How Understanding Learning Styles Can Help Your Children

We all know that individuals learn differently -- some remember best the material that they hear, while others remember what they see better. Some people need to experience something hands on in order to do it, while others need to just read the directions. These needs within us are shaped both by our experiences and our biological make up. Learning styles go beyond memory style and learning preference, though. In fact, there are a LOT of things that go into making the learning environment around your child (or yourself) as successful as possible! An article published in California Journal of Science Education, Survey of Research on Learning Styles, says that learning styles are "as individual as a signature" and that understanding them can give us the ability to set up a learning environment designed exactly as a student needs. You can read the article (and the Journal it's from, which is pretty interesting!) at http://marric.us/files/CSTA_learnjournal.pdf#page=76

According to these authors, here are the things that make up a child's learning style:

1.  Right or Left Brain Hemisphere Dominance. This information will give you an idea about the structure, independence, group/individual needs, background noise/activity, if they'll be motivated by peers or adults, and even optimal lighting for the learning environment.
2. Age and Gender. Considering these things will help you figure out lighting, mobility needs, and sound needs. For instance, the need for sound is stronger for younger children, who also need less light (the need for light increases with age). And as I'm sure you already figured, boys need to move while learning more than girls do!
3. Perceptual Preferences. According to the Institute of Learning, "Perceptual learning styles are the means by which learners extract information from their surroundings through the use of their five senses."  The different preferences (with links so you can learn more) are: 

   Print - refers to seeing printed or written words. Aural - refers to listening.  Haptic - refers to the sense of touch or grasp. Interactive - refers to verbalization.

   Kinesthetic - refers to whole body movement. Olfactory - refers to sense of smell and taste. Visual - refers to seeing visual depictions such as pictures and graphs.

   
   Studies have shown that in order to score the highest on evaluations of learning, the child should first be presented with the material in his or her perceptual preference, then that material should be reinforced by their secondary or tertiary preference (. So for example, my son is very visual. I might show him a video of a Magic School bus episode or a picture book about germs first, then I might reinforce that lesson by doing a hands on germ experiment (to meet his secondary preference for kinesthetic), and end by him listening to a song about germs (aural).
4. Social Preference. In general, small groups are best for young students (as opposed to them doing work on their own without teacher involvement), heavy social learning in Jr. High, and then tapering off to do work independently and without as much teacher involvement in High School. This can all be affected by the student, though, so remember that your child is an individual and watch (and ask) to see how he or she learns best among peers and with/without a teacher!
5. Time of Day. Is your child a morning, afternoon, or evening person? IOWA achievement test scores were significantly higher in the research when children were administered the test during the time of day that matched them best! I can vouch for this personally as I know my daughter does best with her most challenging subjects (her reading to me) in the morning, but then listens the best in the evening (if I'm reading to her).
6. Mobility Needs. (I'm going to paraphrase from the article here). A bunch of kids were sent to psychologists for hyperactivity assessments. What did the psychologists say? That the kids were just "normal kids" with higher mobility needs--they were not actually hyperactive. Furthermore, the research found that the typical classroom environment was actually HURTING the education of the high mobility needs of (mainly) boys. Yikes! So instead of running to medication or discipline, consider the possibility that your boy might just be a boy and might just need to run around. 
   

Put it all together, and you'll have a really clear picture of what your child needs in order to learn and succeed the best! Learning styles are more than just being partial to sight, sound, or hands on. How do you think you learn best, and how do you think your kids learn best after reading this post?

DIY: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day" activities & inspiration

I realize I'm getting this out just in the nick of time, so if you can't get everything ready for tomorrow, the first day of Spring, when The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day official occurs, plan to celebrate this weekend! You might be surprised though, how many things you already have around your house that you can throw together for a momentous day tomorrow.

