The Joy of Teaching

Whether you love it or hate it…well, let’s face it, no one loves homework. Nonetheless, it is an important time to help your child get extra practice of basic skills or show his or her knowledge through a project.

I can remember feeling discouraged by my math homework and my parents getting frustrated with me and sending in my older sister to help. Later in life, I realized this was because I was struggling with basic fractions and my parents had no clue how to help!

As I started to sense a similar cycle with my own children when homework started in kindergarten, I did some research and talked to other parents and came up with this list of dos and don’ts at homework time:

• Do set up a designated homework area.
• Do set up a consistent time for homework, preferably in the early evening hours. This provides a much-needed break for your child between school and homework.
• Do give praise and celebrate every improvement.
• Do give your child a break in between assignments.
• Do give your child access to a timer to help reduce wasted time.
• Do contact your child’s teacher for advice and tips.
• Don’t turn on electronic devices that can serve as a distraction.
• Don’t hover, but also don’t use this time to cook dinner, talk on the phone, or finish the laundry. Be available for your child as he or she has questions or needs a reminder to stay focused.
• Don’t be critical or point out mistakes.
• Don’t be impatient.
• Don’t do the work for your child.
• Don’t ignore these tips!

I hope that these tips will help homework time be less stressful in your house. Share your own stress-free homework tips here.

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Contributing Writer

Trisha Thomas is the mother of two and serves on the board of directors at a co-op preschool. She has also been a marketer of educational materials for grades PreK–8 for more than 15 years.

I took this fun quiz from Parenting.com. The quiz showed that my son is a visual learner and my daughter is an auditory learner. Does this surprise me? No. Are the suggestions they give helpful? Absolutely. Take the quiz here:

Quiz: What is the best way for your child to learn?

As you are working with your child’s teacher and with your child at home, think of the following three basic learning styles: auditory, kinesthetic, and visual. While we all possess all three learning styles, there is usually one that stands out. Also, as your child develops, the prominent learning style may change. It is important to understand your child’s learning style to help him or her grasp new concepts and to prevent unnecessary frustration. Once you know your child’s learning style, you can make easy adjustments to help cater to his or her needs.

Auditory learner – Your child prefers to hear a lesson or new information over reading it. Also, your child may prefer some background noise like music to help keep him or her focused.
Here are tips to help your auditory learner succeed.

Kinesthetic learner – Your child prefers to learn by doing, touching, or exploring. You may notice that your child has a hard time sitting still and could increase his or her comprehension of new information by writing it down or participating in hands-on activities.
Here are strategies to help your kinesthetic learner.

Visual learner –Your child prefers to process new information by reading, looking at images, or watching a demonstration. You notice that your child remembers information better if he or she sees it in a chart or graph. You may also notice that your child becomes impatient while listening.

Here are 12 steps to help your visual learner.

And, if your child is a visual or auditory learner, here’s a video just for you!

If you’re still not sure what type of learner your child is, try this step-by-step guide to help you find out.

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Contributing Writer

Trisha Thomas is the mother of two and serves on the board of directors at a co-op preschool. She has also been a marketer of educational materials for grades PreK–8 for more than 15 years.

To keep your child’s brain and body functioning at an optimal level for hectic school days, fortunately there are a few key “superfoods” to help you out. If there were a magic pill for good health, it would already exist. Not only can superfoods help promote weight control, but they taste good for kids, provide disease-fighting nutrients, fill your child up without excess calories, and are easy to add to family meals. Let’s look at a few a superfoods that are easy to find and cost-friendly.Quinoa: Nourishing whole grains are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and cholesterol-lowering fiber. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is an ancient grain that is easy to make, high in protein and fiber, and a good source of iron. Quinoa also has plenty of zinc, vitamin E, and selenium to help control weight and lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It’s available in most supermarkets. Tip: Quinoa is as easy to prepare as rice, cooks more quickly, can be eaten alone or mixed with vegetables, nuts, lean protein, and even served cold in yogurt at breakfast.

Spinach: Popeye knew what he was doing! Spinach is a powerhouse. The rich, dark color comes from phyto-chemicals (plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties), and vitamins and minerals, including folate and iron. These minerals are very helpful in protecting against heart disease and preserving eyesight. Tip: Try spinach in salads or cook them with onions and veggies to add greens to your evening meal. 

Salmon: Packed with healthy omega 3’s, the “good fats,” salmon helps to reduce inflammation and plaque inside the arteries. The Food and Drug Administration and American Heart Association advise eating salmon and other cold-water fish at least two times per week. Salmon is low in calories (200 for 3 ounces), has lots of protein, is a good source of iron, and is very low in saturated fat. Tip: You can grill or bake it, top it with salsa or other low-fat sauces, or serve it on top of salads. Canned salmon can be used for school lunches when you are in a pinch for time.

Berries: Powerful antioxidants, which are good for your heart, and fiber, which aids in lowering LDL cholesterol, can be found in berries. Blueberries and raspberries also contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and cranberries are widely available fresh, frozen, or dried. Tip: Berries can add flavor and nutrition to numerous dishes, from salads and cereals to baked goods and yogurt.

