10 Essentials for Safety

by Paul Rogers
October 10, 2009

It’s important to be prepared for anything when you watch the kids. These basics will keep everyone safe.

If grandchildren will be visiting, be sure you have key supplies and medications close at hand (yet out of reach of the kids), advises pediatrician Josh Rabinowitz, D.O., of Advocare Main Line Pediatrics in suburban Philadelphia.

First-aid kit. Keep it well-stocked and in a convenient place. Make sure it includes Bacitracin or Neosporin — antibiotic ointments that prevent infections in cuts and scrapes — and hydrocortisone cream, which takes away the itch of poison ivy.

Emergency information. Never let parents leave kids with you without providing an emergency-contact list that includes their cell-phone numbers and their pediatrician’s office information.

EpiPen, inhaler, or prescription medicine. If your grandchildren are taking medication, or have been prescribed an inhaler or EpiPen, make sure parents bring it along with the children and entrust it to you with any instructions you need. It could save a life.

Ice pack. For those inevitable bumps on the head.

Children’s Motrin or Tylenol (or generic). Children can contract fevers for a number of reasons, and these standbys have proven effective for bringing temperatures down quickly. (Always contact the parents before giving children any medicine.)

Children’s Benadryl (or generic). For allergic reactions, including hives (also available in a cream for bad mosquito bites). It can cause drowsiness, but has the opposite effect in some children. (Again, always call the parents before giving children a dose.)

 

Sunscreen (SPF 30 or above). Several children’s brands are available in spray-on bottles. Try to give kids a coating about 30 minutes before you plan to go outdoors.

Insect repellent. This is an essential if Lyme disease is a concern in your area — and even if isn’t, kids often have worse reactions to mosquito bites than adults. For children, use sprays with no more than 30 percent DEET.

Swimming pool gate/fence. A must (and in some places, the law) if preadolescent grandchildren will be spending any time near your pool.

House rules. No one knows the potential safety risks in and around your house better than you, so make sure all your grandchildren know the house rules for where they can go and how they can play.

Source Grandparents

Editors note Paul Rogers is a New York City–based journalist who has written extensively for newspapers and magazines.

Grade 2 English

By Alexis Burling
October 9, 2009

Young readers and writers complete chapter books and write stories, poems, and songs about their lives

Most children enter second grade with a grasp of the fundamentals of reading. Throughout the school year, teachers will work to strengthen these skills so students will be able to read proficiently and with comprehension by the time they enter third grade. Teachers will read longer books out loud to the class, and students will read more on their own, in the classroom and for homework. Second-grade teachers often have students read folktales, myths, and poetry at the beginning of the year and basic chapter-books toward the end. Many teachers will set aside a daily time for students to read quietly and independently at their desks. Second-graders will also practice summarizing a book’s main idea and plot, and identifying its main characters and settings. They will be expected to know the difference between fact and fiction and they will be asked to relate personal experiences to episodes in the books they read, to help them comprehend major themes or morals. When you were in second grade, you may have had separate lessons in spelling, handwriting, and punctuation before you ever had classroom writing assignments. Your grandchildren will most likely learn these mechanics as they write. By the end of the year, they will have developed reliable strategies to “decode” unfamiliar words and deduce their meaning from context, and they will master the spelling of frequently occurring words. At the same time, they will be creating a portfolio of self-written short stories, poems, and silly songs.

Who’s Really Gifted? In some states, schools begin testing children for entry into “gifted and talented” programs in second grade. (Some districts begin as early as pre-kindergarten.) Switching to gifted programs can be helpful for kids who are clearly advanced and possibly bored with the standard curriculum. However, the move can also put unwelcome pressure on children who may be near the cutoff for gifted programs but are still trying to juggle everything they are learning. Competition between kids (and, of course, parents) can be fierce. But it’s crucial that all children are recognized for their own strengths, not pushed into a program that may not be the best fit simply because it’s “the thing to do.”

• Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales (W. W. Norton, 2007), compiled by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, is a gorgeous collection of fables and legends from across the African continent, written and illustrated by a diverse group of authors and artists. This impressive volume will inspire grandchildren to dream about lands far beyond their own.

