tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25092999775578583852024-02-19T19:24:31.953+09:00Make Learning FunActivities. Inspiration. Book, Toy, and Game Reviews.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-37939988532402373352017-11-22T22:58:00.000+09:002017-11-22T22:58:10.696+09:00Bananagrams Tiles and Book for Kids<h2>
Fun Combination of Word Games and Puzzles</h2>
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Bananagrams, the letter-tile game that is similar to Scrabble, is the better game in my opinion because of its fast pace. Players don't need to wait for their turns to come around. They just keep playing until they run out of tiles.</div>
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Games go in and out of favor in my family, so Bananagrams had been gathering dust recently. But then a few days ago, my ten-year-old brought the Banagrams for Kids book home. It has fun word puzzles at several levels of difficulty. This book, along with the tiles, has become our pre-bedtime play for the past few days. We are not about to quit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_GFOA3RaEswcQMR3EvpKZjVODa-laoU9JI0oqpls-IkC0Wf2Cm2nPVj8UOTnuCOO_1myfbvXFsKEjwON8umXrbN4X5QMsF3exxrEhQ5GMhso6E-9hDEzDayt3swnMsF0ee7HGcfASh0/s1600/IMG_1339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_GFOA3RaEswcQMR3EvpKZjVODa-laoU9JI0oqpls-IkC0Wf2Cm2nPVj8UOTnuCOO_1myfbvXFsKEjwON8umXrbN4X5QMsF3exxrEhQ5GMhso6E-9hDEzDayt3swnMsF0ee7HGcfASh0/s400/IMG_1339.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I like that it naturally teaches vocabulary, spelling and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunking_(psychology)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">chunking skills</a> with letters and words--all through play.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsRIvXlr28NOEkxHsg3z34cbF8muN_FdCWtln_HeFBaVW_rINA_a5pRWz-xMmOLpFabTuDqALZVnkS14NKKFCgGar_KDLbfdkZvd7GVFGEu3YjvQEjE8ANDAb5l6coOyz7Z8dF2ILrmE/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsRIvXlr28NOEkxHsg3z34cbF8muN_FdCWtln_HeFBaVW_rINA_a5pRWz-xMmOLpFabTuDqALZVnkS14NKKFCgGar_KDLbfdkZvd7GVFGEu3YjvQEjE8ANDAb5l6coOyz7Z8dF2ILrmE/s400/IMG_1341.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Level One Puzzle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOLPYwcFyDb5fiBFXzL741pRU2XkEKTO-U1M1vauFAHF8Wq0cQEsL6L-0gsKYvTu_9CZVvasLQFiA2mTzZbky7Au5Dijc61W1wzVyfV0skC9WZ3AyF5nRF2EA_Tn6dxMncG3oCvnQoxk/s1600/IMG_1342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOLPYwcFyDb5fiBFXzL741pRU2XkEKTO-U1M1vauFAHF8Wq0cQEsL6L-0gsKYvTu_9CZVvasLQFiA2mTzZbky7Au5Dijc61W1wzVyfV0skC9WZ3AyF5nRF2EA_Tn6dxMncG3oCvnQoxk/s400/IMG_1342.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Level Four Puzzle</td></tr>
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The game-and-book set would make a great Christmas gift if you want to make learning fun for your kids. If you have the letter tiles, you don't need to write in the book.</div>
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What kind of word games do you play with your children or students? Share in the comments!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-71326230064845001832017-03-15T21:50:00.000+09:002017-03-15T21:50:09.563+09:00Teach Parts of Speech with Mad Libs<h2>
Online and Printable Mad Libs for elementary school, middle school, and high school</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx0vwV4tL2Q92e5ALfigq6bnA_Nyd-IvOBs_5NXiys57txbfsblhNX7SWpmINpiEeqqKf-ZrAbXDCfS-ZeQQh9z_CTw3LOX2ELuxzsKRYVXwW4QdMU1e4k8BrxBCmltRysPp6TGqI2DQ/s1600/original+mad+libs+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx0vwV4tL2Q92e5ALfigq6bnA_Nyd-IvOBs_5NXiys57txbfsblhNX7SWpmINpiEeqqKf-ZrAbXDCfS-ZeQQh9z_CTw3LOX2ELuxzsKRYVXwW4QdMU1e4k8BrxBCmltRysPp6TGqI2DQ/s320/original+mad+libs+cover.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
Are you the parent or teacher of a child who struggles with word choice in speaking or writing? Wouldn't it be great for that child to learn the parts of speech while playing a fun game? Mad Libs, a perennial party favorite, is an ideal way to teach the parts of speech.<br />
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Motivated to make a silly story, students don't really realize that they are memorizing grammar definitions. A word not sounding right in the story is a gentle way for a child to recognize and correct a mistake without help from a parent or teacher. Besides the <a href="http://amzn.to/2nn3ctR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">original booklets</a>, there are now online versions, printables, DVDs and even iPhone apps. Read on for teaching tips and links.<br />
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(This image is of the The Original Mad Libs, which was first published over 50 years ago. (Mad Libs, by the way, is a registered trademark of the Penguin Group (USA). I am using the term here to refer to the official product and the various spinoffs, tributes, and ripoffs that have arisen.)<br />
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Mad Libs Lesson Plans and Teaching Tips</h2>
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Use mad libs for elementary school, middle school, and high school</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI00WcL8kBVyhB_aL6FuKuw-9sZzA-nh8wKo4pyRr4ge25MRIFlpnBMuLDMzWSzEL2f3QcBB9NAtFgTUA_YNDtloL1k2dGx3d5zxu-79yjgxT3biDhmfNlQP5k81OJZBi22zVLYRhEtus/s1600/fall+mad+libs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI00WcL8kBVyhB_aL6FuKuw-9sZzA-nh8wKo4pyRr4ge25MRIFlpnBMuLDMzWSzEL2f3QcBB9NAtFgTUA_YNDtloL1k2dGx3d5zxu-79yjgxT3biDhmfNlQP5k81OJZBi22zVLYRhEtus/s320/fall+mad+libs.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall Mad Libs (from classroomjr.com)</td></tr>
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<li>Don't pre-teach too much. Students will pay better attention to your explanations when they need the information you are giving to progress through the game.</li>
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<li>Students should be the ones to write the words that they come up with (think spelling practice). They obviously can't write directly on the story, so use a blackboard/whiteboard to record words, or prepare a separate paper for students to write on.</li>
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<li>Pick stories that are interesting to the students, or alter stories to include elements, like familiar names and cultural references, that they will enjoy.</li>
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<li>After reading the mad-libbed version of a story, go back and have students choose words that would actually make sense in the story. This helps with reading comprehension skills like predicting and making use of context.</li>
</ul>
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<li>Have students write their own mad lib stories, and then work with a partner to fill in the blanks.</li>
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<li>Offer to help the students submit their stories to online mad libs sites. Who doesn't want to be a published writer?</li>
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Online and Printable Mad Libs - Play mad libs now or print out a story for later</h3>
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Since you're online now, the best place to start finding mad libs is right here on the web. Check out the links below. Some feature printable mad libs. Others can be played online. Many sites offer both options.</div>
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<a href="http://www.eduplace.com/tales/" target="_blank">Wacky Web Tales</a></div>
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For third grade and up. This site has a hundred or so stories with new ones added monthly. (online mad libs only)</div>
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<a href="http://www.madtakes.com/" target="_blank">Mad Takes</a></div>
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Mad Takes has 188 stories and you can even submit your own. (online and printable mad libs)</div>
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<a href="http://www.wordblanks.com/" target="_blank">Word Blanks</a></div>
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Most of these stories seem to be user submitted. The content of some stories might be tough for young kids, like the "Paris Hilton's Early Life Story" and "Low Budget Wedding Reception." You can play Word Libs online or print them out. (online and printable)</div>
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<a href="http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/madlibs/" target="_blank">Teachnology</a></div>
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This site, mainly for teachers, has twelve free mad libs. Paid members of the site have access to 200 more. (free mad libs are online only; paid mad libs appear to be printable)</div>
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<a href="http://www.woojr.com/printable-mad-libs-for-kids//" target="_blank">Woo</a></div>
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This site feature features printable mad libs for kids, mostly with seasonal and holiday themes. (printable mad libs only)</div>
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<a href="http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic114.htm" target="_blank">More Online Mad Libs</a></div>
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If the above links weren't enough, here is a page with links to several more mad libs pages including Winnie the Pooh and Tolkien themed stories. (links to many different pages--some printable and some online mad libs)</div>
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<h3>
Official Mad Libs Books - The real thing</h3>
