How to Miss a Childhood

***This is posted from "Hands Free Mama" at http://www.handsfreemama.com/2012/05/07/how-to-miss-a-childhood/

I thought it was worth sharing.  Miss Kirsten***

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Rachel Macy Stafford

Each minute of every day, we are presented with a choice on how we spend our moments. We can either miss the moments or grasp them. This photo was taken at a time in my life when I was missing the moments and in doing so, I was missing more than life.

By sharing my own painful truths when it comes to the distractions of the modern age, I have gained an unexpected insight. In the 18 months this blog has existed, I have been privy to a new distraction confession every single day.
Up until now, I never knew what to do with this unusual collection of painful admissions from an overly connected society. But today, in a moment of clarity, I knew. And a woman with 35 years experience as a day care provider held the key.
It came as a message in my inbox after the woman read my post “The Children Have Spoken” which included heart-breaking observations from children themselves about their parents’ excessive phone use.
As soon as I read the first sentence of the caregiver’s email, I knew this message was different than any I had ever received. The hairs on my arms stood up as I absorbed each word that came uncomfortably close to home.
It was a voice of heartache, wisdom, and urgency speaking directly to the parents of the 21st century:
“I can recall a time when you were out with your children you were really with them. You engaged in a back and forth dialog even if they were pre-verbal. You said, ‘Look at the bus, see the doggie, etc.’ Now I see you on the phone, pushing your kids on the swings while distracted by your devices. You think you are spending time with them but you are not present really. When I see you pick up your kids at day care while you’re on the phone, it breaks my heart. They hear your adult conversations. What do they overhear? What is the message they receive? I am not important; I am not important.”
In a 100-word paragraph this concerned woman who has cared for babies since 1977 revealed a disturbing recipe … How to Miss a Childhood.
And because I possess hundreds of distraction confessions, including stories from my own former highly distracted life, I have all the damaging ingredients.
All it takes is one child and one phone and this tragic recipe can be yours.
How to Miss a Childhood

*Keep your phone turned on at all times of the day. Allow the rings, beeps, and buzzes to interrupt your child midsentence; always let the caller take priority.
*Carry your phone around so much that when you happen to leave it in one room your child will come running with it proudly in hand—treating it more like a much needed breathing apparatus than a communication device.
*Decide the app you’re playing is more important than throwing the ball in the yard with your kids. Even better, yell at them to leave you alone while you play your game.
*Take your children to the zoo and spend so much time on your phone that your child looks longingly at the mother who is engaged with her children and wishes she was with her instead.
*While you wait for the server to bring your food or the movie to start, get out your phone and stare at it despite the fact your child sits inches away longing for you talk to him.
*Go to your child’s sporting event and look up periodically from your phone thinking she won’t notice that you are not fully focused on her game.
*Check your phone first thing in the morning … even before you kiss, hug, or greet the people in your family.
*Neglect daily rituals like tucking your child into bed or nightly dinner conversation because you are too busy with your online activity.
*Don’t look up from your phone when your child speaks to you or just reply with an “uh huh” so she thinks you were listening.
*Lose your temper with your child when he “bothers” you while you are interacting with your hand-held electronic device.
*Give an exasperated sigh when your child asks you to push her on the swing. Can’t she see you’re busy?
*Use drive time to call other people regardless of the fact you could be talking to your kids about their day—or about their worries, their fears, or their dreams.
*Read email and text messages at stoplights. Then tell yourself that when your kids are old enough to drive they won’t remember you did this all the time.
*Have the phone to your ear when she gets in or out of the car. Convince yourself a loving hello or goodbye is highly overrated.
Follow this recipe and you will have:
• Missed opportunities for human connection
• Fewer chances to create beautiful memories
• Lack of connection to the people most precious to you
• Inability to really know your children and them unable to know you
• Overwhelming regret
If you find this recipe difficult to read—if you find that you have tears in your eyes, I thank you, and your child thanks you.
It is not easy to consider the possibility that the distractions of the modern age have taken an undeserved priority over the people who matter in your life. In fact, when I admitted this difficult truth to myself almost two years ago, I experienced an emotional breakdown. However, that breakdown became a breakthrough that propelled me to begin my life-changing “Hands Free” journey.
Here’s the thing: You don’t have to follow the above recipe. Yes, it is the 21st century. Yes, the whole world is online. Yes, the communications for your job are important. Yes, at times you must be readily available. But despite all those factors, you do not have to sacrifice your child’s childhood; nor do you have to sacrifice your life.
May I recommend this recipe instead?
How to Grasp a Childhood:
Look into her eyes when she speaks to you … Your uninterrupted gaze is love to your child.

