success. When considering teacher gifts or recognition, here are a few ideas that have brightened teachers’ day over the years;

1. Chocolate: teachers appreciate little chocolate treats after a long day. Simply place a small chocolate bar in their mailbox or have a treat basket available during a faculty meeting.

2. Small gifts: such as, decorative note pads, cool paper clips, or water bottle. Even consider giving out a roll of student stickers. Teachers often use their own money to buy incentives for their students. This small gesture shows them that you realize how much they care about their students.

3. Gift cards: small gift cards to local book stores or school supply stores will also be appreciated by teachers.

4. Certificates of recognition: give your teachers a certificate that shows your appreciation of their hard work. Design the certificate suitable for framing. Make it an honor to hang in their classroom.

5. Thank you notes: teachers always appreciate it when someone says “thank you” for their dedication to student achievement.

Teachers work beyond their contracted hours and many times feel taken for granted that they are always available. Just a few simple signs of appreciation can go a long way to encouraging good teachers to stay in the profession.

Build a Fort and Build a Fun Memory on a Rainy Day

Need an indoor game on these rainy days for young children? How about something that channels their creativity and imagination through “fort building”. Let’s look at some directions for making a good indoor fort in your own home.

What makes a good fort? Start by throwing a sheet over the kitchen table and a simple fort is formed. Another style is to turn 4 chairs around and drape a sheet, blanket, or quilt over the backs. The area under the table and chairs become hidden rooms in which your children can move in pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, and favorite toys.

Forts are not only a way to entertain kids on rainy days, but also a great way to inspire your child’s imagination for pretending and role playing. This is an excellent opportunity for imaginary friends to come alive with interactive dialogue among your children.

How can parents help? Allow your kids to build forts on their own – without tearing up the house, of course. You will be excited to watch your children play and create their own fun experience. Building and talking about forts brings the parent back to those memories you had as a child when you built forts with your brother or sister. Let your child explore his/her imagination and create a fort in your home for hours of endless healthy play.

How do you train children to be critical thinkers in an era of standardized testing?

Critical thinking has become a buzz word in education. It is the goal of learning to be able to analyze and evaluate decisions rather than just repeating facts and details. If we want our children to become problem solvers, designers, and quick thinkers, we need to provide opportunities to practice critical thinking skills. Here are a few suggestions to help reach the goal of becoming a “critical thinker”:

1. Ask open ended questions- ask questions that encourage children to respond critically without being afraid of giving the wrong answer. For example: “why do you think that?” or “how do you know?”

2. Categorize and classify- classification plays an important role in critical thinking because it requires identification and sorting according to a set of rules that kids must discover, understand, and apply. Make sure to follow-up with questions about the similarities and differences between groups. For example: sort and classify laundry, toys, Lego’s, food items into groups to show similar items and discuss how they are also different.

3. Work in groups- in a group setting, children have an opportunity to hear discussion from their peers. They begin to understand how others think and that there are multiple ways to approach problems, not just one way.

4. Make decisions- consider the pros and cons in a situation. Then evaluate the decision later. Ask your child “How do you feel about your decision? What will you do differently next time?” Don’t be afraid to let your child fail. He will be learning a life lesson in this experience.

5. Find patterns- encourage your child to look for patterns in everyday activities and to use critical thinking to relate to real life situations. For example: encourage him to look for different shapes in the road signs on the highway or to see the different shapes and sizes in windows on a building.

There’s been a shift toward teaching critical thinking, a skill that elevates thinking beyond memorization into the realm of analysis and logic. It is still important for your child to know the multiplication tables but it is just as vital for him to know how and when to use them—that’s “critical thinking”.

Individualized Education Plan + Parent = Success!

PARENTS HAVE A ROLE IN THEIR CHILD’S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN (IEP)

The passage of the updated version of the IDEA, 2004, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, made parents of children with special needs even more crucial members of their child’s education team. Parents can work with educators to develop a plan, Individual Education Plan (IEP), to help students succeed in school. The IEP describes the goals the team sets for a child during the school year, as well as, any special support needed to help the child achieve their goals.

The referral process begins when a teacher, parent, or doctor is concerned that a child may be having trouble in the classroom. The first step is to gather specific data regarding the student’s progress or academic problems. This information helps the school personnel determine the next step. At this point, strategies specific to the student are recommended that could be used to help the child become more successful in the classroom.

As a parent, you can decide whether to have your child assessed. If you choose to do so, you will be asked to sign a permission form that will detail who is involved in the process and the type of assessments that will be used. These tests may include measures of specific school skills, such as: reading, math, and general developmental skills, such as: speech and language. Parents can work together with the school personnel to come up with a plan that best meets the child’s instructional needs.

As a parent, you have legal rights in regard to your child’s individualized educational plan. There is a specific timeline in place to ensure that the development of an IEP moves from referral to providing services as quickly as possible. You will want to be sure to ask about the timeframe and get a copy of your “parent’s rights” when your child is referred. These guidelines or procedural safeguards outline your rights as a parent to control what happens to your child during each step of the process.

