Posts Tagged ‘learning’

Brain Power

Wednesday, January 25th, 2017

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Since Haley is in Kindergarten, she is learning to read. She is doing so well! She has made great progress with her “sight words.” She is very comfortable with letter sounds, so she’s also able to sound out words she doesn’t know. These skills, plus looking at the corresponding illustrations, allow her to read early learner books totally independently. I’m amazed! And very proud.

At first, getting Haley to review her sight words was no easy task. But once we made a routine of it, and the “Haley Knows” pile starting getting taller and the “Haley Needs To Learn” pile started getting smaller, she came to look forward to it. Haley is also doing well with her math problems. She can count pretty high and do simple addition.

Despite her academic accomplishments, Haley is like any other five year old who simply wants to play in the afternoons and evenings. Homework is nowhere on her agenda. She has a lot more homework than I did in Kindergarten (which, now that I think about it, may have been nothing). Haley learns well and is decently behaved, which makes me wonder how on earth the parents of more rambunctious children get through the assignments.

I can already tell I’m going to have my work cut out for me when Hudson reaches Kindergarten. Haley always had a bit of a studious streak to her, but he’s just a wild man. I guess I’m lucky to have the more compliant child first. Or maybe he’ll surprise me. We’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll be open to however each of my children learn and grow.

Screens

Monday, December 12th, 2016

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Hudson’s favorite shows these days are Daniel Tiger, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Peppa Pig. It’s fun to see Hudson appreciate the same shows that Haley loved as a toddler. Let’s face it—most of the time, she gets pretty into the episodes, too. Funny how easy it is to catch “big kids” enjoying the “baby things” they claim they are too mature for.

The truth is, I miss the days when TV could capture my kids’ attention and provide me with a crucial ten minute respite to make a call, clear some dishes, or just use the facilities. These days, it’s all about the iPad. While Haley and Hudson each have a few favorite apps—many of which are educational and impressively innovative–their favorite entertainment is YouTube. Fortunately, there’s a lot of great learning content on there as well. Haley has become engrossed in topics ranging from outer space to ancient Egypt. It’s pretty neat to be an inquisitive kid in an age where interactive answers are at your fingertips.

Hudson gets pretty frustrated when iPad time is over, but it’s something I try not to budge on. I appreciate that he’s learning a lot about colors, shapes, numbers, etc., but I also want him to learn primarily through experience. A few minutes into playing kitchen or Legos or dinosaurs and his frustration subsides. A video on a screen may make him laugh, but it’ll never be as hilarious as Mommy’s real life roars.

Under the Sea

Friday, June 3rd, 2016

From Friday Mom – Erin:

We took the kids to the National Aquarium in Baltimore last weekend.  Rory was in HEAVEN.  As I think I may have mentioned, he loves animals.  One of his favorite shows is all about animal powers, and he is constantly building animals out of Legos, toilet paper rolls, or whatever he can use with his imagination.

So when he first walked in to the giant entry way, filed with its shark tooth display and vast tidal pool, he was just thrilled.  He got to touch starfish, point out the numerous different turtles, watch Dolphins jump, and even touch a saw fish saw.  He was attentive and enthralled through each exhibit, and had a hard time saying good bye.

When asked which part was his favorite, his response was, “all of it.” I’d say that was a success.

Charlotte did okay, though strollers were not permitted, so she mostly ran around like a crazy person giving mommy her exercise.  But she was clearly impressed, too.

It is fun to be able to see new and exciting experiences through the eyes of children.  Granted, it’s a pretty neat aquarium to begin with, but I definitely saw it with renewed excitement when holding his little hand in mine.  

Lil’ Scientists

Wednesday, March 9th, 2016

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Jack and Tate love science. They’re both intrigued by nature, electricity, weather, and anything on the Science and Nat Geo channels. Lately, they want to conduct science experiments. As Jack gets older, the concepts in his science class at school get more advanced. In return, Jack likes to dig deeper, and learn more about the world. Tate mimics anything his big brother does. So naturally, Tate wants to help. I love watching them learn together.

Recently, they waited until I was in the shower to conduct an experiment. They were unsupervised for 10 minutes and they managed to fill up every plastic container we own with water, liquid soap, torn up colored construction paper, and seasonings. They put them in the freezer and told me they were making “kryptonite.”