Food

Create your own line of snacks that are as close to the food in the book as possible. Use a straw to poke holes in the food. Don't forget your lettuce leaf at the end! Source: The Masked Mommy

You can also recreate pictures from the book using healthy food! Source: It's Our Long Story

Sensory Tub

Throw in anything related to the book that you can find, and maybe a few other things to fill in that theme along colors or textures, too! The items included in the one shown below are dyed green rice, colored large bottle tops, colored craft sticks, cardboard tubes with shiny tape wrapped around for pouring, neon plastic shot glasses for scooping, coloured cotton reels, coloured pom poms, wooden fruit, cakes, ice creams and other food items from the story, a few real clementines for a real sensory experience, a Very Hungry Caterpillar butterfly toy (a caterpillar would be a fabulous addition too!), and a copy of the book. Source: The Inspiration Tree

DIY Felt Book

I found this unbelievably adorable and FREE felt book instructions so your little one can have a quiet book experience of The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Included are printable templates for you to follow when cutting your felt. Source: Lavender's Blue Designs



Activities

Target: small motor, colors, sequencing, math.
Instructions: Cut out 1 apple, 2 pears, 3 plums, 4 strawberries and 5 oranges out of felt. I hand drew my own stencils out of cardstock, but you can also use stencils or find free clip art online to help you with the shapes. Punch a hole through the center of each felt fruit. As you read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, have your child lace the felt fruit onto the green “caterpillar” pipe cleaner in order of them appearing in the book. Review the colors of the fruit with your child. Source: See Vanessa Craft

Target: Listening/word assimilation, motor skills, object recognition.
Instructions: Print and cut out the printables in the link (click on photo). Glue to sticks of some sort, and allow your child to choose the correct object to hold up when you get to that point in the story. You can create a story board with this by having foam blocks or an upside down egg carton for your child to stick the sticks into when you get to that point in the story, creating a visual timeline of the story when done.
Printables are from: Make It Cozee

Target: motor skills, colors, math, science
Instructions: Create a butterfly life cycle. First, look at photos/pictures of a butterfly life cycle (easy to find online), and then make your own by drawing, gluing pictures to a plate and adding arrows, or making a 3-D one like the photo below. Directions for making the one below can be found at: Classified: Mom

Games

For a huge, and I mean HUGE supply of printables, games (dominos, bingo, snakes & ladders, etc. all with "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" theme), activities, booklets, and MORE, visit English Teaching Worksheets!

Bringing Literature To Life For Your Preschooler

How to teach a story to your preschooler in five days:

Day 1: Read the story, show pictures, ask questions to assess and aid in comprehension.

 

Day 2: Assign child to create three specific age appropriate illustrations for the story. For example, in the story of The Three Bears, ask her to draw a picture of the three bears, a picture of Goldilocks eating porridge, and a picture of a bed. You can use various mediums for creating the illustrations, including stickers or coloring sheets for young children.

Retell the story to the child, using his or her illustrations as you go.



Day 3: Have the child narrate the story to you, and write it down. Bind the pictures from yesterday with the narrative to create a book (staples or a folder work just fine). Feel free to assist the child in remembering the plot, but allow the words to be direct from him or her.



Day 4: Create a song that tells the story. If you are having trouble, use a familiar tune, like “The Farmer In The Dell” or “Twinkle, Twinkle.” You can have multiple verses, and can write down the lyrics to help you remember.



Day 5: Provide the child with props, and allow him to act out the story in a play. If needed, you can read the child’s narrative or the story (or sing the song from yesterday) while he acts.



Montessori Phonetic Small Object Activities

Small objects are used in Montessori schooling to help teach a child phonetic sounds of letter names in a hands-on way. The teacher would have a box for each letter of the alphabet that contains small objects that represent that letter sound. I was going to make my own boxes, but after a few months realized what a tedious and costly adventure it was personally going to take me. Instead, I eventually purchased the Alphabet Sound Teaching Tubs from Lakeshore Learning. While they are a $150 investment, they are fabulous, save a lot of time, and I think cannot be equally done any cheaper!

Here are a list of activity ideas to use with your Phonetic Small Objects:

Seek & Find: Randomly place all of the objects from 2 or 3 boxes onto the mat and ask her to find an object that begins with one of the letter sounds. After she identifies an object correctly, she can line it up under the appropriate letter and continue the game until all objects are with their respective letter.

