Tag Archives: Parenting

Can’t Get to the Beach? Create Your Own at Home!!

Posted on June 23, 2010 by ecossick| 5 Comments

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by Elizabeth Cossick, M. Ed.

Whether you’re headed to the beach soon and want to anticipate the fun–or you’ve already come home and want to recreate the experience with your little ones–I’ve got a great book for ya!

It’s called Sand and Water Play, by Sherrie West and Amy Cox. It contains easy, creative activities to do at home with a sand and water table, as well as fun ideas for creative play using household items like birdseed, shaving cream, ice cubes and rock salt. Activities include questions to ask during play, to reinforce the educational benefits of the activities. Recipes for homemade silly putty and bubbles round out the ideas and promise many afternoons of summertime fun–even without a trip to the beach.

To get you inspired, here are some questions to ask while children are playing with sand and water:

  • How does the sand feel when it’s dry?
  • What happens when we add water to the sand?
  • Now how does it feel?
  • What can you build out of the sand?
  • What tools can you use/find to move the sand around?
  • What items (rocks, small toys) can you hide in the sand?
  • What would happen if you closed your eyes and tried to locate the items in the sand?
  • What would happen if we filled a zip-top bag with water?
  • How does the bag feel?
  • Now, what would happen if we poked a small hole in the bag?
  • What if we poked several holes?
  • If we fill a bowl with water, what can we get to float in it?
  • What will sink?
  • Why do you think some things float while other sink?

Want a free copy? Comment on this post, and you could win a $20 School Box gift card. Since School Box carries the book for only $12.95, you could get a copy…and have money for some other fun gizmos and books, too!

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Posted in Academic Success, Free Stuff!, Parenting, Summer Learning, Uncategorized

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Summer Learnin’ Part 3: Bubbles in the Backyard!

Posted on June 16, 2010 by ecossick| 4 Comments

This is part 3 in our series on fun Summer Learnin’ ideas! Click here and here for part 1 and part 2.
by Elizabeth Cossick, M. Ed.

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Nothing says summer quite like…BUBBLES! So, pull out the kiddie pool and strap on the water wings. It’s time for a wet romp in the backyard, with the highlight being giant homemade bubbles! Below is our favorite bubble recipe, along with three fitting books about bubbles (to make it all educational, of course!).

First, here’s how to make some rockin’ homemade bubble stuff:

Homemade Bubble Stuff

1 cup water
4 Tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 Tablespoons light karo syrup (or 2 Tablespoons glycerin)

Mix all of the ingredients together. That’s it!

For more bubble recipes, see bubbleblowers.com.

Now, it’s time to find a bubble wand. Be creative with household items! A few to try:

cookie cutters
funnels
fly swatters
a metal coat hanger bent into a circle (watch for sharp ends)
a silicone steaming basket
mason jar lid rings
a funnel
a potato ricer
the plastic rings that come around a 6-pack of soda

And, here are some of our favorite books about bubbles, to drive home those great text-to-life connections:

Pop! A Book About Bubbles. Available here at amazon.com.
Bubble Trouble. Available here at amazon.com.
Benny’s Big Bubble. Available here at amazon.com.
There you have it: everything you need for a fun-filled day of summer fun, with just enough learning thrown in to make you happy (and solidify your title as World’s Greatest Mom).

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Posted in Parenting, Reading, Summer Learning, reluctant readers

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Summer Learnin’ Part 2: Library Scavenger Hunt!

Posted on June 9, 2010 by ecossick| 1 Comment

This is Part 2 in our series on engaging (and easy!) Summer Learnin’ ideas. To read Part 1 (Fractions in the Kitchen), click here.

Comment on this post and you could win a School Box gift card! Two comments win each week.

by Elizabeth D. Cossick, M. Ed.

It’s hot. The kids are bored. And you’re at your wits’ end. You need a fun activity to pass the afternoon, and you’d prefer one that’s educational…and FREE, right? Well, we’ve got a ringer for ya. Take your kids on a library scavenger hunt! Here’s how it works:

  1. Print this list (click here for a printable version) of books and items to find at the library.
  2. Head to the library and help your kids scour the shelves for all of the items on the list.
  3. When they’re done, they can check out the titles that interest them.
  4. If they successfully find all of the items on the list, reward them by letting them check out a DVD, too. Now you have free entertainment for tonight after dinner!
  5. Leave the library, feeling proud of yourself for providing a summer learning opportunity…in air conditioning…for no cash. You go, Super Mom.

