App of the Week: Intro to Math

Intro to Math, by Montessorium - Montessorium, LLC.

***All iPod touch, iPad and iPhone app reviews on this site are ones that I use with my own children or to integrate technology into my classroom. The apps I recommend are all available at the app store, are high quality and very useful from an educational and a parenting point of view.***
My daughter attends a Montessori preschool and I love everything about the curriculum, materials and philosophy of the program.  Intro to Math, by Montessorium manages to capture the essence of Montessori education in an App.  The visuals look just like the materials in real life, there is a gentle pace to the explanations that encourage focus and concentration, and there are five different activities so your child can choose the "work" that is right for them.  Simple concepts are presented and this app is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners who are building their number sense.  In my classroom I also have several first graders that struggle with math who are choosing this app on a regular basis.

Created for both the iPod and the iPad, this app is well worth it.  Enjoy!

Intro to Math, by Montessorium - Montessorium, LLC.

***All apps that I recommend on this site are ones that I use with my children or in my classroom.  I find them to be high quality and very useful from an educational point of view.***

Chutes and Ladders

I love games.  All sorts, all kinds.  So we play a lot of them.  Chutes and Ladders was the game of choice tonight.  You remember Chutes and Ladders, yes?  You spin the spinner, then move ahead that number of spaces.  There are pictures all over the board.  When you land on a picture of a child who has done something good, you go up the ladder.  The better the deed, the higher the ladder.  When you land on a child who has made a poor choice, you go down a slide.  The worse the choice, the longer the slide.  After a lot of hopping, climbing and sliding, someone gets to 100...and wins!  Hooray!!!

As we were playing, I found myself viewing it throught the eyes of a kindergarten and first grade teacher and thinking how wonderful it would be if my students played this game at home with their parents.

The most obvious skill learned is the idea of actions and consequences.  As parents we try hard to teach our children that their choices carry consequences, both positive and negative.  We seek to discipline with natural consequences and guide by positive examples.  But when do we visually display what this means?  What opportunities do we give for our children to objectively look at the consequences of their actions without being in the action.  We had some great conversations while playing tonight, conversations that subtely helped to integrate right and wrong into her consciousness. 

In addition to the character building piece of Chutes and Ladders, there are a lot a really important math skills. 

A key part of kindergarten is developing number recognition.  This game uses a spinner printed with numbers 1-6.  The squares on the board are numbered 1-100.  When playing it is very easy to periodically check in about what number your child is on.  If they don't know...help them out!  Every number they identify is helping to build their knowledge of numbers.

The squares on the board are numbered so you go first in one direction, then the other.  This back and forth pattern of movement makes for a game board that need to be focused on very carefully.  You need to look at the numbers to see in which direction they are getting larger, so you know which way to go.  This is a more advanced skill that your first or second grader will really benefit from practicing.

The layout of the board also helps to build skills necessary for addition.  When you move forward in Chutes and Ladders, you "count on".  You start with the number you are on, then move forward the number of hops that you spun on the spinner.  For younger children playing, this helps create a conceptual understanding...start on a square and jump forward.  Don't count the one you are on.  For older children you can actually tie in number sentences to the game play.  "I am on 32.  I rolled 5.  Now I am on 37.  32+5=37". 

There is even a little bit of algebra that comes into play.  In anticipation of a spin you can look at the board and determine what would be a good number and what would not be.  "Where I am + X more = Big Ladder.  I want to spin X."  You probably wan't be conversing in algebraic terms, but that is what is going on.

There you have it.  A simple game from a teacher's perspective.  So if you are wondering how to prepare your pre-schooler for kindergarten...board games!  Want to support and extend your elementary school child's math understanding and performance...board games!  Have fun!

Church? or Not to Church?

I took Zoe to church this Easter Sunday.

She's been fewer than a half-dozen times, and I think it may have been pretty obvious.  I didn't see any other moms pulling an endless array of items to keep small hands busy out of their bags.  I didn't notice any other arrays of small-hands-busy items falling into the aisle with little girls done up in tulle and flowers falling behind.  Twice.  I didn't hear any other children wondering about the unfairness of the grown-ups getting a snack during communion time.  And I'm sure that there was only one girl who struck up a conversation with the priest about how coincidental it was that they were both wearing the same long dress.

