Joomla! site syndication http://www.empoweringkids.com 2010-03-10T22:33:38+01:00 http://www.empoweringkids.com http://www.empoweringkids.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png text/html 2007-03-17T20:11:17+01:00 http://www.empoweringkids.com http://www.empoweringkids.com/content/view/57/ Ritalin use has increased by 369% in recent years. Translation: 25% of children in any one classroom are being controlled by this drug. The majority of users are boys.  text/html 2003-04-01T06:00:00+01:00 http://www.empoweringkids.com http://www.empoweringkids.com/content/view/21/ Newsletter Contents Publisher's Pen Empowering Parents and Teachers Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations) Publisher's Pen: How does Your Child Learn Best?   One of my sons was the type of learner who had to move around to learn. This created problems in some classrooms, but I kept in close contact with his One of my sons was the type of learner who had to move around to learn. This created problems in some classrooms, but I kept in close contact with his teachers. His primary learning style is tactile-kinesthetic. Since the beginning of education in our country, educators have known that there are three broad categories of learning styles. The three broad categories are visual, auditory and tactile-kinesthetic. The largest percentage of our children fall into the visual category, roughly 65%. The next largest percentage of children fall into the auditory category, approximately 30%, with the smallest percentage, 5%, being tactile-kinesthetic. The most recent research is now saying that as much as 35% of all learners are tactile-kinesthetic. Educators have traditionally taught to the visual and auditory learners, while the tactile learners have fallen through cracks. They are the ones who need to touch, and move around to learn. They have the most difficult time getting through our educational system. They can be labeled as disruptive because of the way they need to learn, which in turn, can lead to a “defeated learner” syndrome. One of my children was a tactile learner, and he attended a traditional school where order was very important, with the rules being rigidly enforced. Staying close to his teachers every month of every school year, comparing observations, and making the effort to provide learning experiences tailored to his needs helped tremendously. Teachers are usually willing to help parents who are supportive and willing to participate in their child’s educational experience. Together, your synergy will keep your child on the right path; but it will take some effort. I’ve included some links  in the Empowering Parents and Teachers section to help you explore this further. May we take the time and effort to help our children discover how they learn and let them know that it is okay if they are wired differently from us and others in the classroom. May we polish off their gold nugget and be amazed at the wonder of the divine. Elaine C. T. Grannis Empowering Parents and Teachers: Empowering Parents and Empowering Teachers sections will be combined this month as we look at the Learning Style Observations Inventory and make new discoveries about our children. There are several Learning Style Inventories on the market. To have one completed through a university setting online and have it scored requires a nominal fee. Doing this may confirm your observations. Below are some common learning style observations that will give you an idea of how a learning style inventory works. Give it a try, and when you are finished, have a discussion about your discoveries. Then, check out the links I’ve provided. Think about how this information might help future success, along with accepting each other’s differences. Remind children that different is not weird, it is just different! We also need to remind ourselves that children are not little versions of us. They don’t always think and act as we would in situations. Ready to get started?  Here we go: Learning Style Preference Observations: Write down the number that you feel best describes your preference when learning something new. 3 = Most of the time               2 = Sometimes                  1 = Hardly ever Learning Preference #1: _____Directions are easier for me when they are written down on the board. _____I remember what is being said when I take notes. _____It’s easier to do math problems when they are written instead of spoken. _____It’s easier for me to remember things when I use a highlighter marker. _____I rather would read a book than have it read to me. _____If someone tells a joke that is long, I don’t always get it at the end. _____I like my room to be quiet when I do my homework. _____I like to doodle on my notebook. _____When I’m given a math problem, I don’t understand it until I work it out            on paper. _____If a teacher talks for a long time, I only remember some of what is said,            and sometimes I get told that I don’t listen. _____Total Learning Preference #2: _____I remember something better if I hear it than if I read it. _____When I read something new, I say the words to myself. _____I can work out math problems in my head. _____I don’t like to take notes. _____I can remember facts that I hear. _____I do well on tests when we have had class discussions. _____I like oral math games. _____When I do have notes, I don’t know how to organize them. _____I learn better if someone reads to me that if I read silently to myself. _____If the teacher writes down directions, I usually have to ask her to tell me            about them. _____Total Learning Preference #3: _____I remember things better when I make something with my hands. _____Writing a spelling word several times helps me to remember it. _____I like working on computers to do my homework. _____I like to stop and get up and walk around when I am working. _____I like to take things apart and put them back together. _____If you show me how to do something first, I can usually do it myself. _____I like most kinds of physical activity. _____If I look at something, I like to try to put it together without directions. _____I think best when I am moving around. _____I like experiments and making different kinds of food. _____Total Total your scores for each of the learning style preferences. If you find that you placed