The “kryptonite experiment” could’ve been MUCH worse. I applauded their enthusiasm, but I was frustrated with the small lake on our kitchen floor, torn up paper all over the place, and liquid hand soap smeared all over the floor. I knew my freshly cleaned house wouldn’t stay clean for more than a few hours. At least it smelled good.

While the “kryptonite” was freezing, the boys promised to clean up their mess. Like I say a million times a day, “Part of playing is cleaning up.” This was a mess for sure, but a mess I knew they had fun making. They are having fun being kids and I’m a happy mommy, especially when they clean up after themselves.

Storyteller

Sunday, February 7th, 2016

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Rory has become quite the story teller.  This morning at breakfast, he told me a very elaborate story about finding a “very scary snake, with big, big teeth” on the playground at daycare.  According to Rory, he and his friend discovered two different snakes, both of which just so happened to have the same names as Rory and his friend.  They slithered all around the playground, and the kids had to run away so that the snakes did not bite them.

In another recent tale, Rory proclaimed that he had seen a purple fire truck driving on his way to school. He explained that the firemen put water from the purple truck on the fire with big, big hoses.

Listening to these tales is very amusing to me, but I am trying to remain an adept listener and avoid over-correcting or otherwise interfering with his creative impulses.  Rather than, “I don’t think there were snakes at school, Rory,” I try to be sure to chime in with new prompts, such as “where did they slither to next?” or “what color was the snake?” It’s a basic reaction, but I do find myself having to purposefully engage and encourage on occasion, as opposed to just giggling.  Encouraging his learning and fostering his creativity are critical motivations for me.  While I may not have time to engage in purposeful lessons with him each day, I know listening to and helping tell stories is a great way to do exactly that.

 

 

Teamwork

Wednesday, October 21st, 2015

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Jack’s soccer season is well underway, and he is enjoying it. He’s playing on a bigger field this year, so he has to run farther per game. He is breathless by the end of the game, but getting in a good workout. He is learning more and more rules of the game and finally getting some skills and footwork down pat. He still relies on his coach for help from the sidelines, but he is grasping more with each game.

Jack’s team isn’t the top team of the league by any means, but they work together and demonstrate great teamwork. It used to be that once someone got the ball they dribbled it down the entire field by themselves trying to score that goal. Now the boys are learning to pass to each other and realizing that plays an important role of the game. Jack used to get bummed out when he didn’t score a goal, but now he’s happy when he gets an assist.

It’s great fun watching this age group play. My husband and I get so excited to watch and cheer from the sidelines. I think back to Jack’s first year of soccer and it’s awesome to see how much he has learned over the years. I can’t wait to see how much more he learns and performs in future years.

My Child, The Genius

Monday, October 19th, 2015

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
An interesting issue arose last week in Haley’s education. Apparently, it’s now time to submit a Request For Testing if you want your four year old assessed for the city’s gifted and talented program. I’m sort of lukewarm on this topic. I absolutely think that gifted education can serve certain children beautifully. Yet I think it’s funny that literally every parent I know is considering the testing for her child. The main concern doesn’t seem to be whether the kid will qualify, but whether or not it’s preferable to be in a gifted classroom, or a regular classroom in a higher performing school. I have not heard one parent say, “You know, I just don’t think that Susie is gifted,” or at the very least: “I don’t think she’s right for that program.”

I’m honestly and unabashedly proud of Haley’s raw intelligence, but when it comes to what she knows and what she’s able to do at this age, I don’t push anything—at all. It’s just my opinion, but I think that she’ll do fine with what she learns in school at the regular pace of the curriculum (and if not, of course I would intervene). It’s not that I won’t do any “pushing,” it’s that I simply think she’s too young. I feel what she really needs is love and encouragement, not the sense that people are trying to feel out her ability. I’m probably a bit sensitive to this issue because I come from a culture in which academic excellence is an extremely prized trait—and I’ve seen too many kids not allowed to be kids.

Consequently, I also fear going to far in the other direction. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t value educational success, too. Like any other parent, I want what’s best for Haley and Hudson, and I know firsthand the advantages that come with performing well in school. I hope that I’ll know to strike while the iron is hot. But for now, I look at my baby girl and I want her to enjoy everything she’s learning—no strings attached.