Take time to be with him—really be with him by giving your full attention … The gift of your total presence is love to your child.

Hold her hand, rub his back, listen to her heart beat, and smooth his hair … Your gentle touch is love to your child.

Greet her like you missed her when she was not in your presence … Seeing your face light up when you see her is love to your child.

Play with him … Your involvement in his activities is love to your child.

Set an example of being distraction-free while driving … Positive role modeling behind the wheel is love (and safety) to your child.
Create a distraction-free daily ritual … Consistently making him a priority each day is love to your child.

Focus and smile at her from the stands, sidelines, or the audience … Seeing the joy on your face as you watch is love to your child.

The recipe for “How to Grasp a Childhood” requires only one thing: You must put down your phone. Whether it is for ten minutes, two hours, or an entire Saturday, beautiful human connection, memory making, and parent-child bonding can occur every single time you let go of distraction to grasp what really matters.
The beautiful, life-changing results of your “Hands Free” action can start today … right now … the moment you put down the phone.
************************************************************
My life changed the day I stopped justifying my highly distracted life and  admitted I was missing precious moments that I would never retrieve. I imagined my daughter standing on the stage of her high school graduation and asked myself: When she is 18 years old, will I wish I had spent more time on my phone/work/social life? Or will I wish I had spent more time investing in her?
The answer was simple.
My hope is that this post inspires one person to become aware of how often he or she uses the phone (or computer) in the presence of a child. Please help spread this critical message by clicking “share.” By falling into the right hands, it could be the best Mother’s Day gift ever received.
*For continued inspiration and tips about letting go of distraction to connect with the people you love please join “The Hands Free Revolution.” We are a growing community striving to grasp “the moments that matter” in our one precious life!

This entry was posted in What I Would Have Missed and tagged addicted to checking your phone, bonding with your child in the 21st century, how technology damages our relationships, how to bond with your child, how to create a happy childhood, put down your phone, technology addiction.

Five Little Turkeys

Our class loves the "Five Little Pumpkins" poem.  I couldn't find a Thanksgiving theme poem that had a similar format, so our class wrote our own poem:

Five Little Turkeys

by Miss Kirsten and KB Dinosaurs

Five little turkeys sitting on a wall.

The first one said, "Oh, no!  It's already fall!"

The second one said, "I smell pumpkin pie in the air."

The third one said, "Let's hide, if we dare."

The fourth one said, "It might be too late."

The fifth one said, "Here comes the chef, with a plate!"

Then, "Beep-beep," went the timer

 and off went the oven.

"Surprise, little turkeys, here is your pie made from pumpkin!"

We made applesauce!

 First, Miss Kirsten sliced and cored the apples.  Then she peeled them and chopped the slices into smaller pieces.

 Then, we poured the sliced apples into the crock pot.  The crock pot setting was turned to low.  We also added 4 1/2 tsp. of brown sugar, 1 1/3 c. of water, 1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla and the juice from 2 1/2 lemons.  Then, we stirred it up.

 

 We checked on it every 30 minutes to an hour and stirred it.  The apples began to get mushy.

About 30 minutes before it was time to eat it, we added another TB. of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon.  The applesauce smelled wonderful!

After it had cooked on low for about 5 hours, Miss Kirsten gave everyone a bowl of applesauce to try.  First, we had to let it cool down a bit (just like the 3 bears).

We loved it!

Many of us got seconds!

We love cooking in the classroom!

Applesauce is great!

Here is the recipe in case you'd like to try it:

9 large apples, skinned, cored, and cut into pieces
2-1/2 lemons, juiced
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
4-1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1-1/3 cup water

Mix all the ingredients together in your crock-pot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours! Mash all together and add in another tbsp of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Cook for another 20 minutes.

