Teaching our children social skills is every bit as important as teaching them academics. Human interaction is an integral part of most everyone’s day to day routine, and success in this area can mean overall success in life. Today’s tip will elaborate on five key components of social competence.
These will be explained by using the acronym SPACE as taken from Karl Albrecht’s book Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success.
Situational Awareness: This is our social radar—in other words, understanding what to do when. When children are learning this skill, they learn…
• when to hold their tongue and when to speak
• when to give a hug and when to stay in their own space
• which situation is safe and which is not
While children are learning these things, it is extremely important for parents and teachers to have patience and be very explicit in their instruction. We need to remember that everyone has a different social IQ. An example of teaching this would be to explain to your child that not everyone has the same personal space bubble around them. This is an especially good lesson for children who love to hug everyone around them. Teach your child that some people need quite a bit of personal space while others need very little. Your child can look for signs that someone doesn’t want to be hugged by the way that they stand. If they lean back a little or move away, this means “no hugging please.” If they bend forward or move closer this means, “hugs are welcome.”
Presence: This is the way we affect people through our physical appearance, mood, and body space—are you approachable? Presence is our ability to “be present” and live in the moment. People with great presence are excellent listeners and truly care about the people they are with at any given moment. They are not thinking about past or the future in the presence of another. People with strong presence make those around them feel important. Teaching children how to listen is crucial. We need to teach children that listening is defined as “being able to repeat back that which the messenger has said.” We can also teach our children to be curious and ask questions of others.
Authenticity: Truly being ourselves.
Our children can learn to get “comfortable in their own skin” and accept themselves as they are created. Teaching our children to focus on their strengths is key here. We want to teach our children not to be phony and to believe in themselves.
Clarity: Is the audience understanding what I’m trying to say?
Here we can teach our children not to speak too much or too quickly. It’s also an opportunity to help them to increase or improve their vocabulary. Teach them that the more words they have to draw from, the better their chance to convey a message to others. They can also learn the art that “sometimes saying less accomplishes more.”
Empathy: Walking in someone else’s shoes.
It is so important that our children learn to be considerate and truly aware of how others are feeling. Teaching children to watch body language signals is key here. Also our children can learn the difference between toxic and nourishing behaviors.
Helping our children social skills will heighten their awareness and relieve confusion and frustion for them in the years to come.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Remembering What You Read
Have you ever sat down to read informational text, read an entire page, and then realize you didn’t retain any of it? This has happened to all of us at some point, but it happens often to many students in the classroom. If students are not taught the steps to focusing while reading, they often cannot pick up this skill on their own.
First and foremost, students must understand how the mind works. For example, when a student says, “I don’t want to read that! It’s boring!” What he/she is really saying is, “I have no connection to this, I’ve not experienced it before.” The brain likes to retrieve from what it already knows. It is simply how we make sense of things. When we are reading brand new information, the brain frantically searches for a connection. If it cannot find one, it will drift into thinking about more known topics. Awareness of this process is key. Below are a few tips to help your child to actively engage his/her mind in reading informational text:
Setting a Purpose:In order to avoid “spacing off,” students must prepare their minds for the text. Before a student approaches the text, it is important for him/her to set a purpose for reading. Often this is done in the form of “I wonder” questions…
“The title of this chapter in my history book is The War of 1812, I wonder what happened?”
“How is this war different from other wars that I’ve learned about?”
“Who was involved in this war?”
“Why was this war fought?”
Questions naturally arouse curiosity and give us a purpose for reading. It is important for teachers and parents to note that at first students will not know what types of questions to ask. These will have to be modeled for the child.
Visualizing:The next step in the reading process is to visualize and make connections while reading. Teaching students to place themselves inside the text will help make it more personal and aid them in making these connections. We can guide students in this process by asking them questions. For example, “What do you think it would be like to be on a British ship?” What do you picture when you hear the sentence, “The British navy ships were scattered around the globe?” Getting your child to talk about what they see as they read will definitely aid in reading comprehension.