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Why would you want to buy Mad Libs books when there are so many free stories online? There are a few reasons. First, all of the official mad libs stories make it across an editor's desk before being published. The quality of the writing is better than much of what you'll find online. Second, there is probably a <a href="http://amzn.to/2nnaf5H" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">themed Mad Libs book</a> that will suit your child's interests perfectly. And third, it's just easier to throw a Mad Libs book into a backpack or the glove box than to find and print out copies to take on the road.<br />
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Comments welcome!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-24018330506090251482017-03-11T17:57:00.000+09:002017-03-11T17:57:12.487+09:00Compare Kapla, Keva, and Citiblocs<h3>
Kapla, Keva, Citiblocs: Review and Comparison</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0s0IhZr0spvXHk0yokzQiBOXdDVn54KEOgoA33nFJTU4ojumsES2wCk5quN1NsqiruFb3NQhbPr-4sm9xHZ-OmSY0V3pOCvVcmyuQx0yWQTGih7j2sEBnS7iJH7yrfjJWylvJAO_Nmk/s1600/kapla-keva-citybloc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0s0IhZr0spvXHk0yokzQiBOXdDVn54KEOgoA33nFJTU4ojumsES2wCk5quN1NsqiruFb3NQhbPr-4sm9xHZ-OmSY0V3pOCvVcmyuQx0yWQTGih7j2sEBnS7iJH7yrfjJWylvJAO_Nmk/s320/kapla-keva-citybloc.jpg" width="240" /></a>About ten years ago, my kids got a <a href="http://amzn.to/2npfrli" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">200-piece set of kapla blocks</a> as a Christmas gift. There is exactly <br />
one size of Kapla block, 120 mm by 24 m by 8 mm (about 4 3/4 inches long). At first, a box of 200 identical blocks looked too simple to be much fun, but after getting addicted I realized that the simplicity is what's great about them. Toddlers can stack them one on top of another. Older kids can build simple structures. Serious hobbyists have built structures over 50 feet tall. You can put them together in endless combinations, and they are precision-cut so you can build really tall without them getting wobbly.<br />
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The tower in this photo was built by my son (then age six). My daughter (then age four) built the structure that you can just see in the right foreground. Our youngest son (now age three) has been playing with Kapla blocks practically since he was born.<br />
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<h3>
Kapla, Keva, Citiblocs -- What's the difference?</h3>
On this page I discuss Kapla Blocks because they are the original and still the most popular, but Keva Blocks and Citiblocs are virtually the same product from different manufacturers. The three brands of blocks are exactly the same size and manufactured to similarly high standards. All three are made of pine. All three kinds can be mixed and matched without a problem.<br />
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We have Kapla blocks at my home and Citiblocs at the preschool where I work. The Kapla blocks seem to get less dinged up, but that may just be because the Citiblocs get heavier use.<br />
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Keva are the cheapest as of this writing, but please see below for current prices on Amazon for a set of 200 blocks, which I think is the bare minimum. We've added more sets to our original starter set. Different sets have different kinds of storage containers; the Kapla ones are quite nice. Some sets come with idea books too. You can click through the product picture to see the various sets.<br />
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<h3>
Amazingly Versatile Kapla Blocks -- Even better than Lego?</h3>
I used to think Lego/Duplo was the ultimate in amazingly versatile building blocks, but I've changed my mind. Kapla planks can be placed in any dimension (there's no up, down or sideways) and they don't interlock, so pieces can be placed at any angle. They are lightweight, virtually unbreakable, and too big for a baby to swallow so they're safe in a house or day-care center with children of various ages. My sixteen-year-old son enjoys them as much as the three-year-olds at my preschool. These blocks are well made and could last for generations.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsks1tYGRP-duuRSIW12s1tC5_1cFk9TgWdwFLqQFuNu6sfynFVU7qCtp9s-1WpfWscnIg2CjVA_1TDs36iRGKvO0j6v6GAMnRRqKz10hrww-y7Snaj4lkV0qjSs8FyuTCCCgNo-eSWxw/s1600/kapla+peek-a-boo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsks1tYGRP-duuRSIW12s1tC5_1cFk9TgWdwFLqQFuNu6sfynFVU7qCtp9s-1WpfWscnIg2CjVA_1TDs36iRGKvO0j6v6GAMnRRqKz10hrww-y7Snaj4lkV0qjSs8FyuTCCCgNo-eSWxw/s400/kapla+peek-a-boo.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Youngest son peeking through a tower. After you get your starter kit, you might want to add color.</td></tr>
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Leave your ideas or questions in the comments below. I'll try to answer any questions you have.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-23024750071537304042017-03-02T12:00:00.000+09:002017-03-02T12:00:02.207+09:00Fun Ways to Learn Hiragana<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Learn Hiragana Like a Japanese Kid
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SkIC_hSTh4DziCuEes7bWJaLDUoqpK6ompGorgwTvlsoyjALkQTHlJzHzTZCv8yszovd_ihzOxb4ueK698vc_SnAZhoYSEw1YweIkBcrrQ_1b59x3YXO5GsadHdUvo8bZ3BieELJtE4/s1600/hiragana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SkIC_hSTh4DziCuEes7bWJaLDUoqpK6ompGorgwTvlsoyjALkQTHlJzHzTZCv8yszovd_ihzOxb4ueK698vc_SnAZhoYSEw1YweIkBcrrQ_1b59x3YXO5GsadHdUvo8bZ3BieELJtE4/s1600/hiragana.jpg" /></a><br />
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Looking for fun ways to learn hiragana? You'll see how kids in Japan learn to read through games, posters, cards, apps, and more. Japanese is a notoriously difficult language to master, but learning to read hiragana, the basic syllabic script can be easy and can be fun! Each character's name is simply the sound it makes every time with a few minor exceptions. Learn the 46 characters and you'll be able to read many signs, labels, and even children's books. Vocabulary acquisition will be much easier, not to mention finding your way around in Japan. <a href="http://amzn.to/2lwFJlf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Resources for learning hiragana</a> abound, but how do Japanese children learn to read so quickly and at such a young age?? Read on to find out how you or your students can learn hiragana naturally, like a Japanese kid.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Hiragana Chart in the Bathroom</span></h3>
Learn one or two hiragana every day.<br />
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Any time I visit the home of Japanese friends who have kids, I never fail to see a hiragana, katakana, or kanji chart in the bathroom. Get one of these, stick it up on your wall, and in just a minute or two per day, you'll see your hiragana recognition improve. They are all over the place in Japan, but a bit hard to find overseas. Here is the best <a href="http://japanese-lesson.com/resources/pdf/hiragana_chart.pdf" target="_blank">free, printable hiragana chart</a> I have found online.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Shiritori</span><br />
Japanese word game to get you thinking in kana<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIvjKtHc_Hn5UeF-OOYikts0CfhliinVtWXYRX0Keogb9L6YqGIsgJ-gCWGuVkFZxmfvBW21gkWWMkTrb5BMyof5y6tubEXLIoAaSrP5jbtM74gLoChGJifkX7F-3tXdqys2bXs7rhMs/s1600/shiritori.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIvjKtHc_Hn5UeF-OOYikts0CfhliinVtWXYRX0Keogb9L6YqGIsgJ-gCWGuVkFZxmfvBW21gkWWMkTrb5BMyof5y6tubEXLIoAaSrP5jbtM74gLoChGJifkX7F-3tXdqys2bXs7rhMs/s1600/shiritori.jpg" /></a><br />
Even before children learn how to read, you sometimes hear them playing shiritori. Shiritori is a fun Japanese word game played by children and adults that helps with vocabulary and the Japanese concept that the building blocks of words are syllables, not vowels and consonants. Shiritori literally mean "take the bottom" (Japanese is traditionally written from top to bottom) and is played by taking the last syllable of a word and using it as the first syllable of the next word. Players take turns doing orally this until someone says a word that ends with the syllable "n" because no Japanese words begin with that sound. Unfortunately, The image here is a complete (albeit short) shiritori game. In case you can’t read hiragana yet, I’ll explain using romaji (the latin alphabet). Reading from top to bottom, left to right, we have onigi<b>ri</b> (riceball), <b>ri</b>yu<b>u</b> (reason), <b>u</b>ntens<b>ya</b> (driver), <b>ya</b>masya<b>tsu</b> (mountain shirt), and <b>tsu</b>ushi<b>n</b> (communication). The "n" at the end of tsuushin ends the game because no Japanese words start with that kana. Rules are flexible, but generally only nouns are accepted and once a word has been used, no one can use it again. See <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiritori" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shiritori on Wikipedia</a> for variations.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Play Shinkeisuijaku (Japanese Memory Game)</span><br />
