Reading for Meaning with Your Child
By: Reading Rockets
Reading with comprehension means understanding what's been read. It takes practice, time, and patience to develop reading comprehension skills. Families can play an important role in helping a child learn to read for understanding.
First, make sure your child is reading books appropriate for their reading level. If a book is too hard, all your child's energy will be put into decoding and reading word for word, with less energy available to figure out what the book means. Books that your child can read with 98-100% accuracy are good choices for comprehension building.
Reading comprehension skills can be developed using a before-during-after approach. Below are a few suggestions that will help build comprehension skills.
Before
Your goal is to help your child build an understanding of and purpose for what they're about to read. Look at the book's cover. Ask, "What do you think this book might be about? Why? Can you make some predictions?" Guide your child through the pages, discuss the pictures, and brainstorm what might happen in the story. Talk about any personal experiences your child may have that relate to the story.
During
Your goal is to help your child be an active reader. Read together and talk about what's happening as they're reading. Stop and discuss any interesting or tricky vocabulary words. Talk about any surprising or sad passages, and help them visualize parts of the story. Ask your child, "Do you understand what's happening here? What do you think will happen next?" If your child seems unsure, stop, go back and reread if necessary. Discuss any confusing parts.
After
Your goal is to help your child reflect on what they've read. Summarize and share your favorite part of the book. Have your child rate the book on a scale from 1 to 10 and say why. Have your child reread their favorite part or act it out.
Take the extra time before and during reading to read with your child this way. You'll soon find yourself reading with a child who is motivated to comprehend and learn from everything they read.
First, make sure your child is reading books appropriate for their reading level. If a book is too hard, all your child's energy will be put into decoding and reading word for word, with less energy available to figure out what the book means. Books that your child can read with 98-100% accuracy are good choices for comprehension building.
Reading comprehension skills can be developed using a before-during-after approach. Below are a few suggestions that will help build comprehension skills.
Before
Your goal is to help your child build an understanding of and purpose for what they're about to read. Look at the book's cover. Ask, "What do you think this book might be about? Why? Can you make some predictions?" Guide your child through the pages, discuss the pictures, and brainstorm what might happen in the story. Talk about any personal experiences your child may have that relate to the story.
During
Your goal is to help your child be an active reader. Read together and talk about what's happening as they're reading. Stop and discuss any interesting or tricky vocabulary words. Talk about any surprising or sad passages, and help them visualize parts of the story. Ask your child, "Do you understand what's happening here? What do you think will happen next?" If your child seems unsure, stop, go back and reread if necessary. Discuss any confusing parts.
After
Your goal is to help your child reflect on what they've read. Summarize and share your favorite part of the book. Have your child rate the book on a scale from 1 to 10 and say why. Have your child reread their favorite part or act it out.
Take the extra time before and during reading to read with your child this way. You'll soon find yourself reading with a child who is motivated to comprehend and learn from everything they read.
How to Use Restrictions as Parental Controls on an iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
If you plan on giving an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to a child, take a moment to set up some very basic parental controls on the device by using the Restrictions feature of iOS. It only takes a minute to configure, and this will prevent the access of inappropriate content, avoid mature themed media, prevent in-app purchases and incidental charges, disable the ability to download and install new apps, plus prevent the removal of apps that have already been installed on the device.
Optionally, you may want to adjust Location Settings as well, though it’s best to be targeted with this and turn off geotagging with apps like camera and photos. Turning off all Locational functionality is often undesirable because it prevents the meaningful usage of apps like local encyclopedias, weather, maps, and those relentlessly fun and educational starry night apps.
These options are the same in practically all versions of iOS, though you will find past versions of iOS may label the Restrictions settings as “Parental Controls” instead. Additionally, iOS 7 includes an option to limit certain web content by age level as well.
Going further, you can also hide unwanted apps like Safari, App Store, iTunes, iBooks, FaceTime, or going so far as turning off all third party apps, and even disable the camera if you don’t want it to be used at all.
Finally, there’s the option of using Guided Access to lock an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a single application and prevent it from being quit. We like to refer to Guided Access as Kid Mode because it’s incredibly effective at keeping even the most curious youngsters from accidentally exiting out of an app or doing something undesirable on the device, and it can make for an excellent quick way to hand an iOS device off to a young one without worrying about accidental usage. Nonetheless, Guided Access is no replacement for using effective restrictions to prevent improper use of a device, and the features are best used separately with full understanding of their limitations and benefits.