• Remember the Bobbsey Twins and Dick and Jane? They’re still around, and you can share these classics with your grandchildren. The series have been repackaged for modern readers and collected in various editions, including The Bobbsey Twins Complete Series Set (Grosset & Dunlap, 2007) and The World of Dick and Jane and Friends (Grosset & Dunlap, 2004).

• The hilarious, award-winning PBS series Between the Lions has been praised for its ability to connect with kids and get them excited about reading. The show’s website offers games, downloadable stories, video clips, and reading resources for parents and grandparents.

Catch a Literary Star. These days, children’s book authors don’t just write. They travel by plane, train, and even Winnebago, to give readings, answer questions, and sign books for adoring fans at libraries, schools, and bookstores nationwide. Check the websites of your grandchildren’s favorite authors to find out when they may be coming to an area near you, and plan a trip with the kids to meet them.

What’s Going on Here? Second-graders are learning how to use the captions that accompany photos in nonfiction articles and books to find out what’s going on in an image and how it relates to the main idea. Crack open an old photo album with your grandchildren, and ask them to come up with captions to describe what’s happening in each picture. It’s a way to introduce some family history while kids practice their writing skills. Or work with your grandchildren to create a new photo album, with photos of times you’ve spent together, complete with captions provided by the kids.

Dear Journal. A child’s early elementary-school years can be frenetic, with new experiences around every corner. Children can get a handle on their experiences by writing their thoughts in a journal. Many second-graders keep journals in their classrooms, but you can treat your grandchildren to a special one that you keep under lock and key for them to write in whenever they visit.

Editor’s Note:Alexis Burling is a freelance book reviewer and writer in Brooklyn, N.Y. She also edits and writes for Storyworks, a classroom language-arts magazine published by Scholastic.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Grandparants

Grade 1 Social Studies

By Audra Wallace
September 30, 2009

Your grandchild’s study of the world begins with a study of their own families and neighborhoods

The elementary-school social-studies curriculum introduces students to increasingly larger social circles, starting with their families and communities, then gradually expanding to their state, country, and world. Early in first grade, the focus is firmly on families, schools, and neighborhoods. Grandchildren will discuss how their school is made up of different families and how those families have different customs and traditions. They will also begin to develop an understanding of rules and laws, and how laws help people to be safe and responsible citizens within their community. Other topics include the roles of different public servants, or “helpers,” such as firefighters, police officers, postal workers, and librarians, and an introduction to economics, as kids study the ways people in a community trade goods and services with each other. Students will acquire basic geography skills by making and reading maps about their school and neighborhood. Later in the year, most textbooks begin to expand the idea of “community” to include the entire United States. Students learn about patriotic symbols and national holidays; our country’s government and early history; and key historic figures such as George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout the year, students will also learn to place events in time, identifying events and changes in their community as taking place “today,” “yesterday,” and “long ago.”

The New American Family. The structure of the “typical” American family has changed greatly in recent decades. Although certain types of families may not always be represented in first-grade literature, textbooks, or even classrooms, it is important that students understand that different types of families exist and that although families can be different in some ways, most are very much alike in other ways.

* First-graders love having books read aloud to them. It helps them increase their vocabulary and comprehension, and most important, it’s fun, especially when a grandparent is doing the reading. Judith Caseley’s On the Town: A Community Adventure (Greenwillow, 2002); Neil Chesanow’s Where Do I Live? (Barron’s Educational Series, 1995); Norah Dooley and Peter Thornton’s Everybody Bakes Bread (Carolrhoda Books, 1995); and Bonnie Pryor and Beth Peck’s The House on Maple Street (HarperTrophy, 1992) are all great read-alouds that complement the first-grade social-studies curriculum.

* The best way to teach a child about the importance of community and citizenship is to become a role model by getting involved yourself. Jay Walljasper’s The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Placemaking (New Society, 2007) offers practical, hands-on suggestions for taking greater responsibility for your own community.