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Japanese kIds love the memory game (sometimes called concentration) and regularly beat me at it. To play the hiragana memory game, make two copies of these <a href="http://www.unckel.de/kanacards/HiraganaCards.pdf" target="_blank">printable hiragana flashcards</a> onto some sturdy paper and you're off. Or you can play an <a href="http://www.easyjapanese.org/memory.html" target="_blank">online hiragana memory game</a> at easyjapanese.org.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hands on Hiragana</span><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2mqZCOP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">These blocks</a> are just like the ones we learned our ABCs with, but they're hiragana instead! I haven't used them myself, but they have five stars from all the verified purchasers on Amazon as of this writing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Goose-Japanese-Blocks-Made/dp/B01CRLHSHM/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1488336282&sr=1-3&keywords=hiragana+blocks&linkCode=li3&tag=mrjerem-20&linkId=6d5939a5c9be82b838f9b08ef3ffafd0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01CRLHSHM&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mrjerem-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrjerem-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B01CRLHSHM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Henohenomoheji (Japanese Grafitti)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbHEWopssilOQk8F6LH0eaYWLZ6bsDmeef7szDbb73kxqAwt-i8B7dK8S9NOm4Pq08NrAhkSOgHWlNVlsgLcWtv86xoykSy1aj6zs08Hcziq3HtetiqJp3-XugRGcx9BA59NDxOVeNGg/s1600/henohenomohenji.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbHEWopssilOQk8F6LH0eaYWLZ6bsDmeef7szDbb73kxqAwt-i8B7dK8S9NOm4Pq08NrAhkSOgHWlNVlsgLcWtv86xoykSy1aj6zs08Hcziq3HtetiqJp3-XugRGcx9BA59NDxOVeNGg/s1600/henohenomohenji.jpg" /></a>If you've spent time in a Japanese school, you've seen these faces on blackboards. It's name, henohenomoheji, comes from the hiragana characters that are used to draw it. I've seen this many, many times, but never on an unerasable surface. Japanese kids are polite that way with their graffiti.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Japanese Hiragana & Katakana for Beginners</span></div>
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Excellent workbook for mastering the kana</div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2mblblY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Japanese Hiragana & Katakana for Beginners</a> is a well-reviewed, systematic approach to learning the kana. There are lots of appealing activities to keep the learning fun.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Hiragana-Katakana-Beginners-Mastering/dp/4805311444/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1488336874&sr=8-1&keywords=hiragana+workbook&linkCode=li3&tag=mrjerem-20&linkId=fffafc6b1cf7b70e37e3fd0eb6443f8c" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=4805311444&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mrjerem-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrjerem-20&l=li3&o=1&a=4805311444" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Any questions, comments, or other ideas about how to learn hiragana? Remember, our goal here is to Make Learning Fun!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-79867089809162166752017-03-01T07:26:00.000+09:002017-03-01T11:22:57.049+09:00Christian Book Series for Boys<h2>
Boys' Book Series that Instill Christian Values</h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIy2EomnOcgqRLjirXq8XcEARGrmRnNcA7cpjl6duqyMOro6hjzSQi87rWbfcN4ZL5oSydd57RCYXYZ5chZ1ipUI36oqsRKbiL7-YvLITFKBdWAYcSb1aawHNv-14fV6_-dRFxs8McoeU/s1600/reading+in+a+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIy2EomnOcgqRLjirXq8XcEARGrmRnNcA7cpjl6duqyMOro6hjzSQi87rWbfcN4ZL5oSydd57RCYXYZ5chZ1ipUI36oqsRKbiL7-YvLITFKBdWAYcSb1aawHNv-14fV6_-dRFxs8McoeU/s320/reading+in+a+tree.jpg" width="320" /></a>Many boys aren't interested in books, especially books that challenge them more than Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It doesn't help that most early childhood and elementary teachers are women, and that moms are usually more involved in their sons' education than dads are. (Don't get me wrong--I appreciate women in education; I just wish more men would be involved too!)<br />
To make it onto this list of great Christian book series for boys, the series has to be fun to read and in line with Christian values if not overtly Christian. Most importantly, it has to pass the T test. T is my ten-year-old son. He has read and enjoyed books from all the series on this list. (That's him reading in the tree.)<br />
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The Sugar Creek Gang - Wholesome adventure books for boys</h3>
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<a href="http://the%20sugar%20creek%20gang%20-%20wholesome%20adventure%20books%20for%20boys%20%20the%20sugar%20creek%20gang%20series%20of%2036%20books%20follows%20the%20adventures%20of%20bill%20collins%2C%20poetry%2C%20dragonfly%2C%20big%20jim%20and%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20gang%20as%20they%20fish%2C%20solve%20mysteries%2C%20get%20into%20fights%2C%20make%20up%2C%20and%20generally%20try%20to%20do%20what%27s%20right.%20these%20page-turners%2C%20written%20between%201940%20and%201970%2C%20build%20faith%20and%20inspire%20boys%20as%20much%20today%20as%20they%20did%20when%20first%20published./" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sugar Creek Gang</a> series of 36 books follows the adventures of Bill Collins, Poetry, Dragonfly, Big Jim and the rest of the gang as they fish, solve mysteries, get into fights, make up, and generally try to do what's right. These page-turners, written between 1940 and 1970, build faith and inspire boys as much today as they did when first published. The kindle versions are less than two bucks apiece when you buy the six-packs from Amazon.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Creek-Gang-Books-Original-ebook/dp/B006260WY0/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488319899&sr=1-1&keywords=sugar+creek+gang&linkCode=li3&tag=mrjerem-20&linkId=d505db19c95ad0d1c72be7567755a839" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B006260WY0&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mrjerem-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrjerem-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B006260WY0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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Trailblazer Books by Dave and Neta Jackson - Christian historical fiction for kids</h3>
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Dave and Neta Jackson are the authors of the <a href="http://amzn.to/2lw3FoL" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trailblazer Books</a>, a series of 40 historical fiction adventure books in which young protagonists interact with heroes of the faith like David Livingstone, William Tyndale, and John Bunyan.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2llwm7f" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roundup of the Street Rovers</a> with an orphan named Kip as protagonist, chronicles the lives of street kids in New York at the turn of the last century and how Rev. Charles Brace started the Children's Aid Society of New York and the orphan trains that took street children from New York to be adopted by families in the Midwest. My son has read most of the series and named this one as his favorite after much deliberation.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Roundup-Street-Rovers-Trailblazer-Books-ebook/dp/B0073YES5O/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488320274&sr=1-1&keywords=trailblazer+books+roundup&linkCode=li3&tag=mrjerem-20&linkId=c64101cc2ff979636dc7180e88e33725" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0073YES5O&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mrjerem-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrjerem-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B0073YES5O" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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The Chronicles of Narnia - Read before or after watching the movies</h3>
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C. S. Lewis's <a href="http://amzn.to/2mHGVCk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chronicles of Narnia</a> are my son's favorite books (mine too actually). Any boy who hasn't yet met Peter, Edmund, Eustuce, Caspian, Shasta, Aslan, Tumnus, Reepicheep, and Puddleglum are in for a treat!<br />
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These books can be read and enjoyed at many different levels, and at every stage in life. T's favorite is Prince Caspian, and mine, for the moment, is The Silver Chair.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Narnia-C-S-Lewis/dp/0061969052/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488320482&sr=1-3&keywords=chronicles+of+narnia&linkCode=li3&tag=mrjerem-20&linkId=4a6da75af617d0e4c9cfdd173b8c7d72" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061969052&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mrjerem-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrjerem-20&l=li3&o=1&a=0061969052" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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Do you have experience with any of these books? Can you recommend others? Please leave your comments and recommendations! (I originally posted this article on a different platform. T is now 16, and his brother, D, is now reading these books.)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-12391763493699005152015-05-17T22:19:00.002+09:002015-05-17T22:19:55.234+09:00Good Night, Gorilla: A Teacher's Review<h2 class="subtitle">
<a href="http://usercontent1.hubimg.com/10256458_f260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="overlay_image" src="http://usercontent1.hubimg.com/10256458_f260.jpg" style="height: auto; max-height: 395px; max-width: 904px; visibility: visible; width: auto;" title="" /></a>Good Night, Gorilla - Activities, Lesson, Plans, Teaching Ideas</h2>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0698116496/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mrjerem-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0698116496" rel="nofollow">Good Night, Gorilla</a>
is, without a doubt, the most requested readaloud at my preschool.
