April Fun Dates

 April Fool’s Day  International Children’s Book Day also, Fun at Work Day  Find a Rainbow Day also, World Party Day  School Librarian Day also, Walk Around Things Day  National Day of Hope  Tartan Day, also Sorry Charlie Day  Caramel Popcorn Day, also World Health Day  Take Your Parents to the Playground Day also, Draw a… Read More »

5 Tips for a Great Tomorrow

Ideas you’ve heard a million times are still important. Everyone can use them starting right now. Get plenty of quality sleep. (Kids need more than adults. Plan on 9-11 hours dependng on their ages.) Focus on eating healthy snacks and nutritiuos meals, especially breakfast. Stay active to stay healthy. That 15-minute daily walk is better… Read More »

6 Ways to Build a Reading Family

Reading is a vital part of literacy development. Here are 6 ways to become a reading family. Have a designated reading area. It needs comfy places to sit, good lighting, freedom from electronics (unless you are using an e-reader) and bookshelves or crates of books close by. Those books may be owned favorites, borrowed from… Read More »

Parent Guide to Student Success ( by the end of Grade 3)

Lots happens between kindergarten and third grade: students learn to read and write, develop basic math skills and become independent learners. So, what do these look like?? Here are a few details to look at when deciding if a child is ‘at grade level’. Of course, we all learn at different pacesm, but these are… Read More »

Bloom’s Taxonomy in a Nutshell

Bloom’s Taxonomy has ordered 6 levels of critical thinking; they build on each other from basic remembering to creating ideas based on learnings. Here are nutshell versions of the skills they introduce and attempt to develop through repeated use. (For more details google Blooom’s Taxonomy and you’ll find more information that you might use in… Read More »

Student Self-Checking Work Chart

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 »