Do you like this idea? Do you have your own good ideas for summer activities? If so, e-mail them to editor@schoolbox.com. If we publish them on A Learning Experience, you receive a $35 School Box gift card!

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Posted in Parenting, Reading, Summer Learning, reluctant readers

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Our Fave Mommy-and-Me Beach Reads!

Posted on May 14, 2010 by ecossick| Comments Off

by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

There you sit, sand between your toes, enjoying the sun, the surf…and the fact that you can finally crack a book! To help you achieve beach Zen this summer, here are our favorite lit. picks—as well as award-winning books and activities to keep your kids engaged (and learning!) long enough for you to get past the first chapter.

Mommy Lit.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

The basic plot seems trite: Girl steals best friend’s fiancé. But, with Giffin’s witty narration and relatable characters, you’ll actually root for the cheaters!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Told through letters written by a cluster of characters in 1946, this enchanting novel shares the story of Guernsey Island’s Nazi occupation.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

The latest from Kinsella (Confessions of a Shopaholic), this is the tale of Lara, a girl who is visited by a fun-loving ghost from the 1920s. Kinsella-style hilarity ensues.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

An uplifting and compassionate tale about a Mississippi town in 1962, whose racial tensions are blown wide open when Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan publishes the stories of the town’s mistreated black maids. Soon to be a major motion picture from DreamWorks.

Kiddie Lit. (and Activities)

Summer Express, $14.99*
Give children a head start in school! Each workbook includes 100 ready-to-go, fun-filled math and literacy activity pages.

Hot Dots Flash Cards, $9.99*
These electronic, self-checking cards are great for reviewing math facts. And they’re (gasp!) lots of fun, too.

Carole Marsh Mysteries, $7.99*
Each adventure mystery in this series is set in a historical place, making history and geography really cool for kids.

Science Kits, $9.99*
These award-winning kits bring science to life with exciting, educational projects that have amazing results!

*Featured products are available at The School Box.

This article appeared in the spring issue of Little Black Dress/Little Red Wagon Magazine, page 26. Click here to see the original article, along with a printable coupon for 20% off one regular-priced item! (Coupon good through July 1, 2010).

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Posted in Games, Parenting, Reading, Science, Summer Learning, comprehension

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Inspired Poetry (Made Easy)

Posted on April 28, 2010 by ecossick| 1 Comment

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by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

Okay, so not every child is going to be Langston Hughes or Emily Dickinson out of the gate. But that’s alright. As teachers and parents, we need to remember that some of the most effective learning is not about a polished (or publishable) finished product, but rather about the process itself.

So it goes with this fun little poetry activity. Since poetry can be a big yawner for many kids, spice it up with magazines. Have the children each bring in a magazine* for cutting from home. Then, tell the students that they’re going to write a poem entirely out of the words they find in the magazine. They will cut out individual words and phrases and glue them onto a large sheet of white paper in the form of a poem.

Step One: Model

Pass out magazines, ensuring that each students has one at their desk. Then, show a model you made previously (or, if time, model in front of the class how to make one).

Step Two: Get Inspired

Encourage students to spend some time browsing a magazine or two, looking at ads and article titles. If they see anything they like, they should cut it out and put it in a pile on their desks. Tell them to swap magazines after a few minutes, to browse a new one.

Step Three: Piece it Together

Now, using a glue stick, students should glue their words and phrases to the paper so they make one cohesive poem. This is a great time to address the conventions of poetry in a mini-lesson. You can discuss usage of commas and periods, as well as the role of white space in a poem: most often, the words go down the center of the page with a lot of white space around them. If students need a word that they can’t find, they can build it out of individual letters.

While the students are working, circulate the room and hold up good examples to inspire the other students and give them a few concrete ideas.

Step Five: Share!

Give students a chance to share their clever poems with the class. Then hang them up! The principal will wonder why your classroom is filled with ransom notes. It can be your and the students’ little private joke. :0)

* It’s a good idea to browse the magazines that are brought in from home BEFORE this activity, to ensure that the content of articles and ads is appropriate for your classroom. Tear out inappropriate pages. Bring a stack of “safe” magazines from your house as a back-up.

Comment on this post to win a $20 School Box Gift Card! (One comment will win!) Have you been in The School Box lately? I went in today with my 3-year-old and could have spent hours in there! Summer reading books, birthday presents, ingenious games…so many inspiring opportunities for little minds to explore. So…comment to win your gift card!

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Posted in Parenting, Poetry, Writing

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Books for Reluctant Readers, Part II: Third-Fourth Grades

Posted on March 13, 2010 by ecossick| 4 Comments

Welcome to a new series on finding books for reluctant readers! This four-part series will be divided by grade level, from kindergarten through sixth grades. by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

Leave a comment on this post and be entered to win a $20 School Box Gift Card. One comment from this post WILL win!