* First-graders are often asked to investigate and report on their own family’s history, and there’s no one better suited to help them with that than you. Recording your memories in a book like Teri Harrison’s Grandparents’ Memory Book: Did You Really Walk Five Miles to School? (Sta-Kris, 1997) will help you get started. It may become a treasured keepsake for your grandchildren.

Family Album. Have your grandchild draw a portrait of each member of your family. When they’re finished, staple all of the portraits together to create a family album. Don’t forget to make a cover!

Rules Rule. Rules are not just for school. They help keep plenty of other places safe and secure. When visiting a library, museum, or playground with your first-grader, look for rules posted on signs and read them together. Ask your grandchild about possible reasons for the rules. At the end of your visit, ask the child to suggest a new rule.

Community Discoveries. Join your grandchild on a scavenger hunt around your community. Use the list provided here.

Editor’s Note: Audra Wallace is a former elementary school teacher. She currently works as an associate editor for Scholastic’s classroom magazines.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Grandparants

Grade 1 Science

By Natalie Smith
September 24, 2009

Why does the weather change? Why do things melt? Why do some animals have claws? Kids discover the answers.

In first-grade science, teachers focus on helping students learn to observe the world around them. Textbooks typically divide the year into three units — life science, earth science, and physical science. During their earth science study, kids learn about sand, rocks, soil, and air — what they are and what they’re made of. Students learn about why the weather changes and how to use measurement tools like thermometers. In life science, children explore the differences between living and nonliving things, the parts of a plant, and the characteristics of various animals. Children learn that organisms, including people, have basic needs (such as air and food), live in many types of environments, and have different body parts to help them meet their needs, such as claws, tails, and trunks. As part of their introduction to physical science, first-graders discover that materials can come in different forms, such as solids, liquids, and gases. Teachers may demonstrate how materials can change properties through mixing, heating, or cutting. Children also begin to learn about the properties of heat, light, and magnets. Above all, first-graders learn that careful investigating means asking good questions and recording what they learn.

Green Kids. Elementary schools have taught children the importance of caring for the environment for decades. But in today’s first-grade classrooms, students are learning that being environmentally responsible means more than just picking up their trash. Expect your grandchildren to learn how to sort recyclables and conserve energy and water, and don’t be surprised when they bring those lessons home and question why you’re not doing all you can for the planet.

• Learning to make observations using all five senses is a key entry point into the study of life science. This article offers suggestions for activities that will help parents and grandparents aid children in their sensory development.

• As first-graders learn to use measuring tools, they’ll also learn about units of measurement. But they may not realize that before people developed the metric system, they based many units of measurement on parts of the body. David Adler and Nancy Tobin’s entertaining How Tall, How Short, How Faraway? (Holiday House, 1999) introduces grandchildren to the surprising history of measurement.

• It’s important for first-graders to observe objects and organisms in different environments. And though there may not be a coral reef near your town, Marianne Berkes and Jeanette Canyon’s colorful Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef (Dawn Publications, 2004) could be the next-best thing. Encourage kids to interact and respond to the images they see inside.

• The first-grade physical-science curriculum will have kids experimenting with forces like magnetism and electricity. Help your grandchild explore these concepts and more with interactive science clips from the BBC.

• Understanding basic weather terminology is an essential part of first-grade physical science. In Lucy Cousins’s Maisy’s Wonderful Weather Book (Candlewick, 2006), the beloved mouse can help you review these words with your grandchild.

Watch Mommy and Daddy Grow Up. Children love seeing pictures of their parents as youngsters, so why not use those photos to help kids learn about life science? As you show grandchildren pictures of their mom or dad growing up, point out how he or she changed over the years, and ask the kids to identify similarities and differences in the photos as they progress over time. Ask your grandchildren to pull out their own family pictures and consider how they, too, have changed since they were infants.

A Bird Observatory. Here’s a simple activity to help grandchildren engage with nature: spread peanut butter on a pine cone, roll it in birdseed, then use string to hang it outside. Observe with your grandchildren how birds come to eat the seed. As you watch, note that food is just one reason that animals need plants. Ask the kids if they can think of others.

