Responsibility Lesson for Students

Teacher friends, here is a helpful hint for helping your students keep track of their pencils. I did this for few years and it cut waaayy back on pencils being lost, sharpening pencils, and the “who’s pencil is this?” moments. I did it with little ones all the way up to 5th grade and was so successful!

Toothbrush holders from Dollar Tree, 5 pencils labeled with their number, pre-sharpened, label the tube with their number as well. They keep up with all 5 pencils for the week or month (I do a month for 5th graders) and they get a prize. Cuts down on sharpening because I can just say “grab one from your tube”. If they drop we can find the owner easier because of the number, and the pencils are stored in one place not all in their desks etc. They keep up with them because they want the prize. I usually do a check in around 2nd semester and replace pencils as needed. I had kids last year that had the same 5 pencils all year long.

What Does a Nurturing, Developmentally Appropriate Kindergarten Room Look Like?

It doesn’t matter what part of the country you live, when you walk into a kindergarten room, there are many things you should expect to see.

1. A print rich environment: There should be plenty of books, story or poem charts, labels and words to read all around the room.

2. Teacher chair and gathering area: This is where a great deal of the whole group reading and learning takes place. You will probably see an easel, white board, and chart paper in close proximity for the teacher to use.

3. Calendar bulletin board: Calendar time is where most teachers teach about numbers, number patterns, place value, counting, skip counting, and graphing. Reading concepts for months of the year and days of the week are also taught as well as concept words like today, yesterday, tomorrow.

4. Learning Centers: Teachers teach whole group activities to all children at one time but also and have interesting spaces and tables around the room called “learning or literacy centers” to encourage children to experiment, create, work, and learn on a more individual pace. Depending on space available in your child’s room, some of these centers are for writing, reading, math, science investigation, listening, letter and work recognition, blocks, playdoh, coloring, and puzzles.

5. Expect to see an Active environment: Expect to see children interacting with one another even then they are “working independently”. Social development and active interaction are still very important aspects of your child’s kindergarten day.

So… What really happens during your child’s kindergarten school day?

Most parents ask their child, “What did you do in school today?”

No matter how old your child is the universal response to this questions is “nothing!”. Well, believe me, your kindergarten child did far from nothing. In addition to the calendar, whole group and center activities I just mentioned, the your child’s teacher is filling the day with reading, writing, math, and other activities to meet the state and school district curriculum standards.

Developmentally appropriated academic activities are consuming the vast majority of your child’s instructional time spent at school. Of course there is time for songs, (which also meet the rhyming and beginning reading standards), physical activity like recess and gym, (meeting physical educational standards) and snack or lunch time.

Kindergarten is super fun! Step inside a kindergarten classroom and find out for yourself!

What are the 3 biggest mistakes parents make on the first day of school?

E-Book 25 lessons for Kindergarten Parents Lesson 3

1. Not understanding that going to kindergarten is a very big deal for your child.

Some children have an outgoing personality that allows them to make an easy transition into a new environment and around people that are unfamiliar. Others might feel ok about it, but are a little hesitant and are quiet and apprehensive. Others will get upset and don’t want their mom to leave. There are as many versions to these scenarios as there are children.

2. Letting your emotions overtake you.

I know, I was a mom of a kindergartener too. Your baby is going to school. Yes, unfortunately he is growing up and doesn’t need you as much 24-7. Really, if you think about it, that is what we want for our child: To be independent, of strong character, and able to make good choices in your absence. Yes, it is a very emotional time for you mom. Dad’s too, but you know men don’t show it. The inner feelings that you will have, yes even if you don’t think you will have them, they will come, these emotions are totally appropriate, and very normal! The big thing issue here is not letting your child get even a hint of your anxiety. This day is not about you; it is about your child and a very special day. What ever you do…don’t cry.

These are my suggestions: Take your child to school. See the teacher, shake her hand, put your child in line, give your child a quick kiss and hug, and tell him to have fun and remind him how he is going to get home, and then leave.

3. 3^rd biggest mistake is not celebrating the first day.

After school, do something fun like getting an ice cream cone or take a special walk in the park. Have your child tell you the name of her teacher. Draw a picture, check the backpack, success of doing a great job, get a calendar mark off the days that are school days, have a special dinner or dessert, pick out a special apple for your child to take to the teacher the next day.

HAVE FUN!!!

Steps to Help Parents Develop a Plan to Assure Your Child Has a Successful Kindergarten Year.

E-book Lesson 2

1. Prepare your child.

* Discuss some of the fun things your child will do at

school-your child might have anxiety about going to school. It is something he will have to do without you, and he might have 1^st day jitters.

How you handle your emotions will convey either positive or negative vibs to your child. If you are apprehensive, even if you don’t say it, your child will pick up on how you feel. I’ll talk more about this later in the seminar.

*Talk about how to make friends- give him some suggestions about how you make friends and that if we treat others the way we want to be treated, they will want to be friends.

* Talk about why we use manners

* Role play with your child. Pretend an every day problem might occur. What if a child cuts in line? What do you do? What if a child takes your turn. What do you do? Give your child some appropriate steps to take to help him solve problems.

2. Become actively involved in your child’s school life.

*Develop a good parent teacher relationship. Teachers know you love your child very much and want the best for your child, they want to be a partner with you.

* Volunteer a few hours every month. Become a guest reader in your child’s room, ask the teacher or principal if you could volunteer in your child’s classroom, library, or lunchroom. Meet other parents and help the school out being a part of the Parent Teacher Committee. Your child will have a sense of pride seeing that you not only care about him, but his school too.

3.Ask the teacher what your child needs to work on at home to help meet his full potential.

4. Help your child find a special place at home to do school work or practice what his teacher suggests. Supply this area with pencils, crayons, paper and other supplies.

5. Don’t expect your child will know how to do the school work at home on his own.

Supervise, encourage, and practice with your child, but don’t do the work to be handed in to the teacher. Problem: I have seen many parents see that the child has difficulty writing letters or numbers, spelling, or reading, they want their child to look like their work has been successfully completed. Believe me, the teacher knows who did the work. She sees your child’s work daily. It is far better for your child to practice and practice than to have you do the work. This sends non-verbal cues to you child. You might not have said it out loud, but it conveys to the child that you don’t think he can do the work or is not capable, and his work isn’t good enough. If he does his best, that is what counts. We all need to practice so if you tell you child to try his best, his best will become much better as he practices more.

6.Praise your child in a hundred different ways.

7. Display and hang up artwork and papers that come home. Honor your child’s work. Save some special pieces in a portfolio or file. It will be fun to look at when he’s 16!

8. In your child’s presence, tell others how good he is doing in school. Have your child tell what he likes best about school, or have him sing a song he has learned.

9. Support your child’s new friendships. Have friends he has made a school over for play dates.

10. Read every day to and with your child. Make time.

Everything You Need To Know About Kindergarten -But Were Afraid To Ask

E-Book 25 lessons for Parents Lesson 1

What are the 5 things every parent needs know before your child starts kindergarten?

1. First: Kindergarten has had a 21^st century makeover. Why? –NCLB, state standards, state standardized testing beginning in 3^rd grade, and schools have implemented math, reading, writing, science, and social studies curriculum that is built like a spiral from the materials, activities, information and lessons taught in the grade before. Sure, still important are social, emotional, and age appropriate developmental activities like kitchen and creative play activities are still found in classrooms, but the amount of time designated to these activities has been significantly reduced. For example: Building blocks, are still wildly used, but now come in a variety of colors, textures, and shapes. New blocks have found new life and implemented as colorful math manipulatives in shapes that kids now learn as …. Later in this seminar, I will write about what a nurturing, developmentally appropriate classroom looks like, so you will know what to expect in your child’s classroom.

2. The second thing that parents must know is to understand that kindergarten classrooms now reflect the diversity of the United States. It is a wonderful opportunity that besides learning to be kind to others and to share, our kindergarten children are learning about diversity and to be tolerant of others that might not look, act, or learn like them. The children in our multi-cultural classrooms are developing relationships, friends, and playing with children they might not have met in their parents circle of friends. Remember to be supportive of your child and the friends he makes in the multi-cultural classroom. Children are very perceptive, honest, and caring, you wouldn’t want to have your child to develop questions about others he works and plays with everyday.

3. This is a hard one. The third thing that parents must know and admit to is that your child is no longer a baby. If he is old enough to go to school, then it is very developmental appropriate that your child dress himself, pick up his toys, stack newspapers, sort socks, help keep him self clean, become responsible for a backpack and lunch pail, and with practice zip jackets and tie shoes. It is hard for parents to find out that their little child doesn’t need them 24-7 any more. We want our children to grow up to be of good character, responsible and learn how to make good decisions. It starts with empowering a 5 year old with a few of these activities. Most importantly, make sure you show, model and help your child along the way until he says that he can do it by himself. You want your child to develop skills and confidence not become unsure and apprehensive.

4. The fourth thing that parents must know and remember is that attending kindergarten is not all the only thing your child needs in order to grow and develop. Many parents feel that now that their child is in school, it is the responsibility of the school and teacher to give the child all he needs. A successful kindergarten experience will give your child unique, fun, and special experiences and opportunities to development in many ways, but it is not a substitute for family fun and activities, travel, reading together, character building and all the other life experiences that help build your child’s knowledge (called prior knowledge) to draw from when in school. Continue doing all the wonderful things you have been doing for your child and watch as your little person blossoms.

5. The fifth thing that parents must know before your child starts kindergarten is to remember that we all learn, grow and develop in different ways and at rates. Many children, especially little boys, need extra time to understand, define, name, and remember all the new symbols that we call letters and numbers. Think about how hard it is for us to learn to read and write in a foreign language. Learning letters, numbers and learning to read is the virtually the same thing. Support your child with unconditional love and praise. Give time and opportunities to practice at home counting, letter and number identification and writing. When you go to the grocery store, help your child find letters and numbers he knows on the cans and boxes. When in the car, have your child count the blue or white cars he sees. Play tapes with stories and songs for extra practice. These activities will help your child to make the connections between what he is learning at school and the world around him.

Robert Fulghum “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”

Robert Fulghum’s poem:  “The original edition of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten became an instant classic, dominating the New York Times Bestseller List for all of 1989 and much of 1990. This collection of essays was the second longest #1 bestseller in 23 years. The essays reflect the truth in everyday form—in the shoe repairman who leaves cookies in the shoes he can’t fix, in the homely Indian who becomes beautiful when he dances, in the small deaf boy who wants to rake Fulghum’s leaves. Fulghum writes with wit and wisdom about small lives with big meanings. As described in the San Francisco Chronicle, Fulghum’s stories about ordinary life ‘remind us that within simplicity lies the sublime.”  (http://robertfulghum.com/index.php/fulghumweb/books/) Fulghum web site.

