Ok - this one is especially for those of you who've been emailing and asking for specifics and a recap of some of what we covered in our last workshop. You know who you are! (What happened to the materials I gave you? Ok - I'll stop with the teacher tone - old habits die hard - and get right to it! But I will make it short and sweet here. If you'd like more personalized ideas call or email or bring it up at your next session or workshop - whew - it's not you really, it's just that for a quiet July it's been kind of nutty and a couple of unexpected projects came up. All good but time-consuming and very thinking-heavy, now why am I writing all this here? I think the heat is getting to me. Now then....where was I? Really, I'm so different in September...as I know you are too - remember - just a little while longer until school starts)
TRIP PLANNER - that's all you need to remember. Here's how it goes.
*Topic - Discuss with the children where you'll be going. In this case that would be the beach.
*Research - Get them to find out as much as they can about the beach. Books, DVDs, magazines, coloring, cutting and pasting. Have them make a collage of different things they might see. Collect books, songs, movies about animals that live in the ocean, on the beach, near the beach, weather patterns that cause changes in and on the ocean, houseboats, sailboats, ships, far-off lands, imaginary ocean communities and cultures and on and on.
*Investigate - Have them investigate one or more topics that are of specific interest to them. Do they love seafood? Do they love boats? Do they love swimming? Do they love dolphins, sharks or hate jellyfish? One topic or more that they look into in further depth.
*Plan What will you and they need to make a day at the beach go smoothly? Involve them in the planning. Set a plan for the day, figure it out on the clock. Have them draw pictures of clocks and the times that everything will take place. For example - (their favorite!) Snack - 11:00 am and they draw a clock with the hands at 11:00)
*Participate as much as you can. You can always put an older child in charge of the younger ones for some of these activities. Don't knock yourself out before the trip to the beach. These are just some guidelines for ways that you might approach it so that they're as involved as possible and proactive about the trip.
*Learn Simple question(s) to ask them. What do you think you'll see or find out that you didn't know before? What do you want to find out more about?
*Action Items Again, a plan for the day. Break it down as much as you can. A little advance work makes the trip go much more smoothly. Figure in travel time, sun time, SPF needed, food time, swim time, boat time, grouchy time, down time and whatever else you might be doing.
*Navigate Chart the actual travel on a map and assign trip landmarks for the children to watch out for. It makes the ride smoother and does wonders to answer the inevitable "are we there yet???????".
*Needs Make a list, check it twice, ok three times, and have the children participate in making it. What will you need before, during and after.
*Educate (Shhhhhh - don't tell them that they'll be learning!) Figure out one or two things that you'd like them to know about the ocean. They can be simple - you can ask older children what they'd like to know about it.
Document it before - on colored paper, poster paper or in a notebook or online journal.
For older children who are able to, they can write their own blog about it, create a simple website where they'll be able to upload pictures and link to other sites of interest.
*Recap Ok - after you've rested from the trip and sometimes while you're recovering you can ask the children to recap in any way that they're able to. For the younger ones this could be a picture, picture book, cutting and pasting, collage etc. For the older ones a journal entry, blog entry, web upload etc. Plan this in advance and let them know they'll be doing this when they get home. It encourages them to pay closer attention before, during and after.
Ok - got to run now but as always,
Enjoy the day your way (and let me know how it goes!),
Rebecca "Kiki"
***********************
Daily Life Consulting
For more information on individual or group coaching, seminars, workshops, program training and development, or programs for your group or organization please call 646.468.0608 or email me at coach at dailylifeconsulting dot com or Eva Harris at eva at shoutoutpr dot com
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
I Forgot How To Read!!!!!!! - Part 2
Yesterday's post generated a lot of ether-chatter "Mommy, Daddy I Forgot How To Read!!!!" Many of you wanted specific tips for how to make reading a part of daily life activities and the supermarket example was mentioned more than most, so I'll give you a couple of quick tips today that you can start with right now.
Quick Start Coaching Tips;
- You'll need.... mostly patience. The rest is kid's stuff. Also remember to modify any of these steps for your child's age, reading and patience level.
Before
1. Save food labels from cans and boxes, or have your child cut out pictures of
foods and food names from magazines.