From Liquid to Solid Snack. In the right grandparent’s hands, even snack time can become a science lesson. Show grandchildren how to turn a liquid into a solid by making juice pops. Pour their favorite juice into an ice tray, put a toothpick into each cube, freeze, and enjoy. Extend the lesson by asking kids if they can think of how the liquid could change into a gas instead.

Editor’s Note: Natalie Smith is an assistant editor at Scholastic News Edition 4 and a freelance writer based in New York City.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Grandparants

Kids Want Boundaries

By Jim Burns, Ph.D
Sept 21, 2009

Do your teenagers really want boundaries? While I’m sure they will never seriously say to you, “Can you please add some more restrictions to my life?” they really do want to know what’s expected of them and what the consequences of violating boundaries will be. In homes where parents set clear boundaries for their kids’ behavior, kids are actually less likely to rebel – especially when parents take the time to discuss their expectations with them. Why would your kids want you to set boundaries for them in the first place? Let me give you five reasons.

Boundaries provide a sense of comfort. When kids clearly know what is expected from them, the result is a sense of comfort. They don’t have to be concerned regarding what you may or may not require of them behaviorally – or fear that you will constantly change the rules.

Boundaries provide a sense of security. Kids really do what to know what is right and what is wrong. They want some guidance in navigating life. Teenagers will still test the limits from time to time, but clear boundaries provide the stability and security that will allow them to thrive.

Boundaries mark out the “playing field” for freedom. Imagine two teams playing football – but without the playing field being marked in any way. Imagine the players having no way to tell what was “in bounds” or what was “out of bounds”. In the game of football, a marked playing field is foundational to playing the game. On a marked playing field, players know where their boundaries are. Similarly, kids want their parents to set clear boundaries for them so they can know their “playing field” – where they can roam freely “in bounds”. Boundaries, in this way, actually create freedom – and teenagers want to be able to experience and learn to handle freedom within the boundaries that have been created.

Most teenagers don’t really want to be totally free and responsible for themselves at this point in their lives. Kids who have no boundaries and are completely on their own regarding behavioral decisions tend to feel isolated and are at risk for giving into peer pressure. Kids whose parents have set clear boundaries for them, experience freedom within the boundaries and can use these boundaries as reasons to say no to inappropriate behaviors. Generally, kids who have clear boundaries simply fare better behaviorally than those kids who don’t have clear boundaries.

Kids want to gain their parents’ trust – the trust that results from living within clear boundaries. Trust is a vitally important issue for teenagers. They aren’t dumb. They know that having your trust is the pathway to greater freedom and ultimately to adult independence. Kids who don’t have clear boundaries experience greater difficulties earning their parents’ trust because they are left to themselves to make behavioral decisions that may or may not turn out to be acceptable. On the other hand, kids who have clear boundaries and live within those boundaries understand that they are regularly making deposits into your “trust” account. This, of course, doesn’t mean that kids with boundaries don’t ever violate those boundaries or ever struggle with earning or regaining trust with their parents. Most do from time to time. Still, with boundaries in place, your kids will have a greater understanding of how to build trust with you.

Source: Home Word

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Grade 1 Math

By Dale Beltzner
September 19, 2009

There’s a lot to absorb in math this year, from patterns and comparisons to addition and subtraction

First grade is a year of exploration in mathematics. Teachers take advantage of the natural love of learning most first-graders have to boost students’ ability to conceptualize and calculate groups of numbers. This year your grandchildren should really begin to connect the ideas of numbers with the written numerals that represent them. First-graders should be able to count and write the numbers from 1 to 100 as well as be able to count by 5s and 10s to 100. They should be able to compare amounts, determining which is greater or lesser. Children will also use blocks and other “manipulatives” to construct models of simple addition and subtraction “sentences” (otherwise known as equations). At the same time, they will learn to write simple addition and subtraction sentences to represent the models they construct. And they will learn basic addition facts, with sums to at least 12, and basic subtraction facts (subtracting from 12 or more). Among other important and practical concepts during this building-block year are learning to tell time, at least to the hour and half hour, identifying and extending patterns, and identifying similarities and differences among basic geometric shapes. Above all, first-graders should come to appreciate the wonder of math.