As a kindergarten teacher, this simplicity of the world has changed with the dawning of the 21st Century. The children come homes where generally speaking: if they have both parents in the home, both work out side the home. Children experience immobility, poverty, lack of parental support, hunger, low self-esteem, poor relationships, lack of prior knowledge and preparation for kindergarten, loneliness, boredom, sometimes homelessness, just to name a few.

My updated “All I Learned for the 21st Century I Learned in Kindergarten” poem is based on personal experience from being a teacher working directly with 4, 5, and 6 year old children since 1990. These children have an important job as our future leaders. The early childhood years can give them a solid foundation that  includes: the relationships made, their attitudes toward school, a beginning to academic success, a belief in self,  the person they can become and about the contribution they can make to others and society .

Mr. Fulghum, sorry to say we don’t take naps in kindergarten any more, we are too busy learning the letters and sounds, counting and recognize numbers up to 100. Even my children who don’t speak English at home  learn to read and write sentences.   We do have cookies but I usually try to serve snacks with less sugar in them like crackers  because most of my children are hungry and need the afternoon energy pick-e-up.  We also don’t have time to play other than outside for recess, which is a pity, we have a core curriculum that includes: reading, math, writing, social studies, science to learn.  Things have changed in kindergarten Mr. Fulghum,  but so has the world.

All I Needed to Know for the 21st Century, I Learned In Kindergarten

By Peg Chauncey  Cramer M.A.

Friends come in all colors

Treat others the way you want to be treated

Notice when someone is in need and help them

Respect and accept others

Read every day, enjoy the pictures, and contribute your ideas

Take responsibility for your actions, apologize, and forgive

Have fun and play outside

Money is to be earned, spent, shared, and saved

Wait patiently

Don’t give up, practice, and try again

Do your best, take pride in your work, finish the task

Think, wonder, dream, believe, and care

Organize your stuff

Work together, share and cooperate

Brush your teeth, wash your hands, and eat healthy foods

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Apples are not just for eating, a mouse is a helpful thing,

and a keyboard can give us the

world at our fingertips

Matthew’s Sunshine

There is a popular statement that says, “Teachers touch lives forever.” But as a kindergarten teacher I always say, “Children touch teachers’ lives forever”.

When the years accumulate, it is difficult to remember which child was in which class in any given year. But for me, most names and faces are familiar and can be recalled, even after twenty-three years. When I run into these children of the past, the oldest now thirty, I need a little help to place their adult faces with the one in my memory. Usually, it isn’t too hard to see beneath the beards and makeup.

There is one face however, that will always stay the same. It belongs to Matthew. Every child is special in his or her own way, but one unique little boy with a bright cheery smile and dancing brown eyes has changed my heart forever.

Five-year-old Matthew loved to draw trains, apple trees, friends and animals. As his journal pages accumulated, it became more obvious that he also had drawn a sun in every picture. In asking Matthew about the sun, his answer seemed sensitive and thoughtful for one so young. He said, “Sunshine brings happiness, and I love to make people happy.”

That affirmation was so true about Matthew. All the children liked him because he was considerate, friendly, and always ready to conquer each day’s activities with a smile and love that he shared with everyone.

One day, he and his friend Michelle were taking a stroll with the fruit and vegetables from our dramatic play area. When asked what they were pretending, Matthew responded, “We’re taking sunshine and food to sad people.”

Matthew loved to sing. Our class has many songs we sing including: “The More We Get Together” and “The Little Red Caboose”. But the most popular song was Matthew’s favorite… “Mr. Golden Sun” by Raffi:

“Oh Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please come out today.
These little children are asking you,
to please come out so we can play with you,
Oh Mr. Sun … please come out today!”

On the last Friday of October, Mr. Sun was not shining. In fact, it was cold, windy, rainy and dreary. The leaves were blowing off the trees and circling around the corner of the school building in mini-tornadoes.

The children were especially active and being a Friday, the half-day was a welcomed relief. I usually try to end the day with a review of activities, and leave in a relaxed manner. Today was different. We were late. The art lesson lasted longer than I expected. Notes home and projects had to be loaded in backpacks before the children ventured out into the weather. The bell rang…we were really late.

Because we were hurrying, I broke one of my cardinal rules of giving each child a last hug as they walk out the door. I do not remember hugging Matthew after helping him zip his coat and I missed the opportunity to give one more hug to Mr. Sunshine on that rainy afternoon.

Late that evening, Matthew and his father were driving north to visit Grandma. They never arrived. Their truck was found the next morning down an embankment against a grove of trees. The police reported that the vehicle went out of control and slid on wet leaves.

Our class’ little Sunshine Boy died on a cold, dark, rainy night. A heavy sadness clouded our thoughts. Even the bright sunshine couldn’t mend our broken hearts.

Time has passed, and now each morning as I enter my kindergarten room, I wink at Matthew’s picture on the wall. His bright smile again fills my day with sunshine. Loving eyes watch for everyone to treat each other with kindness, warmth, love and respect the way he always did.

Matthew has touched my life forever. Because of him I will never again sacrifice important ideals for any reason and always follow my heart when caring for and concerning my children.

It seems as if there is more sunshine these days. Maybe, just maybe, a little angel is blowing the clouds away, so Mr. Sun can come out to play.

Author’s note in 2001

Matthew should be in fifth grade. Last year I received three letters from former students that were in his class. As a writing assignment their fourth grader teacher was making a “Teacher’s Wall of Fame” and these little girls choose their kindergarten teacher for their entry. The letters were touching and one especially talked about how she still remembered Matthew which I thought was quite amazing, since she had just turned 5 at the time.

As a part of the healing process, I wrote Matthew’s story, the children drew pictures of Matthew and themselves, we planted a tree in the school courtyard, and the PTC and I purchased a series of Franklin books for the library in Matthew’s honor. We put the story and pictures in a “Remembering Book” for Matthew’s Mom, the apple tree blooms every spring and of course children love reading the Franklin books.

Author’s note in 2020

**This story was written and published in the December 2001 issue of the Teacher’s Gazette. Matthew should have graduated from high school, had a new girl friend, started a new job or have gone on to college.

Michigan Entrepreneurial Spirit Program

Educational leaders across Michigan are acknowledging the beneficial and valued practice of the real-world connections project-based learning brings to student education. It gives all students a meaningful hands-on approach to learning developing cross curriculum skills and the 21^st Century competencies of critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, creativity, and communication. The Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Spirit program supports these strategies, engages and empowers students to become successful in school, and also gives them an opportunity to become an entrepreneur.

The Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Spirit curriculum is designed as a supplementary middle school curriculum for classroom or after school programs. It supports the Michigan Middle School Curriculum: Social Studies Anchor State Standards, College and Career Readiness Standards for Reading/Writing, and the Career and Employability Skills Standards. (grades 6-8)

The Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Spirit curriculum gives students many opportunities to work collaboratively to think creatively, lead, solve problems, create, and to learn about some of Michigan’s entrepreneurs.  In addition, students will learn goal setting, as well as real-world employability and business skills. Activities covered in the program include review of effective practices of business owners, business basics, and ideas for youth business products and services.

In addition, students have an opportunity to prepare their own business plan complete with research, marketing, finance, and other important business development details.

The Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Spirit activities were written to spark conversation and help youth learn about themselves as they think about and understand some of the complex attributes of being an entrepreneur in the Free Enterprise market system.

This project-based program supports teachers and staff in their endeavors to create, connect, engage, and motivate their students to help them understand why education is important for their life, family, community, and future.

The Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Spirit puts all the pieces together in a readable and practical format with age appropriate business strategies to help guide youth to a better understanding of the Free Enterprise system.  To have real-world connections and learn by actually doing to become an entrepreneur, students will have to opportunity to experience “Michigan’s Entrepreneurial Spirit”.

Tutoring Can Fill in Cracks of Your Child’s Educational Foundation

A child’s drawing of a house.

Does your child need one-on-one support?  Tutoring serves a great many purposes for the student that is struggling or for student that wants the competitive edge. Tutoring is not meant to replace classroom instruction. Classroom instruction is the foundation and framework around which your child’s education is built.

Why isn’t this foundation good enough? Would you live in a house that had a good foundation and nothing else? Come winter, you’d probably wish every last crack was insulated and sealed!  A great tutor can ” fill in the cracks” in your child’s education.

There are several signs that you might need to take action for your child:

• Becoming disinterested and frustrated with school
• Takes a surprisingly long time to finish what seems like basic homework
• Seems to work hard, but still receives low grades
• Appears stressed and anxious about scoring well on weekly tests
• Might be an advanced learner who is bored with classes and needs more challenging work to stay engaged
• Teacher says gets easily distracted in school
• You see he/she gets easily distracted when doing homework and makes excuses about why it isn’t getting done
• Frequently expresses frustration with particular teachers or subjects
• Has poor organizational or study skills
• Your child says he/she wants to become a better student!

But for tutoring to really be successful, the student must be fully engaged with the tutor and WANT to learn. A relationship has to be fostered between the two.  In my opinion, a tutoring match is just as important as a mentor match. Tutor and student must develop a bonded relationship based on mutual respect. This relationship intertwined with the time and talents of both tutor and student will help “fill in the cracks” of the child’s  academic, social, and emotional educational foundation.

 

Matthew’s Sunshine

There is a popular statement that says, “Teachers touch lives forever.” But as a kindergarten teacher I always say, “Children touch teachers’ lives forever”.

When the years accumulate, it is difficult to remember which child was in which class in any given year. But for me, most names and faces are familiar and can be recalled, even after twenty-three years. When I run into these children of the past, the oldest now thirty, I need a little help to place their adult faces with the one in my memory. Usually, it isn’t too hard to see beneath the beards and makeup.

There is one face however, that will always stay the same. It belongs to Matthew. Every child is special in his or her own way, but one unique little boy with a bright cheery smile and dancing brown eyes has changed my heart forever.

Five-year-old Matthew loved to draw trains, apple trees, friends and animals. As his journal pages accumulated, it became more obvious that he also had drawn a sun in every picture. In asking Matthew about the sun, his answer seemed sensitive and thoughtful for one so young. He said, “Sunshine brings happiness, and I love to make people happy.”

That affirmation was so true about Matthew. All the children liked him because he was considerate, friendly, and always ready to conquer each day’s activities with a smile and love that he shared with everyone.

One day, he and his friend Michelle were taking a stroll with the fruit and vegetables from our dramatic play area. When asked what they were pretending, Matthew responded, “We’re taking sunshine and food to sad people.”

Matthew loved to sing. Our class has many songs we sing including: “The More We Get Together” and “The Little Red Caboose”. But the most popular song was Matthew’s favorite… “Mr. Golden Sun” by Raffi:

“Oh Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden Sun,
Please come out today.
These little children are asking you,
to please come out so we can play with you,
Oh Mr. Sun … please come out today!”