Eggs: Eggs are versatile, economical, and a great way to fill up on quality protein. Studies show that if you eat eggs at breakfast, you may eat fewer calories during the day and lose weight without significantly affecting cholesterol levels. Eggs also contain 12 vitamins and minerals, including choline, which is good for brain development and memory. Tip: Enjoy them at any meal or hard-boil eggs to carry with you as a portable snack.

Nuts:  People tend to shy away from nuts due to their high fat content, but nuts have heart-healthy fats, as well as protein, high fiber, and antioxidants. The key to enjoying nuts is portion control. All nuts are healthful in small doses and studies show they can help lower cholesterol levels and promote weight loss. Whether you prefer pistachios, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or pecans, an ounce a day helps fill you up. Nuts also add texture and flavor to salads, side dishes, baked goods, and entrees. Tip: Try putting together  single-serving bags of nuts for easy and portable snacks.

Recipe Corner

Two quick recipes, hot and cold, using the superfoods above.

Ingredients

• Two handfuls of spinach (washed)
• ½ cup walnuts
• 1 cup berries of choice (use with cold dish only)
• 4 ounces salmon
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of quinoa
• Salad dressing (cold dish only)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (hot dish only)

Spinach & Quinoa Salad with Salmon – served cold

1. Cook salmon on stovetop until light pink, or in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
2. Boil water and cook quinoa on stovetop as directed on the box. Cool in fridge.
3. Wash spinach and chop into smaller pieces; set aside.
4. Chop walnuts to desired consistency and set aside.
5. Wash berries and set aside.
6. Hard boil an egg for 5 minutes, cool, and peel. Chop to desired consistency and set aside.
7. Take quinoa out of fridge.
8. Create salad using spinach as the base, topped with ingredients above.
9. Sprinkle with quinoa as desired.

Top with the salad dressing of your choice—just oil and vinegar work wonders!

Spinach & Quinoa Stir Fry – served hot

1. Cook salmon on stovetop until light pink, or in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
2. Boil water and cook quinoa on stovetop as directed on the box. Let cool.
3. Hard boil an egg for 5 minutes, cool, and peel. Chop to desired consistency and set aside.
4. Wash spinach. Using two tablespoons of olive oil, cook on low heat until dark green. Chop walnuts to desired consistency and set aside.
5. Place quinoa on plate and top with other ingredients as desired.
   

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Contributing Writer

Leslie Edsall loves to work with people to simplify the noise and develop healthier habits through nutrition, yoga and self care. She is a Certified Health Coach, Health Education Specialist and Registered Yoga Teacher. Leslie offers a variety of online and in-person health coaching programs, teaches yoga, runs workshops in the DC area and leads wellness retreats.

Summer vacation is fast approaching. How do you balance summer fun with enrichment for your children? This blog presents some ideas on keeping learning alive over the summer months. Let’s start with the facts on summer learning loss:

• All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.
• In a survey of 500 teachers by the National Summer Learning Association, 66% of teachers polled reported that it takes them at least three to four weeks to reteach the previous year’s skills at the beginning of a new school year.
• In general, students are more likely to forget what they have learned in mathematics over the summer than they are to lose literacy skills. (Making Summer Count, RAND Corporation, 2011.)

Research also shows that small doses of basic skill practice will keep minds sharp over the summer months. In research on learning, it was determined that “spaced practice (once a day for several days) as opposed to one long, concentrated lesson (all day long for just one day) appears to be more effective in facilitating learning.” (Making Summer Count, RAND Corporation, 2011.) Top 10 favorite ideas for summer learning experiences: As a parent of three children, I’ve been met with groans at the suggestion of schoolwork during the summer. However, learning can be “disguised” as summer fun, and basic skill practice can be presented in spaced practice over summer days.

1. Collect piles of good books and make time to read! Libraries, used-book stores, and thrift stores can provide new reading material.
2. Enroll in summer reading programs at your local library, or encourage your children to keep a reading log of books.
3. Be a tourist in your town and visit museums, parks, and interesting sites. Make a “wish list” of activities to do with your children.
4. Help children create and write a blog about summer adventures. This Pinterest site provides sources for helping kids create their own blog.
5. Make a journal so that children can write or draw pictures about the events of a given day or week, or write reviews about favorite books, movies, and outings.
6. Get creative and try new arts and crafts or cooking projects, having your child take the lead in reading directions, gathering supplies, and applying math in measurements. Our favorite projects have been making ice cream from scratch and making soap! This blog provides ideas on using math in the kitchen with young children.
7. Plant a small vegetable, herb, or flower garden.  This website offers many ideas and activities for family gardening activities, including making a “seed bomb,” a windowsill herb garden, and a rainbow fruit salad.
8. Create an obstacle course outside. Have children plan a design on paper, and then build the course together.
9. Limit “screen” time (TV, computers, iPads, and other electronic gadgets).
10. And, most importantly, set aside small periods of time for reading and practice of basic skills (activity books and flashcards are a great resource).

If you’re interested in summer activity books for enrichment, I recommend Evan-Moor’s Daily Summer Activities­­—from first-hand experience! I’ve used Daily Summer Activities books with my children and appreciate the teacher-developed activities that review all the core skills in reading, math, writing, language arts, and science. The variety of activities and full-color pages present basic skill practice in an activity book format. We are interested in hearing how you keep learning alive over the summer months. Please share your ideas!

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Contributing Writer Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.