As I sat there between my squirmy girl, for whom an hour of still and quiet is sheer torture, and my mother, who dutifully took me to church most Sundays of my growing up life, I thought about the question that is so easy for many parents out there, and so hard for others.  To Church?  or Not to Church? 

I was a church kid.  I went to mass, attended CCD, had first communion, was confirmed, the whole bit.  I never really liked it.  I never really felt it.  When I was old enough, I stopped going.  I tried Unitarianism for a while.  I liked that.  But I stopped going there too.

My husband?  Not so much.  He tells my stories of "the church bus" that would come round the Coast Guard Base on Sundays, and drop people at their church of choice.  He tells me he went to the baptist church a few times, because the singing was the best.  But after a while he stopped.  That was about it.  He says that the church decision is my decision.  He will support (through absolute uninvolvement) whatever I choose.  That's a pretty weighty decision.  So far I have chosen...not choosing. 

But I am feeling like I need to.  My kids need to know God.  So the big question is...do I go back to the Catholic Church?  It it familiar.  I know the drill.  You go, you sit, you stand, you kneel, you sit, you kneel, you stand, you sit.  Sprinkled within is some singing and praying.  I always like the shaking hands bit the best.  But I never really felt it. 

I want to go back...but where?  The message is pretty much the same wherever I go.  They all get us to heaven (as does simply being a good person in my humble, non-churchgoing opinion).  Do I go for familiar?  Or do I set my mind to searching for a better fit? 

Great Free iPod Apps This April

I teach a combined kindergarten/first grade class, and had some technology money to spend this past fall.  I opted to get a few iPods for the classroom and have been on a quest for great, educational apps ever since.  There is a lot of junk out there, and can be difficult to wade through and find the quality apps.

I came across the apps from Kindergarten.com a few months ago and have been absolutely loving them.  When I learned that they were free for the month of April in honor of Autism Awareness month, I was psyched and downloaded them all.  I use them in my classroom for a number of targeted reasons.  They are fantastic for my students on the spectrum, for my students having difficulty processing information, and for my students who came to school without a lot of background knowledge.  I also use them with my four year old daughter to entertain, educate and get her ready for school. 

What Rhymes? reinforces a very basic kindergarten and first grade learning goal, one that is essential for learning to read.
ABA Problem Solving Game – What Rhymes? - Kindergarten.com

There are several that help to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.  As a teacher, I struggle with getting my students to think outside the box and solve problems on their own.  As a parent, I want to send my child to school with this skill so she can be successful.
ABA Problem Solving Game – What Rhymes? - Kindergarten.com
ABA Problem Solving Game – Which Does Not Belong? - Kindergarten.com
ABA Problem Solving Game – Which Go Together? - Kindergarten.com
ABA PROBLEM SOLVING GAME – HEALTHY HABITS? - Kindergarten.com

There are also many that target "Receptive Identification".  Receptive Language is the ability to understand what is being read or said.  Giving a direction such as "Put away your toy", then having the child put the toy away is receptive language in action.  Having this skill as absolutely essential for success in school.  Children who have a hard time understanding directions can be mis-labeled as having a behavior problem. Getting better at understanding and answering questions can help a child with all aspects of their education.
ABA Receptive Identification - Kindergarten.com
ABA Receptive Identification - By Function - Kindergarten.com
ABA Receptive Identification - By Class - Kindergarten.com
ABA Receptive Identification - FFC Combined - Kindergarten.com
ABA Receptive Identification - By Feature - Kindergarten.com

Finally, they have a large selection of flash cards, featuring photographs, a clear speaking voice and classical music.  I was surprised about this one...my my student LOVE these.  All of them.  They sway to the music and repeat the words to themselves and their friends. 
ABA Flash Cards - Alphabet - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Zoo Animals - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Actions - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Fruits & Nuts - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Earth Science - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Things You Eat - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Vehicles - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Things You Wear - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Things You Play With - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Vegetables - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Emotions - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Shapes - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Famous Places - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Sports - Kindergarten.com
ABA Flash Cards - Musical Instruments - Kindergarten.com


Enjoy!  And let me know what you think!