On the last Friday of October, Mr. Sun was not shining. In fact, it was cold, windy, rainy and dreary. The leaves were blowing off the trees and circling around the corner of the school building in mini-tornadoes.

The children were especially active and being a Friday, the half-day was a welcomed relief. I usually try to end the day with a review of activities, and leave in a relaxed manner. Today was different. We were late. The art lesson lasted longer than I expected. Notes home and projects had to be loaded in backpacks before the children ventured out into the weather. The bell rang…we were really late.

Because we were hurrying, I broke one of my cardinal rules of giving each child a last hug as they walk out the door. I do not remember hugging Matthew after helping him zip his coat and I missed the opportunity to give one more hug to Mr. Sunshine on that rainy afternoon.

Late that evening, Matthew and his father were driving north to visit Grandma. They never arrived. Their truck was found the next morning down an embankment against a grove of trees. The police reported that the vehicle went out of control and slid on wet leaves.

Our class’ little Sunshine Boy died on a cold, dark, rainy night. A heavy sadness clouded our thoughts. Even the bright sunshine couldn’t mend our broken hearts.

Time has passed, and now each morning as I enter my kindergarten room, I wink at Matthew’s picture on the wall. His bright smile again fills my day with sunshine. Loving eyes watch for everyone to treat each other with kindness, warmth, love and respect the way he always did.

Matthew has touched my life forever. Because of him I will never again sacrifice important ideals for any reason and always follow my heart when caring for and concerning my children.

It seems as if there is more sunshine these days. Maybe, just maybe, a little angel is blowing the clouds away, so Mr. Sun can come out to play.

Author’s note in 2001

Matthew should be in fifth grade. Last year I received three letters from former students that were in his class. As a writing assignment their fourth grader teacher was making a “Teacher’s Wall of Fame” and these little girls choose their kindergarten teacher for their entry. The letters were touching and one especially talked about how she still remembered Matthew which I thought was quite amazing, since she had just turned 5 at the time.

As a part of the healing process, I wrote Matthew’s story, the children drew pictures of Matthew and themselves, we planted a tree in the school courtyard, and the PTC and I purchased a series of Franklin books for the library in Matthew’s honor. We put the story and pictures in a “Remembering Book” for Matthew’s Mom, the apple tree blooms every spring and of course children love reading the Franklin books.

Author’s note in 2015

**This story was written and published in the December 2001 issue of the Teacher’s Gazette. Matthew should have graduated from high school, had a new girl friend, started a new job or have gone on to college.

All I Really Needed to Know for the 21st Century, I Learned in Kindergarten

 

Friends come in all colors.

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Notice when someone is in need and help.

Respect and accept others.
Read every day, enjoy the pictures, and contribute your ideas.
Take responsibility for your actions, apologize, and forgive.
Have fun and play outside.
Money is to be earned, spent, shared, and saved.
Wait patiently.
Do your best, take pride in your work, finish the task.
Think, wonder, dream, believe, and care.
Organize your stuff.
Work together, share and cooperate.
Don’t give up, practice, and try again.
Brush your teeth, wash your hands, and eat healthy foods.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Apples are not just for eating, a mouse is a helpful thing,
and a keyboard can give us the world at our fingertips

Youth Mentoring Is Rewarding- A Note to Mentors

Youth Mentoring Is Rewarding – A Note to Mentors 

Congratulations for taking on this awesome responsibility. Mentoring will be an amazing opportunity for both you and your mentee. Getting to know each other is an exciting time. There will be ups and downs just like in every relationship, just remember these three important things:

First: You don’t have to be superhuman. Many people think it takes special skills or accomplishments to be a mentor. No advanced degree required, only a desire to help make a positive difference in the life of a youth, by providing support, advice, friendship, and reinforcement over time.

Second: As a mentor you are not in this by yourself. You have the staff and school and or organization personal at your side. Rely on these people to assist you; the key is: BE YOUR ADVOCATE, don’t wait to have someone ask you if you need assistance.

Third: Your mentee is a youth, a youth that needs you! Kids today aren’t much different then when you were “that age”. They have, want, and need the same things you did. They have hopes and fears, they seek approval, independence, friendship, and need love; these are universal truths.  What is different is the world in which they live and have had to grow up. The peaceful world of yesteryear has transformed. Our youth deal with multiple risk factors or barriers to school success including: poverty, technology, abuse, family dysfunction, peer pressure, bullying, school pressures, responsibilities for younger siblings, housing transitions, substance abuse, poor nutrition, poor health care, homelessness, low self-esteem, non-committed parental support, and (some are) awkward socially. Those are some reasons why your mentee needs YOU!

Educational research shows the positive impact and many benefits of mentoring have on youth. With consistent weekly one-on-one interaction with your mentee over time, the benefits will mount! Areas of positive impact include increased: self esteem, school attendance, social skills, attitude and behavior with friends and family, life skills, and the prevention of involvement in alcohol, drugs and crime.

Your mentee will also benefit when you offer support and encouragement aimed at developing confidence and character when you share your life experiences and guidance.  You might need patience because you are working with a teen, you might get some push-back, but know you are making a difference in the long run.  Have fun: give your mentee new experiences, introduce him/her to your colleagues, discuss dreams and set goals, volunteer together, and help build life skills like being on time and writing a resume.

PLEASE, remember it will take time for your mentee to trust you and build a relationship with you. You cannot turn on a “Magic Mentoring Switch” and turn your youth into a perfectly responding mentee. It will take time, so preserver and stay the course. You might not see it right away, but…   YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

The Kindergarten Classroom

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer M.A.

What does a nurturing, developmentally appropriate kindergarten room look like. It doesn’t matter what part of the country you live, when you walk into a kindergarten room, there are many things you should expect to see.  Your first impression should be “Wow! This looks like a fun and inviting place to learn!”.  You should see color, organization, and many fun places for your child to discover.

* A print rich environment: There should be plenty of books, a reading area,  story or poem charts, labels and words to read all around the room.

*Teacher chair and gathering area: This is where a great deal of the whole group reading and learning takes place. You will probably see an easel, white board, and chart paper in close proximity for the teacher to use.

* Calendar bulletin board: Calendar time is where most teachers teach about numbers, number patterns, place value, counting, skip counting, and graphing. Reading concepts for months of the year and days of the week are also taught as well as concept words like today, yesterday, tomorrow.

* Expect to see an Active environment:  Expect to see children interacting with one another even then they are “working independently”.  Social development and active interaction are still very important aspects of your child’s kindergarten day.

*Look for many areas in the room for your child to work in a activity area. The best classrooms have a writing center, book/reading corner, math center, and spaces for creative/dramatic play.  Also included in positive environments for kindergarten children are extra places to discover things from nature and the world around them. Blocks come in many different shapes, colors, and sizes.  Of course activities for learning and recognizing numbers and  letters should also be evident throughout the room.

*Is there Color? Color from children’s artwork and inviting spaces to learn.

*The main thing to look for are happy and engaged children.

*Have your child give you a tour of the room! If your child is proud, engaged and empowered to learn in his/her kindergarten classroom, the tour will go on and on and on with explanations for how they do calendar to centers!

Have fun!!

Reading Tips for Parents of Kindergartners

Play with letters, words, and sounds! Having fun with language helps your child learn to crack the code of reading. The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child..

Talk to your child

Ask your child to talk about his day at school. Encourage him to explain something they did, or a game he played during recess.

Use your child’s name

Point out the link between letters and sounds. Say, “John, the word jump begins with the same sound as your name. John, jump. And they both begin with the same letter, J.”

Trace and say letters

Have your child use a finger to trace a letter while saying the letter’s sound. Do this on paper, in sand, or on a plate of sugar.

Write it down

Have paper and pencils available for your child to use for writing. Working together, write a sentence or two about something special. Encourage her to use the letters and sounds she’s learning about in school.

Play sound games

Practice blending sounds into words. Ask “Can you guess what this word is? m – o – p.” Hold each sound longer than normal.

Read it again and again

Go ahead and read your child’s favorite book for the 100th time! As you read, pause and ask your child about what is going on in the book.

Talk about letters and sounds

Help your child learn the names of the letters and the sounds the letters make. Turn it into a game! “I’m thinking of a letter and it makes the sound mmmmmm.”

Reading for Meaning with Your Child

Reading with comprehension means understanding what’s been read. It takes practice, time, and patience to develop reading comprehension skills. Families can play an important role in helping a child learn to read for understanding.

First, make sure your child is reading books appropriate for their reading level. If a book is too hard, all your child’s energy will be put into decoding and reading word for word, with less energy available to figure out what the book means. Books that your child can read with 98-100% accuracy are good choices for comprehension building.

Reading comprehension skills can be developed using a before-during-after approach. Below are a few suggestions that will help build comprehension skills.

Before

Your goal is to help your child build an understanding of and purpose for what they’re about to read. Look at the book’s cover. Ask, “What do you think this book might be about? Why? Can you make some predictions?” Guide your child through the pages, discuss the pictures, and brainstorm what might happen in the story. Talk about any personal experiences your child may have that relate to the story.

During

Your goal is to help your child be an active reader. Read together and talk about what’s happening as they’re reading. Stop and discuss any interesting or tricky vocabulary words. Talk about any surprising or sad passages, and help them visualize parts of the story. Ask your child, “Do you understand what’s happening here? What do you think will happen next?” If your child seems unsure, stop, go back and reread if necessary. Discuss any confusing parts.

After

Your goal is to help your child reflect on what they’ve read. Summarize and share your favorite part of the book. Have your child rate the book on a scale from 1 to 10 and say why. Have your child reread their favorite part or act it out.

Take the extra time before and during reading to read with your child this way. You’ll soon find yourself reading with a child who is motivated to comprehend and learn from everything they read.

Kindergarten Is In Just A Few Short Weeks! Yikes!!!

Believe me, your child is anxious about kindergarten…maybe you are too.  We as parents want our children  to learn confidence and to be more self-assured in kindergarten. There are some things you can do to get your child ready for the first day of school so he/she will be ready to walk into the classroom without worry.

The Weeks before Kindergarten:

· 1.Continue to Read, read, read to him. Reading several times a day with your child will help him to learn to love books, favorite characters and stories, develop good listening skills, learn some concepts of print, and a little about letters and words. Most of all, your child will view himself as a reader.

· 2. Talk about what school is for. Make sure you include the ideas that is a place for learning about academic things but also learning about the world, about people, about cooperation, using manners, knowing right from wrong, making choices, and taking responsibility for things and actions.

· 3. Talk about what types of things he will be doing during the school day like learning to read, meeting new friends, playing outside, eating lunch and all the fun learning activities he will do. You will have more information about these activities by the end of this seminar.