Questioning:Finally, it is utterly important that students start to ask their own questions before, during, and after the reading process. Asking questions will create independence in your reader more than any other strategy. Once a student understands the power of the question and the joy of finding the answer, all text reading can be successfully mastered!
First and foremost, students must understand how the mind works. For example, when a student says, “I don’t want to read that! It’s boring!” What he/she is really saying is, “I have no connection to this, I’ve not experienced it before.” The brain likes to retrieve from what it already knows. It is simply how we make sense of things. When we are reading brand new information, the brain frantically searches for a connection. If it cannot find one, it will drift into thinking about more known topics. Awareness of this process is key. Below are a few tips to help your child to actively engage his/her mind in reading informational text:
Setting a Purpose:In order to avoid “spacing off,” students must prepare their minds for the text. Before a student approaches the text, it is important for him/her to set a purpose for reading. Often this is done in the form of “I wonder” questions…
“The title of this chapter in my history book is The War of 1812, I wonder what happened?”
“How is this war different from other wars that I’ve learned about?”
“Who was involved in this war?”
“Why was this war fought?”
Questions naturally arouse curiosity and give us a purpose for reading. It is important for teachers and parents to note that at first students will not know what types of questions to ask. These will have to be modeled for the child.
Visualizing:The next step in the reading process is to visualize and make connections while reading. Teaching students to place themselves inside the text will help make it more personal and aid them in making these connections. We can guide students in this process by asking them questions. For example, “What do you think it would be like to be on a British ship?” What do you picture when you hear the sentence, “The British navy ships were scattered around the globe?” Getting your child to talk about what they see as they read will definitely aid in reading comprehension.
Questioning:Finally, it is utterly important that students start to ask their own questions before, during, and after the reading process. Asking questions will create independence in your reader more than any other strategy. Once a student understands the power of the question and the joy of finding the answer, all text reading can be successfully mastered!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Importance of Imagination
With all the texting and time spent on electronic devices, many of our youth are not having opportunities to express their imaginations. Because schools have to have so much focus on test results, children are often immersed into a sea of worksheets which also stunts creativity and imagination.
Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world and all there will ever be to know and understand." If we think about it, this was the philosophy of our great leaders, philosophers, inventors, and artists. For example:
• Always have a vivid imagination, for you never know when you might need it. -J.K. Rowling
• Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination.-John Dewey
• America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. -Harry S. Truman.
• You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.-Mark Twain
I believe that learning how to express ones imagination is really the key that unlocks the soul. It is what helps our children to become all that they were created to be.
Ways to exercise imagination:
• Make sure that children have playtime WITHOUT electronic devices. It is so easy for us as parents to give in to TV watching, computer time, and video games. These are fine in moderation, but our children need more than this to dream, imagine, and create.
• Give children opportunities to express their imaginations through art, music, writing, building, acting singing, dancing, photography, designing, etc. Play games like, "Show me what you are imagining." Have children picture something in their mind, such as a tiger, and then express what is in their mind. If they can't draw it or write about it, have them make a collage of tigers from pictures in magazines or from the internet. Getting children to express what is in their minds, will also help them with their communication skills.
• Help children to understand that rejection is a friend to creativity. If your child tries to publish a story, enter an art contest, or create an invention and they are turned down. Explain to them that "No" simply means, "Not right now." A rejection is simply an opportunity to make improvements on what we create and to keep learning.
• Finally, gathering information adds to creativity. As children begin to use their imaginations, they can get even more ideas from books and other reading materials. Reading after all, fuels the imagination!
Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world and all there will ever be to know and understand." If we think about it, this was the philosophy of our great leaders, philosophers, inventors, and artists. For example:
• Always have a vivid imagination, for you never know when you might need it. -J.K. Rowling
• Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination.-John Dewey
• America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. -Harry S. Truman.
• You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.-Mark Twain
I believe that learning how to express ones imagination is really the key that unlocks the soul. It is what helps our children to become all that they were created to be.