Besides "good night," there are only ten other words in the book, but
that belies the richness of the conversations and the possibilities for
learning that the book provides. Every time I read this with the
children, they discover something new, and new questions arise. Among
the many wonderful surprises in Good Night, Gorilla are the pictorial
nods to other standards of early childhood like Curious George, Babar,
and Sesame Street.<br />
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"Good Night, Gorilla" could be the first book your child "reads"</h3>
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The
pictures in this book are bright and simple, yet extremely detailed on a
closer look. Children want to see it over and over. Because they see it
so many times and the few words are either repeated over and over
("good night") or have strong visual cues (names of animals), before
long children as young as two or three can "read" this book. Being able
to read a whole book instills confidence and an appetite for reading.<br />
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Good Night, Gorilla Video - A teaser of the Scholastic production</h3>
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"I wanted to teach sign language to gorillas, but after taking a class
in signing, I realized what I'd rather do was draw pictures of
gorillas." --Author Peggy Rathmann</h4>
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Good Night, Gorilla Activities, Lesson Plans, and Projects - Resources for parents and teachers </h3>
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There
are tons of projects, lesson plans, and activities that relate to Good
Night, Gorilla. I've curated some of the best ideas from the web to help
you get the creative juices flowing.</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/goodnight_gorilla.php" rel="nofollow">Good Night, Gorilla - unit study</a><br />Homeschoolshare.com
has a great cross-curricular unit study on Good Night, Gorilla. Topics
covered include counting, colors, close observation, baby animal names,
drama, and a snack idea (banana dippers). Be sure to check out their
excellent printabl</li>
<li><a href="http://www.first-school.ws/activities/books/animals/wild/gngorilla.htm" rel="nofollow">Good Night, Gorilla - preschool printable activities and crafts</a><br />First-school.ws
provides ideas for several activities such as sequencing and vocabulary
work, dramatic play, and a snack (ants on a banana bus). Particularly
valuable are the printable Good Night, Gorilla finger puppets in color
or black and white. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.highscope.org/file/Book-Pages/GRCSampleSet.pdf" rel="nofollow">Good Night, Gorilla - guided discussion and vocabulary work</a><br />This
is a pdf with several guided conversation ideas and a big list of
vocabulary words that you may want to introduce or practice.</li>
</ul>
Pair "Good Night, Gorilla" with "Little Gorilla" by Ruth Bornstein for more gorilla fun. Or even get a gorilla puppet and let the gorilla tell its own story. (Images link to amazon product pages.)</div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0899194214/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0899194214&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20&linkId=KMOAGWFJKNTSKWZR"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0899194214&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mrjerem-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrjerem-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0899194214" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399230033/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0399230033&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20&linkId=ZTQUDIR4O275TEHC"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0399230033&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mrjerem-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrjerem-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0399230033" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KGABLW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000KGABLW&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20&linkId=QP4JVXW2UBOBMOOR"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000KGABLW&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mrjerem-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mrjerem-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000KGABLW" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
Please leave a comment with your "Good Night, Gorilla" ideas. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-50916031831023313282015-03-03T21:20:00.000+09:002015-03-03T21:20:17.143+09:00Fractal TreeFractals are lots of fun. Very helpful for multiplication,
exponentiation, place value, and counting in base two, base three, etc., not to mention art!
Helpful hint: use different <span style="color: red;">c</span><span style="color: #b45f06;">o</span><span style="color: #f1c232;">l</span><span style="color: lime;">o</span><span style="color: blue;">r</span><span style="color: purple;">s</span> for each layer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHfsm_tct90mkZCit506LO337l1Zdak0Xc3ipg9enWW4KN-wICgl8SLBae7zSaFsdKuosXRp5k2MyaLvPjtmH8uXdx1xyw4Tz3DMMRYGFehlxTclT3lefeDO5lQB3ps9cWbATN4b_IfIc/s1600/fractal-tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHfsm_tct90mkZCit506LO337l1Zdak0Xc3ipg9enWW4KN-wICgl8SLBae7zSaFsdKuosXRp5k2MyaLvPjtmH8uXdx1xyw4Tz3DMMRYGFehlxTclT3lefeDO5lQB3ps9cWbATN4b_IfIc/s1600/fractal-tree.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
For lots of other great math ideas, check out <a href="http://naturalmath.com/">naturalmath.com</a> and <a href="http://letsplaymath.net/">letsplaymath.net</a>.MisterJeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487291309124427490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-89285660996637294462014-11-24T07:11:00.000+09:002014-11-24T07:11:55.488+09:00Make Discipline Fun!A 7-year-old kid I know (his name and relation to me will be withheld to protect the not so innocent) recently tried to stretch a base hit into an inside-the-park home run in a sand-lot game. His brother tagged him out at the plate (or did he?). An argument ensued. The baserunner proceeded to pick up his bat and hit his brother with it. (Fortunately it was a nerf-type bat that didn't hurt much.) That ended the game. I heard about it later that day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBeoXVsjyLfJgLXz3ZB1CnvjZYXloVQlrIKgPZz2I4ikzh5rkflMzbyQy6detnglhdNKU-rnUs8dcBl1JufI5HwjVkVT1wK16FgM6XB5XTJfbEKcltikacAEz-ktdgEfcX6AoZUbd_VP6/s1600/kid+with+baseball+bat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBeoXVsjyLfJgLXz3ZB1CnvjZYXloVQlrIKgPZz2I4ikzh5rkflMzbyQy6detnglhdNKU-rnUs8dcBl1JufI5HwjVkVT1wK16FgM6XB5XTJfbEKcltikacAEz-ktdgEfcX6AoZUbd_VP6/s1600/kid+with+baseball+bat.jpg" height="400" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-japan/15106734756/" target="_blank">Japanese Kid with Bat</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Me: I heard that you hit your brother with a bat today.<br />
<br />
Boy: He called me out, but I was totally safe.<br />
<br />
Me: (Thinking about punishing the kid, but deciding to see where the conversation would go) Have you ever seen Buster Posey hit an umpire with a bat when he gets called out at the plate?<br />
<br />
Boy: No.<br />
<br />
Me: How about Hunter Pence? He plays with so much passion, but does he hit umpires with bats?<br />
<br />
Boy: No. The umpire would eject him.<br />
<br />
Me: What should we do about you hitting your brother in the face with your bat.<br />
<br />
Boy: I should probably be ejected from the game.<br />
<br />
Me: (Confused) But the game's over. How could you be ejected?<br />
<br />
Boy: We didn't finish the game. We're planning to finish it next weekend.<br />
<br />
Me: OK, that makes sense. You're ejected from the game. Your team won't have you when the game is resumed next week. Do you know what a suspension is in baseball?<br />
<br />
Boy: Yes, like A-Rod. For using drugs.<br />
<br />
Me: That's right. Players also get suspended for arguing too much with umpires, especially if they touch the umpires.<br />
<br />
Boy: So I should get suspended too?<br />
<br />
Me: Yes. No using your bat for a week.<br />
<br />
Boy: OK. Can we still play catch though?<br />
<br />
Me: Of course.<br />
<br />
The boy lived up to his self-imposed ejection the following week and didn't even ask to use his bat during the suspension. Too often, we discipline kids out of anger or just routine. Let's be creative. Maybe if Lou Piniella had been disciplined better as a kid we wouldn't have scenes like this.<br />
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<br />MisterJeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487291309124427490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-4599468818704893762013-10-31T19:00:00.000+09:002013-10-31T19:00:13.537+09:00Ordinal Number Fun - Baseball Lineup CardTeach with your student's interests in mind. <span>
My first-grade son likes baseball, so when we did ordinal numbers (1st,
2nd, 3rd...), he made his own lineup card. I'm not sure I agree with his
batting order decisions but hey, it's math practice, not baseball