There is a plethora of fantastic kid lit for children ages 8-10. In fact, I take it as a personal insult if I ever hear a child in third or fourth grades say that they hate to read. Nonsense! They just haven’t been introduced to some of these outstanding books, below. This list contains a book for nearly every personality and reading preference out there; I promise! (Tip: This might be a good list to share with parents or send home for recommended summer reading.)

Favorite Titles:

The King’s Equal by Katherine Paterson
Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant
Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Stuart Little by E.B. White
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Tucker’s Countryside by George Seldon
Chester Cricket’s New Home by George Seldon
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Clearly
Ramona Forever & Ramona’s World by Beverly Clearly
Skinnybones by Barbara Park
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
Because of Winn-Dixie by Katie DiCamillo
A View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Series/Authors:

Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard
Cul-de-Sac Kids series by Beverly Lewis
American Girl series by Susan Adler, et al
Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobel
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Cooper Kids Adventures series by Frank Peretti
Trailblazer fictionalized biography series by Dave and Neta Jackson
Any books by:
• Laura Ingalls Wilder • Bill Myers • Beverly Cleary • Andrew Clements

Next in the series~ Part III: Fifth Grade Book Picks

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Posted in Academic Success, Parenting, Reading, Summer Learning, Teaching, comprehension, reading aloud, reluctant readers

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Characters, Part I: Keeping a Character Chart

Posted on February 12, 2010 by ecossick| 2 Comments

Comment on this post and you could win a $20 School Box Gift Card! (Winners awarded EVERY WEEK!)

by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

Sherlock Holmes. Huckleberry Finn. Captain Ahab. Anne (with an “e”). These characters shaped our childhoods, our educations…and, on some scale, our lives.

Book characters are like immortal friends, aren’t they? I will admit it, I am often sad when a book ends and my time with those friends is over.  (Well, maybe not so much with Captain Ahab…but definitely with Anne!)

Yes, characters are what connect us to books. If you want a child to love reading, introduce her to a character worth loving. And if she’s never found one she loves, keep trying!

I remember when I taught fourth grade, one of my students was a particularly reluctant reader. And then, one day, he actually carried a book out to RECESS. To READ. I almost passed out. What brought about this sudden change? He was introduced to…wait for it…Captain Underpants. Hey, whatever works.

So, the next time you sit down to read a book with your children or start a novel with your class, take a little time to talk about the characters. Here are two ideas to help you do so:

  1. Have a Character Conversation. Ask probing questions that will lead to a deep discussion about characterization. Here are a few to get you started: What would it be like if that character rang your doorbell and came to dinner? Would you want that character for a friend- why or why not? Are you like that character in any way? How are you different?
  2. Keep a Character Chart. Have students keep track of who they’re meeting while they’re reading by charting character names, descriptions, and sketches. For a graphic organizer for this idea, click here.

Hopefully these ideas will have your kiddos toting their books out to recess in no time…even if it’s only to see George and Harold’s principal strip down to his skivvies.

Look for the next article in this series on characters: Bringing Characters to Life Through a Wax Museum.

Comment on this post and you could win a $20 School Box Gift Card! (Winners awarded EVERY WEEK!)

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Posted in Motivation, Parenting, Reading, comprehension, reading aloud

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Benefits and Tips for Making Children WANT to Read

Posted on January 7, 2010 by ecossick| 2 Comments

by Melissa Nelson
Literacy Coordinator, North Cobb Christian School

We all know that reading is the foundation of a successful education. Moreover, reading ability, like exercise, is improved through repetition. Helping your child learn to love reading is the key to academic success.

Sadly, in a recent survey, more than half of all students surveyed said they spent less than four minutes a day reading at home. (They also reported spending two hours a day playing video games or watching television.) Research shows that kids who spend as little as 30 minutes a day reading books, magazines and newspapers are more likely to become good readers and do better in school. Not surprisingly, 10 minutes of reading is greater than 2 hours of television!

Moreover, books make idle time productive. Diet experts recommend always having an interesting book that you want to read. They say that when we are reading, we have less idle time and are less likely to snack between meals! Like exercise, the more you read, the better you get. Period!

5 Secrets for Making Children Want to Read

1. Let your child stay up 30 extra minutes to read.

2. Routinely take a family trip to the local bookstore or library. Get to know your librarian or book clerk.

3. Have family reading night. Create a cozy atmosphere in your home and curl up with good books! Coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, and books are great companions!