Fire Safety

October is fire safety month.  We've been learning about staying safe if there's ever a fire.  It's a good time to check the batteries in all the smoke detectors in your home.  Also, does your family have a fire escape plan?  Have you practiced it?  I remember my dad showing us how to open the iron bars (on the window) and letting us practice exiting through the window.  That was a while ago and I still remember it!!!  I learned how to actually go through the window.  It wasn't so scary.  If it's possible, have your child practice exiting through the window in his or her bedroom.

I found a website about fire safety that your family could look at together.   There are stories, games, and activities.   The address is:

http://www.sparky.org/#/Sparky

Have fun and be safe!

Homework Ideas

Homework for KB

DAILY:

·       Read for 15-20 minutes together.  After every page, have your child tell you about what you just read.  Discuss unfamiliar words.  Make predictions.  Ask questions.

·       Practice the high frequency words together.  These are on the calendar for the month and can be found on our calendar on the website as well.  You can play memory match, go fish, make the words with play-doh, etc... to practice READING the words.  Students will be tested on the words.  I will have a list of words and each student will read them to me.  I will wait no more than 5 seconds because they should instantly recognize the word.

ONCE A WEEK:

Look at our learning calendar.  Pick a topic and do an activity together from math, science, or social studies. 

In math, we’re always working on numbers, graphing, making patterns, measurement, and shapes.  So you could:

·       Make a graph together

·       Look for a pattern in everyday life

·       Measure an object with pennies

·       Look for 5 around you:  5 ants, 5 pennies, a nickel, 5 cheerios, etc...

·       Go on a shape hunt

·       Make a book about shapes

In science and social studies, check our learning calendar and reinforce a concept.  For example, if we’re doing the five senses, have a “taste test” and use your sense of taste to identify foods...

For Social studies, your family could check out a book about the current holiday and read it together.  Many of our units involve holidays.  In October, you could discuss being safe during trick or treating.  In November, you could read about Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Native Americans.

Another homework idea is to play games together.  It’s a great way for your child to practice taking turns, counting spaces, and following rules.  Plus, it’s fun! 
  

Have FUN learning together!!!

Writing

Next week, we will begin "Work on Writing."  Students will begin independence in writing.  They are writing in their own journals.  We will work on building stamina during writing each day.   I have taught them that there are 4 different ways of writing that they might be using:

• Marks on the paper that seem to be scribbles.  We do NOT call it scribbling, we call it, "writing."  This is the earliest form of writing.  Remember when your child was learning to talk?  If your child said, "Dada," you didn't correct your child and say, "No, it's Daddy."  You were thrilled that he/she was learning to speak!  Remember how you felt?  We need to applaud writing in that manner, also!  Give your child time to learn how to use the letters and grammar of English.
• Random Letters-These students know that letters on a page mean something.  They're still working on figuring out why certain letters are used.
• Phonemic Spelling-Children write down the sounds they hear.  They don't usually hear all the sounds in the words during kindergarten, by the way.  Vowel sounds and digraphs (th) are the most difficult.  They might write "I wt tu v zu." for "I went to the zoo."
• Conventional Writing-  "I went to the zoo."  This stage is our goal.  Writing like this takes time and a lot of practice.  Most students start writing like this more towards second grade.

At this time, we want students to know writing is fun!  We want them to take risks!  We want them to try to write down what they want to say.  We don't want to limit them to only the words they can spell!  That would be boring writing (ie.  I like mom.  I like dad...)  We want them to use their imaginations and use invented spelling (ie.  "The huge dog was scary! instead of "The dog is big.")

Demonstrate writing at home.  Do it together!  Make lists for the store  Make a card for grandparents.  Show how you write an address on an envelope when you mail a bill, etc...

Have fun writing!  :)

Off to a Great Start!

We're off to a great start this year! The students are quick learners!

We've started an overview of the alphabet. We have learned about Aa through Hh. We are working on story comprehension when listening to a story read aloud. We are learning all kinds of new songs and poems. In math, we are working on counting to 5, making AB patterns (ie. rectangle, circle, rectangle, circle...), using a calendar, using a schedule, identifying numbers to 5, recording the weather daily, and introducing shapes. In science, we are learning about types of weather. In Social Studies, we are learning about rules.

We have also been going to discovery centers each day. There are many choices: Legos, blocks, home living, reading, science, art, writing, puppets, dress-up. We're learning how to take turns and to share.