2. Put the pictures and words in a see through shoe box or file-folder.
3. Prepare your child for a trip to the supermarket.
"We're going food shopping. I need your help organizing and reminding me what
to get." Whatever works for you and your child.
4. Take a piece of construction or white paper and have your child make their own
"shopping list" by pasting the pictures or labels of the foods you'll be
buying on to the sheet of paper.
5. Explain to them what will happen and the help you need. "I need you to help
me find the snacks, vegetables etc."
6. Ask them what they're looking for, what letters are in the words, how they
think they can match them up quickly (look for the first letter, first two
letters etc.)
7. Shop.
8. When you get home ask them to make a "shopping entry" in their journals
if they keep one, or to color a picture of what they did and bought.
Here's what happens;
* They are engaged in the process and not getting as bored and antsy.
* They're focusing on the task at hand and the products you/they need to buy
and not the millions of other yummy, enticing, fun, unnecessary food you
won't be buying that day.
* They're practicing word recognition.
* They're learning planning and organizing skills.
* They're doing an "update" while you unpack the groceries.
* They feel empowered that they are able to assist and do a "job".
Follow-Up
Feel free to reward the child in whatever way you're comfortable with for a job well done.
Ask for input as to how they think it went and if they have any ideas for how to make the process work better.
You'd be amazed at the ideas they can come up with. They see the experience in a simpler, less stressful way and have great ideas from where to park the car, to how to navigate the aisles, to which product to choose to how to arrange the bags in the car.
Have fun and enjoy!
Rebecca (Kiki)
********************
Daily Life Consulting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information on individual or group coaching, seminars, workshops or materials for your group, school or institution please call at 646.468.0608 or email at coach at dailylifeconsulting dot com.
Quick Start Coaching Tips;
- You'll need.... mostly patience. The rest is kid's stuff. Also remember to modify any of these steps for your child's age, reading and patience level.
Before
1. Save food labels from cans and boxes, or have your child cut out pictures of
foods and food names from magazines.
2. Put the pictures and words in a see through shoe box or file-folder.
3. Prepare your child for a trip to the supermarket.
"We're going food shopping. I need your help organizing and reminding me what
to get." Whatever works for you and your child.
4. Take a piece of construction or white paper and have your child make their own
"shopping list" by pasting the pictures or labels of the foods you'll be
buying on to the sheet of paper.
5. Explain to them what will happen and the help you need. "I need you to help
me find the snacks, vegetables etc."
6. Ask them what they're looking for, what letters are in the words, how they
think they can match them up quickly (look for the first letter, first two
letters etc.)
7. Shop.
8. When you get home ask them to make a "shopping entry" in their journals
if they keep one, or to color a picture of what they did and bought.
Here's what happens;
* They are engaged in the process and not getting as bored and antsy.
* They're focusing on the task at hand and the products you/they need to buy
and not the millions of other yummy, enticing, fun, unnecessary food you
won't be buying that day.
* They're practicing word recognition.
* They're learning planning and organizing skills.
* They're doing an "update" while you unpack the groceries.
* They feel empowered that they are able to assist and do a "job".
Follow-Up
Feel free to reward the child in whatever way you're comfortable with for a job well done.
Ask for input as to how they think it went and if they have any ideas for how to make the process work better.
You'd be amazed at the ideas they can come up with. They see the experience in a simpler, less stressful way and have great ideas from where to park the car, to how to navigate the aisles, to which product to choose to how to arrange the bags in the car.
Have fun and enjoy!
Rebecca (Kiki)
********************
Daily Life Consulting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information on individual or group coaching, seminars, workshops or materials for your group, school or institution please call at 646.468.0608 or email at coach at dailylifeconsulting dot com.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Mommy!!! Daddy!!!!! I Forgot How To Read!
Imagine going on vacation and coming home to find that you can't read. You heard right. You're away for a couple of days or weeks and you return to find that the street signs are incomprehensible, the writing on the food packages at the supermarket are incoherent, the covers of your favorit DVDs look like squiggles. Something like this? oeirlk jakfjor ieiflj uyejkdjdlk mnbvcgfhu!