Ways to exercise imagination:
• Make sure that children have playtime WITHOUT electronic devices. It is so easy for us as parents to give in to TV watching, computer time, and video games. These are fine in moderation, but our children need more than this to dream, imagine, and create.
• Give children opportunities to express their imaginations through art, music, writing, building, acting singing, dancing, photography, designing, etc. Play games like, "Show me what you are imagining." Have children picture something in their mind, such as a tiger, and then express what is in their mind. If they can't draw it or write about it, have them make a collage of tigers from pictures in magazines or from the internet. Getting children to express what is in their minds, will also help them with their communication skills.
• Help children to understand that rejection is a friend to creativity. If your child tries to publish a story, enter an art contest, or create an invention and they are turned down. Explain to them that "No" simply means, "Not right now." A rejection is simply an opportunity to make improvements on what we create and to keep learning.
• Finally, gathering information adds to creativity. As children begin to use their imaginations, they can get even more ideas from books and other reading materials. Reading after all, fuels the imagination!
Monday, March 28, 2011
What Exactly is Excel?
What exactly is Excel Achievement Center? Is a simply a place to find tutoring? My direct answer to that is no. Tutors can be found anywhere. Excel is a place to amplify your child’s full potential and see results! Whether your child struggles in an academic area, or would like to be further challenged in our Ivy League program, Excel Achievement will create an individualized plan for your child so that they will achieve results in just months! Our Imagination Amplified summer camps take academia to a whole new level as children will actually experience what they are learning --live!
One of Excel’s parents recently said, “I just love Excel! In fact, I think that I’m addicted to it! The energy and feeling here is like no other!”
Our no high pressure sales policy makes it a safe place for your family to come check us out, or simply book a free consultation. Just call 988-0900 today to experience the magic of Excel Achievement Center!
One of Excel’s parents recently said, “I just love Excel! In fact, I think that I’m addicted to it! The energy and feeling here is like no other!”
Our no high pressure sales policy makes it a safe place for your family to come check us out, or simply book a free consultation. Just call 988-0900 today to experience the magic of Excel Achievement Center!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Keeping Their Attention!
Adults are not the only ones experiencing cabin fever this time of year. The cold weather and indoor recess can really make our children more squirmy and less attentive. Here are a few tips to help these sweeties still learn while in school:
1. The Wiggles. Students sometimes need to wiggle to help them to fire the neurons in their brains. Leg shaking, doodling on papers, and the general wiggles are their bodies natural way to help them to pay attention. As long as children are not distracting others by making noise or touching their neighbor, my advice is to let them wiggle. (They are children after all.)
2. Time to Talk. Providing time for students to talk is also imperative for students to retain what they’ve learned. “Turn to your partner,” is a great way to engage students often in the classroom. For example, after teaching about early civilization, have students turn to a partner and tell them one thing that they’ve learned and how it applies to their life.
3. Mental Engagement is KEY! It is important that we keep student’s minds on the subject at hand and not their “wiggling behavior”. Instead of saying “Suzy, stop wiggling” (which will only draw her attention to wiggling—in which case she won’t be able to think about anything else); say, “Suzy, what do you think about what is happening on page 45?” This will bring her mind back to the subject at hand and get her to do what you really want her to do which is learn.
4. Use the Discovery Method. Children learn best when they have to search and discover information rather than be told the information. The brain is naturally curious and prefers to search for answers and then share what it has learned. For example, while teaching about poetry, teachers can ask the students to search online for narrative poems and then share their favorite one.
1. The Wiggles. Students sometimes need to wiggle to help them to fire the neurons in their brains. Leg shaking, doodling on papers, and the general wiggles are their bodies natural way to help them to pay attention. As long as children are not distracting others by making noise or touching their neighbor, my advice is to let them wiggle. (They are children after all.)