the number 3 in 6 or more of the lines on any one learning style, that indicates a strong preference for that particular style. Most people usually revert to the best method for themselves when they are confronted with learning new or difficult information. A score of 20 or higher in any one style is your primary learning style preference. Placing just as many 2’s or 3’s in another style means that you have a combination of learning preferences, which is not uncommon. The Visual Learner: Learning Preference # 1: Visual learners must see things to learn them. They do not benefit from lectures. Pictures, charts and watching something done helps them to learn. You can help by leaving notes, using flashcards and having them take notes to look at later. Using highlighters and allowing them to doodle helps them to visualize, which is necessary for them to learn. The Auditory Learner: Learning Preference #2: Auditory learners need to hear information in order to learn it. They can easily remember facts and figures, but have a difficult time with written directions. They may have to read out loud as they are reading. They are good at working out numbers in their head, once they have heard them. They like discussions and dialogue to hear and then learn. The Tactile-Kinesthetic Learner: Learning Preference #3 This learner needs hands-on activities in order to learn. They are active and need to move around to think things through, and need frequent breaks. They need experiments and items they can take apart to put back together. Use your hands or dramatic expressions when talking to them, or telling them a story. Links to help you discover more about Learning Styles: Personal Learning Style Inventory - howtolearn.com Learning Style Inventory - The University of Vermont Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations): Learn how you may be different from others in your classroom and why it’s okay. Take the learning style test in the section on Empowering Parents and Teachers, and then think about situations you’ve had in school. For example, in the cartoon in this issue, did you notice how one of the students liked to listen to the next student give him directions, and another student was very busy taking notes, while yet another student was standing up to go get a drink? Everyone has different needs when they are learning something new. Different is not weird, it is simply different! The student who was listening to the person next to him is an auditory learning, while the one taking notes is a visual learner. The student who was standing up to go get a drink needs to move to think and learn. For one week in school, make observations about the students who sit nearby you. See how they differ from you and how they are alike. Use the learning style test that I mentioned above and see if you can guess their learning styles. Your friends will want to have fun with this too! Copyright© 2007 Empowering Kids! All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced and freely distributed as long as this footnote is included. Subscribe at www.empoweringkids.com text/html 2003-03-01T07:00:00+01:00 http://www.empoweringkids.com http://www.empoweringkids.com/content/view/20/ Newsletter Contents Publisher's Pen Empowering Parents and Teachers Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations) Publisher's Pen: Working Out Conflicts   Help kids get along so you can live in peace! Never did dealing with conflict become more real to me than when my son was the target of five bullies. The woods in the back of our townhouse complex created a shortcut that led directly to our basement door. One day, while walking home from school through the woods, my son was accosted by five boys who threatened to trash his saxophone. I feared for my son’s safety, so I called the school principal. Unable to help me due to the fact that the bullying happened off of school grounds, I had to deal with the conflict myself. Realizing that this type of situation (five against one, in the woods, secluded) could escalate into a dangerous one, I decided that my only true choice was to contact each of the offending boys’ parents. After writing down each of the boys’ names, we looked them up in the phone book to learn their addresses, since I felt that a telephone call might not hold as much weight as our actual presence on each of their doorsteps. My initial plan of action was to sit down and discuss the incident in a calm and collective manner. With my son reluctantly in tow, I knocked on each door, one by one, starting at dinnertime. When a parent came to the door, I calmly explained who we were, and that there had been a conflict between our children. Then I asked if we could sit down to discuss it. It became clear who was telling the truth, as the five boys had been friends, while my son was new to the neighborhood. The reaction of the parents was one of embarrassment and anger, following up with an action of their own with their children. Following this incident, the boys all stayed out each other’s way. They realized that we were not going to tolerate bullying, and that we would take action. That proved to be enough in this particular situation, which is not always the case. Had the parents not responded appropriately to stop the bullying, I would have had to take the next step of action, which would have been to make a formal complaint. Other conflicts came up from time to time as my children continued on through school, and each one required effort, assertiveness, and courage on my part. It was worth it, though. One conflict resulted in police action. Another resulted in an insurance claim. Yet another resulted in a friendship. (Yeah!) The highest way to resolve a conflict is to go away with an understanding of each side’s point of view, why it happened, and how it can be avoided in the future. This is the highest way because it is one aspect of showing unconditional love, and only love is real. May we as parents take the time, effort and courage to help our children work out their conflicts in an appropriate manner, in order to give them one of the greatest lessons in life. May we dig into that vein of gold that lies within each one of us, young and old! I hope that you enjoy this issue. Smiles, Elaine C. T. Grannis Empowering Parents and Teachers: Empowering Parents