4. Visit the school. Take a little tour of the gym, library, lunchroom, and computer lab. See if you can meet the teacher or at least visit the classroom. Play on the playground. These are very important activities to help your child to feel comfortable at school.

5. Make it fun to go shopping for backpack, school/home supplies, clothes, gym shoes, lunch pail, etc. This gives him ownership and lets him know you want his impute in selecting these items.

Most of all, have fun and try not to show your child you are a little nervous too.   You probably will be surprised when your child runs into the classroom and forgets to say “Good-by!”  Don’t take it personnally, and know that you must have done a great job parenting to give your child the confidence he/she needed to make this huge transition.

Developmental Skills Are Important for Kindergarten

There are some skills that are important for your child to acquire as he/she gets ready to go to school.  Continue giving your child opportunities to try and try again to do these things so that as school approaches, your child will become more assured and confident in himself.  Your child might be only 5 years old, but practicing these important skills will help keep him safe too.  I see many children that don’t even know how to zip their coat or blow and wipe their  own noses.  Parents thinking they are helping their child are really doing him a disservice to his personal development.

Model for your child all of these things and allow him to make mistakes. That is how we all learn, and mistakes are fine to make, especially if you are 5 years old.

·    Patience and using words to communicate

Sharing, taking turns and listening
·    Knowing and recognizing their full name
·    Knowing the full names of parents and other important people
·    Solo pottying
·    Dressing themselves
·    Using all the different types of clothing fasteners, buttons, etc.
·    Knowing the Alphabet
·    Knowing left and right
·    Recognizing colors shapes and numbers
·    Recognize basic units of money: pennies, dimes, etc.
·    Using words to describe an objects position
·    Printing first name in uppercase letters
·    Knowing their address and phone number
·    Using basic school tools such as pencils, glue, etc.

These skills will give your child confidence to work independently and begin to blossom in his/her own time. That is what we want for our children: to be happy,  confident, and to come home from school with a smile and a story to share about the fun day.

Being a Pro Active Parent

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer  M.A.

“NO! It’s MINE , MINE, MINE! ” Sound familiar?

Young children are great at expressing to everyone; at home, the grocery store, or heaven forbid the toy store, to know that they want to be in control. Actually, as parents we know they really are in control. Young children have an innate ability to know just the right moment to push our buttons to demand ownership of a thing, or ‘express’ what they want.  NOW! Been there done that!  Instead, Empower Your Child.

So what is a parent to do?  Be Proactive!  Be Consistent!  Be An Example!

1.Model:  Model sharing in front of your child. This exercise doesn’t have to be fancy. Just find something to share and share it.  Ideas: a.) Split a favorite food like a cookie, an apple, or a sandwich and share it with your child. b.) When watching TV share a comforter, a comfy chair, pillows, or even decide on a TV show everyone wants to watch. c.) Go to the public library pick out some books and have your child pick out some books. Find the book, “Peter’s Chair” by Ezra Jack Keats.  It is about a little boy who doesn’t want to share with his new little sister.
It really doesn’t matter what you do, it is what you say and how you say it that actually counts. “This is my favorite cookie, do you want to share it with me?” “ I wanted to watch my favorite show, but let’s share the TV and watch something together.” “ The library owns all of these books, but they want to share them with us, so we need to take good care of them and bring them back so other children can share them too.” The more you do it and say it, the more your child will begin to think and know that sharing is just what people do.

2.Make something together and give it away:
Idea: Make a Leaf or Flower Pressed Window Hanging.
Materials needed: Pressed leaves or flowers.
Waxed Paper
2 Kitchen or hand towels
Iron
What to do: * Discuss with your child that you think it would be nice to make
something to share with Grandma, a friend or neighbor that has
been  kind to your family. Maybe state something that maybe they
have shared (like tomatoes) or has done something nice for your child.
Ask your child,
“You are going to make a pretty thing. Who are you going to share it
with?”
*Go for a walk with your child and collect some pretty leaves or
flowers. The more colorful the better.
* Lay the towel on the counter (you will iron on it)

* Have your child arrange the pressed flowers between two  pieces of waxed paper on top of one of the towels.
* Place the other towel on top of the waxed paper that you
iron hot iron
*Let cool for about 2 minutes and help your child cut it into a cloud shape about    2       inches from the leaves.
* Put the Window Hanging against the window to let the light shine
through it .
What to say:  Before and during the activity keep reiterating that this is a
special thing you two are making to SHARE with a friend. Then
before you hang your creation on the window, say to your child
“ _______  will really like this pretty thing won’t she?”
*Together, take it to the recipient. (If your child says they want to keep
what you both have made, tell him/her that this one is to share with
________and you both can make another one to keep.)

When at the library, look for the book, “Peter’s Chair” by Ezra Jack Keats. It is about a little boy who does not want to share with his little baby sister.

Being proactive with example, consistency and love, your child will learn sharing is for   everyone. With your guidance, step by step your child will learn to share with others and feel  empowered.

Homeless Youth: A Growing Epidemic in Our Schools

“Christine” is an 11^th grader and attends a large suburban high school in West Michigan. She, her three siblings and their mother live with her aunt and uncle and their four children in a three-bedroom house. Christine says her mother lost her job working at the machine shop so they stay in one bedroom above the garage and pay rent with the $200.00 her mother gets from food stamps. She glanced away as she spoke to me in a hushed tone and said that she is quite worried that they will loose all their “stuff” they have in storage because the bill to pay the monthly storage fee is coming due soon.  All this to deal and worry about in addition to: high school classes, credit recovery after school class, transportation home after school, doing homework, finding clean clothes to wear, or something other than junk food to eat.  At 17 years old she should be enjoying high school and not worrying about adult life issues and being homeless.

Yes, Christine is homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. She is “doubled-up” with a relative (or friend) in a non-permanent arrangement. Contrary to belief: homelessness does not just mean living on the streets, in a car, or in a shelter.  The No Child Left Behind Act describes homeless children and youth as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.”

How many students are doubled-up in your school or district? Do you even know? The “Christine’s” in your district are really difficult to find, because first of all, their situation might be to them, taboo or too embarrassing to share.  That is where the job of the Homeless Liaison becomes vital to educating the staff, students, families, and community about the McKinney-Vento Act. Students that have been identified as homeless have rights and privileges to help them in school with: enrollment, transportation, free meals, academic assistance, before and after school programs, tutoring, participation in sports, music and other activities that are available to every other student. However, because of economic, social, and added organizational barriers the educational inequality increases for unidentified homeless students and they tend to fall further behind academically mostly due to the generally highly transit and mobility status of homeless families.

What are some ways to start to identify your homeless students?

• Make sure every staff member knows who the Homeless Liaison is for your district. Educate your staff in the homeless categories defined by where people live. i.e.: Unsheltered, transitional housing, temporary housing facility, foster, doubled-up, and motel-hotel.

• Educate your staff to the common signs that are shown by some homeless students’ including: hunger, poor nutrition, sadness/depression, poor grades, and poor attitudes toward school- themselves and others, school records from many schools, as well as trouble learning and paying attention.
• Encourage your entire staff to build trust and relationships with all students, begin with greeting them as they enter the school and each classroom.  Have teacher/student conferences, listen in classroom discussions, read their writing, and pay attention to student non-verbal cues and watch for changes in behavior and attitudes.
•  Meet regularly with teams of staff to connect about students you have questions about to see what interventions can be made to support the students.
• Check new student files to see how frequently he/she has changed schools. Notice the new student that is socially awkward or has difficultly making friends.
• Notice: a parent who seems confused when asked about the last school attended, a low income hotel address on enrollment form, statement form family when enrolling such as, “We’ve been having a hard time lately, it’s a new address”.  If the family fills out a Residency Affidavit send the information to the Homeless Liaison for further review.
• Listen to the other students and without betraying confidences, refer student(s) in question to the Homeless Liaison. Know that the student’s situation will be evaluated and if the student is indeed homeless, he/she will be entered into the program so that needs can be met and supported with appropriate services.

In addition to being ‘doubled-up’ with friends or relatives, another type of McKinney-Vento homeless living arrangement includes that which some high school or alternative high school students find themselves in as an “Unaccompanied Youth” where they do not live with a biological parent or legal guardian. Some unaccompanied youth may be a runaway, refuge, throwaway, or in these tough economic times, the oldest child that cannot be supported at home anymore. It is up to the schools to find these students, meet with them, find out their needs, and match them with the school and community services that will help them to reach their full potential.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act is a Federal Law. Title IA funds subsidize the expenses schools accrue to support the homeless students and their educational needs. Most of all, we as educators must believe with the extra time and effort we make to build relationships with students regardless of their situation, we can find and support all of our “Christine’s” and help them develop the academic and survival skills that will successfully lead them to a healthy and productive life.

Kindergarten: A Time for Children to Blossom

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer  M.A.

As school begins, here is a helpful hint to remember when in discussions with other parents, especially ones in your child’s kindergarten classroom. Remember:  We all learn, grow and develop in different ways and at rates. Many children, especially little boys, need extra time to understand, define, name, and remember all the symbols that we call letters and numbers.  Think about how hard it is for us to learn to read and write in a foreign language. Learning letters, numbers and learning to read is the virtually the same thing.

Support your child with unconditional love and praise. Give him time and opportunities to practice at home counting, letter and number identification and writing. Doing fun things like when you go to the grocery store, help your child find letters and numbers he knows on the cans and boxes. When in the car, have your child count the blue or white cars he sees. Play tapes with stories and songs for extra practice. These activities will help your child to make the connections between what he is learning at school and the world around him.

Enjoy these activities with your child, and do not worry that another child you know is learning faster (or slower) than your child. If your child senses that you are worrying, he/she will have anxieties or worry too and that makes learning more complicated. The definition for Kindergarten is ” a garden for children”. So this is a very special time for your child to blossom…in his/her own time.

Sharing “Good News” In the Classroom and At Home!

Thinking positively can help start the day off on a good note. Sharing the important things in our lives is a wonderful way to show we care about each other.  Time is spent early in your child’s school day for students to share something they deem to be “Good News” in their life.

As students listen to each other, they develop a better understanding and appreciation for each other.  They also find things they have in common that might not have known before.  Sharing “Good News” helps to build stronger relationships between students and students, and the students and the teacher.

** Family Activity: Share “Good News” daily and build family relationships.  When you sit down to dinner, family members take turns telling something good or positive that happened that day. It can be as simple as Mom saying that when she was driving another driver slowed and let her go ahead. Your child might say someone new played with him or he got a favorite book from the library. Honor your child by really listening to the “Good News”. It shows your child you are interested in their world and it will help you know what is on your child’s mind and in his/her heart. Sharing your good news will let your child(ren) know more about you too.

