Here are two podcast episodes with tips on how to talk to your kids about I.C.E.: Care and Feeding: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-real-about-ice-in-your-neighborhood/id774383607?i=1000747074079 What Fresh Hell Parenting Podcast: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/how-do-we-talk-about-whats-happening-in-minnesota-with-erin-cox
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Every child deserves an academic environment that supports his or her needs. Identifying and addressing potential issues early is in your child’s best interest. Let’s say your kid’s teacher suggests an IEP. Are you the type of parents who feels relieved that a teacher is picking up on potential issues and getting the support ball…
Magic E: Song and Story Links
Magic E Song: a-e Song: a-e Story: e-e Song: I do not have an e-e story. i-e Song: i-e Story: o-e Song: o-e Story: u-e Song u-e Story
Let’s Talk About Math
As a child in the 80’s I received what I now consider to be very surface level math instruction. I learned the rules. I followed the rules. The rules worked. The end. With this surface level training, I managed to successfully earn a high school diploma and a college degree without ever having to think…
How to Build Reading Comprehension Skills
It would be great if all children moved seamlessly from the learning to read phase of life to the reading to learn phase of life, but the truth is that being able to accurately and fluently decode words on a page does not automatically result in comprehending the information being read. I like to compare…
How to Individualize Spelling Words
When I was in elementary school, teachers handed out a list of 15-20 spelling words on Monday and gave spelling tests on Friday. Although my father patiently quizzed me on my words each evening after dinner, I never felt particularly confident on test day. I attended elementary school back in the 80’s. Our desks were…
How to Incorporate Writing into Math
Imagine… Imagine a math class where 2nd grade students solve only 1 or 2 problems a day. This class has no worksheets, textbooks, required homework, or teacher’s guide, yet by the end of the first semester, most 2nd grade students are able solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and simple algebraic word problems. The students always…
5 Easy Reading Strategies to Try at Home
1. Homemade Stories Start small with personal stories about topics important to your child. Homemade stories connect reading and writing to your child’s lived experiences and personal interests. 2. Pyramid Reading 3. Watch and Read Little Fox is one of many great resources on YouTube that provides fun animated stories that appeal to kids in…
How to Write a Summary for a Fictional Story
Students often have to write a summary of something they’ve read, listened to, or watched. A summary is a brief description of the main events of the story. It is not a detailed retelling of the story. The good news is that stories tend to follow a predictable trajectory: SWBSTI: A recipe for writing a…
E is for Essential: 10 Jobs Preformed by Vowel E
The letter E is arguably the most important letter in the English language. It is the most commonly used vowel in spelling, and it preforms several different jobs. 1. Magic E Magic E makes a vowel say it’s name. The addition of an ‘e’ changes the sound of the vowel, and it changes the meaning…