Please, Bring Me! Place objects from two boxes across the room on a shelf or table. Ask the student to bring you something that begins with one of the letter sounds you’re practicing. When she brings back the correct object, ask her to name it. Confirm the name and make note of the sound. Example: “Yes, that’s a ball. Can you hear the ‘b’ sound in the word ‘ball’?”

I Spy: Put several objects from various containers on the tray and say “I spy with my little eye, something that begins with the ‘t’ (or whatever) sound.” The student may then find that object and name it.

Letter Match: Place the appropriate sandpaper letters out, spaced apart. Have your child trace the letter and make the sound. Mix the objects from 2-3 boxes, and allow the child to sort them by sound, placing the objects on the correct sandpaper letter.

Large Sandpaper Letter Match: Like the above “Letter Match,” but include more letters (10-12 at a time, when the child knows that many). Have the child first trace and say the sound of the letter, then find the objects for that sound.

Story Teller: Use the small objects from one box to create a story. This will reinforce that particular letter sound. As your child grows, you can incorporate more boxes at a time, and cue your child to which object she will need to include in her story next by holding up the sandpaper letter of which the next object should have the sound of.

Memory Game: Place all objects from one box on the tray. Have your child close her eyes and remove one object. Have her open her eyes and identify which object you removed. If she gets it right, give her a token. Take turns doing this until all of the objects are gone. Whomever has the most tokens, wins.

Thanks to http://CountingCoconuts.com for inspiring me with the first handful of ideas!

Valentine Creations

It's Valentine's Day in our home! Thanks to shopping throughout the year for all annual events (saves a lot of money to buy on sale and store in my cupboard!), I was able to whip up a few special things for the kids even at 1am after I'd forgotten to plan ahead of time. Thank God he gave me a creative spirit. ;-) Please don't mind the quality of the photos--they were taken on my phone.

My favorite creation of the night (morning?) was my heart garland. I saw a felt heart garland on Pinterest and just modified it to use paper and a stapler instead of fabric and a sewing machine. Quick and easy, and it's SUPER cute hanging from the dining room entry way!

 At each child's place setting, a special surprise was waiting including a wrapped Valentine themed book, an educational magazine, and a decorated page that we filled out throughout the day with "things we love" about each child. A keepsake!

 One thing I found recently while cleaning out the "everything" room was a box of business cards that was ordered online but never used. I was going to throw them in the recycling bin but decided I should hang onto them because they *may* have a brilliant future...and boy, am I glad I kept them! I created two games using the cards.



First, a numeral recognition/counting game by using glittery textured stickers one one card, and then using a marker to write the numeral on a subsequent card. I couldn't fit more than 8 stickers on a card so that's where I ended, but you could certainly get 10 or 12 if you were using small stickers.

The second game, and also the more popular one, is a matching game. Since all of the "business" sides of the cards are the same, they offer great memory game potential! I used felt stickers that have different layers and edge shapes which provide an added tactile element to the traditional visual memory games. Isn't the Valentine theme darling? Best yet, both of these games store in a small Ziploc bag which means easy clean up and great storage because you can see the contents of the bag!

And of course, a Valentine making station. :) Glitter glue, stickers, paper, heart hold punches, crayons, markers, pom poms...you name it, it was there! Not as big of a hit as I thought it was going to be, though. True to form, toddlers prefer playing outside in the mud as to sitting at a table doing something constructive. Who'da thought, right? ;-)

Happy Valentine's Day! 

...and remember, regardless of your situation or circumstance, you are loved.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him will never perish, but will have eternal life. John 3:16

I'm going to be a Music Together teacher!

Tomorrow morning at 9am, I start training to be certified as a Music Together teacher. I'm really excited about this as it will bring early childhood music education classes to an area that doesn't have them, new income possibilities for my family, and I got a scholarship to attend the training on top of it which made it all possible (thanks, Music Together scholarship program!). My daughter is just as excited as I am, daily talking about how she can't wait to help mommy when I'm teaching the classes after I'm trained. :) 

She was, in fact, one of the main reasons I chose Music Together over the other early ed music programs out there. After a lot of research, I had narrowed my decision down to Kindermusik or Music Together. One thing that I really liked about Music Together was that it's family oriented and thus more accessible for parents with multiple children, not to mention more affordable to them. My 2-year-old daughter verified this when I played both a Kindermusik album and a Music Together sample album for her...and we have been listening to the "Hello Song" from Music Together ever since! Yes, I really do think we know every word of every song on their "Family Favorites" album since it's the staple music in our minivan (don't knock the minivan, I have a story about it that I'll share sometime).