When we go to lunch, we have to line up in alphabetical order. That is something we have to practice quite a bit. Students have to be able to tell their first and last name in the lunch line so their lunch account can be accessed.

We've been learning how to write our names (if they didn't already know how). We're working on recognizing our names on center cards, name tags, and on our tables.

We do all this and more in kindergarten! By Friday, I could tell my Dinosaurs were tired! I hope you all have a restful weekend. Continue making sure your child is getting at least 10-12 hours of sleep every night so he or she is ready for a big school day the next day. Going to school all day is a big change for these five year olds.

Each one is precious and brings unique talents and gifts to our class. I'm so thrilled to have them! Together, it makes our class wonderful!

See you on Monday!
Miss Kirsten :)

A Merry Un-Birthday to You!

We celebrated our summer birthdays today "Alice-in-Wonderland" style. We watched "Alice in Wonderland" and had a delicious cupcake. Kindergarten is almost over, but what a wonderful way to celebrate all our birthdays together!

Our End of the Year Poem

In our shared writing time, our class wrote this poem together (adapted from "Five Little Pumpkins)...

Five little kindergarteners sitting on a slide,

The first one said, “Hey! Let’s go inside!”

The second one said, “There’s a science experiment over there!”

The third one said, “Let’s try it, if we dare.”

The fourth one said, “Let’s learn while we play.”

The fifth one said, “What a wonderful day!”

Then “Ding-ding,” went the bell, and off went the lights,

And the five little kindergarteners were soon out of sight!

by Miss Kirsten and the KB Dinosaurs

100 Day

100 Day is on Thursday! Our class is so excited. Each day we add a straw for one day of school. We are up to 96 straws! My class can't wait to make 100.

We are going to have such a special day on Thursday doing all kinds of activities related to 100. Thanks to all our families for sending in requested items. It sure helps us have a fun time learning about 100.

Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to post of 100 day next weekend. :)

Magnets Everywhere!

We have had a wonderful time exploring with magnets! We've done many experiments to test whether or not a magnet is attracted (or sticks) to a particular object. Our class is discovering what magnets are attracted to. We've learned they are not attracted to rubberbands, coins, soda cans, or paper. They are attracted to wire, paper clips, other magnets, pins, nails, and brads. Playing with magnets is fun! (Make sure to keep magnets away from all electronics and credit cards, though!)

What to try instead of yelling...

This is an excerpt from an article at Parenting.com....