2. Time to Talk. Providing time for students to talk is also imperative for students to retain what they’ve learned. “Turn to your partner,” is a great way to engage students often in the classroom. For example, after teaching about early civilization, have students turn to a partner and tell them one thing that they’ve learned and how it applies to their life.
3. Mental Engagement is KEY! It is important that we keep student’s minds on the subject at hand and not their “wiggling behavior”. Instead of saying “Suzy, stop wiggling” (which will only draw her attention to wiggling—in which case she won’t be able to think about anything else); say, “Suzy, what do you think about what is happening on page 45?” This will bring her mind back to the subject at hand and get her to do what you really want her to do which is learn.
4. Use the Discovery Method. Children learn best when they have to search and discover information rather than be told the information. The brain is naturally curious and prefers to search for answers and then share what it has learned. For example, while teaching about poetry, teachers can ask the students to search online for narrative poems and then share their favorite one.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The “Write” Way! Teaching to children to enjoy writing
As young children we naturally express creativity in a variety of ways. From creating with play dough, to painting, to making pretend cakes, we love to take the world around us to a new level.
As teachers, our job is to take a student’s natural creativity and help them to output it through writing. There are a few obstacles that get in our way however.
1. A lack of imagination ourselves. As teachers, sometimes we are forced to be task masters and have little time to sit still and tap into our own imaginations. How then can we teach what we do not practice ourselves?
2. Lack of experience writing. Many of us do not have the opportunity to really delve into this talent. Our own understanding is basic at best. How can we push our students to a level higher than our own?
3. Lack of resources. If in fact we do struggle with writing, it is imperative that we have tools to not only teach ourselves, but the students who trust us to teach.
Once we have faced our obstacles, we can begin to look at writing in a new way. Instead of becoming frustrated with how “These kids just don’t know how to write,” we can focus on “How can I teach you to be a great writer?” This simple change in perspective is really all we need to become successful writing teachers. This question will motivate us to become experts in the field instead of feeling frustrated with our audience.
Becoming the Expert
1. Become a writer yourself. This of course takes practice. A great way to begin is by completing writing assignments right along with your students. This will force you to share in their joys and frustrations and will give you a realistic picture of future assignments.
2. Find resources. Ralph Fletcher has several teacher friendly resources that are quick and easy to use. This is imperative in the busy world of teaching!
3. Take what Walt Disney calls a “dream retreat.” Allow yourself to express creativity in a variety of ways such as: cooking, drawing, singing, acting, sewing, gardening, or painting. Releasing creativity will help you to become more aware of your imagination and will only help build your enthusiasm about writing.
Coaching the Students
1. Define writing. Help students to understand that writing is simply expressing their thoughts with a pencil. Let them know that you will be there every step of the way to coach them on exactly how to do this.
2. Carry an observation notebook. Model this by doing it yourself as well. Show students how to write down key words or phrases about the world around them. Explain that the observation notebook can help them see things they maybe wouldn’t otherwise notice. Below are different types of observations:
• Imagination. For example, you may write that the trees outside your window look like they are talking to each other.
•Inspirations. Explain to students that it’s important to look around and try to find things that inspire us and make us feel good. This will be different for each individual.
•Details. Help children to focus on detail by changing things in your room and having them look around and see if they can find it. Have them write down changes they see.
3. Practice stretching observations by using structure words. Students can learn to take simple phrases from their observation journal and stretch them into complete sentences and paragraphs. Examples of structure words are: size, color, number, shape, when, where, movement, mood, background, perspective, and sound. Teach students to use structure words so that their classmates can see what is in their mind.
4. Play with words so that students have opportunities to increase their vocabularies. The more words they know, the easier time they will have expressing themselves.
5. Allow creativity to flow. Give opportunities to write with NO EDITING ALLOWED! Students need to learn that writing is really a two step process. The first step is to utilize their imaginations and let ideas flow. The second step is to go back and polish their writing so that others can see their imagination clearly.