Scary? Frustrating? Annoying? Infuriating? Upsetting? Sounds about right.
The above might sound extreme but that's exactly what it can feel like to young children and beginning readers. I've seen it happen after winter breaks and summer vacations. The children aren't yet comfortable with their reading, they go away and don't do any reading for a while and there you go. Gone with the wind at the beach! Reading skills lost along with the pasty white skin of winter.
Now imagine what it's like to have to learn it all over again. It's hard. It can be boring. It's frustrating. It's "agaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnnn???????? but I just did that last year in school, why do I have to do it agaiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn?????"
The other negative aspect of this situation is that reading becomes READING. Reading becomes AN ASSIGNMENT. Reading becomes something to PRACTICE,LEARN and (horrors!!!) STUDY, instead of something organic, fun, entertaining, exciting, a doorway to the unknown, an adventure, a journey and all the other fun things that reading can be.
Quick Start Coaching Tips to keep children reading all summer;
* Keep lots of books about topics they love around the house.
* Read to them. It can be for a few minutes a day or as long as you both like.
* Read with them. Model reading at the same time that they are, and let them
"catch" you reading.
* Get them books that relate to their lives or other media that they're consuming.
* Find reading activities online.
* Have them keep a summer journal. Pictures, words, stories, whatever.
* Incorporate reading skills into daily life activities (more details on this
in another post) such as matching food labels at the supermarket, matching names
of thruways/highways/towns on car trips, making shopping lists, clothing lists,
laundry supplies, swimming supplies, barbecue supplies etc. etc.
* Use baking, cooking or art activities as activities. Follow a recipe, gather art
supplies etc.
Any time children are using the written word in some form and can comprehend how they're using it they're practicing reading. Give them the gift of being independent in their pursuit of information, entertainment, new worlds and knowledge. Give them the gift of loving to read.
Enjoy the day your way,
Rebecca (Kiki)
*************************************
Daily Life Consulting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information on individual or group coaching, seminars, workshops or materials for your group, school or institution please call at 646.468.0608 or email at coach at dailylifeconsulting dot com.
Scary? Frustrating? Annoying? Infuriating? Upsetting? Sounds about right.
The above might sound extreme but that's exactly what it can feel like to young children and beginning readers. I've seen it happen after winter breaks and summer vacations. The children aren't yet comfortable with their reading, they go away and don't do any reading for a while and there you go. Gone with the wind at the beach! Reading skills lost along with the pasty white skin of winter.
Now imagine what it's like to have to learn it all over again. It's hard. It can be boring. It's frustrating. It's "agaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnnn???????? but I just did that last year in school, why do I have to do it agaiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn?????"
The other negative aspect of this situation is that reading becomes READING. Reading becomes AN ASSIGNMENT. Reading becomes something to PRACTICE,LEARN and (horrors!!!) STUDY, instead of something organic, fun, entertaining, exciting, a doorway to the unknown, an adventure, a journey and all the other fun things that reading can be.
Quick Start Coaching Tips to keep children reading all summer;
* Keep lots of books about topics they love around the house.
* Read to them. It can be for a few minutes a day or as long as you both like.
* Read with them. Model reading at the same time that they are, and let them
"catch" you reading.
* Get them books that relate to their lives or other media that they're consuming.
* Find reading activities online.
* Have them keep a summer journal. Pictures, words, stories, whatever.
* Incorporate reading skills into daily life activities (more details on this
in another post) such as matching food labels at the supermarket, matching names
of thruways/highways/towns on car trips, making shopping lists, clothing lists,
laundry supplies, swimming supplies, barbecue supplies etc. etc.
* Use baking, cooking or art activities as activities. Follow a recipe, gather art
supplies etc.
Any time children are using the written word in some form and can comprehend how they're using it they're practicing reading. Give them the gift of being independent in their pursuit of information, entertainment, new worlds and knowledge. Give them the gift of loving to read.
Enjoy the day your way,
Rebecca (Kiki)
*************************************
Daily Life Consulting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information on individual or group coaching, seminars, workshops or materials for your group, school or institution please call at 646.468.0608 or email at coach at dailylifeconsulting dot com.
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