From their website:

Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and the adults who love them. First offered to the public in 1987, it pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum that strongly emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement. 

Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning.

The training will last three days (whew!), then I'll drive straight to work for a 28-hour-minimum shift (whew! again). Yes, I will probably go crazy missing my little people, but I couldn't let my daughter down by not being able to teach these classes that she's so excited about, right?

What are your thoughts on music programs like Music Together?

Smart Phone Apps for Toddlers

I've finally done it; I have joined the world of people with "smart" phones. It's a long story, really, of how it came to be, but in a nutshell it goes like this: I had a Verizon contract that made me pay really high bills, have a really crappy phone (regardless of which one I got), and ZERO help from the Verizon employees that I came in contact with (not to mention a website that is almost impossible to navigate). In EMS, a smartphone is really handy for when you need to look something up on the fly, calculate difficult drug dosages, keep track of something, or navigate to a home or hospital that isn't on your map. It was a no-brainer, then, when my sister called me last week and asked if I wanted to switch from Verizon to Sprint and go on a plan with her and her family so we would all only have to pay around $60/month...and did I want a free (or very discounted) smart phone with that, plus a $125 credit to switch from Verizon (to cover the early cancellation fees)? Yes, yes, yes!

So now I have a smartphone. (A Motorola Photon 4g, to be exact). All I can say is that I.love.it. One of the things I love so much are apps. (Brilliant ideas, people! Brilliant!) Since I have a very active almost-three-year-old and a one-year-old who tries in every way to keep up with his big sister, I'm wanting to find some good apps for toddlers. They need to be free, kid friendly, age appropriate, preferably have lock features, and support good development and creativity. That's where you come in! I have lots of readers with small children, and I'm sure that many of you have excellent apps on your phone for those cute little ones.

Leave me some messages telling me what apps you use for your toddlers and why! Or, why do you choose to not use child-oriented applications on your smartphone? Thanks a bunch, my friends! :)

H1N1: to vaccinate and visit the ER--or not?

I've been struggling with whether or not I should get vaccinated against the swine and seasonal flu's this year, and also if my dd should get the vax. Even being a paramedic, I've always refused the seasonal flu vaccine and continue to be alive. I'm struggling with it this year because while I think the media and government has overhyped the flu (both kinds) to the point where the public is now fearful, I do think about the what if? of it all. If only we knew the future in a situation like this!

It's a difficult situation to determine what to do since I want to be careful about the vaccinations my family receives, but I also want to be careful about the diseases we contract! To help me decide, I did two things: looked in to the non-hype information about H1N1, and called my midwife.

Here's an informational memo put out by the county where I serve as a paramedic:

As the H1N1 virus continues to spread, health officials and medical experts have advice for people experiencing flu-like illness, who wonder if they should seek medical attention.

"We realize that many people are concerned because a new flu virus is circulating along with the seasonal flu this year," said Marcia Kasprzyk, Deputy Director for Public Health. It may help to know that for most individuals, novel H1N1 influenza will be no worse than the seasonal flu.

"Most people recover from the seasonal or novel H1N1 flu without needing medical treatment," said Prudence Ferraro, Chief Nursing Officer for Schuyler Hospital. Ferraro urged those who are NOT seriously ill to avoid hospital emergency departments. Instead, they are advised to contact their primary care doctor. "We’re asking for everyone’s help to make sure that the emergency department remains available for people who truly need it."

Kasprzyk pointed out that by going to the hospital when you are mildly ill can cause more problems:

• The individual can GET the flu from someone in the waiting room

• The individual could GIVE the flu to others

• The individual could DELAY important medical care for the seriously ill

Call your doctor right away or get emergency care in the event of severe or worsening illness.