The Second Time Around

The first time around I had a Bible.  A Constant Companion.  A Shadow.

"What to Expect"...the whole series.

Throughout the pregnancy, What to Expect when you are Expecting lived on my bedside table.  It was opened nightly, dog-eared, quoted, and parts were even memorized.  For every bump, squirm, movement, upset stomach, mood swing, headache, muscle ache, or food craving I would grab for the book.  Was I normal?  Was it to be expected?  Am I OK?

Baby, baby, baby.  Time to move on to What to Expect in the First Year.  Focuses on an object? Check.  Rolls over?  Check.  Turns head to sound of Mom's voice?  Check.  Check, check, check.  All the milestones, dutifully tracked and recorded.  Any lack thereof a topic of discussion at playgroups.  She hasn't said Mama yet...could she be deaf?  Does she have an attachment problem?  Is she not quite normal??????

Then on to What to expect in the Toddler Years.  Such weighty topics including, To cry it out or not to cry it out?  Time outs...a good idea?  How to plan a perfect playgroup.  And so on.  And so on.  God bless the husbands of America who have suffered through far too many evenings of discussions based on these books.  I know I am forever grateful to mine.

Thanks to What to Expect...I made it through first time mommyhood.  Pretty well, I think.  The books were shelved but close at hand for kid number two, who would most certainly be coming soon.

And the books were shelved throughout the entire pregnancy.  Took it out when I started having contractions...couldn't quite remember the times per minute/per hour ratio thing.

And the books were shelved during the entire first year.  Yep, I would think.  Kid number 1 did something like that.  Yep, it was around the same time.  Guess we're good.

The toddler years are here.  The books are still shelved.

"Daddy home." 

17 months old, and this sounds a lot like a sentence.  I was shocked.  I don't know what the book would say.  I probably will get it out to check, but I learned the first time around that it doesn't really matter.  Ahead, behind, they are who they are.  I'm a good mom.  My kids are good kids.

"Daddy home."

It doesn't really matter...but I do think she just might be ahead of the game on this one.

It's All a Matter of Perspective

 Is it a bird?

Or a rabbit?

It's all a matter of perspective, yes?



My daughter's preschool is moving to a new location.  Moving for a myriad of great reasons, none of which I will get into here.  Some parents are upset about this, also for a number of good reasons.  Only one will I mention.  The current school is in an idyllic location, overlooking a river and a golf course.  The street is rarely travelled and the children are very close to nature.  The new location will be closer to town and will overlook a fairly busy road.  Several of my mom friends, also parents of children in the school, have lamented about how their child will miss seeing the river every day.  They have even mentioned switching to a different school that has a mountain view.  As an adult, I completely appreciate where they are coming from.  It is what I would want for myself.  I would venture to say, however, that if you ask any of the 3 and 4 year olds from the school, many of whom live in idyllic locations with mountain views and rarely travelled roads, they will love watching the trucks drive by.  It might even be the highlight of their outdoor play!

It's all a matter of perspective.  It is so important that we, as parents, as teachers, look at decisions affecting our children from the perspective of our children.  So often we think we are doing what is best for them, but it is really what we want, from our perspective.  Take a peek from 3 feet tall.  From only 3 or 4 years of life experience.  From a world unencumbered with heavy importance, where play is their work.  If it's healthy, if it's safe, if it's reasonable, go with your child's vision.

Incidentally, my daughter thought it was an ostrich.

Smarter Than Me

I knew it was coming, this day of days.  And today, here it is.

The day she is smarter than me.

"Mummy...I'm thinking of an animal.  It starts with an X."

"Hmmm," I pretend to think.  "It must be...an X-RAY FISH"

"Nope," she replies with a little giggle.

"Honey," I say gently, "I don't think there are any other animals that begin with X"  She is just turned 4 after all, still figuring out her letters and sounds.  I'll take this as a teaching opportunity!