Out of the mouths of babes

Friday, August 14th, 2015

From Friday Mom – Erin
Rory repeats everything.  Literally, everything.  Words.  Cadence.  Phrases.  You name it, he mimics it.  And I find it hilarious to hear these things blurted from this quiet, soft spoken two-and-a-half year-old.

For example, last week there was a large dump truck parallel parked in a no-parking zone at the main entrance to our neighborhood, dangerously close to the stop sign, and making it extremely difficult for me to make my right-hand turn onto the main avenue on our way to daycare.  Rory– ever the inquisitive one– asked what the dump truck was doing.  I muttered a few choice words (to the truck, not him) and barked back firmly that I had no earthly idea what it was doing there other than blocking the way.

The next day, we pulled up alongside another dump truck, parked in the same exact spot.  Rory, without missing a beat, chimed in– “That’s a dump truck!  I don’t know WHAT it is doing there.  It’s in the way.”

(Mental note– mommy must watch her language henceforth when driving. . . )

Similarly, we have always made a habit of asking “Rory– is that food?!” when he puts toys or other things that he shouldn’t into his mouth.  It is not surprising, then, that he will scold poor Charlotte when she is teething on her toys, firmly explaining: “No Charlotte, that’s not food!”  We’ve tried very hard to explain that babies explore with their mouths.  To no avail.

As much as I know that he has a very strong grasp of language, I am still consistently caught off guard by his conversational faculties and his ability to converse so matter-of-factly on a range of topics.  I can’t wait to see what he says next.

 

 

 

Summer Learning

Wednesday, July 15th, 2015

We’re really enjoying our summer. Visiting with family and friends is always a favorite of ours. We rarely get to spend time together, and the last few weeks have been quite a treat. Jack and Tate were fortunate to check a lot of things off their summer bucket list. They’re often asleep before their heads even hit the pillow every night. Although, they miss their friends in MS, they are happy to be making memories with the people they love most.

From a parental perspective, summer vacation is a mixed emotion. Along with the lazy days of summer, I am incorporating learning and review amidst all the fun.   I understand the frowns I get when I ask Jack and Tate to work in their workbook, read, or do some math skills each week. I know this is their break from school, but in my opinion, it’s so important to keep their brain active. I’ve searched the Internet for fun ways to review skills. Games are one example to get my kids motivated. Turning addition problems into a game of bingo is much more amusing than simply writing problems on paper. So far, Jack and Tate are enjoying the entertaining ways to study in between all the fun activities.

The next school year is right around the corner. I hope Jack and Tate have only great memories of their summer. I’m sure reviewing skills isn’t at the top of their “fun” list, but when the school year begins, I’m sure they’ll be happy their daily summer school sessions took place. As we all know, a little review can go a long way.

Exploring Aviation

Wednesday, April 15th, 2015

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Last weekend, we visited family in Washington, D.C. The boys were excused from school because we promised to visit one of the many educational sites that our nation’s capital has to offer. We flew into Dulles Airport on Friday morning and spent some time at The Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, the companion facility to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

The Udvar-Hazy center displays thousands of aviation and space artifacts in two large hangers. Our boys love airplanes, and so does their father, so all of us enjoyed the collection. My husband knows a lot of the history of aviation and the boys seemed eager to learn, too.

The boys were given a “scavenger hunt” by the museum staff where they found aircraft in the museum that matched pictures of aircraft on their scavenger hunt list. Jack enjoyed reading the names of the aircraft and his father enjoyed explaining why each aircraft was important to aviation history. Tate was happy to run around and find certain markings on each aircraft, such as a thunderbolt and shark teeth. The boys got to see numerous planes including the SR-71 Blackbird, the B-29 Enola Gay and their favorite, the Space Shuttle Discovery. The boys even got to land a shuttle simulator with the help of museum volunteers.

It was an awesome experience for our family, and we look forward to seeing more of the Smithsonian Museums, National Monuments and Government buildings on our next visit to Washington, D.C. Our children are excited to learn through exploration and travel. We are happy to have the opportunity to do so.