Confessions of a Screamer One mom confesses that she used to scream and yell at her kids -- and how she learned to cooled down By Francesca Castagnoli, Parenting My name is Francesa, and I am a screamer. Admitting this to you feels as though I'm revealing a dark family secret. Yelling isn't really done anymore. It's retro, like leaving your kids in the car while you pop in the corner store for milk. There was a time when raising your voice was considered okay for parents to do, but now screaming is the new spanking. Social stigma aside, raising my voice to my kids makes me feel bad. I'll hear myself shout at my sons, Conrad, 6, and Dashiell, 3, "WHY CAN'T YOU LISTEN? PUT YOUR LEGOS IN THE BIN OR I'LL THROW THEM OUT!" and remember a clip from Supernanny that showed a little boy alone in his room after being chewed out by his mom. He was looking away from the camera, crying, feeling overwhelmed. Every time they'd show the sad-kid shot, I was always on that child's side. "God, that mom is so out of control," I'd think. But by 7 p.m. the next evening, I'd be starring in my own reality show. I had to stop. This wasn't the tone I wanted to have in my house anymore. The universe must have heard my plea because that very Monday, as I unpacked Dashiell's backpack, I found a flyer that read: "Parent Workshop this Thursday: How to Master Positive Discipline Strategies." I signed up the next morning. On the night of the workshop, held at the Montclair Community Pre-K, in Montclair, NJ, the classroom was packed with desperate parents. Patty Dow, the therapist conducting the workshop, kicked off the session by asking, "Who yelled at their kids this week?" Everyone raised their hand. Then she asked, "Who thinks it's working?" No one raised their hand. Patty nodded and explained that as parents, it's only human to get angry when our child grinds play dough into our wall-to-wall carpeting. But showing how we cope with our anger and our displeasure is one of the most effective ways to teach a child, she pointed out. If you scare her by screaming, or insult her with judgments or sarcasm, her energy goes into defending herself instead of learning from her mistake. Patty then asked us for examples from our own lives of when we screamed and regretted it. I was anxious for results, so I spoke up first. I explained that my morning routine with the boys was becoming worse by the day. Knowing that the kids are slow to get out of the house, I prepare for their dawdling the night before by laying out their clothes, getting their lunch boxes ready, and hanging their coats and backpacks on hooks near the doorway. All the boys have to do is Velcro their sneakers, slip on a sweatshirt, and grab a backpack. But can they do that? No way. They whine and stall. They wrestle in the doorway. They throw their Crocs at each other. They ignore my initially friendly requests to stop roughhousing. And the less they listen, the more agitated I become until I shout, "Why must you make the morning so hard? Can't you boys be helpers and do anything?" The result: Conrad bursts into tears and screams back, "When you yell at me in the morning, it makes me feel yucky all day." It's only 8:30 p.m., and we're all exhausted. Patty asked me what was missing from my well-planned routine. "An au pair," I responded glibly. The crowd laughed, but she didn't. "What's missing is teaching your children a sense of responsibility. There are no consequences to their actions. You're yelling at them because they won't do anything for themselves. But you do everything for them, so how will they ever feel confident enough to try?" she asked. Her solution: I needed to help my children solve their own problems by using descriptive language to get them to behave. This just means using words that have no value judgments attached; you simply describe what you see. For instance, instead of saying "Why must you make the morning so hard?" I could say "I see two boys who need to put on their shoes and their coats." It's a subtle shift from blaming to emphasizing what I need them to do. Such a simple change! As the evening progressed and more of us revealed our screaming sins, Patty helped us cook up plenty of other ways to quit our hollering habits. Two hours later, I had so many unique solutions, I couldn't wait for my kids to misbehave. Tactic #1 WHISPER SOFTLY -- BUT SERIOUSLY Luckily, I didn't have to wait long. When I came back from the workshop, my husband, David, was getting the boys out of the tub, and they were in the throes of their pre-bedtime hyperactive hijinks. Dashiell had just tried to bite Conrad's behind, and in return, Conrad was trying to give Dash a purple nurple. Neither was actually brushing his teeth as much as banging and strumming the toothbrush in his mouth like a musical instrument. I walked into the bathroom and David turned to me and said, "Whatever you just learned, put it to work." I was actually excited to experiment. To break the frenetic vibe, I tried the whispering tip one mom swore by when her kids were climbing the walls: I leaned down, put my head between theirs, and in my most serious whisper I said, "You two need to brush your teeth while I sing 'Frère Jacques' right now." I sang in a deep, conspiring whisper, and they were so surprised that they tilted their heads in to listen and brushed for the whole song, nearly two minutes. I was thrilled by my immediate results. I wanted to run downstairs and tell David, but instead, I kept my voice low and described what I needed them to do next: "Now go put on your pajamas and pick out a book you both like." Watching them behave so well, I realized that by whispering and using descriptive language (instead of my usual "No story!" threat), they tuned me in -- not out. My voice was soft, but they got the message loud and clear. Tactic #2 TAKE A 15-MINUTE BREATHER Because I work from home, I'm usually eager to see the kids after hearing them play all afternoon. But as soon as I step my foot into the kitchen, the boys are all over me, and I find myself trying to ask them about their day while making dinner and responding to last-minute e-mails on my phone. They sense that I'm distracted, so they become rambunctious to get my attention. Their strategy works -- but I end up yelling. Apparently, I'm not the only one who struggles with the transition from work to home. At the workshop, one mom explained that this time of day is usually her prime scream time because she hasn't had a second for herself. Her trick: Unbeknownst to her children, she lets herself in a side door and sneaks upstairs to shower and eat a protein bar. The kids don't notice that she's home, and that 15-minute pocket allows her to regroup. It's not just kids, after all, who have a hard time switching gears. So Patty suggested we all try to give ourselves a sliver of time to reflect on what we really need, or what we are really feeling, before reacting to our children. When we do, we might be surprised to find out we are hungry or stressed -- or perhaps feeling bad because of something small but significant, like not having called our mother. Reflecting for just a moment frees you to be present with your kids. The next afternoon, I knew rushing downstairs would lead to yelling. I was already frazzled from a deadline-driven day: My story was late. A source was MIA. And my sitter asked to leave early. So at 5 p.m. I let her know she could leave at 5:15. Then I gave myself 15 minutes. I tracked down my source. I e-mailed my editor to ask for an extension. I even took a quick shower. This little time-out helped me feel more organized and in control. And that helped me go downstairs and be a mommy equivalent of a push-me-pull-me without wanting to pull my hair out. Tactic #3 ACT YOUR AGE, NOT YOUR SHOE SIZE Saturday is the day we get a reprieve from our typical fire-drill–like mornings. Yet whenever we break with routine, the kids act up. And on this particular weekend morning after the workshop, Dashiell was in rare form. I was reading a Bionicle comic to Conrad, and for no reason other than feeling bored and left out, Dashiell took one of Conrad's fairly elaborate Lego creations op the shelf and dropped it on the floor. Conrad shrieked and burst into tears. Normally, I would scream at Dashiell, "Why are you so mean that you must break your brother's things!" Or I'd just let loose a flat-out "Bad Dashiell!" as if he were a naughty puppy. But I woke up anticipating a moment like this, and now it was time to prove I could turn our family tension around. I looked at Dashiell and said, "What are you, three years old?" to remind myself that, after all, my son is only 3. Labeling your child by his age has a magical way of giving you instant perspective -- reminding you that, no, he doesn't get it. Dashiell was 3. He felt jealous. If I'd been living on earth for only 36 months, when I got mad, I would break things, too. "What are you, three?" stopped me from escalating the situation to where I was shouting and he was having a tantrum. It's been so effective that my husband and I both use it now. And the real beauty is that it can work for any age: Your kid is skateboarding without his helmet! What are you, 9? Your daughter got her lip pierced! What are you, 16? Tactic #4 REWARD YOURSELF During the workshop, I was so impressed with the idea of using descriptive language instead of threats that I kept imagining scenarios where I could try it. Perhaps I'd discover the boys had decided to finger-paint the playroom floor. Instead of saying "Who was the genius who thought it was time to paint my floor blue?" I would say "I see a huge mess of finger paints on the floor, and it makes me infuriated that you didn't use the table. Get rags and clean it up." But descriptive language is not the most spontaneous form of speech, and it didn't come naturally to me. I needed an incentive, so I made myself a Descriptive Language Star Chart. Every day that I was able to use it consistently, I would give myself a sticker. At the end of the week, if I had more than six, I'd give myself a reward (a yoga workshop, sleeping in late). At first, it was tiring to be on descriptive-language alert, waiting to pounce on a misdemeanor with a flat and accurate description of what I saw. When Dashiell jumped into the tub from the edge, splashing me in a tsunami of water and nearly cracking his skull, I shouted, "What are you, nuts?" then recovered with, "Sweetie, when I see you jump like that, it scares me, and the water splashes everywhere. Get a towel and dry the floor." But the more I did it, the easier it became. When Conrad kicked his brother in the back for knocking over his block castle, I was able to turn to him swiftly and, in a whisper, say, "I see a boy expressing himself with his body when he should use words, and it makes me upset." After a week, I had seven sparkling stickers. The following Saturday, Dashiell woke up just as the sun was coming up, and I nudged my husband to get up with him. I had earned my right to sleep in, and I had the stickers to prove it.