These quick setup tips come to us from Mrs Anderson (thanks!), a teacher with a handful of iPod touches in their classroom. Obviously this is useful outside of educators as well, and many parents, grandparents, babysitters, brothers, sisters, just about anyone, should find some useful tricks here if they’re going to be sharing an iOS device with kids.http://osxdaily.com/2013/07/20/restrictions-parental-controls-ios/
- Open Settings and go to “General”, then to “Restrictions”
- Tap “Enable Restrictions” and set a passcode to control access to the restrictions panel
- Under ‘Allow’, toggle the following to OFF: “Installing Apps”, “Deleting Apps”, “Explicit Language”, and adjust other apps and settings as necessary
- Scroll down to “Allowed Content” and flip “In-App Purchases” to OFF
- Under ‘Allowed Content’ tap on “Music & Podcasts” and turn Explicit to OFF
- Toggle “Movies” and “TV Shows” to age appropriate settings (G and PG are perhaps most common, or consider turning the feature off completely)
- Go to “Apps” and choose age appropriate settings, note that some standard apps like third party web browsers may be rated as “17+” because they could be theoretically used to access adult content
Optionally, you may want to adjust Location Settings as well, though it’s best to be targeted with this and turn off geotagging with apps like camera and photos. Turning off all Locational functionality is often undesirable because it prevents the meaningful usage of apps like local encyclopedias, weather, maps, and those relentlessly fun and educational starry night apps.
These options are the same in practically all versions of iOS, though you will find past versions of iOS may label the Restrictions settings as “Parental Controls” instead. Additionally, iOS 7 includes an option to limit certain web content by age level as well.
Going further, you can also hide unwanted apps like Safari, App Store, iTunes, iBooks, FaceTime, or going so far as turning off all third party apps, and even disable the camera if you don’t want it to be used at all.
Finally, there’s the option of using Guided Access to lock an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a single application and prevent it from being quit. We like to refer to Guided Access as Kid Mode because it’s incredibly effective at keeping even the most curious youngsters from accidentally exiting out of an app or doing something undesirable on the device, and it can make for an excellent quick way to hand an iOS device off to a young one without worrying about accidental usage. Nonetheless, Guided Access is no replacement for using effective restrictions to prevent improper use of a device, and the features are best used separately with full understanding of their limitations and benefits.
These quick setup tips come to us from Mrs Anderson (thanks!), a teacher with a handful of iPod touches in their classroom. Obviously this is useful outside of educators as well, and many parents, grandparents, babysitters, brothers, sisters, just about anyone, should find some useful tricks here if they’re going to be sharing an iOS device with kids.http://osxdaily.com/2013/07/20/restrictions-parental-controls-ios/
What good readers do!
Building resilience
There exists a wealth of literature on the craft and practice of building resilience in our children in the hope that the inevitable disappointments that life will throw their way can be met with courage and acceptance. In literal terms resilience means returning to our former stateafter being bent out of shape by someone or something. The Latin root resilere means to recoil or to spring back, so that today we use resilience to refer to our capacity to bounce back from particular setbacks without allowing them to push us off course.
Dr Kenneth Ginsburg, a paediatrician from Philadelphia, uses a formula involving seven C words to help the children he sees as patients develop resilience. They are as follows:
Competence
Confidence
Connection
Character
Contribution
Coping
Control
Obviously they are all inter-connected. If our children feel competent about their ability to deal with the world and the challenges it presents, then they will grow in confidence and in the belief that they aresufficiently equipped to deal with the vagaries and vicissitudes of life. They need to feel connected, to know that there is a host of people watching their back, caring about them, ready to assist when required. Theyneed to develop character, the ability to recognise right from wrong and to act in ways that reflect this awareness. They need to feel that their presence in the world is making a difference, that they have a voice which is heard and appreciated, that they are contributing positively to their surroundings. They need to have an armoury of positive coping strategies and we as parents need to avoid the temptation to constantly tell them what not to do in favour of suggesting positive practices and pathways that will help them to get the most out of life. Finally they need to feel they are in control of their lives rather than having their life controlled by others. Being in control doesn’t mean being able to do exactly as they please. Boundaries need to be in place and they need to understand that privileges have to be earned through responsible behaviour. We need to encourage them to make good choices, to exercise when necessary the self- control that will ease their passage into healthy adulthood.
Like all such contrived lists, Dr Ginsburg’s seems a little formulaic and limited in its range and scope, yet they resonate with me in terms of developing that inner strength we all need to overcome the adversity that visits all of us from time to time. I hope they prove useful for you.
Patrick Wallace (2013).
Dr Kenneth Ginsburg, a paediatrician from Philadelphia, uses a formula involving seven C words to help the children he sees as patients develop resilience. They are as follows:
Competence
Confidence
Connection
Character
Contribution
Coping
Control
Obviously they are all inter-connected. If our children feel competent about their ability to deal with the world and the challenges it presents, then they will grow in confidence and in the belief that they aresufficiently equipped to deal with the vagaries and vicissitudes of life. They need to feel connected, to know that there is a host of people watching their back, caring about them, ready to assist when required. Theyneed to develop character, the ability to recognise right from wrong and to act in ways that reflect this awareness. They need to feel that their presence in the world is making a difference, that they have a voice which is heard and appreciated, that they are contributing positively to their surroundings. They need to have an armoury of positive coping strategies and we as parents need to avoid the temptation to constantly tell them what not to do in favour of suggesting positive practices and pathways that will help them to get the most out of life. Finally they need to feel they are in control of their lives rather than having their life controlled by others. Being in control doesn’t mean being able to do exactly as they please. Boundaries need to be in place and they need to understand that privileges have to be earned through responsible behaviour. We need to encourage them to make good choices, to exercise when necessary the self- control that will ease their passage into healthy adulthood.
