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We are no longer in business. If you have a student who needs tutoring, contact Kara Kelly at 420.9186 or kara@stepsbykara.com.
Thank You!
To: St. Luke's for their generous support to local teachers. Through their grant we were able to offer '50 Nifty Activities Round 2' to local educators for only $10 per person and give away '50 Nifty' kits for free!
Dori Madsen and the staff at the Southern Idaho Learning Center
Tip of the Month ----- Game of the week! (11.7.11) Concentration This game incorporates gross motor movement and focusing on words within a given group while remembering verbal input from others in the activity.
Goal: Children will increase 1) their ability to think of words that belong in the pre-designated group, 2) auditory/verbal input memory, 3) ability to keep kinesthetic (movement) and verbal rhythm.
Supplies Needed: No supplies are needed, however, if you do not wish to play this game sitting on the ground, you will need some chairs that can be pulled away from any tables or desks (to prevent hitting hands/arms on tables).
Directions for hand movements: This pattern is performed in a steady 4/4 time rhythm. Hands will (gently) slap thighs/lap. Hands will clap in front of chest. Right hand/arm goes out to the side in 1/2 of an "I-don't-know" shrug position. Left hand goes out to complete the "I-don't-know" shrug position.
Cadence: Con- cen- tra- tion. Keep the rhy- thm. All in rhy- thm. Concen- tration now begins. (slap) (clap) (right hand) (left hand) (slap) (clap) (right) (left). (slap) (clap) (right) (left) (slap) (clap) (right) (left)
Directions: * The first time I introduce this game to a class I teach the hand movements first. I then continue with the directions of the game while we all continue the rhythmic slap/clap/hand out pattern. You may want to remind children to not slap/clap super hard because they will be doing many repetitions and their hands/legs may get sore. Ialso make sure to keep my rhythm very slow at first. This combination of gross motor and grouping verbally is quite challenging. A slower repetition time allows for more thinking time in between people and movements.
*While children continue to follow your rhythm, tell them: "We are going to play a game called Concentration. This is a game where we take turns saying all the things we can think of in a certain group. The trick is we can't repeat what someone else has already said. So if our group is bugs and Johnny says 'ant' no one else can say 'ant' as their word. There is a little phrase we all say together, but then we go around the circle clockwise (or take turns if there are only 2 players) until we run out of ideas, or accidentally copy someone else's word. When it is your turn, you need to say your word <I say 'right here' as I do the right and left hand motions> 'right here'. 1 and 2 syllable answers are easy. They fit right in the pattern. If you have a larger word, you must say it quickly enough to fit in the two beats of our hand movements."
*At this point I stop children doing the hand motions and say, "The first time we go around the circle we are all just going to say our first names. The second time we go around we are going to say our last names. This way we practice saying words at the correct time. I'm going to go first and then we will go to ****. Any questions? Let's begin."
*After making it around for first and last names, pick an easy group to practice with. 4 legged animals, things that live in the water and farm animals are all good examples. Allow for both the common and scientific name (cat/feline), as well as adult vs offspring (frog/tadpole) as long as the names are different. Do not accept things like left foot vs right foot (if doing body parts). However, thumb vs pinky should be allowed.
*If you can make it all the way around (or get 5 consecutive answers) during your first time, you should consider that successful.
*Beginning topic ideas: Body parts (I have a rule that they are not allowed to say anything they wouldn't want the principal to call their mom about), things that fly, things you can wear, animals that don't have exactly 4 legs.
*More advanced topic ideas: Candy, drinks, holidays, vehicles, types of homes/buidlings, countries.
Tip of the Month ----- Game of the week! (10.24.11) Trashcan Spelling This game incorporates gross motor movement with spelling and the 'game' aspect of the activity seems to motivate children who may otherwise not be motivated by practicing their spelling words. Children of varying ages and skill levels can easily play at the same time.
Goal: Children will increase memory of spelling words and patterns through repetition, verbal spelling, and gross motor movement. Supplies needed: A 'koosh' ball, or other non-bouncy ball suitable for throwing inside and a 'target' or 'basket' at which to aim your throw.
Directions: *Have child(ren) stand at a distance from basket from which it is moderately easy for their age/skill to make a basket.
*Say spelling word to first child in line. Have him/her spell the word out loud to you.
*If he/she spelsl the word correctly he/she may throw the ball at the basket. If it goes in the shooter gets one point.
*Points may be accumulated for activity or treat of your choice (5 points = 1 minute of TV or 50 points (accumulated over several days) = ice cream for dessert).
*Adaptation: If shooter makes basket from first line, have him/her take one step back. Shooter must make 2 baskets from 2nd line, then 3 from third line, etc.