Kindergarten: A Time to Learn and Grow.

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer  M.A.

 

As school begins, here is a helpful hint to remember when in discussions with other parents, especially ones in your child’s kindergarten classroom. Remember:  We all learn, grow and develop in different ways and at rates. Many children, especially little boys, need extra time to understand, define, name, and remember all the symbols that we call letters and numbers.  Think about how hard it is for us to learn to read and write in a foreign language. Learning letters, numbers and learning to read is the virtually the same thing.

Support your child with unconditional love and praise. Give him time and opportunities to practice at home counting, letter and number identification and writing. Doing fun things like when you go to the grocery store, help your child find letters and numbers he knows on the cans and boxes. When in the car, have your child count the blue or white cars he sees. Play tapes with stories and songs for extra practice. These activities will help your child to make the connections between what he is learning at school and the world around him.

Enjoy these activities with your child, and do not worry that another child you know is learning faster (or slower) than your child. If your child senses that you are worrying, he/she will have anxieties or worry too and that makes learning more complicated. The definition for Kindergarten is ” a garden for children”. So this is a very special time for your child to blossom…in his/her own time.

Robert Fulghum “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”

Robert Fulghum’s poem:  “The original edition of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten became an instant classic, dominating the New York Times Bestseller List for all of 1989 and much of 1990. This collection of essays was the second longest #1 bestseller in 23 years. The essays reflect the truth in everyday form—in the shoe repairman who leaves cookies in the shoes he can’t fix, in the homely Indian who becomes beautiful when he dances, in the small deaf boy who wants to rake Fulghum’s leaves. Fulghum writes with wit and wisdom about small lives with big meanings. As described in the San Francisco Chronicle, Fulghum’s stories about ordinary life ‘remind us that within simplicity lies the sublime.”  (http://robertfulghum.com/index.php/fulghumweb/books/) Fulghum web site.

As a kindergarten teacher, this simplicity of the world has changed with the dawning of the 21st Century. The children come homes where generally speaking: if they have both parents in the home, both work out side the home. Children experience immobility, poverty, lack of parental support, hunger, low self-esteem, poor relationships, lack of prior knowledge and preparation for kindergarten, loneliness, boredom, sometimes homelessness, just to name a few.

My updated “All I Learned for the 21st Century I Learned in Kindergarten” poem is based on personal experience from being a teacher working directly with 4, 5, and 6 year old children since 1990. These children have an important job as our future leaders. The early childhood years can give them a solid foundation that  includes: the relationships made, their attitudes toward school, a beginning to academic success, a belief in self,  the person they can become and about the contribution they can make to others and society .

Mr. Fulghum, sorry to say we don’t take naps in kindergarten any more, we are too busy learning the letters and sounds, counting and recognize numbers up to 100. Even my children who don’t speak English at home  learn to read and write sentences.   We do have cookies but I usually try to serve snacks with less sugar in them like crackers  because most of my children are hungry and need the afternoon energy pick-e-up.  We also don’t have time to play other than outside for recess, which is a pity, we have a core curriculum that includes: reading, math, writing, social studies, science to learn.  Things have changed in kindergarten Mr. Fulghum,  but so has the world.

All I Needed to Know for the 21st Century, I Learned In Kindergarten   By Peg Chauncey  Cramer M.A.

Friends come in all colors

Treat others the way you want to be treated

Notice when someone is in need and help them

Respect and accept others

Read every day, enjoy the pictures, and contribute your ideas

Take responsibility for your actions, apologize, and forgive

Have fun and play outside

Money is to be earned, spent, shared, and saved

Wait patiently

Don’t give up, practice, and try again

Do your best, take pride in your work, finish the task

Think, wonder, dream, believe, and care

Organize your stuff

Work together, share and cooperate

Brush your teeth, wash your hands, and eat healthy foods

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Apples are not just for eating, a mouse is a helpful thing, and a keyboard can give us the world at our fingertips

All I Needed to Know for the 21st Century, I Learned In Kindergarten

All I Needed to Know for the 21st Century, I Learned In Kindergarten   By Peg Chauncey  Cramer M.A.

Friends come in all colors

Treat others the way you want to be treated

Notice when someone is in need and help them

Respect and accept others

Read every day, enjoy the pictures, and contribute your ideas

Take responsibility for your actions, apologize, and forgive

Have fun and play outside

Money is to be earned, spent, shared, and saved

Wait patiently

Don’t give up, practice, and try again

Do your best, take pride in your work, finish the task

Think, wonder, dream, believe, and care

Organize your stuff

Work together, share and cooperate

Brush your teeth, wash your hands, and eat healthy foods

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Apples are not just for eating, a mouse is a helpful thing, and a keyboard can give us the world at our fingertips

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT’S A REFLECTION OF YOU!

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT’S A REFLECTION OF YOU!

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating,
somewhere in the mountain: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
Curious, he yells: “Who are you?”
He receives the answer: “Who are you?”
Angered at the response, he screams: “Coward!”
He receives the answer: “Coward!”
He looks to his father and asks: “What’s going on?”
The father smiles and says: “My son, pay attention.”
And then he screams to the mountain: “I admire you!”
The voice answers: “I admire you!”
Again the man screams: “You are a champion!”
The voice answers: “You are a champion!”
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: “People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it.

~Positive Thoughts    http://positive-thoughts.typepad.com/

Characteristics of Successful Service-Learning Program

1. Supported by Administration and Teachers
2. Service is based on classroom curriculum and the outcome is of meaningful value to an individual, school, organization, or community
3. Program has clear service and learning goals
4. Students have an opportunity to develop and demonstrate academic skills
5. Students have an opportunity to develop and demonstrate life long learning career and employability skills
6. Program clarifies the responsibilities of each person and organization involved
7. Program includes training, preparation, monitoring, support, recognition, evaluation, and reflection to meet service and learning goals
8. Students are engaged in responsible and challenging actions for the common good
9. Students are engaged in service activity with a partner, team, or class to help to develop purposeful relationships focused on personal development, caring, cognitive growth
10. Evaluation measures the impact of the student’s experiences and the effectiveness of the service

Service Learning Integrates…

Authentic Learning Supporting Curriculum Standards

Work Together Cooperatively

Problem Solving

Lifelong Learning

Learning Styles

School to Work

Multicultural Education-to work With One Another

Community Involvement

Responsible Citizenship

Decision Making

Development of Self-Esteem

Life Skills Changing Role of Teacher to Facilitator

Communication Skills

Career Awareness

Character Education Active Learning Thematic Learning

Integrated Learning

Critical Thinking-Reflection

Self-Directed Leaner

Seven Elements of High Quality Service-Learning

Created by: Service-Learning 2000 Center, 50 Embarcadero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94301

663 13th Street, Oakland, CA 94612      phone 510.302.0550      fax  510.302.0551                 

1. Integrated Learning

• The service-learning project has clearly articulated knowledge, skill or value goals that arise from broader classroom or school goals.
• The service informs the academic learning content, and the academic learning content informs the service.
• Life skills learned outside the classroom are integrated back into classroom learning.

2. High Quality Service

• The service response to an actual community need that is recognized by the community.
• The service is age-appropriate and well organized.
• The service is designed to achieve significant benefits for students and community.

3. Collaboration

• The service-learning project is a collaboration among as many of these partners as is feasible:  students, parents, community-based organization staff, school administrators, teachers, and recipients of service.
• All partners benefit from the project and contribute to its planning.

4. Student Voice

Students participate actively in:

• Choosing and planning the service project;
• Planning and implementing the reflection sessions, evaluation, and celebration;
• Taking on roles and tasks that are appropriate to their age.

5. Civic Responsibility

• The service learning project promotes students’ responsibility to care for others and to contribute to the community.
• By participating in the service learning project, students understand how they can impact their community.

6. Reflection

• Reflection establishes connections between students’ service experiences and the academic curriculum.
• Reflection occurs before, during, and after the service-learning project.

7. Evaluation

• All the partners, especially students, are involved in evaluating the service-learning project.
• The evaluation seeks to measure progress toward the learning and service goals of the project.

Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn.

– Benjamin Franklin

The Spirit of Service Learning

As educators, we know that in these changing educational times, it is becoming more important to integrate the opportunity for students to have hands-on projects to help them understand the relevance of their daily schoolwork and the value of their education. Combining academic learning and service  strengthens students’ classroom skills while encouraging them to become socially responsible and productive citizens.

*Service learning is more than volunteering. The National and community Service Act of 1990 which was amended in 1999 states that the term “service learning” means a method:

*Under which students learn and develop though ‘active participation’ in thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs and that are coordinated in collaboration with the school and community;

* That is integrated into students’ academic curriculum and provides structured time for a student to think, talk, or write about what the student did and saw during the actual service activity;

* That provides students with opportunities to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real-life situations in their own communities; and

* That enhances what is taught in school by extending student learning beyond the classroom and into the community and helps to foster the development of a sense of caring for others.

 

 

Blueberries by Jamie R. Vollmer

I love this story by Jamie R Vollmer. He is a motivational speaker that speaks through out the country. Here is one of his earlier stories and one of his life lessons. It is one to pass along…

 

Blueberries…

By Jamie R. Vollmer

“If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn’t be in business very long!”
I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teachers who were becoming angrier by the minute. My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of in-service. Their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife. I represented a group of business people dedicated to improving public schools.

I was an executive at an ice cream company that became famous in the middle 1980s when People Magazine chose our blueberry as the “Best Ice Cream in America.” I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change; they were archaic selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging “knowledge society”. Second, educators were a major part of the problem: they resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure and shielded by a bureaucratic monopoly. They needed to look to business. We knew how to produce quality. Zero defects! Total Quality Management! Continuous improvement! In retrospect, the speech was perfectly balanced – equal parts ignorance and arrogance.

As soon as I finished, a woman’s hand shot up. She appeared polite, pleasant — she was, in fact, a razor-edged, veteran, high school English teacher who had been waiting to unload. She began quietly, “We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream.” I smugly replied, “Best ice cream in America, Ma’am.” “How nice,” she said. “Is it rich and smooth?” “Sixteen percent butterfat,” I crowed. “Premium ingredients?” she inquired. “Super-premium! Nothing but triple A.” I was on a roll. I never saw the next line coming. “Mr. Vollmer,” she said, leaning forward with a wicked eyebrow raised to the sky, “when you are standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do?” In the silence of that room, I could hear the trap snap. I was dead meat, but I wasn’t going to lie. “I send them back.”

“That’s right!” she barked, “and we can never send back our blueberries. We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them with ADHD, junior rheumatoid arthritis, and English as their second language. We take them all! Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it’s not a business. It’s school!”

In an explosion, all 290 teachers, principals, bus drivers, aides, custodians and secretaries jumped to their feet and yelled, “Yeah! Blueberries! Blueberries!!” And so began my long transformation.