manager practice.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MyQn5x-aZLU/UmoKaNt2L1I/AAAAAAAAIeM/TQDsnp7S4gY/s1600/P1140736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MyQn5x-aZLU/UmoKaNt2L1I/AAAAAAAAIeM/TQDsnp7S4gY/s400/P1140736.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-53571868842927413692013-10-16T22:48:00.000+09:002013-10-17T06:59:02.450+09:00Work While You Work - Poem Study"Work" is another old, anonymous poem introduced in <a href="http://amzn.com/1933339446/?tag=mrjerem-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind</a> but with slightly different words. It speaks directly to the modern condition of multitasking and continuous partial attention. We would all do well to heed its advice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Jw1a74A9ANJ7At4cxfmoMaxqg0fX0YUXk3Fu5FQvF2gNqckr_iENSIPve-q_nITEtzOW3QJGMlvJfQ3K5ax36G4hc0ZF5z2i6uH1SDL7j131Au0t1GLb6GHo18P0dlfmaZWe8ii3RbY/s1600/work-and-play.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Jw1a74A9ANJ7At4cxfmoMaxqg0fX0YUXk3Fu5FQvF2gNqckr_iENSIPve-q_nITEtzOW3QJGMlvJfQ3K5ax36G4hc0ZF5z2i6uH1SDL7j131Au0t1GLb6GHo18P0dlfmaZWe8ii3RbY/s400/work-and-play.JPG" width="337" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Work while you work</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Play while you play;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One thing each time,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> That is the way.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
All that you do,<br /> Do with your might;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Things done by halves</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Are not done right.</span></div>
<br />
"Work" has a snappy meter and a simple rhyme scheme. More than anything else though, the meaning of the words is what makes this poem worth studying. Work and play are equally valuable, but each must be done at its proper time and with all of one's might.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Working "Work" Through the Curriculum</h3>
<br />
<b>Bible:</b> Talk about similarities between the poem and Colossians 3:23. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." (KJV)<br />
<br />
<b>Math:</b> Discuss the idea of doing things "by halves."<br />
<br />
<b>Life Skills:</b> Help your child plan out a day on the calendar. Be sure to schedule some "work" time and some "play" time.<br />
<br />
<b>Music:</b> March or drum to the poem. It has a very regular rhythm and each of the words has just one syllable.<br />
<br />
I've also written poem study guides for Christina Rossetti's "<a href="http://www.makelearningfun.info/2013/08/poem-study-caterpillar-by-christina-g.html">The Caterpillar,</a>" the anonymous "<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/mr-nobody" target="_blank">Mr. Nobody</a>," and "<a href="http://www.makelearningfun.info/2013/09/poem-study-hearts-are-like-doors.html" target="_blank">Hearts Are Like Doors</a>." Please check them out, and feel free to leave a comment below. Also, check out the other posts on Trivium Tuesdays.<br />
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<a href="http://www.livingandlearningathome.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa370/ah0302/TriviumTuesdays-button.png" /></a></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-81837003234191160762013-10-07T23:09:00.000+09:002013-10-17T06:59:48.103+09:00Uh-oh. Matthew 12 again.I recently noticed my kids getting grouchy and snippety with one another during (home)school time, especially while working on something together without a parent involved. Kid One would read too fast or mumbly for Kid Two to hear. Kid Two would nudge and poke Kid Three into whining. A good time was being had by none.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0OL_RdhyphenhyphenJd_ANSaCDOkKZdZ0PvDv2JaM8-ItmB3YARrOi_3blBRYBiG1JIeZg_e0j7D_jnmFUg9Oat4-H4JHecwwU2CULcJtuDF2YrVLdns7XmjMT6fJCU1JKX5xXRgIOJwnG6ONSLM/s1600/house_divided.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0OL_RdhyphenhyphenJd_ANSaCDOkKZdZ0PvDv2JaM8-ItmB3YARrOi_3blBRYBiG1JIeZg_e0j7D_jnmFUg9Oat4-H4JHecwwU2CULcJtuDF2YrVLdns7XmjMT6fJCU1JKX5xXRgIOJwnG6ONSLM/s1600/house_divided.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
So I did what came naturally--I got grouchy and snippety with them. That just validated their behavior. Then my morning reading took me to Matthew 12: "A house divided against itself cannot stand" As it has many times before, the light of Jesus' words illuminated the log of wood on which my critical eye was impaled. The problem didn't begin with my children. How could I expect them to treat one another lovingly when I was gruff and impatient?<br />
<br />
Like it or not, I am the mood thermostat in my home. The attitude I have when I teach my kids in the morning, or when I come home in the evening, pervades the home. When I don't like what I see in my family, I need to check my own heart and take responsibility. That's just part of being Dad.<br />
<br />
So after repenting and resolving to watch my own attitude, I asked my older kids to read Matthew 12 and tell me what they thought. It's a long chapter, 50 verses that span several topics, but both kids came right back with verse 25: "a house divided against itself cannot stand." They recognized that their attitudes toward one another had gone bad and they wanted to change.<br />
<br />
It's been a week now. The house is peaceful. More laughing around the table. More helpfulness. More encouragement. Experience tells me this won't last forever. But at least for now, when whining starts or a temper begins to flare, someone is quick to laugh and say, "You'd better be nice or we'll have to read Matthew 12 again." <br />
<br />
Love and unity are the way to go. They are what really make learning fun.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-5778712581602148692013-10-04T23:24:00.001+09:002013-10-04T23:24:25.813+09:00Homemade Risk GameWe have a closet-full of board games, but Risk isn't one of them. No problem. My son, who had played once at a friend's house, made his own Risk game with some army guys and an atlas, then got his little brother involved. Instant geography lesson!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uUmnd_iRzp0pAUWtkNZYAhpSmUxIpPC_bn9IVEyJUPiOUBzKn0NJgyzw-NL0UYlinCf8ViF1ckWrL89ZL3nTjhL3LklEegUfo9gt2LV2Qf1pKwAYMEbMW4tl-DvBqqc_pe6jXyFswkU/s1600/risk+game+with+atlas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uUmnd_iRzp0pAUWtkNZYAhpSmUxIpPC_bn9IVEyJUPiOUBzKn0NJgyzw-NL0UYlinCf8ViF1ckWrL89ZL3nTjhL3LklEegUfo9gt2LV2Qf1pKwAYMEbMW4tl-DvBqqc_pe6jXyFswkU/s400/risk+game+with+atlas.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew Antarctica was so strategic?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirknGA240og5rIqbAKsjVOA-MxbGLVf_Nk5rCJB9oAoGJal7kLKJrnpNH1zE8hA9pX1OAnsB76u9G7OUrBrqRcPltyMmNCF0I8DxqFAp0JupxM-UjZj8f3MZT47JNpem2VxtJF7TkKGKA/s1600/Playing+home-made+risk+game.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirknGA240og5rIqbAKsjVOA-MxbGLVf_Nk5rCJB9oAoGJal7kLKJrnpNH1zE8hA9pX1OAnsB76u9G7OUrBrqRcPltyMmNCF0I8DxqFAp0JupxM-UjZj8f3MZT47JNpem2VxtJF7TkKGKA/s400/Playing+home-made+risk+game.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coincidence that we were studying Napoleon this week?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-25114596249639624842013-09-26T22:49:00.000+09:002013-09-26T22:49:23.720+09:00Poem Study: "Hearts Are Like Doors"Here's another poem from <a href="http://amzn.com/1933339446/?tag=mrjerem-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind</a>. It's an old, anonymous rhyme called "Hearts Are Like Doors."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKiP942Z4BrVK5f9IdeyZWWqik8Mvpk21WmLuWl5iIsLkSSfsEM-P9xUelgL0wASAj_o1ZLCIjQcKo34cmo4Z9pI3OeCDBcCKjvSopQ4A-LyOw4Qq5dk1vPSCASug-FeE4ntCQj2pRxE/s1600/heart+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKiP942Z4BrVK5f9IdeyZWWqik8Mvpk21WmLuWl5iIsLkSSfsEM-P9xUelgL0wASAj_o1ZLCIjQcKo34cmo4Z9pI3OeCDBcCKjvSopQ4A-LyOw4Qq5dk1vPSCASug-FeE4ntCQj2pRxE/s400/heart+door.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xurde/243322489/" target="_blank">photo by Jorge Diaz</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hearts, like doors, will open with ease,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To very, very little keys,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And don't forget that two of these</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Are "Thank you, sir" and "If you please!"</span></div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Similes and Metaphors </h3>
When I teach this poem, I talk about similes and metaphors. The first line relates hearts to doors using the word "like." This is a straightforward simile. A simile is a figure of speech that rhetorically transfers aspects of one word to another, using "like," "as," or another similar word. A metaphor, like a simile, compares or relates unlike words, but it doesn't necessarily utilize a comparing word such as "like." You could say that all similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.<br />
<br />
The other metaphor in "Hearts Are Like Doors" is harder to pick out. "Thank you, sir" and "If you please" are two of the little keys that can open a heart.<br />
<br />
Young children can learn about similes and metaphors, but have a hard time using them skillfully at first. My little guy started with "That wall is white like this table." Not bad, but few people reading this sentence know how white our table or wall is.<br />
<br />