Constructing Math Skills. Your grandchildren’s math textbooks may look quite different than those that you or your children used. Part of the reason is the influence of educators favoring a “constructivist” approach to learning mathematics, in which children construct their own meaning of mathematics through various activities, focusing on the process as much as the result. In some schools following this approach, students as young as first-graders are encouraged to use calculators to complete their calculations, rather than memorizing fundamental addition or subtraction facts. But even at the earliest grade levels, the need to master basic facts is essential to success in mathematics. Children who don’t need to think about what 5 + 6 equals will move through their lessons far faster than those who do. Some teachers who are uncomfortable with the constructivist approach add addition and subtraction “drilling” exercises to their lesson plans to help kids master basic computation facts. You can do the same when you’re with your grandchildren.

• David Schwartz and Steven Kellogg’s How Much Is a Million? (HarperTrophy, 2004) helps little kids understand big numbers, making immense amounts immensely less scary.

• The rhyming puzzles and computer-generated images in Greg Tang’s Math for All Seasons (Scholastic, 2005) make it fun for grandchildren to practice working with patterns, grouping, and symmetry.

• Grandchildren will boost memory and shape-recognition skills while trying to beat you in this online game of Concentration.

What’s My Number? Write the numbers 1 to 20 on a piece of paper. Then tell your grandchild that you’re thinking of a secret number. When they guess, tell them if they are too high or too low. The goal is to discover the number in as few tries as possible. As you play, your grandchild can use beans or other markers to cover the numbers that have been ruled out.

Double Digit. Here’s a game to reinforce first-graders’ understanding of greater and lesser values: Prepare two game cards, one for you and one for your grandchild, each with two columns, one for “Tens” and the other for “Ones,” with empty boxes to fill in under each heading. Take turns rolling a die. After each roll, each player must write the number from the roll in either the tens or the ones column. The player that creates the highest number in each round gets a point and the first to five points wins the game.

Editor’s Note: Dale Beltzner has been a teacher, principal, and freelance educational writer for the past 30 years. He has worked in public and private schools in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Dale currently teaches fifth grade in Coopersburg, Pa., and serves as the district’s elementary math subject leader.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source Grandparants

Tips For Mom on Pregnancy Breastfeeding

By MyPyramid/PIO
Sept. 19, 2009

When you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you have special nutritional needs. This section of MyPyramid.gov is designed just for you. It has advice you need to help you and your baby stay healthy.

First — visit your health care provider if you haven’t already. Every pregnant woman needs to visit a health care provider regularly. He or she can make sure both you and your baby are healthy. Your provider can also prescribe a safe vitamin and mineral supplement, and anything else you may need.

Next — get your own MyPyramid Plan for Moms. Your Plan will show you the foods and amounts that are right for you. Enter your information for a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat. Or, go to the MyPyramid Menu Planner For Moms to see how your food choices compare to what you need.

Then — learn more by choosing a topic from the menu below. The “Sources of Information” will take you straight to the government’s best advice on pregnancy and breastfeeding.

• MyPyramid Plan for Moms
• Pregnancy — Nutritional Needs
• Pregnancy — Weight Gain
• Dietary Supplements
• Special Health Needs
• Breastfeeding — Nutritional Needs
• Breastfeeding — Weight Loss
• Food Safety
• Sources of Information

Source: My Pyramid Gov

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Grade 1 English

By Alexis Burling
September 9, 2009

Grandchildren develop their mastery of reading and storytelling, as teachers make literacy fun.

   

The first priority for most first-graders in the fall is learning how to adjust to a longer school day. Early in the year, many teachers focus on hands-on group activities rather than individual projects, to keep minds engaged and bodies active. Since first-graders are still learning to master the most rudimentary elements of reading and writing, many classroom activities are done orally, and it’s not uncommon for first-grade teachers to use songs to involve students in a lesson or story. After students gain the ability to recognize and write all the letters of the alphabet in upper and lowercase forms, they learn to decipher words both by sounding them out phonetically and by using context clues. As children begin writing, sentence structures are kept simple, and students are encouraged to focus on organizing their thoughts in a clear, succinct manner before they put pencil to paper. In the second half of the year, they will move to more complex texts and begin writing paragraphs.