"Of course there is, Mummy!  I'm thinking...of...a...XENOPS!"


Ah, yes.  The Xenops.  That member of the Furnariidae family we all refer to so commonly as "ovenbirds".  The Xenops.  We saw one at the bird feeder just the other day.  The Xenops.  Don't those folks down the road keep one as a pet?

XENOPS????

She's only four.  I'm sure that today is the first of many such days.  A she is smarter than me kind of day.

Diet for Dads

My husband subscribes to Men's Health. 

Monthly it arrives with it's cover promises..."getting fitter, looking leaner, eating better, etc."  While I'm sure that Clay reads those articles, I'm pretty sure he actually gets the magazine for Jimmy the Bartender's expert advice.  He also tends to leave it open to pages that say things like "77% of women consider great lingerie to be very important".  OK, honey...noted.

Not that I mind this subscription.  The men in Men's Health are quite easy on the eye.  I'd not heard of Georges St. Pierre before, but now think perhaps I should become a Canadian mixed martial arts fan.

I'm sure the "No Sweat Cardio Plan" is fantastic and would whip whoever tried it right into shape.  I'm sure "Leveraging Your Leg Power" would help you win your next 5K.  I'm sure "Good Food.  Fast." is delicious, easy and healthy.

I have a plan to add to next month's Men's Health.  Guaranteed to shrink your gut in 30 days, improve your leg strength and balance, and will absolutely improve your relationship.  It's easy to follow, and easy to do multiple reps every day.  Here it is...

1. Stop and look down.

2. Bend

3. Pick Up

4. Put Away

5. Repeat until the room is clean

Five easy steps to abs of steel.

Simple.  Maybe your wife will even pick up on the hint and buy some new lingerie.

3 Bears Birthday Party

By luck of the universe, my beautiful firstborn was born in a year of boys.  Most of my mama friends had boys that year, so her playgroups and now her playdates tend to be her and the guys.  While this is fantastic, it did pose a small problem when deciding on the theme of her fourth birthday party.  Our conversation went something like this...

Me: Who will you invite to your party this year?
Z: Nolan, Colin, Grady, and Max
Me: Great!  What kind of party shall we have?
Z: A heart party!
Me: Hearts...hmmm...not sure that will work out.  Other ideas?
Z: A flower party!
Me: Well, we did that last year, try again.
Z: A princess party!!!

Yes I know it is a bit sexist to think that these themes might not be the best for a bunch of four year old boys, and in all honesty any kind of party would have been fun for the kids, but we kept on brainstorming.

We settled on the theme of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears.  Pretend play has been huge in our house recently and we have retold this story more times than I can count.  Figuring that it would be easy to find bear accessories I hit our local (2 hours away) iParty.  Guess how many bear items at iParty?  0.  The birthday girl and I left with a bee pinata (because bears like honey), and I knew that my next step was with trusty friend internet.

When I got home I googled 3 bears birthday, and found 2 amazing Goldilocks party blogs.

The first I found at Cakies.  Truly gorgeous ideas.  In particular I loved the stuff and sew bears as well as the adorable finger puppets.  OK, I thought.  Something to work with.

Then I found The White Library.  Yikes!  How in the world does someone pull something like that off???  Truly unbelievable, and highly, highly recommended.  I'm a DIY girl though, so ideas are what I am looking for.  The favor bowls...that's an idea for me.

With the sketchiest of ideas in my mind I sent the children off to boil sap for the day with Daddy and Grammy and spent the day shopping.  (As an aside...not until you have 2 young children do you find a Saturday at The Christmas Tree Shop to be peaceful.)  While I wasn't sure what I would come up with, I am so happy with my finds and the way it all turned out.

I picked up white ceramic cereal bowls to and went to our fabulous ceramics studio, The Artery, and for a small studio fee ($5.00, can't beat that) got access to their paint pens.  Each child's name on the front and a warning for uninvited guests on the back, and they were ready to fill.