To help your child understand these figures of speech, try starting a simile and asking your child to finish it: "As cold as ___." As fast as ___." The clouds are like ___." If you need some inspiration, here is a <a href="http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/similes-metaphors/similes-matching.pdf" target="_blank">pdf simile worksheet</a>. You have to register to get rid of the nag screen, but you can see enough to get some ideas.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Other Teaching Points</h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Manners:</b> Brainstorm other polite "keys" that can open people's hearts. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Punctuation and Phrasing:</b> Observe and punctuation provided in the poem. "To very (pause) very little keys." There is no punctuation at the end of the third line. The "these" rhyme is enough to indicate the end of the like. There is no need to pause. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Bible Connection: </b>In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, <span class="woj">"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." The door in this passage is often thought of as a person's heart door.</span></li>
</ul>
<span class="woj">I've also written poem study guides for Christina Rossetti's "<a href="http://www.makelearningfun.info/2013/08/poem-study-caterpillar-by-christina-g.html">The Caterpillar</a>" and the anonymous "<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/mr-nobody" target="_blank">Mr. Nobody</a>." Please check them out, and feel free to leave a comment below.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-41572537654315853242013-09-24T19:15:00.000+09:002013-09-24T19:15:01.276+09:00Let's Hope They Have Questions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt3MF4Sz1SjBXdQcm6fwS7jpipPQEAEzJp3CpAXZuQnDMAN2E62A4PLi8yx_ZIvcD55L04VYaOmfwIfyaHQ5rzZXgOBTjV2m7YA7Cxt8tXLmIPBizHJtrxQc-3iHMRlQY_qpzeFnIcfc/s1600/questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt3MF4Sz1SjBXdQcm6fwS7jpipPQEAEzJp3CpAXZuQnDMAN2E62A4PLi8yx_ZIvcD55L04VYaOmfwIfyaHQ5rzZXgOBTjV2m7YA7Cxt8tXLmIPBizHJtrxQc-3iHMRlQY_qpzeFnIcfc/s400/questions.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://christopherdanielson.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Christopher Danielson</a> is a math teacher and teacher trainer whose blog is always thought provoking for me as a teacher. He turns the "Any questions?" question on it's head like this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
See, in math classes asking questions is usually a sign that <b>you</b> <b>have not learned</b>. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Any questions?” is a signal to students to speak up if they <i>don’t </i>get what has just been explained. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We have it all backwards. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It shouldn’t be, “<i>What questions do you have?” [I hope you have none so that I can tell myself you learned</i> <i>something.] </i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It should be, “<i>What new questions can you ask?” [I hope you have some because otherwise our work is having no effect on your mind.]</i><i> </i></blockquote>
I'm going to apply this right away with my own kids and my other students. Every lesson will end with a variation of <i>"What question do you have that you couldn't have asked before this lesson?" </i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://christopherdanielson.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/what-did-you-learn/" target="_blank">Read the rest of Danielson's article.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-53217209206270253572013-09-16T15:45:00.000+09:002013-09-16T15:45:00.706+09:00Number Line Addition Game with DiceA friend told me the other day that her first-grade son was discouraged about math. He is having a hard time memorizing addition and subtraction facts within 10. He was calling himself stupid and saying that he was no good at math. How sad to see a little guy developing a math complex.<br />
<br />
Anyway, she asked me for some tips. I shared with her a game that I had played earlier in the week with my own son. It's great practice for addition facts within 10, especially plus 1, plus 2, and plus 3, but can be adapted easily to subtraction or to numbers up to 20. It's from Singapore Math's <a href="http://amzn.com/9810184948/?tag=mrjerem-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Primary Mathematics 1A</a> (affiliate link).<br />
<br />
Materials<br />
<ul>
<li>A number line 0-10 (or 0-20) with squares big enough for game tokens. (We <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnxPtimBLHtYz1A7f3yRJPJs0ytD9ClPQbxE1FyU5j5Yxu-6BdMoQr3ylrsRJs60NuS935dVq_lOV4EXR7wWa-gzm-JWvv7UsI28FyQGvRp9lbGMDMviXXd70hDKHV_RTjC4AMk6gJjI/s1600/addition+dice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnxPtimBLHtYz1A7f3yRJPJs0ytD9ClPQbxE1FyU5j5Yxu-6BdMoQr3ylrsRJs60NuS935dVq_lOV4EXR7wWa-gzm-JWvv7UsI28FyQGvRp9lbGMDMviXXd70hDKHV_RTjC4AMk6gJjI/s320/addition+dice.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-It Notes Turn Dice into Math Dice</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
used Professor Plum and Colonel Mustard from Clue.)</li>
<li>Game tokens. </li>
<li>A die (number cube) with stickers (two each) labeled +1, +2, and +3 stuck onto the sides. Depending on the skill you want to target, you can replace the stickers with -1, -2, -3, or whatever.</li>
</ul>
Procedure:<br />
<ul>
<li>Each players token starts at zero for addition or ten for subtraction. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Players take turns rolling the die and moving their tokens up the number line by the amount shown on the die. For example, if they are on 2 and roll a +3, they say "Two plus three equals five." If a player lands on another player's spot, the other player's token goes back to the beginning. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The first player to reach the goal wins the game, or a point. If a player overshoots the goal, the player's token goes back to the beginning. </li>
</ul>
You can draw your own number line, or use my simple 0-10 or 0-20 <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzyGd4WQYGu9a0JGb2docFNWZGM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">printable number lines (pdf)</a>. <br />
<br />
Do yo have any recommendations for fun ways to practice math facts? Share in the comments.<br />
<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-32696079410185287482013-09-06T22:51:00.000+09:002013-09-06T22:51:42.269+09:00Go Fish! Number Bonds VersionOur youngest is doing Singapore Math 1 this year and is learning number bonds now. Number bonds, are simply sets of three numbers—two parts and a whole—that go together, like 3, 2, and 5. They are usually represented something like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrm2DAPdQ8p_e-rdCwsI1MVr3-6qbsP96IruXCk28OsIf8ore8WOZCL3XNwb_fEzBA0Tt-djNwSz7hPWJKN9SowdXoDQt3uZ5VrkSzeX0W6vCY_hJ8OEslMohenj1I7h_DmQf9p14lpA/s1600/Number-Bond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrm2DAPdQ8p_e-rdCwsI1MVr3-6qbsP96IruXCk28OsIf8ore8WOZCL3XNwb_fEzBA0Tt-djNwSz7hPWJKN9SowdXoDQt3uZ5VrkSzeX0W6vCY_hJ8OEslMohenj1I7h_DmQf9p14lpA/s400/Number-Bond.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When children learn this one number bond, it becomes easy for them to memorize the fact family 3+2=5, 2+3=5, 5-3=2, and 5-2=3. It also helps later to be able to break numbers down to make them easier to work with.</div>
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On to the game. My little guy brought out his set of Go Fish cards last night after dinner and we decided to play "Go Fish to Make 10." (We could have decided to make any number.) You've probably got the idea already, but instead of fishing for pairs of identical cards, you fish for pairs that make 10. For example, if you have a 3 in your hand, you ask for a 7. Don't forget before playing to pull the cards out of the deck that won't work. Last night we had to take out the 11s and 12s.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2muKIivewCWbTDJ3kmw3bC7nN0Y-QQH2-jWtUPr9BubVwzMuBycuOAw_O5XK5IaLm5f9INNG0LE6oz9z_7PCtf8JXjNLWLY2NOGGXYkJe6UztJXrvCOnw80P5lZR58t_4Ntu0tpwL63I/s1600/Go+Fish+with+Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2muKIivewCWbTDJ3kmw3bC7nN0Y-QQH2-jWtUPr9BubVwzMuBycuOAw_O5XK5IaLm5f9INNG0LE6oz9z_7PCtf8JXjNLWLY2NOGGXYkJe6UztJXrvCOnw80P5lZR58t_4Ntu0tpwL63I/s400/Go+Fish+with+Numbers.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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Above is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OMMTOE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000OMMTOE&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20">Numbers Go Fish Game</a> that we have [amazon affiliate link]. The cards are large and sturdy, the numbers are clear, and the pictures are interesting. A regular deck of playing cards works fine too, but I like having zeros and ones (not aces).</div>
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It's nice to have another game to practice number bonds and fact families. I've previously written about others like <a href="http://www.makelearningfun.info/2011/08/salute-quick-fun-card-game-to-practice.html" target="_blank">Salute</a>, <a href="http://www.makelearningfun.info/2011/11/eleven-fun-card-game-for-practicing.html" target="_blank">Eleven</a>, and <a href="http://www.makelearningfun.info/2011/09/math-game-use-dominoes-to-practice.html" target="_blank">Number Bonds Dominoes</a>. All you need for these games is a deck of cards or some dominoes. Please share your favorite ways to practice number bonds in the comments area below!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-65863514279994536632013-09-05T16:17:00.000+09:002013-09-05T16:17:23.026+09:00How's your ear for languages?This is a fun game to see how many languages you can recognize by listening to 20-second snippets. The variety of sounds that people make when they communicate is amazing. I got 450 points on my first try, getting tripped up by Tongan, Yiddish, and (gulp) Portuguese.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://greatlanguagegame.com/" target="_blank">Try the Great Language Game!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-18465249372108706152013-08-30T19:40:00.000+09:002013-09-26T22:43:50.984+09:00Poem Study: "The Caterpillar" by Christina G. RossettiChristina Rossetti's "The Caterpillar" is a wonderful first poem for a child to memorize and study. It is short, simple and concrete, yet contains many poetic and literary elements that even a child can grasp easily. I'll share them below.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlihnjdcutpksTg_VXHZlHNDmq32w3tsOD-8t4o1I-kal1GpN4x_2Y70DL960aoW5at3b-wm7Et1zJndniomnqASm-utR57gxfXRPM3yBrpwksg9MV8ufU0DIwXVFdA7iqyaV_XCS4Sc8/s1600/brown+furry+caterpillar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlihnjdcutpksTg_VXHZlHNDmq32w3tsOD-8t4o1I-kal1GpN4x_2Y70DL960aoW5at3b-wm7Et1zJndniomnqASm-utR57gxfXRPM3yBrpwksg9MV8ufU0DIwXVFdA7iqyaV_XCS4Sc8/s400/brown+furry+caterpillar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyanocorax/5980198974/" target="_blank">photo by Cyndy Sims Parr</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