Lost Children. In first grade, there can be a wide gap between children who can read and/or write and those who haven’t yet mastered those skills. Teachers can get overwhelmed trying to address their students’ wide-ranging needs and can inadvertently gloss over crucial “how-to” lessons that struggling students need in order to accommodate those who are more advanced. School reading specialists can help, but many children run the risk of getting turned off by reading at this critical point and ending up left behind.

• One popular first-grade classroom activity is “Readers Theater,” in which students read aloud from scripts based on popular stories, myths, and fairy tales. Suzanne I. Barchers’s Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers (Teacher Ideas Press, 1993) is an excellent tool for increasing fluency and promoting creative expression, and you can have fun acting out the scenes at home.

• Did your grandchildren ever get in trouble for chewing on books when they were little? They’ve got nothing on Henry, a boy who gobbles up entire books! Kids will love Irish author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers’s ingenious picture book The Incredible Book-Eating Boy (Philomel, 2007), and you’ll appreciate the lesson that reading books is even better than eating them.

• Clifford the Big Red Dog is one of America’s most beloved pooches — and he has a knack for helping children develop their reading skills. For a great collection of literacy games and interactive stories for early readers, invite grandchildren to join you on a visit to Clifford’s website.

Pictures Speak Louder than Words. You can find plenty of gorgeous picture books on bookstore and library shelves. But there’s still room for a new one — one that you create with your grandchild. Gather the art supplies you’ll need to get their creative juices flowing (first-graders love glitter), help them come up with a simple, wordless story, and you’re ready to make publishing history. If coming up with a brand-new story idea is too challenging for kids, they can give a favorite book a new spin. When they’re done, children can sharpen their story-telling and literacy skills by “reading” their wordless book to others.

Cultivate a Cozy Corner. Learning to read isn’t always easy. But as you may be well aware, everything gets easier with the right amount of back support. Work with your grandchildren to create their very own reading nook in your house. Fill the space with beanbags, comfy pillows, and a throw blanket in case it gets chilly. Then make a rule that whenever they are in their nook, it’s reading time, and they aren’t to be disturbed — unless, of course, you’re bringing them a mug of hot chocolate.

To Be Continued. Anything you can do to boost your first-grader’s confidence makes a big difference. Show them that you value their imagination and voice by reversing roles and letting them tell you a bedtime story, one that continues every night you’re together. They can populate their tale with make-believe characters or members of the family. After they get the story going, suggest a cliff-hanger ending before lights out, leaving them with the challenge of picking up the narrative when next you meet. Then say, “To be continued,” give them a kiss and hug, and jot down the main points of the story so you can both revisit it another night.

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source Grandparants

Math Music with Young Children

By Eugene Geist
Kamile Geist
Sept. 9, 2009

The idea that literacy learning begins at birth is widely accepted in the field of early childhood. In fact, literacy programs are mandated by state and federal agencies in Head Start programs. What many people don’t realize, however, is that infants, toddlers and preschoolers are also learning math from everything around them – most importantly from music! From birth to the age of five, young children may not be able to add or subtract or use other formal mathematics the way an older child would, but their interaction with a stimulating environment leads them to build the basics of math even without direct teaching.  How can a child learn without being taught?  Well, it is the way the human mind is designed.  When a child uses their own ability to learn and think about their surroundings, they naturally begin to build an understanding of mathematics.

Math and Music

One of the best and most effective tools to promote this early mathematical thinking is through the use of music and musical activities in the classroom.  However, it is not necessary to use songs to teach specific skills such as counting or addition.  In fact, research suggests that these practices may even get in the way of the child’s own thinking process.  Instead, teachers need to look at how music affects children and how the basic elements of music, such as the beat, rhythm and patterns within the melody or words,  can stimulate mathematical growth in areas such as spatial reasoning, sequencing, counting, patterning, and one-to-one correspondence.

