Susan Fitzell’s Educational Blog

As a parent who has spent my children’s lifetimes trying to teach them how to learn, I was very excited when I walked into my daughter’s college apartment and found mind-maps, mnemonics, color, etc. all over one of her walls. Now, it’s not unusual to find mandalas on her door or on her walls, or flash cards scattered about, but this was a huge mind-map made from recycled 8.5 X 11″ pieces of paper. I had to get a picture and I’m going to attach it to this post so that you can see it. I have no idea what it all means, but I do know it helped her to get an A in the course.

As some of you know, Shivahn co-wrote a book with me, Umm…Studying? What’s that?  so it feels good to me to know that she didn’t ‘just’ write the book, she also uses the strategies that she shares with other teens.

Have a great day. It’s raining here today and I have to finish a book that I’m writing on Co-teaching. It’s a bit challenging to get motivated to write when my energy is in line with the rain.

I was doing some research for a teacher that I’m coaching in differentiating instruction and decided to share the results of the search with my blog readers. She teaches language arts.

 If your students or children (I realize they are often both the same) could use some extra practice with grammar, dictionary skills, parts of speech, etc. Check out these resources!

 Dictionary skills (and more)

5th Grade Skill Builders- Interactive Sites — http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_5th_original.htm Scroll down for Language Arts

Parts of speech

Wacky Tales — click on one of the topics… note the help boxes at the bottom of the page. http://www.eduplace.com/tales/

Grammar Gorilla– This one is very cute: http://www.funbrain.com/grammar/

Word Games seemed like fluff to me on first sight, however, I tried the “picture word” and the very first word was a word that I did not know! I was quite surprised. http://www.theproblemsite.com/word_games.asp

This one makes you resister. I’m not sure how realistic this will be for a school setting: http://www.iknowthat.com/com/L3?Area=WackAWord

Generic On line Language Arts Games: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading-and-language-arts/games/5831.html

Grammar: Parts of speech on line resources: http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001579.shtml

Must register for this one. It’s an excellent resource over all: Brain Pop — http://www.brainpop.com/english/grammar/partsofspeech/preview.weml

The Teacher’s Café Grammar Page: http://www.theteacherscafe.com/Grammar/Grammar_Games.php

The Grammar Page: http://classroom.jc-schools.net/basic/la-grammar.html

Enjoy!

The Internet is full of lists of homework tips for parents that focus on setting up the environment and managing behavior. The one aspect of helping children with homework that is rarely addressed is “how”. How do I help my child to memorize those spelling words? How do I help him or her to comprehend what is read? How do I help the child with that paper he/she has to write. Parents often end up frustrated and feeling ineffective because they don’t know how to help their children to be successful. This is especially true of parents with children who have learning difficulties.

Recent scientific research has confirmed that we all have different learning preferences and that we all learn best with different strategies.  Brain research has shown that regardless of learning style, we all process information in specific ways. 

For example, here are some of my favorite (and very easy) strategies: 

* Have children print information to be memorized.
* Border key spelling words, people, places, etc.
* Have children use two colors when working alternating the color of each fact they are writing in their notes.

(Color makes facts stand out as unique.   If all notes are in one color, nothing stands out as unique and is therefore harder to remember.)

*  Highlight important information, not EVERYTHING.
* Alternate color gel pens, markers, crayons, etc.

Here’s a strategy for studying vocabulary words:

Vocabulary Study Strategy
1. Choose a vocabulary word.
2. Print it on one side of a “flash” card. (Use index cards, heavy paper cut into strips, etc.)
3. Ask your child to tell you what he or she thinks it means so that it draws from what your child already knows.
4. Reinforce the correct definition.
5. Print the definition on the other side of the “flash” card.
6. Stand and act out a movement for the word while spelling it aloud three times!

Start the process over with the next word on the spelling or vocabulary list.

If your child’s teacher requires that he or she write the words three times each in cursive, ask the teacher if your child can write the word two times in cursive and one time printed on a flash card. Explain that you are better able to help your child with flash cards. Some children will not mind writing the words four times each. My children, however, objected to the extra work and even insisted, “But the teacher says I have to do it THIS way!” So, I made a deal with the teacher to have one set of words on flash cards and the teacher told my child that it was Okay.

Parents might want to “Look inside this book: Please Help Me with My Homework! Strategies for Parents and Caregivers” at  http://tinyurl.com/3626nf.The book provides the reader with simple, proven tools to help children increase academic performance and make the homework experience more rewarding and productive. It can seriously reduce homework stress.Smooth Homeworking!