6. WAIT. Before students can polish their writing, they must step away from it. Once we create something, we need time to feel good about what we’ve produced. Going in and fixing something that we just outputted and feel wonderful about, simply isn’t good for our self-esteem.
7. Polish. Once we’ve stepped away and have acknowledged the good in our creative piece, we can go back and see areas need to be better clarified. This requires a tool box for most students as they are unsure of what to look for. Tools from the tool box must be taught in baby steps—one at a time and in great detail.
Writing Toolbox:
1. Reread to see if sentences make sense. Do they have a nice flow? Have you punctuated in a way that will make sense to the reader? Will they pause in the right places?
2. How’s the spelling? Take a highlighter and highlight any words that don’t look right to you. Correct words that you know and ask a friend or your teacher to help you with the others.
3. Can the reader see it, hear it, feel it? Use structure words to add the details to ensure that the reader is experiencing what you experienced. Remember to include feeling words as well.
4. Check your words. Words are very powerful and can capture the reader or bore him to tears. Are you repeating the same word over and over? Do you need help coming up with different words?
5. Organization. Have you written things in an order that makes sense?
Finally, share your creation! Read it aloud to someone. Display it. Put it in book form. This is your masterpiece and many others will want to experience it as well!
As teachers, our job is to take a student’s natural creativity and help them to output it through writing. There are a few obstacles that get in our way however.
1. A lack of imagination ourselves. As teachers, sometimes we are forced to be task masters and have little time to sit still and tap into our own imaginations. How then can we teach what we do not practice ourselves?
2. Lack of experience writing. Many of us do not have the opportunity to really delve into this talent. Our own understanding is basic at best. How can we push our students to a level higher than our own?
3. Lack of resources. If in fact we do struggle with writing, it is imperative that we have tools to not only teach ourselves, but the students who trust us to teach.
Once we have faced our obstacles, we can begin to look at writing in a new way. Instead of becoming frustrated with how “These kids just don’t know how to write,” we can focus on “How can I teach you to be a great writer?” This simple change in perspective is really all we need to become successful writing teachers. This question will motivate us to become experts in the field instead of feeling frustrated with our audience.
Becoming the Expert
1. Become a writer yourself. This of course takes practice. A great way to begin is by completing writing assignments right along with your students. This will force you to share in their joys and frustrations and will give you a realistic picture of future assignments.
2. Find resources. Ralph Fletcher has several teacher friendly resources that are quick and easy to use. This is imperative in the busy world of teaching!
3. Take what Walt Disney calls a “dream retreat.” Allow yourself to express creativity in a variety of ways such as: cooking, drawing, singing, acting, sewing, gardening, or painting. Releasing creativity will help you to become more aware of your imagination and will only help build your enthusiasm about writing.
Coaching the Students
1. Define writing. Help students to understand that writing is simply expressing their thoughts with a pencil. Let them know that you will be there every step of the way to coach them on exactly how to do this.
2. Carry an observation notebook. Model this by doing it yourself as well. Show students how to write down key words or phrases about the world around them. Explain that the observation notebook can help them see things they maybe wouldn’t otherwise notice. Below are different types of observations:
• Imagination. For example, you may write that the trees outside your window look like they are talking to each other.
•Inspirations. Explain to students that it’s important to look around and try to find things that inspire us and make us feel good. This will be different for each individual.
•Details. Help children to focus on detail by changing things in your room and having them look around and see if they can find it. Have them write down changes they see.
3. Practice stretching observations by using structure words. Students can learn to take simple phrases from their observation journal and stretch them into complete sentences and paragraphs. Examples of structure words are: size, color, number, shape, when, where, movement, mood, background, perspective, and sound. Teach students to use structure words so that their classmates can see what is in their mind.
4. Play with words so that students have opportunities to increase their vocabularies. The more words they know, the easier time they will have expressing themselves.
5. Allow creativity to flow. Give opportunities to write with NO EDITING ALLOWED! Students need to learn that writing is really a two step process. The first step is to utilize their imaginations and let ideas flow. The second step is to go back and polish their writing so that others can see their imagination clearly.