Since then, I have visited hundreds of schools. I have learned that a school is not a business. Schools are unable to control the quality of their raw material, they are dependent upon the vagaries of politics for a reliable revenue stream, and they are constantly mauled by a howling horde of disparate, competing customer groups that would send the best CEO screaming into the night. None of this negates the need for change. We must change what, when, and how we teach to give all children maximum opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society. But educators cannot do this alone; these changes can occur only with the understanding, trust, permission and active support of the surrounding community. For the most important thing I have learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve, and therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools, it means changing America.

 

Share Good News With Your Family!

Thinking positively can help start the day off on a good note. Sharing the important things in our lives is a wonderful way to show we care about each other.  Time is spent early in your child’s school day for students to share something they deem to be “Good News” in their life.

As students listen to each other, they develop a better understanding and appreciation for each other.  They also find things they have in common that might not have known before.  Sharing “Good News” helps to build stronger relationships between students and students, and the students and the teacher.

** Family Activity: Share “Good News” daily and build family relationships.  When you sit down to dinner, family members take turns telling something good or positive that happened that day. It can be as simple as Mom saying that when she was driving another driver slowed and let her go ahead. Your child might say someone new played with him or he got a favorite book from the library. Honor your child by really listening to the “Good News”. It shows your child you are interested in their world and it will help you know what is on your child’s mind and in his/her heart. Sharing your good news will let your child(ren) know more about you too.

Mary’s Gift

The smile on five-year-old Mary’s face shown like the sun as she bounded over to me. In her arms was the precious gift that I was sure she wrapped herself. It warmed my heart just to see her enthusiasm and how carefully she wrapped her gift securely by using ‘extra tape’.  It had survived the morning bus ride only by the fact that Mary’s mother had placed it into a white shopping bag that was tied with a green and gold Christmas bow. The soft squishy package looked like it had been hugged all the way to school.

“My Mommy and I made it!” were the first words she spoke.

In that split second, I recalled countless smiling students with like enthusiasm that had made and given me wonderful hand-made ornaments, potholders, decorated cans to hold pencils, and dozens upon dozens of cookies.

I always let the children help me unwrap their gift because unwrapping is so much fun to share. In a millisecond, the paper was off and there in my arms laid a beautiful handcrafted quilt.

I was so overwhelmed; I could only say, “Oh Mary, it is so beautiful!”

Her hands gingerly patted the quilt. “ ‘Member I asked you if liked earth tones or bright colors?”  She had. I have been asked random questions thousands of times before by little children, but that question had seemed to be a bit stranger than usual. I had said, “Earth tones. Why?”  Mary had drawn her fingers to her lips and made the ‘zipping her lips’ gliding motion as she walked away.  Now, I understood.  The question had made perfect sense.

Not having the skill or patience myself to sew anything… let alone a quilt, I only could imagine how many hours her mother, with daughter at her side, must have spent to hand-sew this wonderful gift.

“I helped Mommy pick out the colors and see this…?” As she spoke she pointed proudly and oh-so loving to a corner of the quilt that really didn’t resemble the other areas.  “I did this part all by myself!” Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged little Mary who now seemed older than her years. I was overcome by a whirlwind of emotions.

To me, Mary’s gift was and is more than a patchwork of material; it is symbol of patience, belief in self, respect, kindness, and love. It is a symbol of the way lives intertwine and also how important it is to work to nurture genuine and positive relationships.  Without question, this quilt has become a symbol of the patchwork of diverse children from the many cultures, religions, and social-economic backgrounds that have touched and enriched my life.

The quilt now rests on a banister in the hallway of my home, and I pass by it each morning before school.  It seems to silently say, “Touch their hearts like they have touched yours, and make a difference in their lives today!” It is amazing, all I needed to learn about life I learned in Kindergarten… from a 5 year old.

Identification and Support of Homeless Students is a Growing Challenge for School Districts

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer M.A.

Melissa is an 11^th grader and attends a large suburban high school in West Michigan. She, her three siblings and their mother live with her aunt and uncle and their four children in a three-bedroom house. Melissa says her mother lost her job working at the machine shop so they stay in one bedroom above the garage and pay rent with the $200.00 her mother gets from food stamps. She glanced away as she spoke in a hushed tone and said that she is quite worried that they will loose all their “stuff” they have in storage because the bill to pay the monthly storage fee is coming due soon.  All this to deal and worry about in addition to: high school classes, credit recovery after school class, transportation home after school, doing homework, finding clean clothes to wear, or something other than junk food to eat.  At 17 years old she should be enjoying high school and not worrying about adult life issues and being homeless.

Yes, Melissa is homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. She is “doubled-up” with a relative (or friend) in a non-permanent arrangement. Contrary to belief: homelessness does not just mean living on the streets, in a car, or in a shelter.  The No Child Left Behind Act describes homeless children and youth as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.”

How many students are doubled-up in your school or district? Do you even know? The “Melissa’s” in your district are really difficult to find, because first of all, their situation might be to them, taboo or too embarrassing to share.  That is where the job of the Homeless Liaison becomes vital to educating the staff, students, families, and community about the McKinney-Vento Act. Students that have been identified as homeless have rights and privileges to help them in school with: enrollment, transportation, free meals, academic assistance, before and after school programs, tutoring, participation in sports, music and other activities that are available to every other student. However, because of economic, social, and added organizational barriers the educational inequality increases for unidentified homeless students and they tend to fall further behind academically mostly due to the generally highly transit and mobility status of homeless families.

What are some ways to start to identify your homeless students?

• Make sure every staff member knows who the Homeless Liaison is for your district. Educate your staff in the homeless categories defined by where people live. i.e.: Unsheltered, transitional housing, temporary housing facility, foster, doubled-up, and motel-hotel.

• Educate your staff to the common signs that are shown by some homeless students’ including: hunger, poor nutrition, sadness/depression, poor grades, and poor attitudes toward school- themselves and others, school records from many schools, as well as trouble learning and paying attention.
• Encourage your entire staff to build trust and relationships with all students, begin with greeting them as they enter the school and each classroom.  Have teacher/student conferences, listen in classroom discussions, read their writing, and pay attention to student non-verbal cues and watch for changes in behavior and attitudes.
• Meet regularly with teams of staff to connect about students you have questions about to see what interventions can be made to support the students.
• Check new student files to see how frequently he/she has changed schools. Notice the new student that is socially awkward or has difficultly making friends.
• Notice: a parent who seems confused when asked about the last school attended, a low income hotel address on enrollment form, statement form family when enrolling such as, “We’ve been having a hard time lately, it’s a new address”.  If the family fills out a Residency Affidavit send the information to the Homeless Liaison for further review.
• Listen to the other students and without betraying confidences, refer student(s) in question to the Homeless Liaison. Know that the student’s situation will be evaluated and if the student is indeed homeless, he/she will be entered into the program so that needs can be met and supported with appropriate services.

In addition to being ‘doubled-up’ with friends or relatives, another type of McKinney-Vento homeless living arrangement includes that which some high school or alternative high school students find themselves in as an “Unaccompanied Youth” where they do not live with a biological parent or legal guardian. Some unaccompanied youth may be a runaway, refuge, throwaway, or in these tough economic times, the oldest child that cannot be supported at home anymore. It is up to the schools to find these students, meet with them, find out their needs, and match them with the school and community services that will help them to reach their full potential.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act is a Federal Law. Title IA funds subsidize the expenses schools accrue to support the homeless students and their educational needs. Most of all, we as educators must believe with the extra time and effort we make to build relationships with students regardless of their situation, we can find and support all of our “Melissa’s” and help them develop the academic and survival skills that will successfully lead them to a healthy and productive life.

Developing Relationships Key to Academic Success!

By:   Peg Chauncey Cramer  M. A.

Each teacher has the overwhelming task to develop creative, curriculum supported, and rigorous lessons to help all students reach their full potential.  Before the learning can take place, however, it is my firm belief, that teachers must develop genuine relationships between students, parents, families, and colleagues and building a mutual trust, respect, and the ability to treat each other with kindness in a personal way.  In addition, as they teach, educators need to help students to identify the relevance and significance of the curriculum, and how it relates to their future success. My philosophy of teaching focuses around the new “three R’s”; rigor, relationships, and relevance.

Our school days are teeming with budget shortfalls, accountability measures in the No Child Left Behind Act, as well as implementing state and district standards and testing. These issues can become roadblocks or difficulties that tie our hands and make our job to educate, strengthen, and support students and their families more complex and stressful. Students enter our schools and classrooms with an unbelievable amount of complex issues that cloud students’ minds and distract them in the classroom. Teaching under these circumstances is very difficult. With genuine caring, trust, and steps to create a positive, healthy learning environment, teachers and other school staff can support students to overcome these issues.

I would like to believe that all teachers  have high expectations for all children that we meet and teach. It is important for me to communicate to students, through my words and actions, the need to develop strong character, reasons to set goals, and the necessity to try their best and to treat others the way they want to be treated. I have learned along the way that the development of the intertwined relationships between school staff is equally important and essential for the common good of all within the school.

In addition, I think it is  extremely rewarding, that I have identified, act on, and support these important pieces of the puzzle that I believe are critical to student personal and academic success.  In addition to the “three R’s” and the traits mentioned above, other important elements are: identifying learning styles and interests, creating an attractive learning environment, mentoring youth, and building partnerships with parents in order to support their education in literacy, child development, and leadership.  Furthermore, students need to learn the importance of goals, and know that every day they are developing their talents and job skills for their future.  Another important piece of the puzzle is asking community members and businesses for their support and welcoming them into schools.

It is also very rewarding for me to have the opportunity to interact with students across grade levels like:  the beautiful bright eyes and smiles that light up as I meet and greet my kindergarteners, the 4th and 5^th graders who give me two thumbs up when I speak to them about their education and futures, the attentive middle school at-risk youth as we do activities to help them identify goals, the high school students as they hold hands with their mentees, the parents who nod and smile as we develop strategies to help the students succeed. It is also a gift that I am able to make a contribution and reach beyond my classroom to make a difference in my school, community, and state.

My personal style of teaching is really all about who I am and what I believe.  I must touch the hearts, minds, and lives of students and walk my talk. Every day I try to do just that.

The Best “Four Letter Word”….

By:  Peg  Chauncey  Cramer  M.A.

I am life-long learner, updating and implementing new teaching strategies and initiatives to help children reach their full potential. Over the years, it has also been my pleasure to share my expertise, collaborate with, coach, train, and supervise others in various stages of their teaching careers, and to also help them reach their full potential.