First, the poem itself:<br />
<br />
Brown and furry <br />
Caterpillar in a hurry, <br />
Take your walk <br />
To the shady leaf, or stalk, <br />
Or what not, <br />
Which may be the chosen spot. <br />
<br clear="all" />
No toad spy you, <br />
Hovering bird of prey pass by you; <br />
Spin and die, <br />
To live again <br />
A butterfly.<br />
<br />
A shorter version of the poem appears in the excellent <a href="http://amzn.com/1933339446/?tag=mrjerem-20">First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind: Level 1</a> and in several places online. Here it is:<br />
<br />
Brown and furry <br />
Caterpillar in a hurry, <br />
Take your walk <br />
To the shady leaf, or stalk. <br />
<br clear="all" />
May no toad spy you, <br />
May the little birds pass by you; <br />
Spin and die, <br />
To live again a butterfly.<br />
<br />
I think either version is fine. The first one seems to be the poet's original, the second a later simplification, but on to the study!<br />
<br />
First, read the poem several times and just enjoy the words and images. The poem is very concrete and accessible; everyone has seem a caterpillar inch along. Everyone has seen toads and birds. Reading and enjoying "The Caterpillar" might be enough, but there is so much more to gain from this little poem.<br />
<br />
<b>Notice the rhyme scheme.</b> Rossetti writes in couplets (including the two-word units "spy you" and "by you!").<br />
<br />
<b>Notice the punctuation.</b> The first two lines contain no commas within or between the lines. The caterpillar is hurrying and so should the reader. Don't pause between the first and second lines. Then there is a comma between the "shady leaf" and the "stalk." Pause with the caterpillar as it ponders two possible places for its chrysalis.<br />
<br />
<b>Notice the line length.</b> The lines alternate between short and long, like the scrunch-up-and-stretch-out motion of a caterpillar or inchworm.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Notice the Christian Imagery. </b>In addition to her poetry for children, Rossetti wrote a lot of devotional poems. The butterfly is a common Christian symbol for resurrection. The caterpillar appears to die when it becomes a chrysalis and returns glorious as a butterfly. "Spin and die to live again a butterfly" on one level is about a caterpillar spinning its cocoon, but on another level, it might refer to a spinster who appears to have missed her opportunity on earth, but will be resurrected gloriously in heaven. (Rosetti had a series of suitors, but never married.) This point may be over the heads of children, but the best children's poetry also works for adults.<br />
<br />
What else do you enjoy about "The Caterpillar?" Do you have a favorite poem to study with children? Please share in the comments!<br />
<br />
You may find similar articles to this at Trivium Tuesdays.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.livingandlearningathome.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa370/ah0302/TriviumTuesdays-button.png" /></a></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-75973379831623645992013-08-19T22:03:00.000+09:002013-08-19T22:03:16.642+09:00It's Monday! What are you reading 8/19/2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7TE-D96C-xvaVfgILxvsoXwP6TdwURaKw0LqzXPGo0O8MjGNqBoRGbO6X63J0RrFOUyTOGgpvCgj8h_UDaSirB39w4r8Ki_2hCqXn911s29Q9eyMOqFVYTtlU3oy4nUV0dpOQ_HUFt4/s1600/IMWAYR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7TE-D96C-xvaVfgILxvsoXwP6TdwURaKw0LqzXPGo0O8MjGNqBoRGbO6X63J0RrFOUyTOGgpvCgj8h_UDaSirB39w4r8Ki_2hCqXn911s29Q9eyMOqFVYTtlU3oy4nUV0dpOQ_HUFt4/s1600/IMWAYR.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
There's a children's book exhibition on in my town and one book that caught my eye was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452106452/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1452106452&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20">A Rock Is Lively</a> by Diana Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long (affiliate link).<br />
<br />
The illustrations are bright and beautiful. The text is hard to classify.<br />
<br />
Is it poetry? <i>"Bubbling like a pot of soup deep beneath the Earth's crust ... liquid ... molten ... boiling"</i><br />
<br />
Is it geology? <i>"Depending on what type of rock it is, a rock melts at temperatures between 1,300 and 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit ..."</i><br />
<br />
However you categorize this book, the illustrations and poetic writing will satisfy your artistic side while the informative text will thrill your inner rockhound.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452106452/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1452106452&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Rock Is Lively Cover" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VM2JIdX_C-kmipbmoDTb-TuO3ZSg1zgrCDXj_ARCbk_lTk2XU68FgyBuk5zs-q98Q0lX-mPJOkI5b_MaGcu9pQAl6BIUNdKXhhSx2KHIygJRZWnCFaNnwmpa1VDQTrdMce2tQ00fFDw/s400/a-rock-is-lively.jpg" title="A Rock Is Lively Cover" width="327" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-56008574408459533782013-08-17T07:21:00.000+09:002013-08-17T07:22:31.908+09:00How To Learn More from Making a Tin-Can Phone<div style="text-align: center;">
Everybody's made a tin-can phone or string phone as a child. They're fun, they work (Can you hear me? Yes!!!), and they're quick and easy to make. But what can we as parents and teachers do to increase the fun and learning? Read on for the basics of how to make a tin-can phone, and then read some ideas for experimenting for more fun and learning!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PA6AjA79_a78EqAKK7Vql2zOOSYgEMh-iO4LUXTlt9Wl7dUB00wwuw5axpo_Q80pRzAkOoP9OJtjXAL9TMzEsUKjambpLuUUOOFjx2beqCBSHhayO91q2JoMznLxK_iDtwckLRdy28M/s1600/string+phone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PA6AjA79_a78EqAKK7Vql2zOOSYgEMh-iO4LUXTlt9Wl7dUB00wwuw5axpo_Q80pRzAkOoP9OJtjXAL9TMzEsUKjambpLuUUOOFjx2beqCBSHhayO91q2JoMznLxK_iDtwckLRdy28M/s400/string+phone.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/4164756091/" target="_blank">photo by Florian Seroussi (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Making a string phone is easy. Here's what you need.</h3>
<ul>
<li>Two paper cups.</li>
<li>A length of non-stretchy string.</li>
<li>Something to poke holes in the cups (a sharp pencil will do).</li>
<li>Two paper clips (big ones work best).</li>
</ul>
<h3>
And here's what you do.</h3>
<ol>
<li> Poke small holes in the bottom of your cups.</li>
<li>Poke string through the bottom of each hole.</li>
<li>Tie a knot around each paper clip so that the that the paper clips are inside the cups. This anchors the string and prevents it from pulling through the hole in the cup when you pull the string taut.</li>
<li>Decorate as desired. </li>
<li>Enjoy your phone by holding the string tight between two people. One talks, and the other listens. </li>
</ol>
<h3>
Then experiment!</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hBqcrDN177jwauw4Mfet_pFK4SHM4cQiPJsQNeP0l4HwCVQjJH8gyv-unvbPB99a3cnEZ-9HM0qzo_qeGloGJjnkWAPGHUVRH0iswLzEDLAgnjl84Bs2apCyVaN-oieLK-_L3dNrYww/s1600/string+phone+party+line.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hBqcrDN177jwauw4Mfet_pFK4SHM4cQiPJsQNeP0l4HwCVQjJH8gyv-unvbPB99a3cnEZ-9HM0qzo_qeGloGJjnkWAPGHUVRH0iswLzEDLAgnjl84Bs2apCyVaN-oieLK-_L3dNrYww/s400/string+phone+party+line.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My students experimenting with string phones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Kids will probably have lots of ideas for experimenting with their string phones, but here are some to get you started.<br />
<ul>
<li>Make a phone for each person and connect them so everyone has an earpiece and a mouthpiece as in the photo above (They could hear each other well).</li>
<li>Try different materials: cans or plastic cups instead of paper cups, different kinds of string or twine.</li>
<li>Experiment with the string length. How long of a string can you use before the sound is too weak to hear? The video after this list shows people who really push the limits.</li>
<li>Do the people on the phone need to be in a a straight line? Try talking with the string going around a wall corner. How about around the leg of a chair.</li>
<li>Will the phone work if the string passes under a rug? What if it's wet? What if someone pinches the string?</li>
</ul>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/61160400?portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/61160400">Can You Hear Me?: The Longest Tin Can Phone Ever</a>.