The IEP process is complex, but it’s also an effective way to address how your child learns and functions in school. If you have concerns, don’t hesitate to ask questions about the evaluation findings or the goals recommended by the team. You know your child best and should play a central role in creating a learning plan tailored to your child’s specific needs.

Help Your Child Become a Math Detective!

Do you want your child to get excited about math and excel on the math standards? You can prepare your child with problem solving strategies by encouraging him/her to become a “Math Detective”.

1. Look for Patterns: thinking creatively requires a certain mindset so you’ll want to start by looking for patterns in your child’s daily life. Start with shapes, sizes of objects, color patterns in items around the house; include number patterns when possible.

2. Look for a simple idea and follow it as far as you can: for example, how many different ways can you represent your child’s height? Measure your child against a wall or door frame and then, have him stack shoe boxes, cereal boxes, paper towel rolls, canned goods, or pillows to the same height. With each measurement, emphasize the differences in the number of items that were used to equal his height. Use compare and contrast strategies to explain the differences. Which items took more (or less) to equal your height? Why? Which were the easiest to stack?

3. Look for puzzles that stimulate the creative thinking process of the brain: uncovering patterns and applying math problems to real life will help your child to become a problem solver and creative thinker. Puzzle books, hand held games, and puzzle games will entertain and educate your child in problem solving skills.

4. Look for Math games: to reinforce computational skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, geometry, and decimals. By making math fun through games, the more likely your child will succeed in problem solving activities in his school work. There are board games and children’s math activity books that can be used to help reinforce the computational skills.

Some advice to parents, you may need to brush up on your own math skills in order to take the lead in getting your child excited about being a “Math Detective” in his/her daily activities. Make the learning fun and exciting. Before long, your little detective will begin to discover patterns on his own and will want to quiz you on the problem solving solutions. Be ready!

8 Ways for Parents to Promote Reading at Home

Marilyn Lopes, Family Life Education Specialist from the University of Massachusetts describes 8 ways parents can promote reading at home to encourage their child to become a strong reader and to be successful in school.

1. Read Yourself: a the parent or caregiver, you can model the importance of reading by reading in front of your child. You can read the newspaper, magazines, or curling up with a good book, it doesn't matter what you read, just that you ARE reading.

2. Make sure your children read every day: researchers have found that children who spend at least 20 minutes a day reading for fun develop the skills to be better readers in school. Reading is a skill and needs to be practiced so take time every day to read from books, newspapers, magazines, even online computer reading is acceptable.

3. Get the library habit: make sure everyone in the family has a library card and schedule regular trips to your local library. This is a great opportunity to check out a book for yourself and model the value of adult reading, as well.

4. Read aloud to your children: start reading to your children when they are young and continue when they become older. You will both enjoy the chance to go something together. Select a time that is convenient to the family, such as: before bedtime, after dinner, even at breakfast, whatever works for your family.

5. Use the newspaper to encourage reading: do a scavenger hunt: • find a map of the United States • find a picture of a favorite athlete • locate the weather forecast for the day • find three words that begin with the letter "p", "t", "m" • find the titles of local movies playing in your town

6. Give books as gifts: create a "home library" of collected books and add to the library on special occasions like birthdays and holidays.

7. Make reading a privilege: use reading as an award system (never as a punishment) and give extra reading minutes for good behavior or special treat.

8. If you are not a good reader yourself, you can still encourage your children: as your children learn how to read, have them become the family reader and read to you. Talk about the books your child has read and ask questions that will encourage comprehension strategies. Invite other family members to read with your child, too.

Celebrate President's Day with a History Lesson!

Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers.

The shift from Washington’s Birthday to Presidents’ Day began in the late 1960s when Congress proposed a measure known as the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Championed by Senator Robert McClory of Illinois, this law sought to shift the celebration of several federal holidays from specific dates to a series of predetermined Mondays.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act also included a provision to combine the celebration of Washington’s Birthday with Abraham Lincoln’s, which fell on the date of February 12. Lincoln’s Birthday had long been a state holiday in places like Illinois, and many supported joining the two days as a way of giving equal recognition to two of America’s most famous presidents.

While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.

In its modern form, Presidents’ Day is used by many patriotic and historical groups as a date for staging celebrations, reenactments and other events. A number of states also require that their public schools spend the days leading up to Presidents’ Day teaching students about the accomplishments of the presidents, often with a focus on the lives of Washington and Lincoln. For school age children, why not use Presidents’ Day to learn more about presidents of the past, especially Washington and Lincoln.

Celebrate Black History Month

Black History Month is observed during the month of February. President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as “Black History Month”. It is observed in our nation’s schools where students study prominent African-American leaders and the history of the Civil Rights’ Movement. Black History month is observed in February in the USA and in Canada. It is observed in October in the United Kingdom. The theme for Black History in 2014 is “Civil Rights in America.”

Here are some things you can do to observe Black History in America:

1. Read a biography of an African American that you may not be familiar with like: Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, or Frederick Douglass

2. Study about the Underground Railroad and learn about the paths slaves followed to reach freedom.

3. Listen to the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.

4. Pick a subject you are interested in and research the contributions made by an African-American; possible subjects may include: art, music, science, business, or education

5. Design your own postage stamp that celebrates Black History.

Black History Month is a time when the contributions and achievement of black people are celebrated and studied in schools and libraries across the nation. These are only a few ways to learn about famous African American. Visit your local library for so much more!

Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

On the third Monday in January, the United States of America observes Martin Luther King Day.  Government Offices, school systems, banks, and postal offices are generally closed on this day.  This becomes a day of service, reflection, and commemorating of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Since your children will be home from school, why not spend a little time learning about one of America’s famous heroes, Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great man who worked for racial equality and civil rights in America.  He was born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GA.  His mother was a school teacher.  His father and grandfather were both ministers.  Martin has one brother, named Alfred, and one sister, named Christine.  Martin learned how to read before entering public school.

He was an excellent student; skipping grades in elementary and high school.  He enjoyed reading books, singing, riding his bicycle, and playing football and baseball.  He entered Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA when he was 15 years old.

After graduating from college with his doctorate degree, he was married and moved to Alabama where he became a minister.  During the 1950’s, Dr. King became active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality.  He participated in many peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African-Americans. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  He gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963.

Commemorating the life of a tremendously important leader, we celebrate MLK Day each year.  Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is still remembered today to inspire us all to join together for peaceful harmony in this world.  He encourages us to dream for a better future for our children.

Here are a few ideas to engage your child in celebrating MLK Day:

1. What do your dream about?  Write a paragraph describing your dream.  Draw a picture of who you want to be when you grow up.

 2. Think of 8 words that describe Dr. King.  Write the words down.  Now use those words in sentences to tell facts about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  For example:  leader, minister, Civil rights, dream speech, equality.

3. Make a spelling word list to learn and memorize.  Examples:  great, leader, rights, protest, color, skin, equality, speech, dream

4. Write an acrostic poem using the letters in FREEDOM.

Helping Parents with their New Year's Resolutions

We are well into the New Year and maybe you have made your “New Year Resolutions”, but have you considered becoming a more involved parent in your child’s education? Here are a few tips you can use to encourage your participation in becoming more engaged in your child’s education and school activities. If you are already doing these suggestions, this can be one resolution that you can mark as “accomplished” and feel good about reaching your goals for the New Year. Thank you for your dedicated participation in your child’s education. You are laying the foundation for his/her future success in our global economy and society.

TIPS FOR INVOLVED PARENTS

1. Talk to your child about school activities and experiences.

2. Talk with teachers regularly – even when no problems exist.

3. Broaden your child’s understanding of the world by visiting malls, museums, parks, zoos, universities, sports stadiums, theaters, transportation facilities (air ports, train stations), farms, and local landmarks (historical sites, fire station, police station, courthouse).

4. Make learning relevant by encouraging activities that use what kids learn at school. Encourage kids to count money; make shopping lists; calculate costs, sales prices, and taxes; read menus and newspapers; and write letters.

5. Designate a specific time and place for homework.

6. Read to your child every day and encourage independent reading. Make frequent trips to the public library.

7. Set goals that are challenging but attainable.

8. Visit the school regularly and become involved in school activities as often as possible.

9. Become familiar with your child’s curriculum and its required skills and goals.

10. Be aware that your attitudes about school – and teachers – influence your child’s attitudes about school and teachers.

Challenge yourself to select at least three of these tips and work towards gaining total parental involvement in your child’s education. You will begin to see an increased improvement in your child’s academic progress, positive attitude about school life, regular attendance, and overall performance on a daily basis. So it’s worth your time and effort to become actively engaged in your child’s education. It is going to be a Happy New Year!

Safety Tips to Children Safely Playing in Cold Temperatures

Now that winter is upon us, when children want to play outside in the extreme cold temperatures, the American Red Cross offers some safety tips for staying safe in cold conditions.

1. Dress in layers of light clothing: rather than just wearing a heavy coat, wear undergarments, shirt and sweater, tights or knee socks, pants and boots along with a warm coat.

2. Cover your head and hands: wearing a hat, stocking cap, or hood and gloves will prevent losing too much body heat quickly.

3. Limit your time of exposure to low temperatures: small children need to come inside every 10 minutes to get warm before returning to outdoor play.

4. Seek medical attention immediately: if you or your child experiences symptoms of dizziness, confusion, and severe shivering, as hyperthermia may be a concern.

5. Watch for symptoms of frostbite: your extremities may show signs of frostbite if there is a numbness and skin discoloration of the fingers, nose, face, or toes. If this occurs, seek a warm shelter and begin first aid treatment. Remember to use “luke-warm” water rather than hot water to soak hands and feet. Call emergency medical attendants immediately for frostbite exposure.

6. Drink hot liquids and stay hydrated: keeping hot cocoa or hot tea available for warm-up breaks from being in the cold will help to keep the body warm on the inside. It is important to stay hydrated when playing in the cold temperatures, so drink plenty of water, too.

7. Final tip: get into a warm shelter before any of the extreme exposure symptoms become severe.

Let your children have fun during the winter months when the sun is shining. Just take precaution when the temperatures dip below freezing. You will want to keep your child happy, healthy, and safe until the season changes for warmer days.