*Adaptation: Younger siblings can play along but have questions like, "What is your address?", "What is Mommy's name?", "What sound does the letter 'a' say?"
*Adaptation: Older siblings can play along and use this game to review for History quizzes, Driver's Ed chapters, and foreign language classes.
Tip of the Month ----- Game of the week! (10.17.11)
Bear Hunt
This game incorporates grouping information, memory and a clapping pattern. Involving gross motor movement while having children think and process stimulates the 'firing' of multiple 'pathways' in the brain. This game can be used with children as young as kindergarten and as old as high school seniors.
Goal: Children will increase 1) their ability to think of words that belong in the pre-designated group, 2) auditory/verbal input memory, 3) ability to keep kinesthetic (movement) and verbal rhythm.
Hand movement: This pattern of leg slaps (while sitting down slap both palms on thighs at same time) and clapping is performed in a steady 2/4 rhythm. The words are said in a natural 'speaking' speed.
Cadence: "I'm going on a bear hunt and I'm taking..... (your word)"
(slap) (clap) (slap) (clap) (slap) (clap) (slap and clap)
Directions:
* The first time I introduce this game to a class I teach the hand movements first. I then continue with the directions of the game while we all continue the rhythmic slap/clap pattern (1 slap on thighs; 1 clap at a natural chest level). You may want to remind children to not slap/clap super hard because they will be doing many repetitions and their hands/legs may get sore.
*While children continue to follow your rhythm, tell them: "We are going to play a game called Bear Hunt. This is a game where we take turns saying what we would take on a bear hunt. The trick is we can't repeat what someone else has already said. So if Johnny says 'sleeping bag' no one else can say sleeping bag as their word. To help us remember what everyone before us said, we are going to repeat all the words that came before our turn. For example, if I am first and I say 'tent' and Johnny is 2nd he has to say 'tent' and then add a word of his own. Sally, who is 3rd has to say my word, Johnny's word and then her own word. If you forget a word I will help you remember. There is a little phrase we all say together, but then whoever's turn is next has to say all the words and their own word on their own. Once they add their word we'll all say the phrase again with the next person."
*At this point I stop the hand slap/clap motion. "Everyone stop your hands for a moment. I want you to think of things you would take on a bear hunt. Try to think of 5 things. That way if someone else says one of your words, you have some more that you can use."
*Plan on doing your word first. I usually try to think of a word that will be easily associated with other words so that children will hear mine and then be able to say other words in that group. Ex: bacon (children may be able to think of other breakfast foods), pants (children may list other articles of clothing). Don't allow a child who is quick with verbal memory to assist a struggling child too soon. Allow for the think time to access words, especially while the game is new. If a child needs assistance, I encourage it to come from the adult rather than another child.
*A goal of everyone getting through a turn or two is a good goal for the first exposure to the game. Watch for indications of struggle (trouble accessing words, trouble with keeping rhythm while talking, trouble remembering more than one word from classmates' turns). Once you have a couple of "....ummmm"'s for words it is probably time to stop that round of the game.
*Adaptation: For older students or those needing more challenge limit their choices to 'things you can wear' or 'things you can eat'.
*Adaptation: For older students make the items be in alphabetical order.( I have done this adaptation w/ teacher groups and many of them needed an alphabet line to keep track of juggling so many pieces of information at one time.Great adaptation to increase difficulty level.)
*Adaptation: To increase awareness of different activities in life, change game from 'bear hunt' to 'fishing trip' or 'road trip' or 'airplane flight' or 'day at the beach'. ( I have done this activity with kindergarten and 1st grade students. I was surprised at 1) the challenge it was for them to think of what was needed to 'go to Grandma's'(for example), and 2) how quickly they improved once we began using different places in the game.
*Adaptation: Once children are used to the game it can be played in the car as long as the children can keep rhythm w/out following someone so that the driver can keep 2 hands on the wheel : )
Tip of the Month ----- Game of the week!
Thanks to everyone who participated in our Parents as Partners class. One of the new ideas shared at that class is that I would post a game that supports learning and requires minimal (if any) financial out put. This week's game is called Last to First.
*This game requires no additional supplies at all. It can be played with children of all ages as the difficulty of the game is easily adapted (suggestions for adaptation will follow description of the game). Since the game doesn't require the use of pencil or paper, it is a wonderful activity to play while driving in the car or cooking dinner/breakfast.
*The idea of the game is to get children to focus on the final phoneme (sound) in a word, isolate it, and use it to start a new word. Ex: Mom says "hot", child #1 says "tomato", child #2 says "open", child #3 says "nose", Mom says "zoo". (Please note that even though 'nose' ends in an 'e' the last sound the word makes is /z/.)