Swine Flu Signs in adults: rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, pain and/or pressure in the chest or abdomen, bluish skin color, dizziness or confusion, increased fever or persistent vomiting.

Swine Flu Signs in children: increased fever, rash, rapid or difficulty breathing, bluish skin color, irritability, not waking up or interacting, and not drinking enough fluids.

The New York State Department of Health has set up a hotline (1-800-808-1987) for those who have questions about the H1N1 virus.

When I called my midwife, I asked if she's recommending for pregnant women (identified as being at one of the highest risks of contracting H1N1) to receive the swine flu vaccine. Her answer? DEFINITELY NOT. Instead, she recommends preventative measures such as hand washing. The risks of the vaccine outweigh the risks of contracting the flu--and that goes for both the seasonal and H1N1!

What are you plans for flu vaccines this year?

Skin Cancer Facts

The following information is taken directly from the UV Skinz website at http://www.uvskinz.com/8facts.aspx . Take the time to read it--you may read something that will save your life. Enter to win your own piece of UVP clothing from UV Skinz here! Earn an extra entry in the contest by sharing another fact about UV rays or skin cancer here (different than the ones in this blog post) and then mentioning that you commented here on the actual contest post. Contest ends 9/03/09 at noon, EST.

1. More than 90% of skin cancer is caused by sun exposure.
The UV rays of the sun are responsible for non-melanoma skin cancers. Unprotected exposure to these rays can be from being outdoors, tanning booths, and even through your car or home windows.

2. Each hour, 1 person dies from skin cancer.
About 2,800 people will die of non-melanoma skin cancer and about 8,000 will die of melanoma in the U.S. this year. The sad thing is that many of these deaths could have been prevented by simply protecting ones self from the sun.

3. Skin cancer accounts for more than 50% of all cancers combined.
Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among men and women.

4. More than one million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 1.5 million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year.

5. Skin cancer is most deadly for African Americans, Asians, and Latinos.
Although the risk factor is rather low for African Americans, Asians, and Latinos, skin cancer can be the most deadly for these groups.

6. 1 in 3 Caucasians will be diagnosed with skin cancer sometime in their life.
1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed in their lifetime with skin cancer. The risk factor is higher for Caucasians, with it being in 1 in 3.

7. One bad burn in childhood doubles the risk factor for melanoma later in life.
Protecting children against UV exposure is essential for skin health into adulthood. A blistering sun burn during childhood increases the risk of melanoma as an adult. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

8. Men are diagnosed with skin cancer more often than women.
According to the American Cancer Society, men are twice as likely to develop skin cancer over women. In fact, it is more common than prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer in men over 50. This makes skin cancer the most common cancer in men over 50.

Home Schooling While Working + Giveaway

~ Learning the hands-on way~

It is my husband's and my dream to home school our children. Our other favorite educational method would be a Montessori school, but that's just a bit out of our financial realm right now (okay, a lot a bit out of our realm!). With me working more than full time, my husband working an unpredictable number of hours a week, and Amara spending around four days a week with her Grandmas, the thought of home schooling just doesn't seem so realistic! I pray for our situation to change, of course, and have decided that I could take an overnight job and home school during the day, but...let's be honest here, I need sleep.

Today, I came across an idea that I hadn't thought of before: have a curriculum that can be used regardless of where Amara is or who's taking care of her. The idea came after reading about a review and giveaway of the Itty Bitty Bookworm curriculum for preschoolers. No, this isn't my own giveaway, but it's a great one for us working Mom's and I wanted to share it with you! A fellow mom-blogger is hosting the giveaway, and you'll need to enter right now since it's ending tomorrow. You can check out her site at http://afroginmysoup.com/ . It's an interesting blog about her adventures with six sons. Homeschooling's a big part of her writings, so it'd be a good resource for anyone else interested in alternative education methods.

Do any of you use a method for education that's different from public schooling? Have you ever heard of anyone working full time while still home schooling? What curriculums do you use, or do you write your own? Leave lots of comments, mamas! I need to learn more about what's out there and how other people are doing it!