I Can Write! Keeping a Journal at Home

             You might be asking yourself why should I encourage my child to keep a journal at home?

Journaling has many purposes! Here are some of the why’s to journal.

            It builds writing and reading skills.

            It can be another outlet for your child to express their feelings.

            Strengthens the hand and increases fine motor skills.

My favorite kind of journal is a buddy journal. One day your child can write or draw about their day and then you can write the next day. Not only does this model what good writing looks like (the purpose behind you writing in the journal), you get to have an insight about what your child might be thinking or feeling. You might learn about how their day at school went or any problems they might be having with other students in their class. (Also it is a great keepsake!)

Does this conversation sound familiar?

Parent: “How was your day at school?”

Child: “It was good.”

Parent: What did you do?”

Child: “I don’t know.”

Parent: “Did you learn anything knew?”

Child: “I can’t remember.”

The game of twenty questions can last all night, but you probably won’t get any more answers. Journaling can be a time where your child has time to think about their day and write or draw about it. If your child is having a hard time coming up with something to draw or write you can use the following prompts…

If your child is in the drawing stage of writing: (If they know their letter sounds, encourage them to begin labeling their pictures)

           

            My friends at school.

            My favorite thing to do at recess.

            I love to…

            I like to…

            I want to go to…

            My pet(s)

            My favorite animal

            I want to eat…

            I like to go to…

If your child is in the writing stage:

            I’ve been meaning to tell you…

            My favorite book is…

            My favorite subject at school is…

            I liked when we …

            I like to play… at recess

            My friends are…

            I love to…

            If I could pick what’s for dinner, I would choose…

            I had a ____________ day because…

The list is endless! You know your child best. Pick topics that will motivate them to write!

Remembering September 11th

How do you talk to your child/children about this day in history?

You may want to try to hide it from your children thinking that it is best not to discuss it with little kids. If you watch the news your child is going to hear or maybe even see what happened that day. It is our duty to never forget what happened that day and to talk with our kids about the tragic day we lost so many Americans.

When I taught first grade, I began discussing the events of September 11^th a few days before. I didn’t spend a lot of time talking about the terrorists, or the why’s? behind the attacks. I focused my discussion with my students about the heroes of that day and how our country came together to help one another. When talking about the “terrorists” I would use the term “people who had hate in their heart.” I would then go on to say, “The people who had hate in their hearts wanted to hurt our country. The decided to fly two airplanes in two large buildings in New York City, called the Twin Towers. When the planes hit the buildings, they made them fall to the ground. Many police officers, firefighters, EMT’s and other brave men and women went to the building to try to save the peoples lives that were inside the buildings.” A book that could be helpful to talk with your child is The Little Chapel That Stood by A.B. Curtiss.

I also recommend telling your child about where you were when you heard about the attacks and the feelings you felt in the days and weeks after the events of 9/11. Sadly this day will always be a day of remembrance similar to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the day Kennedy was assassinated.  

            Additional conversations you might want to have with your child are “What does America mean to you? “What does it mean to be patriotic?”

Book recommendation!

            The Little Chapel That Stood by A.B. Curtiss

Adding one more to the family mix...

As I answer the following question, I am sure you are going to ask yourself, "what does a teacher know about adding a sibling to a family?" Well, although I might not have kids of my own, I do know how to spot jealousy and how to ease a child a way from "acting out" to get more attention. 


The other day I went to a friends house and visited their son and 2-month year old baby. My friend asked me, "How do I get my son to stop acting out against me and my husband? He is so sweet and helpful when it comes the baby and helping, but has reverted back to some of his old tendencies."


I want to say that his behavior is completely natural, and it is just a phase (it might feel like it is going to last forever, but it won't)! I promise! He is adjusting to having a another living-being in the household and realizing that he is no longer the center of attention. I am sure you are adjusting to having another person to take care of and having less sleep. However, you have more coping skills to deal with the new situation (you've been around longer). Sometimes the way little kids express their wants and needs are to "act out." This my be by hitting you, throwing more tantrums, not using the potty (even though they are potty trained), or countless other ways. 


Here are some solutions to help with the problem

• Make a special time each day that is just for the two of you. (Mom/Dad and Son) Activities could include snuggling, reading a good book, swinging on the swings, etc. 
• Give your child feeling words to help them express themselves without hitting or throwing tantrums.  Before your child swings into a full episode, you can say "It looks like you are... (feeling word), I can see how you would feel that way, right now I need you to.... and then when you are ready we can...) These words don't fit in all situations, but hopefully they are a good start. 
• Create a marble jar. Every time they do a desired behavior add a marble to the jar (going potty in the bathroom, using a fork/spoon to eat, getting dressed, any desired behavior). When the marble jar is filled, they can do the agreed upon activity. (Go get ice cream, go to the pond to feed the ducks, go on a family bike ride, something your child really enjoys and something that you can live with is the key!

Just remember "acting out" is their way of saying "I need more attention." So if you can create situations where they are receiving positive attention, the problem will no longer exist. Be Aware... if you are giving them attention for their negative behavior they are going to continue to do the behavior that gives them more attention. When your child throws a tantrum or hits, put them in time out, tell them why, and walk away. When they are calm and/or a few minutes have passed. Go back explain why they got a time out, say I love you and give a great big hug!


Parents out there, what has worked for you?

Preschool... What is the real purpose?

My sister asked a great question about preschool the other day. She is concerned that her daughter isn't learning anything new and some of the concepts being taught she feels her daughter has mastered at home. Her example was that her daughter was tracing circles (she has been drawing circles since she was 3!) 


Preschool serves two purposes. I am sure some of you may be in shock when I say that, but I think it's true. 


Purpose #1 (Social Skills) 
Preschool helps teach kids how to interact in a classroom, make new friends, follow agreed upon rules, as well as, learn how to listen/follow directions. These skills are necessary for kindergarten and to be successful in a "real" school setting. Practice makes perfect! Another aspect of preschool that is often not thought about, but is taught just by going everyday is teaching your child about the importance of education. You would not believe some of the attendance issues that are popping up, simply due to the child/parent lack of insistence on attending school on a regular basis. 


Purpose #2 (Academic Skills) 
Some of you who are very involved with your children may have already covered the preschool curriculum by the end of year 2, and you feel that your child is not learning anything NEW! Remember some parents simply do not have the time to spend with their child, so for these children the concepts are new and it is helping them develop a foundation. For the ones who brought their child ready to read, you may not see them mastering reading or addition and subtraction, however, it doesn't mean they aren't learning something related to science or social studies. What your child reports back to you could be leaving out some of the most important parts of their day. On the other hand they might not be learning anything new, but you would be surprised at some of the preschool curriculum and the evolution it has gone through to meet the growing demands to give your child a head start. (In Nordic countries, they don't even introduce reading until late second and early third grade, when the mind is more able. Have you seen their high school test scores???) 


Other skills such as glueing, cutting, and manipulating objects help with your child's fine motor skills, which will eventually lead to better handwriting. They also work on developing large motor skills which builds core muscle strength, which will eventually help them sit for longer periods of time. 


Questions to keep in mind about preschool?


1. What is the purpose for your child?
2. Do they like going?


Also if you are really worried about lack of curriculum, pop in one day and see what is really going on. Don't just plop yourself down and watch, be an active participant and see if your child's teacher needs any help. It will give you an inside into what they have already done or what they are going to be doing.