6. WAIT. Before students can polish their writing, they must step away from it. Once we create something, we need time to feel good about what we’ve produced. Going in and fixing something that we just outputted and feel wonderful about, simply isn’t good for our self-esteem.
7. Polish. Once we’ve stepped away and have acknowledged the good in our creative piece, we can go back and see areas need to be better clarified. This requires a tool box for most students as they are unsure of what to look for. Tools from the tool box must be taught in baby steps—one at a time and in great detail.
Writing Toolbox:
1. Reread to see if sentences make sense. Do they have a nice flow? Have you punctuated in a way that will make sense to the reader? Will they pause in the right places?
2. How’s the spelling? Take a highlighter and highlight any words that don’t look right to you. Correct words that you know and ask a friend or your teacher to help you with the others.
3. Can the reader see it, hear it, feel it? Use structure words to add the details to ensure that the reader is experiencing what you experienced. Remember to include feeling words as well.
4. Check your words. Words are very powerful and can capture the reader or bore him to tears. Are you repeating the same word over and over? Do you need help coming up with different words?
5. Organization. Have you written things in an order that makes sense?
Finally, share your creation! Read it aloud to someone. Display it. Put it in book form. This is your masterpiece and many others will want to experience it as well!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Helping your Child with Homework!
Do you ever hear these words when trying to help your child with homework?
“That’s not how my teacher does it!” “No, that isn’t what works for me!”
You are not alone. The familiar dynamic between parents and children often causes some friction when we try to help out our kiddos. Here are a few tips:
1.It is very important that we connect with our children personally as well as academically. Making sure that we are “present” and not thinking about our own agendas can immediately help us as parents to be more patient and calm as we tackle homework together.
2.Find out what your child does know and understand about the assignment before just jumping in and “expounding all of your wisdom.” This will help to avoid those “That’s not how my teacher does it!” statements. For example, if your child is given the assignment of writing a paragraph you may want to say, “Tell me what you’ve learned about writing a paragraph.” This will give you a good idea as to where to begin instruction.
3.Provide authentic opportunities for your child to apply the homework skills. For example, “Let’s look in these picture books and see how other authors designed and organized their paragraphs.” This takes some of the pressure off of you, and guides your child into seeing real life applications of the skill you are trying to teach.
4.Provide positive opportunities for practice. Praised a specific strength and use it to set future goals. For example, “I really like how you described your dog in this sentence. Let’s try to do this with a few more sentences.”
5.Finally, believe that your child can do it! Children will always step up to our expectations. If we believe that they will accomplish the task and do it well, they will have no choice but to succeed!
“That’s not how my teacher does it!” “No, that isn’t what works for me!”
You are not alone. The familiar dynamic between parents and children often causes some friction when we try to help out our kiddos. Here are a few tips:
1.It is very important that we connect with our children personally as well as academically. Making sure that we are “present” and not thinking about our own agendas can immediately help us as parents to be more patient and calm as we tackle homework together.
2.Find out what your child does know and understand about the assignment before just jumping in and “expounding all of your wisdom.” This will help to avoid those “That’s not how my teacher does it!” statements. For example, if your child is given the assignment of writing a paragraph you may want to say, “Tell me what you’ve learned about writing a paragraph.” This will give you a good idea as to where to begin instruction.
3.Provide authentic opportunities for your child to apply the homework skills. For example, “Let’s look in these picture books and see how other authors designed and organized their paragraphs.” This takes some of the pressure off of you, and guides your child into seeing real life applications of the skill you are trying to teach.
4.Provide positive opportunities for practice. Praised a specific strength and use it to set future goals. For example, “I really like how you described your dog in this sentence. Let’s try to do this with a few more sentences.”
5.Finally, believe that your child can do it! Children will always step up to our expectations. If we believe that they will accomplish the task and do it well, they will have no choice but to succeed!
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