Consider instituting a family homework hour as the school year begins. It’s easy to do if you have the strength to turn off your electronics for an hour. Select an hour in the evening when the family is home and settled. Make it an hour where everyone works on homework, quiet projects (reading, knitting, puzzles,… Read More »
Spring! Sunshine, Sports, Homework, Projects, Testing Help you kids organize their springtime. Here’s a list of study habits for ending the year with an up-tick: Use a weekly and monthly planner to organize school homework and projects as well as family and extra curricular and other activities. It’s not a good time of year to… Read More »
Here’s a list of routines and procedures that work for any K-6 classroom. I suggest you brainstorm with your class to discover and discuss the items that you wish to focus on early in the year. Then create a poster to hang up and periodically share and adjust the list with your class. Enter the… Read More »
Writing skills are needed across all grade levels and usually follows these six steps with an ever-escalating expectation that students will become more detail while also becoming more independent. Starred items may have a variety of “looks” depending on student ages and class goals. 1. Pre-Write Capture your ideas in an outline or sequential listing… Read More »
Definition: Scaffolding- breaking up learning into chunks Teachers as well a classroom assistants and parents use scaffolding whenever they break apart skills. Those pieces, or chunks, allow students to learn parts and then put the pieces together to understand the whole. Here are a few ideas on how to break learning into manageable pieces. Model/Demonstrate/Show… Read More »
A friendly reminder and chart of student tasks. These help kids take on responsibility while kind of freeing up adults.
Here’s one brief way a student can assess their personal organization and productivity for school or homework. Before I begin my work: What are my tasks for today? What questions do I still have about my task before I start? Where can I find answers? What help do I need from adults? (supplies? resources? thinking… Read More »
Just a reminder: You can read or download my Educating America newsletters and the accompanying downloads for free from this very site. Look to the top of this blog. Scan across and click on: Return to Educating America. Whether you are an educator, a para educator, a parent, or a community volunteer, you will find… Read More »
For most teachers and educational assistants it’s time for a summer break; a time to kick back and relax after a busy year. Now’s the time to checkout summer reading related to schools and education. Here are a couple of interesting ones I’ve found. How to Teach Thinking Skills Within the Common Core: 7 Key… Read More »
As summer approaches, students need to work on skills to propel them through life toward success. Consider how you might help them work through these 6 R’s every day, all year, for as many years as possible. They’ll provide a fantastic payoff!! Resiliency Help students cope with stress and to develop empathy. Suggestions: work on… Read More »