*Adaptations: Change the goal to focus on graphemes (letters). Looking at the example above, when child #3 says "nose" Mom would have to say something that begins with the letter 'e'.
*Adaptation: If playing with children who have skills at different levels, have the parent give one word to each child and vary the word difficulty for each child. Example: Mom to young child #1: "cup", to upper elementary child #2 "with", to older child #3 "cough". Wheter playing for last phoneme or grapheme, this adaptations keeps the challenge at the appropriate level.
Tip of the Month for September, 2011
From: Kara Kelly, Education Director Topic: A Look Back to Guide us in Moving Forward WooHoo! The beginning of a new school year! While children and parents may or may not agree with being excited about the start of a new school year, we can all agree that we hope a new school year brings success in school; good grades, healthy social interactions, healthy students, and positive relationships among parents, students and teachers. Every month we try to offer advice, tips, ideas, thoughts or personal reflections on topics that impact student learning and success. This month I thought it appropriate to look back at topics covered in the last year, to check out what we all (parents and educators alike) need to strive to remember as we focus on helping each student achieve academic success and reach their full educational potential. (Similar topics have been combined. To read past tips in their entirity, click on the 'Tip of the Month Archive' link below) * Work reading and math practice into everyday conversations and activities (cooking, sewing, planning a trip, etc.). Discussing mathematical and language topics helps them to be internalized and applying them in everyday activities strengthens them and increases their relevance. * Be excited and positive in your attitude and conversations about school and learning. *Support increasing/improving training of our teachers. It will help to improve all of our children's achievements. *Reading fluency is more than speed. Fluency truly equals speed + accuracy + comprehension. We need to remember the goal of reading is to remember and internalize what we have read. *Work with your child to process through negative feelings/comments concerning school and learning. *Reading aloud to your child is important, even after he has learned how to read. *Setting small goals with children builds a vital skill for adult life. *We need to encourage people around us who have struggling learners in their lives to call SILC. Let's reach out to the whole community! *Routines are very important to children of all ages. *Sun in the winter can help beat back the 'Winter Blues'. *Each child has strengths and gifts. We shoudl cherish and enjoy these even as we work with the child to improve their weaknesses. *Adequate sleep is an important aspect to raising a healthy, happy child. *Have your student read books which are at her skill level (which may not be their grade level). Books above her skill level are appropriate for reading to her. *Singing encourages a child to express their emotions and sharpens his ability to communicate.
Tip of the Month for August, 2011
From: Kara Kelly, Education Director Topic: Keeping our kids feeling 'math-y' and 'read-y' On a recent family vacation we took a very long hike. I asked my high school student/son to figure out how many miles per hour we were covering if we had walked for X number of hours and knew the trail was Y miles long. He looked at me incredulously and replied, "Mom, I just don't feel math-y right now." I hadn't intended it to be a math conversation. I had expected a quick, accurate reply and wanted to then discuss the difference of covering that distance on flat ground vs. the steep uphill climb we had just completed. I was planning to get into more of the physical requirements and reactions taking place within the body. However, his response surprised me and the more scientific conversation was lost because the basic information upon which to build the conversation was not readily available. I realized that I had not been following some of my own advice; I had not been having enough math-type conversations with him. We have built 3 patios this summer, we have animal feed to figure, he runs to the store for me, we cook many meals together, and he built a porch swing for me. All of these activities provided opportunity for 'math-y' conversations and I just didn't take time to verbalize the math part with him. Rest assured, the rest of the vacation gave us many opportunities to drop 'math-y' ideas into many of our conversations. One here and one there was all it took for his 'math-y' level to come back up. As we all approach a new school year, it is time for all of us to increase our 'math-y' and 'read-y' conversations with our children. Start (or increase) asking them to do age appropriate computations out loud. For example; while shopping ask a young child get 5 cans of beans into the cart, ask a slightly older child to correctly read out loud the price printed on items, ask children to figure out the best buy on a product, older children can be asked to keep a running total of how much is being spent or even to figure out the actual cost of sale items that are 10% or 25% off. Increase reading opportunities/expectations. For example; begin having children read the 20 minutes per day that they are asked to do during the school year, have young readers help read labels at the store ("Find the corn with no added salt"), do letter calling with children who are still working on mastering the ABC's ("I see an 'S' in that stop sign! Do you see it?" or "Look at the Winco sign. What is the last letter in that word?") Just a few of these conversations a day will help our childrens' brains turn back on their respective 'math-y' and 'read-y' parts and serve as a type of warm-up for the rapidly approaching school year. Looking for an older tip? Visit the Tip of the Month Archive Site designed and maintained by Steven O Gardner -Computer/IT Services www.stevenogardner.com |
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