I have opened my classroom doors and welcomed eager high school and college students in for pre-teaching experience. It has been enjoyable for me, to plant the seeds of love for all children; so that these students might realize how important it is to be a teacher with passion, professionalism, integrity, and of strong character.   I have been happy to provide these somewhat sheltered students, with an opportunity to make connections with and support children from diverse cultural and social-economic backgrounds. In addition, I have supervised and guided three student teachers in their efforts to discover valuable skills and abilities that they have used as the foundation of whom they are as teachers.

I have also been a mentor teacher to a beginning teacher. Over the course of four years, she and I spent countless hours discussing practical teaching skills and strategies that she began to implement into her classroom including: organization, classroom climate, and management, as well as lesson development, pacing, and delivery.  I would guide and coach to help her identify areas of strength and weakness and model for her many of the strategies we had discussed. This was a very rewarding mentoring experience for me because over the course of our time together, not only was I able to contribute to her classroom success, but I also discovered I had acquired confidence and presentation skills to use to support my peers. Since then, I have facilitated staff development workshops for veteran teachers at the Kent Intermediate School District.

It has been gratifying for me to think that though my support of these teachers; in some small way, I touch children beyond those whom with I personally interact.

In my perfect world, accountability for our profession would be based on not only student test taking success, but on other student academic and personal successes as well. Teachers would have respect, love their work, and be held accountable in areas including relationship building and having high expectations for students. Success would be based on if rigorous, exciting lessons were delivered to help students learn not only subject content, but also on personal student success in finding the relevance and value of their education. However, no matter how hard I wish, we will never teach in my perfect world.

In our world accountability is driven by academic success, but what drives the need for academic success is neither the passionate teacher nor the motivated student. The basis of measuring accountability in the teaching profession is Education Yes! and it’s MEAP tests. Districts are also pressed to impress the community and retain students within the district for funding purposes. The difficulty is with the way student data is collected. For every child data is measured with the same tools, which on the surface seem adequate. However, educators are finding adequate can also denote unfair, impersonal, and inflexible when testing our global, transient, and impoverished students, who because of societal and family circumstances, are at-risk for academic failure.

“Data” is not a bad four-letter word, but it should not be the only four-letter word society needs to keep in mind when holding teachers accountable.  Even in this complex, data driven world, a teacher should have passion, professionalism, integrity, of strong character, and base teaching on the four-letter word “love”, to help all children reach their full potential.

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Stratigies for Supporting Your Young Child’s Academic Development

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer  M.A.

Take a look at these incredibly simple strategies for supporting your child’s academic development at home.
1. Read, Read, Read!  Reading to and with your child is one of the most important things you can do with your child. Children learn that reading provides both enjoyment and information, and they develop a desire to learn to read and write.  Children learn many new concepts and add words and meaning to their speaking vocabularies. They also develop phonemic awareness, including the concept to rhyme.  Read every day 15-20 minutes at least two times a day. The more you read together, the more confident your child will be during this important developmental stage in his life.
2. Give your child opportunities to develop small motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and to strengthen hands and fingers.  Activities such as: writing, coloring, playing with clay or playdoh, supervised cutting with scissors, and creative art activities.
3. Authentic life experiences. Take your kids to places to help them build their knowledge of the world around them. Simple things like walks in the park where you let them observe and touch things, or trips to the zoo and apple orchard. These experiences don’t have to be expensive or extravagant,  the simpler the better in my estimation. Ask middle school students if they remember their trip to Disney World when they were in preschool or kindergarten and the response will be, “not really.”

4. As mentioned earlier, communicate with the teacher. She will give you many suggestions that will help your child with his/her individual needs and academic development and then spend time to support and encourage your child in the “homework” activities given by the teacher. Kindergarten children love to do homework like the big kids, especially when it is supported and encouraged from home.

In conclusion:   Love, support, and encourage your child. What ever it takes.

Early Childhood Skills Help Your Child Succeed in Kindergarten

By: Peg Chauncey  Cramer  M. A.

These skills are important for your child to acquire as he/she gets ready to go to school.  Continue giving your child opportunities to try and try again to do these things so that as school approaches, your child will become more assured and confident in himself.  Your child might be only 5 years old, but practicing these important skills will help keep him safe too.  I see many children that don’t even know how to zip their coat or blow and wipe their  own noses.  Parents thinking they are helping their child are really doing him a disservice to his personal development.

Model for your child all of these things and allow him to make mistakes. That is how we all learn, and mistakes are fine to make, especially if you are 5 years old.

·    Patience and using words to communicate

Sharing, taking turns and listening
·    Knowing and recognizing their full name
·    Knowing the full names of parents and other important people
·    Solo pottying
·    Dressing themselves
·    Using all the different types of clothing fasteners, buttons, etc.
·    Knowing the Alphabet
·    Knowing left and right
·    Recognizing colors shapes and numbers
·    Recognize basic units of money: pennies, dimes, etc.
·    Using words to describe an objects position
·    Printing first name in uppercase letters
·    Knowing their address and phone number
·    Using basic school tools such as pencils, glue, etc.

Developing Good Character Begins At Home

By:  Peg Chauncey Cramer  M. A.

Good character is a building block in the foundation of relationships between individuals at home, in our schools, and in the community. Our children need life skills and strong character tools to support them in their future.  We as parents must promote a home environment where the ideals of exemplary character are identified, modeled, and practiced daily. Regardless of the cultural and social-economic diversity of our families or the individual backgrounds from which we come, every child of any age can benefit and grow from daily reminders to use good character.

Parents have the awesome task of creating a loving home where all children can utilize their strengths and build upon them. We need to make a conscience effort to engage our children’s minds and encourage them to be positive thinkers and doers all the while preparing them to be polite, trustworthy, caring, friendly, and fair, law-abiding, and contributing citizens in this global society.

“What can I do to promote good character in my pre-school child?”

One of the best ways to help your child learn to become a caring, friendly, and compassionate child is to bring your positive actions to the forefront of their day.

Examples: 1. When you are standing in line at the grocery store, let someone go before you that has fewer groceries. Say to your child, “We are being kind and caring to that Grandma because we let her go before us so she doesn’t have to wait so long.”

2. Make a special time for you and your child(ren) to box up out-grown clothing.  You might be doing this because you are going to have a garage sale. That is great, but put aside a few items do donate. As you do this, tell about some children in your town who do not have nice clothing and that their families can not afford to buy them toys and sometimes even shoes. Locate a church or charity in your town that gives clothing to families in need. (Some businesses like Goodwill sell donated goods.)  As a family, take the clothing to the charity and let your child help you carry it into the building.  This is very powerful, even for 4 year olds and it help makes every family member feel good too!

3. Give your child a special job or chore to earn $1.00.  Pay her in quarters. Talk to her about saving a little money, spending a little money, and giving a little money in the church envelope. Tell her that saving is to use the money for something special; spending is for something you need, and giving is to help others that do not have enough.

4. Read stories that promote respect, friendship, responsibility, kindness, caring, compassion, and honesty.

Here are some of my favorites:

Stellaluna by Cannon
Rainbow Fish by Pfister
Koko’s Kitten by Patterson
Ira Sleeps Over by Waber
Franklin Fibs by Bourgeois
Chrysanthemum by  Henkes
Arthur’s Pet Business by Brown
Horton Hatches the Egg by  Dr. Suess
Peter’s Chair by Keats
Flower Garden by Bunting
The Little Red Hen by Galdone

· Visit the library and ask the librarian for additional titles.

Your child(ren) will reap the benefits from the watching the special ways you identify, model, and practice good character. Be affirmed that all the wonderful things you do to show kindness, honesty, and compassion encourage positive behavior and attitudes that will help your child to become truly genuine.

Empowering Your Child to Share

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer  M.A.

“NO! It’s MINE , MINE, MINE! ” Sound familiar?

Young children are great at expressing to everyone; at home, the grocery store, or heaven forbid the toy store, to know that they want to be in control. Actually, as parents we know they really are in control. Young children have an innate ability to know just the right moment to push our buttons to demand ownership of a thing, or ‘express’ what they want.  NOW! Been there done that!  Instead, Empower Your Child.

So what is a parent to do?  Be Proactive!  Be Consistent!  Be An Example!

1.Model:  Model sharing in front of your child. This exercise doesn’t have to be fancy. Just find something to share and share it.  Ideas: a.) Split a favorite food like a cookie, an apple, or a sandwich and share it with your child. b.) When watching TV share a comforter, a comfy chair, pillows, or even decide on a TV show everyone wants to watch. c.) Go to the public library pick out some books and have your child pick out some books. Find the book, “Peter’s Chair” by Ezra Jack Keats.  It is about a little boy who doesn’t want to share with his new little sister.
It really doesn’t matter what you do, it is what you say and how you say it that actually counts. “This is my favorite cookie, do you want to share it with me?” “ I wanted to watch my favorite show, but let’s share the TV and watch something together.” “ The library owns all of these books, but they want to share them with us, so we need to take good care of them and bring them back so other children can share them too.” The more you do it and say it, the more your child will begin to think and know that sharing is just what people do.

2.Make something together and give it away:
Idea: Make a Leaf or Flower Pressed Window Hanging.
Materials needed: Pressed leaves or flowers.
Waxed Paper
2 Kitchen or hand towels
Iron
What to do: * Discuss with your child that you think it would be nice to make
something to share with Grandma, a friend or neighbor that has
been  kind to your family. Maybe state something that maybe they
have shared (like tomatoes) or has done something nice for your child.
Ask your child,
“You are going to make a pretty thing. Who are you going to share it
with?”
*Go for a walk with your child and collect some pretty leaves or
flowers. The more colorful the better.
* Lay the towel on the counter (you will iron on it)

* Have your child arrange the pressed flowers between two  pieces of waxed paper on top of one of the towels.
* Place the other towel on top of the waxed paper that you
iron hot iron
*Let cool for about 2 minutes and help your child cut it into a cloud shape about    2       inches from the leaves.
* Put the Window Hanging against the window to let the light shine
through it .
What to say:  Before and during the activity keep reiterating that this is a
special thing you two are making to SHARE with a friend. Then
before you hang your creation on the window, say to your child
“ _______  will really like this pretty thing won’t she?”
*Together, take it to the recipient. (If your child says they want to keep
what you both have made, tell him/her that this one is to share with
________and you both can make another one to keep.)

When at the library, look for the book, “Peter’s Chair” by Ezra Jack Keats. It is about a little boy who does not want to share with his little baby sister.

Being proactive with example, consistency and love, your child will learn sharing is for   everyone. With your guidance, step by step your child will learn to share with others and feel  empowered.

Inside the Kindergarten Classroom

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer M.A.

What does a nurturing, developmentally appropriate kindergarten room looks like. It doesn’t matter what part of the country you live, when you walk into a kindergarten room, there are many things you should expect to see.  Your first impression should be “Wow!” What a fun room to learn in.  You should see color, organization, and many fun places for your child to discover.

