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!