Pumpkin Carving

We carved 5 pumpkins today. One for each group. One pumpkin had over 300 seeds in it! We liked making shapes on the pumpkins to make neat faces. The pumpkins are sitting outside our door and remind us of the "Five Little Pumpkins" poem. Miss Kirsten will try to take a picture of them before they go home today!

Pumpkins Everywhere!

Thank you to all our families who donated pumpkins to our classroom!

This week, your children will be measuring the circumference of pumpkins, comparing the weight of a pumpkin with another pumpkin, counting the seeds, examining the texture of the inside and the outside, counting the lines on the pumpkins, comparing sizes, and so much more! All that is learned will be compiled into a book your child has made. They are so excited about our pumpkin project!

Applesauce Adventures

Last Friday, our class made applesauce from scratch! Several students brought apples. I brought some sugar and cinnamon. I cut and peeled all the apples, then we put the apple slices in the
Crockpot on high. We added sugar, cinnamon, and a handful of sliced Hot Tamales. We stirred every now and then and let it cook for about 4 to 5 hours. Our room smelled wonderful!!! When it had cooked down, everyone got some to taste. Most everyone enjoyed it. Applesauce was a great way to use our 5 senses, reinforce the letter A, and see measurement in every day life. We also welcomed fall! :)

Different Learning Styles

People are different and have different ways of learning. Do you know what type of learner your child is? Read below to see what learning style he/she is most comfortable with. Knowing how your child learns best can help you modify how you do homework together and learn at home. It's a great way to help your child be the best he/she can be!

Learning Styles:

Auditory learners prefer listening to explanations over reading them and may like to study by reciting information aloud. This type of learner may want to have background music while studying, or they may be distracted by noises and need a quiet space to study.

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and touching. They may have trouble sitting still while studying, and they are better able to understand information by writing it down or doing hands-on activities.

Visual learners process new information by reading, looking at graphics, or watching a demonstration. Children with this learning style can grasp information presented in a chart or graph, but they may grow impatient listening to an explanation.

Homework Tips for Each Learning Style

Auditory learners are typically good at absorbing information from spoken words. Strategies that work well for auditory learners include:

• Talking to themselves or with others about what they’re learning
• Reciting important information aloud, perhaps recording it and playing it back
• Reading a book and listening to the audio book at the same time
• Using word associations
• Setting information to a tune and singing it to help remember it
• Limiting distracting noises

Kinesthetic learners prefer to be active while studying and may not be able to focus while sitting still. Strategies for kinesthetic learners include:

• Reading aloud and tracking words on a page with a finger
• Writing things down multiple times to commit them to memory
• Highlighting and underlining
• Playing with a stress ball or toy while studying
• Moving around or taking frequent breaks
• Doing hands-on activities, such as building models or playing games

Visual learners benefit from seeing information on a chalkboard or in an illustration and may grow impatient listening for long periods of time. Strategies for visual learners include:

• Using flash cards
• Studying charts, tables, and maps
• Drawing illustrations
• Writing things down and reviewing notes
• Highlighting and underlining
• Color-coding information

Learning style information and homework help gotten from: http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/article/826-what-is-your-childs-learning-style

Environmental Print

Environmental Print is all around us. It's the signs you see while driving. It's the name of the cereal or candy bar printed on the label. Environmental Print is POWERFUL!!! Use it to help teach your child to read. This week, we're studying letter A. Where can your child find the letter A? Albertson's, Arby's, on a one wAy sign, and so much more! Do you sell Avon? Go on a Letter A hunt as you drive or even in your house. You'd be surprised to see what you could find. Talk about where the letter A is in the word. Is it first, in the middle, or last? Does it have a short a sound like in Albertson's? Just helping your child notice the letters and words around him/her a few minutes a day can help him/her become a great reader! Your child will thank you for investing in his/her future!

Meal Time

Does your family realize how important meal time is? Sitting down and eating dinner together makes a huge difference in your child's life! Eating dinner together without TV & cell phone interruptions gives your family a chance to connect with each other. It sends a message to your child that you value him or her. Studies show that families who eat together have children who get along better with others and even do better academically!

Take the time to make meals family time. What have you got to lose? What wonderful memories and conversations will you gain?

Weather

We have been learning a lot about the weather! We have been comparing our weather to Disneyland's and the White House's weather. Our class loves to know which city is the hottest! Perhaps you have a relative that lives in a different climate than we do. Maybe your family could compare weather with that city? It's a fun way to reinforce learning about the weather, use mathematical concepts (temperature, reading and comparing numbers, social studies (geographical locations), and language (hotter, colder, cloudy, foggy, etc...). That would be something neat to do on Saturdays. What do you think?

First Week Finished!

The Dinosaurs are doing so well! We have learned so much in five days about how to get along with one another, how the classroom routines work, and so many new songs and poems!

Next week, we'll read stories about what we can do. We'll even make our own class book about what we can do.

In math, we'll be learning about position words: over, under, above, below, etc...

It's going to be a great week!