We work hard. We love our kids and try to do our best by them. But, sometimes the law of Reversed Effect can cause mini-conflicts which can turn into bigger ones. The law of Reversed Effect is put into action when we use negative statements. Not only do they create a vacuum in the mind, but they can actually strengthen the habit that you wish to change in your child. At one point in my student teaching career, I was observed and videotaped for the type of speech that I used with students. That was tons of fun! Not only was it nerve-racking, it produced a downright stuttering stage fright in me at the time. After what seemed like hours, the 30 minute session was over, and I was given an evaluation for how many times I gave directions in a negative way, along with how many times I incorrectly used the English language in giving directions to students (saying “gonna” instead of “going to,” “yeah” instead of “yes,” etc.). I learned something that day that got my attention. I stunk at giving positive statements! I also learned that the experts say that negative statements have three weaknesses: v They create a negative image in our minds v The image creates confusion – we don’t know what to put in its place v This can fuel rebellion by appearing to remove our own choices Looking at the first weakness, the more we say not to do something, the more we create the image of what not to do, instead of what to do. If I said, “Don’t think of a blue elephant,” you would immediately picture it. If I said, “Don’t think of a blue elephant in a ballerina suit,” you would probably picture a blue elephant in a ballerina suit dancing on her tiptoes with other blue elephants, jumping up and down with huge smiles on their faces. The second weakness creates confusion, because we don’t know what to put in its place. We would have to stop in our tracks, think about several options, and then make a decision on one of them. But, we’ve already created the negative image in our minds, and we are not likely to change it. The third weakness can fuel rebellion because it presents a challenge to us, and appears to take away our choices, imposing on our free will. We all have some rebellion in us, especially if we feel imposed upon by someone else. If a person who doesn’t have much authority over us tells us not to do something, we may do the opposite, or just ignore the command. If a person has significant authority over us, we may conform outwardly, but resent it inwardly. Negative commands achieve short-term results with no lasting positive motivation. Using positive statements in a calm manner are much stronger in getting the results that you want from your children, because they give a positive image, lets them know what they are supposed to do, and they appear more fair. Below are some positive speech exchanges for traditional negative ones. Rearrange the wording if you like, for what works best for you: “Don’t be rude!” “Be polite, please.” “Don’t spill it!” Hold it upright. Walk slowly.” “Stop talking!” “Be quiet, please.” “Don’t you talk to me like that!” “Use a respectful tone of voice.” “Don’t dawdle!” “Let’s go – quickly and quietly!” “You never listen!” “Please listen to what I am saying.” “You’re not paying attention!” “Please look at me so that I know that you are paying attention to me.” “You can’t do it that way!” “Try another way.” “Don’t say____to me!” “Say____to me.” “Don’t step in that puddle!” “Walk around this way, please.” “Don’t you dare smoke!” “You want to keep looking good and healthy like you are now, don’t you?” (Create a positive image for not smoking, and show pictures of people with cancer as the negative consequence of smoking) Try this for one week, and I assure you that you will see a change in the behavior of your children. You can guide and direct your children with complete authority if you do it in a positive way, with integrity and respect. Since our children secretly want to please us, positive directions will tell them what to do, because you are telling them exactly what you want them what to do. It creates a higher level of communication, confidence and trust. You may have to repeat it many times, but don’t we all need something new repeated to us over and over before we learn it? I know that I do! Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations): What do you do when someone pushes you in line? Well, the truth is that peace rules. Nothing else works. But how do we keep our own inner peace when we feel like a raging bull inside? There is a timeless principle about dealing with our anger. It is found in all of the major religions, so it doesn’t matter if you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, Gnostic, or any other religion or tribe that teaches about peace, love and forgiveness. It is timeless because it has worked for many, many years in many, many situations. This is the principle: v Sacrifice your right to react. v Take time to cool off. v Work it out. You might be thinking, “Sacrifice my right to react? Hey, he deserved it. He pushed me first!” It’s true that we have a right to react when someone has done something to us that makes us mad, and it’s okay to be angry. But, it’s what we do with our anger that counts. Think about a conflict that happened at school recently between you and one other person. Draw a picture of it. Now try to remember how and why fighting took place. Finally, think about what you could have done differently. The next time a situation like that comes up, stop yourself from acting on your anger, count to 10, and do something different. It’s like the rule for if you catch on fire, which is, “stop, drop and roll.” But in this situation, you “stop, count, and work it out.” Now that I’ve said this, I want to say that this works with daily conflicts that happen between two people. If you are being bullied by more than one person, you need to tell your teacher, your principal and your parents, so that the adults can take the appropriate action necessary to stop it from continuing to happen to you. Copyright© 2007 Empowering Kids! All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced and freely distributed as long as this footnote is included. Subscribe at http://www.empoweringkids.com/ text/html 2003-02-01T08:00:00+01:00 http://www.empoweringkids.com http://www.empoweringkids.com/content/view/19/ Newsletter Contents Publisher's Pen Empowering Parents and Teachers Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations) Publisher's Pen: Welcome to the First Issue of Empowering Kids! Newsletter Welcome to the first issue of Empowering Kids! We believe that: Every child is unique and as different as snowflakes. Every child can learn and every child deserves a chance to have a quality education. Inside each and every child is a vein of gold, just waiting for someone to mine it. What you can expect from subsequent issues: We publish information from the latest research and the newest educational trends from classrooms around the world. Our goal is to empower kids by empowering parents, teachers and pre-service teachers (those still in college) with the highest quality information to galvanize kids’ success in school and life. Opportunities abound to learn something new. As I travel around conducting workshops for teachers, I learn something new every day from people just like you. I hear the hopes, dreams, frustrations and determination. It feeds me intellectually and spiritually, while at the same time, fuels me toward new growth. This newsletter is the answer to what educators and parents have been asking for: Tips for parents to become partners with the classroom teacher. Mentoring to help bring new teachers up to speed. Sharing ideas from teachers across schools on what they are doing to meet the new standards. May we take time from the busyness on the surface of our lives to realize the depth of our lives, and the lives of those with whom we are connected. That is where the veins of gold run, silently waiting for us to mine them. May we be the instruments from which new gold is discovered, brought to the surface and allowed to shine. I hope that you enjoy this issue. Smiles, Elaine C. T. Grannis Empowering Parents and Teachers: One of parents’ biggest concerns is how to help their children do well on tests. Here is a cheat sheet on test questions. The focus of this article will be on the types of questions found on most reading tests. Kids need to be able to read and write well first, in order to do well on tests in any other subject, including math. Future articles will discuss other types of questions, as well as scoring rubrics. Types of questions:                           Multiple choice Short response Extended response ultiple choice questions give educators an idea of whether or not students can identify the main idea of the story, identify the details of the story, draw a conclusion from the facts presented in the story, make inferences based on the information, along with figuring out the meaning of specific words by using the context around those words. Short response questions show how well students understand what they have read, and can retell the meaning of a particular part of a story in one or several sentences. If students think carefully about the main idea and details, they will visualize or make notes as to the who, what, why where, when and how of the story, to answer this type of question. Extended response questions require students to organize their ideas on paper, use descriptive words, write in complete sentences, use good spelling and punctuation, with a clear beginning, middle and end to their response. An extended response may be a full page of written work. It is what educators use to evaluate the quality of their students’ writing. The gradual increase in the type of questioning on reading tests helps kids to develop a habit of higher-level thinking that will serve them later on in life. It gives them practice in becoming better readers and writers so that they can use the same strategies on the tests that they take in the other subject areas. Empowering K.I.D.S. (Kids In Daily Situations): Secrets most kids don’t know about themselves that they can use every day. Did you know that your brain is like a computer? All you have to do is program it the way you want it to work. If you want it to work well, it will work well. If you allow it to work poorly, it will work poorly. It takes practice. And practice takes effort. But, you are worth it, aren’t you. We believe that you are! What you focus on is what your mind will yield to. If it is anger, you will be angry and you will look for situations to get angrier. If it is an attitude of “I can,” then your brain automatically looks for situations where you can challenge yourself to do better. Funny how that works, but it is true. Just like you can click on an icon on the desktop of your computer, go into a program to complete some work, and then save it to disk or the hard drive, our brains work in much the same way. It all starts in our thoughts. Our thoughts (the desktop icon) lead to words (the program), and words lead to actions (the work). Then we store the thoughts, words and actions into our memories (the hard drive). Whatever thoughts, words and actions you choose come from what you picture in your mind, just like a desktop icon. When you picture it enough times, it stays there, ready for you to click on it. What are you picturing in your mind right now? What went right today or what went wrong? The difference between winning in life and losing in life is making your brain concentrate on what went right. You may have the wrong thoughts – we all do – but make your brain – your human computer – click on what went right. Draw a picture or cut one out from a magazine that shows what you want to be in life, or something that you want to participate in at school. Either scan it and put it on your computer desktop or tape it to the computer and look at it every day. You’ll be surprised how your mind will automatically click on it, and your brain will look for situations that will bring you closer to it! Copyright© 2007 Empowering Kids! All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced and freely distributed as long as this footnote is included. Subscribe at www.empoweringkids.com text/html 2004-08-09T07:30:34+01:00 http://www.empoweringkids.com http://www.empoweringkids.com/content/view/2/ If you are one in a million in China, there are 1300 people just like you. The top 25% in China with the highest IQ's is greater than the total population in all of North America. China will soon be the largest English-speaking country in the world.