At the Artery I found some wooden cutouts of bears.  At 59 cents apiece, they were the first thing in the favor bowl.  I figured that painting them could also be a quick and easy party activity if there seemed to be a lull.  From there I went to one of my favorite places in North Conway, The Five and Dime.  Found some great goodies to add.  Wooden mixing spoons (what else would a bear eat porridge with), bear cookie cutters, "zoomers" as my daughter calls those party blower thingies, blow pops, and my favorite find-a book of fairy tale stickers. 

As a final take home, I decided it would be fun to create our own version of The 3 Bears to send home with her friends.  I had her dictate the story to me and I wrote it down in her words.  Then she illustrated it.  You can't go wrong when your pre-schooler first draws with crayon then goes over it with watercolor...comes out gorgeous every time!

Very happy with the favors!

                                 

So favors are taken care of...what can I say?  I love party take homes!  Next on the agenda, CAKE!  I admit that I am more than a little addicted to Cake Boss, so once again, how do I live up to that ?

I started of by picking up a Calico Critters bear family from the Toy Chest.  My original plan was to put these little guys on top of the cake, but after several near disasters with buttercream I opted for a different plan.  I overlayed a cookie sheet with some green fabric I had lying around and made a path out of felt.  This way the critters had a frosting free place to stand, but I could still create my bear scene.

Favors are done, cake is done, better think of how to entertain a bunch of 4 year olds for two hours! 

Started out by making "Bear Play Dough".  Zoe and I mixed up a half cup of peanut butter, and a quarter cup of honey.  The third ingredient was supposed to be dry milk, but upon inspection the dry milk from my cabinet had expired in 2007.  Time to improvise!  We added a few scoops of Rice Krispies then added quick oats until it was a dough like consistency.  Voila!  Edible play dough!

Next?  A 3 Bears "Pretend" of course!

Too Hot!  Too Cold!  Just Right!

Too Hard!  Too Soft!  Just Right!

 

Too Hard!  Too Lumpy!  Just Right!

 Someone's been eating my porridge!

Time for lunch!  On the menu...a Porridge Bar, Fruit Kebabs, and Peanut Butter and Honey Bearwiches. 

Inspired by Let's Explore, I made Oatmeal in the crock pot.  Just poured in oatmeal, water and cinnamon a few hours before the party and let it warm on low.  I added a variety of toppings that the kids could choose from, honey, cinnamon, walnuts, raisins, chopped apples, and chocolate chips.

Fruit Kebabs were a great way to get Zoe involved in the party prep.  She put grapes, strawberries and canteloupe on skewers for everyone to enjoy.

We cut the peanut butter and honey sandwiches with bear cookie cutters to fit in with the theme.

After lunch is was time to go on a bear hunt.  I wrote up a series of clues on bear paw prints, each clue leading to the next clue with the final one leading to our bee pinata.  We didn't catch the bears...but they must have been looking for honey!

Look at all this loot!

Add presents and some cake and ice cream and that's our 3 Bears Party.  We all lived happily ever after, I wish the same to you!

Letting Go

I have come to the conclusion that motherhood is a never ending process of letting go.

In the beginning, they are a part of us.  We hold on tight for nine months, aware of every movement, every change, because we are one.  And then we give birth.

We don't want to, but we put them down for naps...for bed...for play.  We are an arm's reach away and ready to comfort at the slightest whimper.  We've let go, but not really.

Then they become mobile.  They sit, they crawl, they walk, they climb, they explore.  We stay close, ready to rush in when needed, but we don't always get there.  They fall, bump and sometimes bleed.  Our heart breaks when we see them hurt, but we know that if they are going to grow we can't always be there.  We have let go a bit more.

Soon we leave for a time.  We are not an arm's reach, or a room's length away.  We have trusted another.  Maybe a grandparent, maybe a babysitter, maybe a daycare provider.  We are not the ones to comfort and care for a time.  It hurts.  We worry.  We call and check.  This time we have let go in a big way...but we have made sure that another is holding on.

At some point however, we let go in a different sort of way.  We don't trust another to care for our child.  We trust our child.  No longer are we worried.  We are petrified.  But we do it.  And the kids do OK.