Like all such contrived lists, Dr Ginsburg’s seems a little formulaic and limited in its range and scope, yet they resonate with me in terms of developing that inner strength we all need to overcome the adversity that visits all of us from time to time. I hope they prove useful for you.
Patrick Wallace (2013).
Promoting Healthy Friendships
Friendships are important to all people. However, they take work and on-going maintenance for them to remain healthy.
To keep your friendships healthy try to:
• Listen to your friends’ needs
• Be honest about your feelings with your friends
• Don’t try to intentionally hurt another person’s feelings
• Be prepared to say sorry when you make a mistake
• Don’t say sorry when you don’t mean it
• Don’t say bad things about your friends to others, even when
you are angry at them. Remember that no-one is perfect and we all make mistakes
• Forgive your friends when they say sorry
• If someone else is saying bad things about one of your friends, tell them that you don’t want to hear anything bad
said about any of your friends and walk away. Don’t join in
• Accept differences in others
• Don’t expect one friendship to meet all your needs
• Ty to build lots of different friendships from different areas of your life
• Allow your friends to have other close friends without getting jealous; remember that all people need lots of different types of friendship
• Allow your friends to have different opinions to you
• Don’t feel that you have to be exactly the same as your friends; individuality makes friendships interesting and
exciting
• Don’t tolerate bad treatment from your friends, if they repeatedly hurt you or break your trust, these are signs that
your friendship is unhealthy and you might need to pull away a bit to protect yourself
• Keep your friend’s secrets (unless you think an adult really needs to know about it
(Rosoman. C, Therapy to go, Jessica Kingsley Pub. London)
To keep your friendships healthy try to:
• Listen to your friends’ needs
• Be honest about your feelings with your friends
• Don’t try to intentionally hurt another person’s feelings
• Be prepared to say sorry when you make a mistake
• Don’t say sorry when you don’t mean it
• Don’t say bad things about your friends to others, even when
you are angry at them. Remember that no-one is perfect and we all make mistakes
• Forgive your friends when they say sorry
• If someone else is saying bad things about one of your friends, tell them that you don’t want to hear anything bad
said about any of your friends and walk away. Don’t join in
• Accept differences in others
• Don’t expect one friendship to meet all your needs
• Ty to build lots of different friendships from different areas of your life
• Allow your friends to have other close friends without getting jealous; remember that all people need lots of different types of friendship
• Allow your friends to have different opinions to you
• Don’t feel that you have to be exactly the same as your friends; individuality makes friendships interesting and
exciting
• Don’t tolerate bad treatment from your friends, if they repeatedly hurt you or break your trust, these are signs that
your friendship is unhealthy and you might need to pull away a bit to protect yourself
• Keep your friend’s secrets (unless you think an adult really needs to know about it
(Rosoman. C, Therapy to go, Jessica Kingsley Pub. London)
Smartphones and the internet
There has much been written on the danger of students’ misuse of the new generation of smartphones. Whilst it may be convenient to hand down your old iPhone to your child when you get a new model, the question remains: does your child really need a mobile internet enabled device and how are they using these machines? Most
mobile phones now have a camera and, if coupled with internet capabilities, it is easy to see how inappropriate photographs (or even very innocent photographs) could be taken and placed on social networking sites where they can be accessed by the greater world. Using photographs of other students to bully or threaten them is also a concern. Similarly, while the School’s computer network has a very good filtering system that doesn’t allow access
to inappropriate web sites, your child’s 3G enabled device (this can include iPhones, iPod touch, iPads and other hybrid devices) can bypass our safe guards by connecting directly to the internet via your provider or a free wireless network. Even the most careful and well-meaning student can easily stumble upon disturbing images and content purely by accident. Students often share these images with their friends and in this way your child may be
exposed to material that they are far too young to understand or interpret. Without wanting to panic anyone, some of this material may deeply disturb your child and could potentially scar their young minds. Parents must understand that there is no censorship on the internet, you are the censor and without your supervision you risk exposing your children to highly inappropriate material.