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
What do kids learn from string phones?</h3>
Kids often understand intuitively why things work if they get hands-on and experiment a lot, but it never hurts to ask the "why" question and see how much they really understand and what needs to be taught. Depending on the interests and abilities of your children, they can learn about sound waves and what media sound travels through, how signal can be dampened and amplified (maybe focused is a better word). They can also learn some engineering when they try to keep the line tense without it ripping through the cup. Kids can learn about real telephones which operate on the same basic concept, except the sound signal is electronic instead of accoustic. (Here's a page about <a href="http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/telephone.htm" target="_blank">how telephones work</a>.)<br />
<br />
Enjoy your string phones, and if you have questions or ideas for further experiments, please leave a comment!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-32058480586237065362013-08-06T16:06:00.000+09:002013-08-06T16:06:34.711+09:00Home-Made Hot Air BalloonThe first human flight took place in a hot air balloon in France over 100 years before Orville Wright took to the air. It's not easy to make a working airplane, but balloon technology is simple--just heat the air inside a balloon so that the air inside and the contraption itself are lighter than the air that is displaced.<br />
<br />
We made our balloon with a thin trash bag, straws, aluminum foil, tape, and six birthday candles, following the excellent instructions from <a href="http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/HotAirBalloon/" target="_blank">sciencetoymaker.com</a>.<br />
<br />
Here is our balloon's second attempt at flight, after trimming some weight from the straws, trash bag, and foil.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lM0LRfry-sc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
A fun way to add some literacy and history to this activity for younger kids is with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689826427/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0689826427&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20">Hot Air</a>, the story of the first balloon flight with passengers aboard (animal passengers). For older kids, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014240330X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014240330X&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20">The Twenty-One Balloons</a> a fun mix of fiction, history, and balloonology is recommended.<br />
<br />
Enjoy making your balloon, and keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water handy just in case!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=mrjerem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0689826427" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=mrjerem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=014240330X" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-58810850333875889082013-08-05T16:09:00.000+09:002013-08-05T16:09:35.337+09:00Anti-Pattern RecognitionMath is largely about recognizing and creating patterns. But sometimes the best way to practice something is doing the opposite. Hmmm. Is avoiding a pattern another way of creating a pattern? <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Take from a deck of cards all the Aces, Kings, Queens and Jacks. <br />
<br />
Arrange them in a 4 × 4 square so that every row, column and diagonal
contains one card of each value (A,J,Q,K) and one card of each suit
(Heart, Spade, Diamond, Club). <a href="http://www.mathsisfun.com/puzzles/cards-in-a-square.html" target="_blank"><i>source</i></a></blockquote>
It's really tough not to have cards of the same value or suit in any row, column, or diagonal, but look at the sense of accomplishment on the faces of these ten-year-olds who stuck with it and solved the puzzle.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOBwar4iXOggW88TmT_jayT2oRti96TB8kJsGaBJCRiSj8qQiMqIuHNjt1Kydov4hLQI5UkxWTcRYY9RFzv_-XQWjRhn2rdaJxmKtdgZy2c7feOICA5_0Yr1A-GKuOCxs_Ng-457rmvw/s1600/cards-in-a-square.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOBwar4iXOggW88TmT_jayT2oRti96TB8kJsGaBJCRiSj8qQiMqIuHNjt1Kydov4hLQI5UkxWTcRYY9RFzv_-XQWjRhn2rdaJxmKtdgZy2c7feOICA5_0Yr1A-GKuOCxs_Ng-457rmvw/s400/cards-in-a-square.JPG" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-61182360875126214592013-06-27T18:03:00.000+09:002013-06-27T18:03:32.424+09:00Four Fours and Making Math FunToday I gave my kids the "four fours" challenge. Here it is:<br />
<br />
Find a mathematical expression for all the numbers from zero to twenty using common symbols (+, -, x, ÷, √, and !), parentheses, and exactly four 4s. The simpler the expression, the better.<br />
<br />
To get you started:<br />
4x4÷4-4=0<br />
4x4÷4÷4=1<br />
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I had to teach my daughter what √4 and 4! mean. She was very motivated to learn them because they were a great tool to solve the challenge.<br />
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It turns out that "four fours" is a common challenge, but I found it in Jo Boaler's excellent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143115715/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0143115715&linkCode=as2&tag=mrjerem-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What's Math Got to Do with It?: How Parents and Teachers Can Help Children Learn to Love Their Least Favorite Subject</a> (amazon affiliate link). The book is full of research-backed suggestions for parents and teachers to help their kids thrive in math. Dr. Boaler will be teaching a course called "How to Learn Math" on Stanford University's free online platform. It's from July 15 to September 27, 2013. You can find out more about it <a href="https://class.stanford.edu/courses/Education/EDUC115N/How_to_Learn_Math/about" target="_blank">here</a>. I'll be taking the course. Please let me know if you will be.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-6200197002299535882013-06-19T14:28:00.000+09:002013-06-19T14:45:01.303+09:00Student-Created Math QuestionsStudent assessment can take many forms. One thing I like to do is ask the students to create their own questions, answer them themselves, and share the questions with others.<br />
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The raw material I gave the students is from the well-known "Eric the Sheep" problem (<a href="http://langerkogutmath.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/eric-the-sheep/" target="_blank">Here's</a> another blog about it).<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Eric the sheep is lining up to be shorn. He is last in the line. Each time the shearer takes one sheep from the front of the line, Eric sneaks past two sheep to get closer to the front. There are 50 sheep in front of Eric to start with. It takes the shearer ten minutes to take a sheep from the line and shear it. The shearer never takes a break! Each sheep produces 5 kg of wool.<br /><br />Use the information in the story of Eric the sheep to make up an interesting story problem that you can answer. You don't need to use all of the information.</span></blockquote>
And here are my students' questions with the their ages (I teach a multi-age class). I had to help a few students polish their questions to get rid of excessive wordiness or vagueness.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
1. How many times does Eric pass two sheep? (10 year-old)<br />
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2. How many minutes does it take to pass 24 sheep? (10 year-old)<br />
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3. After 60 minutes, what place was Eric in? (10 year-old)<br />
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4. How many kilograms of wool did all of the sheep provide? (8 year-old)<br />
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5. What number is Eric to be sheared? (11 year-old)<br />
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6. How many grams of wool were sheared altogether? (11 year-old)<br />
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7. How much wool is sheared before Eric is sheared? (12 year-old)<br />
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8. How many sheep did Eric pass? (12 year-old)<br />
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9. How long does the shearer shear before shearing Eric? (12 year-old)<br />
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10. If Shawn, who started at number 34, skips one sheep every time the shearer takes a sheep, who arrives to the front of the line first, Shawn or Eric? (12 year-old)<br />
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11. One-third of the sheep are pink, two-sixths of the sheep are vomit green, and the rest are purple. (a) How many purple sheep are there, and (b) how many kilograms of purple wool were there? (13 year-old)</blockquote>
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These questions cover all the types of questions I would have asked and then some (number 10!). Some of the students missed their own questions on the first try, but were very motivated to find the correct answer.<br />
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This kind of activity is excellent assessment for learning. We can see what the students are and aren't comfortable with, and we can be sure that if their answer is incorrect, it certainly can't be because they misunderstood the question. After all, they wrote it!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2509299977557858385.post-60100846245669516512013-05-23T19:00:00.000+09:002013-05-23T19:00:06.307+09:00Over 100 Words in SignatureToday my students found over 100 words hiding in the word "signature." Most of the kids are English language learners. It was a fun way for them to think about spelling and learn some new vocabulary.<div>
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It all started with me pointing out that the word "sign" is the root of "signature," which is a spelling word for some kids this week. A student pointed out that the word also contains "gnat." Someone else found "nature," and we were off to the races.</div>
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Right after taking this photo, a student found "granite." Can you find any other words? Add them in the comments.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3OSsaN4ghUP32QLnkvRxrYkM-kMp_DbZlK4ZmcjpymsLfZTJK_m8JTpZH5pg1a4d8VMkCCYYF7mYkSn1aY6drz7sWK_9yfrC1-ggXqZBvzHXz8uUFm6abLl-kRYIhB1L-OqMkImAgFA/s1600/signature.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3OSsaN4ghUP32QLnkvRxrYkM-kMp_DbZlK4ZmcjpymsLfZTJK_m8JTpZH5pg1a4d8VMkCCYYF7mYkSn1aY6drz7sWK_9yfrC1-ggXqZBvzHXz8uUFm6abLl-kRYIhB1L-OqMkImAgFA/s400/signature.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over 100 words in "signature"</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0