Take for example, the song “BINGO” (which contains a pretty elaborate patterning activity and even some counting).  Think about how children replace the letter of the name with a clap in each round of the song.  Think about the relationship that a child makes when they have to complete that simple task, and think about how music helps to scaffold that ability.  Additionally, music is an activity that children frequently will spontaneously and independently sing during free time.  We have seen children singing “BINGO” and counting their claps while playing on the playground.

Teachers, without realizing it, may already be using some of the elements of music in their everyday interactions with children.  For example, elements of rhythm are one of the ways to make predictable books, predictable.  Children can anticipate the rhythmic pattern and that helps them to remember the words to a familiar story.  Another example is patterning activities.  Preschools and Kindergartens are rife with manipulatives that support interaction with objects and patterning.  However, the very first patterning activity that a child encounters is musical.  When a parent or teacher comforts a crying child they may pat, rock or bounce the child using a steady beat or a rhythmic pattern.  They may even sing them a simple song while they do this.  A steady beat and rhythmic pattern are prime examples of patterning activities and a very early introduction to mathematical concepts.

Using a Steady Beat

Steady beat activities such as clapping or marching help the child understand numerical relationships such as one-to-one correspondence and even the concept of “more.” Toddlers may not yet know numbers, but they understand “more.”  For example, if you clap once and then you say, “Can you clap more than I clapped?” a toddler will most likely clap more than once.

Using Rhythm

Rhythm can help children to develop patterning abilities and make one-to-one correspondence relationships between the rhythm, beat and the words to the song. They can repeat, predict and extend rhythmic patterns easily. For example in “Old MacDonald Had A Farm” the teacher can sing “With a moo moo here” and the child can repeat and even extend the pattern of the song by singing “and a moo moo there” with little effort. (Editor’s Note: For an activity that helps make the connection between music and math, please see sidebar.)

Putting it Together

With a basic understanding of steady beat, rhythm, and melody teachers can incorporate these musical elements into their ‘normal’ teaching strategies for promoting emergent mathematics. Children can create, reproduce and extend patterns and explore one-to-one correspondence using steady beat, rhythm and melody.  These three components can be used alone or in combination to create both simple and complex patterns for children to explore and interact with in a developmentally appropriate manner.

With children under the age of five, our goal is not to teach formal mathematics or to teach children to memorize their numbers or “math facts,” and songs do not need to just be memory aides or a way to teach a child how to count to ten.  The goal for using music to support mathematics should be to provide infants, toddlers and preschoolers with a stimulating and interactive environment.  Next time you are looking for a way to engage children’s mathematical mind, try a song – any song, and then ask the children to talk about the beat, rhythm, tempo or melody.  We think the children will surprise you with what they already know about mathematics through music.

Materials needed: Felt board, Cut out felt ducks (1 big one and and at least nine small ones), hand drum (optional)

Procedures:

1. Sing the song to the tune of the “Adams Family” theme.
2. Keep a beat while singing by clapping your hands or beating on a drum.
3. Place the mother duck and her little ducks all around the felt board.  The number doesn’t matter.  Whatever you want to start with will be fine.
4. Sing the following song to the Adams Family theme. Where you see (Chant), have children say, rather than sing, the words/numbers.

(SING)
How many ducks? clap clap
How many ducks? clap clap
How many ducks? How many ducks? How many ducks? clap clap

(CHANT)
Let’s count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

(SING)
How many ducks? (SEVEN ducks!)
How many ducks? (SEVEN ducks!)
How many ducks?  How many ducks?  How many ducks? (SEVEN ducks!)

(CHANT)
What does mother duck say to get them back in line?
Quack    Quack     Quack  Quack  Quack
(Keep repeating (Quack) until a child in the group places the ducks in a line behind the mother duck)

(SING a little slower to allow time for the students to fill in the blank)
How many ducks? (SEVEN ducks!)
How many ducks? ( SEVEN ducks!)
How many ducks?  How many ducks? How many ducks? (SEVEN ducks!)

(If all children can’t say the number, go back to the “let’s count” line)Repeat the song, placing different number of ducks on the feltboard.

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Scholastic News Online

Fears That Make You Smile

by Beverly Beckham
Sept. 9, 2009

I can see it from her point of view. Literally. I walk into the bathroom, kneel down, look up, and the cow on the wall does appear to be glaring at me.