It is for these reasons that parents are advised to have a filter system on their home computer (such as Net Nanny), locate the computer in a common area of the house and ensure that mobile phones are left on the kitchen bench to re-charge at the end of the day. Computers and phones should not be taken into the bedroom away from the main activity of the home.
mobile phones now have a camera and, if coupled with internet capabilities, it is easy to see how inappropriate photographs (or even very innocent photographs) could be taken and placed on social networking sites where they can be accessed by the greater world. Using photographs of other students to bully or threaten them is also a concern. Similarly, while the School’s computer network has a very good filtering system that doesn’t allow access
to inappropriate web sites, your child’s 3G enabled device (this can include iPhones, iPod touch, iPads and other hybrid devices) can bypass our safe guards by connecting directly to the internet via your provider or a free wireless network. Even the most careful and well-meaning student can easily stumble upon disturbing images and content purely by accident. Students often share these images with their friends and in this way your child may be
exposed to material that they are far too young to understand or interpret. Without wanting to panic anyone, some of this material may deeply disturb your child and could potentially scar their young minds. Parents must understand that there is no censorship on the internet, you are the censor and without your supervision you risk exposing your children to highly inappropriate material.
It is for these reasons that parents are advised to have a filter system on their home computer (such as Net Nanny), locate the computer in a common area of the house and ensure that mobile phones are left on the kitchen bench to re-charge at the end of the day. Computers and phones should not be taken into the bedroom away from the main activity of the home.
Learning multiplication tables
Chanting: According to Dr. Sylvia Steel of Royal Holloway University, London, the traditional method of chanting times tables is highly effective. "Auditory rote learning of multiplication tables appeared to be the most successful method of mastering multiplication facts," she told BBC News. It seems that repeating the number facts aloud and to a rhythm helps to settle them in our memories. Many elementary schools encourage students to clap along to the chant, or add dance moves, too.
Number Patterns: Look for patterns in the numbers to help you remember. The final digits of the 2, 4, 6 and 12 times tables all show clear, repeating sequences. And there are even simpler patterns to be seen in the 5, 10 and 11 times tables. It can also help to plot the numbers from 1 to 144 into a 12 by 12 grid on squared paper. Shade the squares relating to a particular multiplication table in any color you like. Picturing the colored squares can help bring the correct answer to mind.
Fingertip Facts: The nine times table is tricky, but your 10 fingers can help you out. Hold your hands out before you. Bend down the thumb of your left hand. The remaining fingers show you the answer to 1 x 9. Bend the second finger instead, and you get the answer to 2 x 9, one thumb and eight other digits, which you could think of as 18. Try the third finger. You get a thumb and a forefinger together and then seven other digits: 3 x 9 = 27. Your fingers can take you through this multiplication table, all the way to 10 x 9.
Visualisation: For the trickiest multiplication facts, you could try visualization. Picture each number as an object and link the objects together to tell yourself a story. Take 7 x 9 = 63. The number 7 looks a little like a pointy tooth, 9 a little like a fish with a tail, 6 a little like a fish diving and 3 a little like a wriggling worm. If you picture a pointy-toothed fish diving to grab a wriggling worm, maybe you'll find it easier to recall 7 x 9 = 63. It doesn't matter if other people don't see the numbers the way you do. Your visualization may be wacky, but it just might work.http://www.ehow.com/list_6363463_easy-ways-remember-times-tables.html
Number Patterns: Look for patterns in the numbers to help you remember. The final digits of the 2, 4, 6 and 12 times tables all show clear, repeating sequences. And there are even simpler patterns to be seen in the 5, 10 and 11 times tables. It can also help to plot the numbers from 1 to 144 into a 12 by 12 grid on squared paper. Shade the squares relating to a particular multiplication table in any color you like. Picturing the colored squares can help bring the correct answer to mind.
Fingertip Facts: The nine times table is tricky, but your 10 fingers can help you out. Hold your hands out before you. Bend down the thumb of your left hand. The remaining fingers show you the answer to 1 x 9. Bend the second finger instead, and you get the answer to 2 x 9, one thumb and eight other digits, which you could think of as 18. Try the third finger. You get a thumb and a forefinger together and then seven other digits: 3 x 9 = 27. Your fingers can take you through this multiplication table, all the way to 10 x 9.
Visualisation: For the trickiest multiplication facts, you could try visualization. Picture each number as an object and link the objects together to tell yourself a story. Take 7 x 9 = 63. The number 7 looks a little like a pointy tooth, 9 a little like a fish with a tail, 6 a little like a fish diving and 3 a little like a wriggling worm. If you picture a pointy-toothed fish diving to grab a wriggling worm, maybe you'll find it easier to recall 7 x 9 = 63. It doesn't matter if other people don't see the numbers the way you do. Your visualization may be wacky, but it just might work.http://www.ehow.com/list_6363463_easy-ways-remember-times-tables.html
Self Introspection
WORTH PONDERING DEEPLY - NEED FOR SELF-INTROSPECTION
THE SITUATION
In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . ..
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?
THE SITUATION
In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . ..
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?