* A print rich environment: There should be plenty of books, story or poem charts, labels and words to read all around the room.

*Teacher chair and gathering area: This is where a great deal of the whole group reading and learning takes place. You will probably see an easel, white board, and chart paper in close proximity for the teacher to use.

* Calendar bulletin board: Calendar time is where most teachers teach about numbers, number patterns, place value, counting, skip counting, and graphing. Reading concepts for months of the year and days of the week are also taught as well as concept words like today, yesterday, tomorrow.
* Expect to see an Active environment:  Expect to see children interacting with one another even then they are “working independently”.  Social development and active interaction are still very important aspects of your child’s kindergarten day.

*Look for many areas in the room for your child to work in a activity area. The best classrooms have a writing center, book/reading corner, math center, and spaces for creative/dramatic play.  Also included in positive environments for kindergarten children are extra places to discover things from nature and the world around them. Blocks come in many different shapes, colors, and sizes.  Of course activities for learning and recognizing numbers and  letters should also be evident throughout the room.

*The main thing to look for are happy and engaged children.

Be An Important Part of Your Child’s Education

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer M.A.

Becoming involved in your child’s education pays off in many ways. Parent involvement strengthens schools and shows children that you value learning. Research shows that students whose parents are involved in their education are more likely to earn higher grades, score better on standardized tests, and attend college.
What’s more, you’ll benefit directly by taking an active role. You’ll meet other parents and quickly learn the ins and outs of your child’s school. Read on for some ways to become active and make a difference in your child’s education.
1.    Start now. Introduce yourself to your child’s teacher. You don’t have to wait until parent-teacher conferences to get to know your kindergartner’s teacher. Sometime during the first week or so of school, find a moment to say a quick hello. Or send a handwritten note or a personal email. Ask the teacher whether there is anything she needs. Find out how the teacher prefers to be contacted. This will set a positive tone for the year.
2.    Help out in the classroom. Most kindergarten teachers welcome help from enthusiastic parents. What you do in the classroom will depend on what the teacher needs. It may include preparing materials for lessons and art projects, reading to students, or making copies of worksheets. If you’re unable to commit to a regular schedule, let your child’s teacher know that you still would like to help out with special projects.
3.    Become a room parent. Many kindergarten teachers assign one or two parents to plan class parties and other special activities and to coordinate communication between the teacher and the parents. Being a room parent is generally a yearlong assignment, so make sure you can commit to it. It’s a great way to get to know the teacher!
4.    Volunteer from home. If you can’t make it into the classroom during the day, let the teacher know you’d like to help out in other ways. You could make phone calls to other parents in the evening, help prepare materials for lessons, and more. Bringing your volunteer ethic home shows your child that school is important. It will also help strengthen your connection with the teacher.
5.    Be a special guest. Visit your child’s classroom to share something special about yourself, such as your occupation, your cultural background, or an interesting hobby. Your child will be proud to let everyone know you’re her parent!
6.    Learn about your child’s school. Read the school handbook to learn about school policies. Stay informed by reading school and parent-teacher group newsletters. If the school has a website, check it regularly for updates and information.
7.    Reach out to other parents. Look for opportunities to get to know the parents of your child’s classmates. Volunteer to chaperone field trips. Attend class parties and assemblies. Don’t be shy about introducing yourself, and be sure to exchange phone numbers and email addresses. The other parents will be an invaluable support system during the first year of school and beyond.
8.    Attend school events. Make it a point to go to assemblies, open houses, art shows, and other schoolwide events, even ones your child isn’t directly involved with. School events are a great place to meet staff members and other parents, and going together will help your child feel more at home in his new school.
9.    Talk with your child about school. When your child comes home from school, ask specific questions to draw her out. Instead of saying “How was your day?” ask “What was the best thing that happened today at school?” and “Tell me one new thing that you learned today in kindergarten.”
10.    Show him that school matters. Praise your child’s efforts. Show him how wonderful his schoolwork is by posting artwork and school papers on the refrigerator for everyone to see. Communicate the idea, in both words and actions, that school is important.
11.    Join the PTO or PTA. Your school parent group is a terrific way to learn about your child’s school. You’ll forge lasting connections with the parents you meet, and you’ll have a role in making your child’s school a fun and exciting place to learn.

Kindergarten: A Time To Blossom

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer  M.A.

As school begins, here is a helpful hint to remember when in discussions with other parents, especially ones in your child’s kindergarten classroom. Remember:  We all learn, grow and develop in different ways and at rates. Many children, especially little boys, need extra time to understand, define, name, and remember all the symbols that we call letters and numbers.  Think about how hard it is for us to learn to read and write in a foreign language. Learning letters, numbers and learning to read is the virtually the same thing.

Support your child with unconditional love and praise. Give him time and opportunities to practice at home counting, letter and number identification and writing. Doing fun things like when you go to the grocery store, help your child find letters and numbers he knows on the cans and boxes. When in the car, have your child count the blue or white cars he sees. Play tapes with stories and songs for extra practice. These activities will help your child to make the connections between what he is learning at school and the world around him.

Enjoy these activities with your child, and do not worry that another child you know is learning faster (or slower) than your child. If your child senses that you are worrying, he/she will have anxieties or worry too and that makes learning more complicated. The definition for Kindergarten is ” a garden for children”. So this is a very special time for your child to blossom…in his/her own time.

5 Things Every Parent Must Know Before Your Child Starts Kindergarten!

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer  M.A.

This is a stressful time for you. I know, I have been there myself, and have seen it in my kindergarten classroom for the past 18 years.  Unless you have been kindergarten parents before, you are in for a surprise.

1.  Kindergarten has had a 21st century makeover.  The root of the makeover really three fold. It is the federal No Child Left Behind Act, that required increased state educational standards and, now beginning in 3rd grade, state standardized testing.  To comply with the new law and standards, schools have had to implement new math, reading, writing, science, and social studies curriculum. This curriculum is built like a spiral from the materials, activities, information and lessons taught in the grade before.

Sure, still important in kindergarten are the social, emotional, and age appropriate developmental activities like the kitchen play area and creative play activities. These are — still found in classrooms, but the amount of time designated to these activities has been significantly reduced. For example:  Building blocks, are still wildly used, but now come in a variety of colors, textures, and shapes. Blocks have found new life and are implemented as colorful math manipulatives in shapes that kids now learn as hexagon, rhombus, and trapezoid.

In my next blog,  I will speak to what a nurturing, developmentally appropriate classroom looks like, so you will know what to expect in your child’s classroom.

2. The second thing that parents must know is to understand that kindergarten classrooms now reflect the diversity of the United States. It is a wonderful opportunity that our children have in addition to learning to be kind to others and to share, our kindergarten children are learning about diversity and how to be tolerant of others that might not look, act, or learn like them.  The children in our multi-cultural classrooms are developing relationships, friends, and playing with children they might not have met in their parents circle of friends. Parents, remember to be supportive of your child and the friends he makes in the multi-cultural classroom. Children are very perceptive, honest, and caring, you wouldn’t want to have your child develop q questions about others he works and plays with everyday.

3. This is hard to believe… I know! The third thing that parents must know and admit to is that your child is really growing up and you need to help him to learn confidence and to be more self-assured. He is no longer a baby.
If he is old enough to go to school, then it is very developmental appropriate that your child dress himself, pick up his toys, help keep him self clean, become responsible for a backpack and lunch pail, and with practice zip jackets and tie shoes.  He can also help around home by stacking newspapers, sorting socks or help to recycle. It is hard for parents to find out that their little child doesn’t need them 24-7 any more. We want our children to grow up to be of good character, responsible and learn how to make good decisions. It starts with empowering a 5 year old with a few of these activities.

Most importantly, make sure you show, model, and help your child along the way until he says that he can do it by himself. You want your child to develop skills and confidence not become unsure and apprehensive.

4. The fourth thing that parents must know and remember is that attending kindergarten is not all the only thing your child needs in order to grow and develop. Many parents feel that now that their child is in school, it is the responsibility of the school and teacher to give the child all he needs.  A successful kindergarten experience will give your child unique, fun, and special experiences and opportunities to development in many ways, but it is not a substitute for family fun and activities, travel, reading together, character building, practicing lessons learned in school and all the other life experiences that help build your child’s knowledge to draw from when in school. This prior knowledge is an important building block for things he will learn in school. So, continue all the wonderful things you have been doing for your child through out the year and watch as your little person blossoms.

5. The fifth thing that parents must know before your child starts kindergarten is to remember that we all learn, grow and develop in different ways and at rates. Many children, especially little boys, need extra time to understand, define, name, and remember all the symbols that we call letters and numbers.  Think about how hard it is for us to learn to read and write in a foreign language. Learning letters, numbers and learning to read is the virtually the same thing.

Above all: Support your child with unconditional love and praise. Give him time and opportunities to practice at home counting, letter and number identification and writing. Doing fun things like when you go to the grocery store, help your child find letters and numbers he knows on the cans and boxes. When in the car, have your child count the blue or white cars he sees. Play tapes with stories and songs for extra practice. These activities will help your child to make the connections between  what he is learning at school and the world around him.

“How can I help my child get ready for the first day of Kindergarten?”

By: Peg Chauncey Cramer  M. A.

Believe me, your child is anxious about kindergarten…maybe you are too.  We as parents want our children  to learn confidence and to be more self-assured in kindergarten. There are some things you can do to get your child ready for the first day of school so he/she will be ready to walk into the classroom without worry.

The Weeks before Kindergarten:

· 1.Continue to Read, read, read to him. Reading several times a day with your child will help him to learn to love books, favorite characters and stories, develop good listening skills, learn some concepts of print, and a little about letters and words. Most of all, your child will view himself as a reader.

· 2. Talk about what school is for. Make sure you include the ideas that is a place for learning about academic things but also learning about the world, about people, about cooperation, using manners, knowing right from wrong, making choices, and taking responsibility for things and actions.

· 3. Talk about what types of things he will be doing during the school day like learning to read, meeting new friends, playing outside, eating lunch and all the fun learning activities he will do. You will have more information about these activities by the end of this seminar.

4. Visit the school. Take a little tour of the gym, library, lunchroom, and computer lab. See if you can meet the teacher or at least visit the classroom. Play on the playground. These are very important activities to help your child to feel comfortable at school.

5. Make it fun to go shopping for backpack, school/home supplies, clothes, gym shoes, lunch pail, etc. This gives him ownership and lets him know you want his impute in selecting these items.

Most of all, have fun and try not to show your child you are a little nervous too.   You probably will be surprised when your child runs into the classroom and forgets to say “Good-by!”  Don’t take it personnally, and know that you must have done a great job parenting to give your child the confidence he/she needed to make this huge transition.