“I no like. I ‘fraid,” Charlotte says, beeline-ing it past this bathroom and actually detouring — walking through the dining room and living room — to get to the steps that lead upstairs.

Charlotte is 2 and short like a fire hydrant. And the cow, though not real and not even three-dimensional — it’s painted on the bathroom wall — does loom over her. So I respect her feelings: The cow can look a little menacing.

Knowing this, I attempt to reassure her.

“The cow is smiling at you,” I tell my small granddaughter. “She likes you, Charlotte. She is a very nice cow.” But Charlotte is buying none of this. My spunky little Charlotte who is not afraid to climb on boulders and over fences, who jumps on and up and down and through just about anything, who picks up worms and ants and spiders (and sometimes pretends to eat them!), who swaggers through life doing all of the things the bigger 5-and-6-year-old kids do, wants nothing to do with this big stuck-on-the-wall inanimate, acrylic, huger-than-life heifer.

“Cow scary!” she insists as she climbs the 13 steps to the upstairs cow-free bathroom.

I shake my head and laugh because the cow was never meant to be scary. Quite the opposite. The cow and the sheep and the rooster and the duck with her ducklings and the pig and the mouse and all the little spiders and bees and butterflies and flowers lovingly painted on the walls by Sarah Bonnanzio three years ago were meant to be entertaining and fun.

I’d seen Bonnanzio’s work at the Public Library in Canton, Mass., where I live and where she’d donated her time and her talent. And I called her because I had a tiny space that I knew she could make cheerful and bright.

And she did. She painted a pig over the sink and ducks over the toilet and a rooster over the window and cow’s backsides over the door and a great big solemn-looking cow surrounded by sunflowers over the towel rack.

Solemn, but to Charlotte scary.

The other grandchildren sang “EE-I-EE-I-O” in the bathroom when they were 2 and 3. They counted the butterflies. They buzzed like bees. They mooed and they oinked and they bah-ed. They loved all the animals. They still do. Not Charlotte. She hollers as she races by.

Avoiding the Area

For months we chuckled at all the racing and hollering and the more recently “I no likes.” Because, really, Charlotte not liking the cow was just a funny quirky thing up until a few weeks ago when she began to actually use a bathroom.

Before it was an occasional trip up the stairs to check out the bathroom just in case. “Here’s the potty. Want to sit on it, Charlotte?” And Charlotte, just like her brother before her, refused.

Now Charlotte is potty-trained and the upstairs bathroom is an issue because from the backyard — where we’ve been spending our time, where there’s a playhouse and a tiny blow-up pool, where the kids run around all day — there are 13 steps leading just to the house, nine to the porch. Three to the garage. And a single big step into the kitchen.

Then there are 13 more steps to the second floor cow-free safe zone.

Twenty-six steps up. Twenty-six steps down. Up and down. Up and down so many times a day!

“Maybe you should paint over the cow,” Adam, Charlotte’s 5-year-old brother said last week as I sat splayed out and gasping on a lawn chair.

Charlotte’s mother suggested draping a towel over the bathroom door, then pushing the door wide open. This actually worked. It covered most of the cow’s head and all of the cow’s eyes. “Look, Charlotte,” we trilled. “The cow can’t see you anymore.”

But she could see still the cow.

“Cow big!” she moaned, bolting out of the bathroom, and back outside, putting as much distance between her and the bloated bovine as possible.

No Cows, No Dogs

Last week she decided that she didn’t like the big stuffed black dog that has stood by my front door since before she was born. She used to like it. She used to sit on it! But not anymore. “I no like dogs,” she told us, furrowing her brow.

A stuffed dog and a fake cow’s face give Charlotte the vapors. But two live groundhogs that live under a shed in my backyard? Charlotte says, “They fun!”

She chases them and laughs as they disappear under the shed and she’d be poking at them with a long stick if we let her. “I see hogs?” she says and we say, “No, Charlotte, not now. Maybe they’ll come out later.” And she’ll sit and wait for as long as it takes, as long as she’s not near the cow and the dog.

Source: Grandparents

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

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