Enjoy your holidays!!!!

Some parents have asked for ideas to work with kids during the holidays and at the same time reinforce what they are learning. Here are some  that I hope you enjoy! Above all, have fun learning! For some online sites, students might need help from an adult or older sibling. 

Language:

My online Reading/ Online Reading books for kids,  http://www.myonlinereading.com/

Children´s Story books online, http://www.magickeys.com/books/

Storyline online, listening to wonderful storytellers http://www.storylineonline.net

Online Math games and practice:

IXL,  http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3

Sheppard Software, http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm

Math Drills, if you choose to print and have your child self check his work: http://www.math-drills.com/

Global awareness prevents bullying

Last night I turned on the news to a sad story about bullying, a behavior that has come to our attention through the school´s counseling team.

Bullying is a behavior we need to identify and as my gardener puts it "weed out".
One factor that creates this behavior is the thought that the other person is "different!, and we all are. Right? Because we are at an international school, where young children come in contact with other children coming from other countries, everyone becomes THE OTHER. Researching a bit, I found two articles that hit on the issue from a global perspective.
The first one, is about growing up global and creating awareness of different cultures. She offers ideas on how to do this without having to travel.
The second article carries the idea of global awareness as an antidote to bullying and offers ten easy steps to do so. She adds: "when parents mindfully instill a global perspective from the earliest age, children tend to display resilience, determination, independence, compassion, inclusiveness, and moral courage."
In a nutshell, as adults we are the best way to prevent bullying by modeling global values and good manners in front of our kids. Comments?

Of math and minds

Following  the common core standards for math, we have started with multiplication and division tables in Grade 3. Many of the students are excited because they feel it is a "growing up right of passage" thing.  One of my favorite interactive resource for children of all ages  is Rocket Math.with lots of  free worksheets and lots of practice. We want students to know that they can master the skill. We will talk about songs and other ways to help "the tables" stick, wait for the next post.

And, for those working parents who feel guilty of not being with their child doing math homework,  I found an interesting article titled  Your Child´s Mathematical Mind.  In it the authors suggest real and everyday ideas to enhance your child´s mathematical abilities.  Together we can make the "tables" experience a great one for our kids.

Sharing my secrets

One of my very favorite tools is  to accompany our Language Arts program is a puzzle generator by Discovery Education. You can use the  Puzzlemaker to create and print your own customized word puzzle. It has a variety of puzzles to choose and I use the crossword puzzle for reviews, exams, and fun practice with the students. Try it and you will love it. Students can also use it and create worksheets for their peers and as part of our class portfolio. A great way to teach and learn. Tell me your experiences with it. 

Pros	Cons
Easy steps to follow You can write your own friendly definitions Your puzzle becomes a PNG image file Up to 15 words and their definitions	Does not have auto correct Only print Not able to save it (or save it in steps*)

*step 1: copy the PNG on a word document, step 2: copy the words and definitions and copy/paste.

Digital Citizenship

Learning how to be respectful both online and offline, is a major concern for parents and teachers. Common Sense Media has all issues covered from K to 12. No parent or teacher should be left behind! This is an entertaining way to help young ones become better digital citizens. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Math exercises

Our third graders need to practice Math. Following the Common Core Standards, our objective is to  "Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction."

The following video will help students understand how to subtract across zeros! Hope you enjoy it!

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