4. Create bedroom libraries. Designate a book shelf or basket for books. Pull out “special books” throughout the year (birthday, seasonal, holiday). For example, in January my 4-year-old has a book basket filled with books on snow and snowmen. I also have special birthday books that come out once a year.

5. Get hooked on a series. Children who find an author or book series they love are more likely to stick to leisurely reading.

Source for survey: The Parent Institute

Melissa Nelson holds a bachelor’s in education from the University of Georgia. With 18 years of teaching experience, Melissa currently serves as the Literacy Coordinator for North Cobb Christian School, where she enjoys imparting a love of literature to students and teachers alike.

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Posted in Motivation, Parenting, Reading

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Teachable Moments…in the Tub!

Posted on January 1, 2010 by ecossick| 4 Comments

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Wanna know a great place to teach your young child? In the bathtub! Talk about a captive audience…it’s perfect!

Recently, my toddler and I have embarked on a series of color lessons via the tub. We started with foam letters and numbers in a variety of colors, and now we’ve graduated to food color. A drop or two of liquid food color turns the water all sorts of fun colors. It’s amazing how much more fun bath time is with green water!

Another favorite  bath time color activity is painting. We start by putting a dollop of hypoallergenic, fragrance-free shaving cream in four cups. Then, my son and I talk about the colors we could make by adding a drop or two of food color to each cup. We often start with the primary colors: add a drop to the shaving cream and use a large paint brush to mix it up. Then, we’ll mix a drop of blue and yellow to make green, or blue and red to make purple. The large paint brush is the perfect instrument for adorning the tub’s walls with our shaving cream “paint.” And then, when my son rivals a California Raisin, we pour water on the walls and our paint magically disappears. Easy clean up!

What are your tricks for finding teachable moments during the day? Comment below and you could win one of several $20 School Box gift cards this month!

submitted by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

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Posted in Motivation, Parenting, Writing

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Turn a read-aloud into a think-aloud

Posted on November 15, 2009 by ecossick| 1 Comment

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Quick question: Parents, do you read aloud to your children? Teachers, do you read aloud to your class? Chances are, you just answered “yes.” Well, to maximize the effectiveness of your read-aloud time, here are a few quick tips for fostering critical thinking skills with your children.

Tip One: Think Out Loud

As an accomplished reader, you have lots of great thoughts pinging around that noggin of yours while you’re reading– and you probably take them for granted. But if you can become aware of them- and then share them aloud with your children or students- you will be providing a great model for critical thinking. For example, if you’re reading about the kitchen in Little Women, and you can picture curtains at the window, a braided rug on the floor, and a worn wooden table against the wall, tell your children that’s what you’re picturing. Then ask them what they think might be in the kitchen, too. Are pictures hanging on the wall? Who is in the pictures? This may seem like a simple conversation, but you’re actually practicing visualizing and inferring– two traits of critical thinkers and readers.

Tip Two: Be Socratic

The Socratic Method, termed thus after Socrates, uses questioning to teach learners to think for themselves. To be Socratic during a read-aloud, simply stop every page or so and ask a question. Some basic questions you could use are:

  • What do you think is going to happen next? Why?
  • Why do you think he/she did that? (or felt that way?)
  • Have you ever been in a similar situation? What happened?
  • What do you think it would be like to do that (or go there)? Would it be fun/boring/scary? Why?

Tip Three: Pull out the Art Supplies

Before reading, pass out blank paper and coloring supplies (crayons, colored pencils, etc.) Ask students to illustrate what they’re visualizing while you read. Tell them to add as many details as possible–even if they have to infer (or guess) to fill in details if the author didn’t tell exactly what color something was or how something looked. Again, this will reinforce visualizing (making mind pictures) and inferring (making guesses)– two skills necessary for advanced reading and thinking. And don’t worry- most students can actually listen better while doodling!

Tip Four: Post it!

Finally, if you can’t remember to stop and do these things while reading aloud, take a stack of sticky notes and stick them every few pages. Then, when you get to a sticky note, share a thought you’re having about the book or ask a question. If you have time, write down a question or thought on the notes beforehand.

And remember–no matter what you do while reading aloud, applaud yourself! Reading aloud to children is one of the most effective ways to model fluency and comprehension…not to mention that you’re making reading an enjoyable experience!

Written by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed., who holds a master’s degree in Literacy from Lesley University, Cambridge, and a bachelor’s in education from The University of Georgia.

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Posted in Reading, Teaching, comprehension, reading aloud

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