Stop the Summer Brain Drain

Every year, students experience a phenomenon known as the “brain drain” or “Summer slide”.  During summer vacation, the average child loses 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in math and reading.  Because children’s brains develop at such a rapid pace, taking 3 months off from learning over the summer can be quite detrimental.

The first thing we can do to stop this brain drain is to teach and show children that learning does not just occur in a classroom.  There are things to be learned everywhere if we can just help them to see the opportunities.  Of course most children enjoy a break during the summer, but they don’t need a break from learning.  An ideal summer will blend rest and relaxation with fun, hands-on learning.

We have compiled a few ideas of how to keep children having fun and learning throughout the summer.

• Cook together—cooking provides opportunities for learning about sequencing, cause and effect, fractions, and calculations like how to double a recipe.
• Keep a lot of reading material around—books, magazines, comic books—and read to and with the children.
• Check out your library’s summer reading program.
• Before heading to the beach or a baseball game, pick out a book that discusses the activity.
• Make a comic strip—it’s really easy to make a template on Excel. 
• Write postcards to friends, family, or pen pals.
• Go on a tour—there are many free ones around—jellybean or chocolate factories,  sporting venues, police and fire departments, etc.
• Plant a garden.
• Learn a new art technique or style.

Have a great summer!

Misty

Do You Know the Signs of Drowning?

I read an article on FaceBook the other day that still has me shaking my head and sharing it with everyone I possibly can.  It’s one of the most surprising and possibly most important things I have ever read.  It is from Mario Vittone and is entitled “Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning”.  

My two sons are pretty well grown now, but, having a pool in my backyard and practically living in it every summer, I always thought I would know what it would look like if one of them or one of their friends was drowning in our pool.  After all, how do you miss a child that is gasping and flailing in the water?  I always assumed that, when someone drowns, it is because the pool, lake, whatever, was too busy, too loud, too big, etc. for the victim’s thrashing to be seen before it was too late.  Turns out I was wrong.  Vittone calls the type of drowning I envisioned to be “Hollywood drowning”.  Or, to be more kind, “aquatic distress”; the person is in trouble in the water, but has not yet started the actual process of drowning. 

Vittone describes a “Instinctive Drowning Response” as:

• The victim cannot call for help.  As speech is a secondary function of the respiratory system, in distress, the primary function of breathing overwhelms the ability to speak.
• The victim cannot wave for help.  The victim instinctively extends his or her arms horizontally across the surface of the water to push down on it in an attempt to lift his or her mouth out of the water.  Again, waving for help would be a secondary function.  Similarly, a person who is drowning cannot aid in their own rescue by swimming toward a potential rescuer or reaching for a life ring, etc.
• The victim will remain upright in the water rather than rolling over and kicking.

In these situations, a potential rescuer usually has from 20-60 seconds to reach the victim before he or she is submerged.

The Centers for Disease Control list drowning as the second most common cause of death in children under the age of 15 (behind vehicle accidents).  Vittone cautions that, just like many things with a child, if the child is being quiet, that is the time to be worried.  Please share this information with anyone you can.  If they already know it, great.  If they don’t already know it, the info may just save a life.

Misty

Allergies Rising

The Centers for Disease Control recently released a report on “Trends in Allergic Conditions Among Children”.  This report analyzes data gathered on children in the US from 1997–2011.  Their key findings are:

Food and skin allergies increased in children throughout the 14-year period.

• Food allergies increased 1.7% from 3.4% to 5.1%.
• Skin allergies increased 5.1% from 7.4% to 12.5%.
• The incidence of respiratory allergies did not change significantly.   However, respiratory allergy, found in 17% of children, is still the most common type of allergy in children. 

Skin allergies decreased with age while respiratory allergies increased with age.

• Food allergies did not change with the age of the children.
• Skin allergies decreased with age; 14.2% in the youngest children and 10.9% in the older children.
• Respiratory allergies increased with age; 10.8% in the younger children and 20.8% in the older children.

Implications of race (identified as Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white):

• Hispanic children had lower rates of food (3.6%), skin (10.1%) and respiratory allergies (13.0%).
• Black children were 5.4% more likely to have skin allergies than white children (17.4% vs 12.0%).
• White children were 3.5% more likely to have respiratory allergies than black children (19.1% vs 15.6%). 

Implications of family income level (identified as less than 100% of the poverty level, between 100% and 200% of the poverty level, and above 200% of the poverty level):

• The incidence of skin allergies did not change significantly as family income level changed.
• The incidence of food and respiratory allergies increased as family income level increased.

	Food Allergies	Respiratory Allergies
less than 100% of the poverty level	4.4%	14.9%
between 100% and 200% of the poverty level	5.0%	15.8%
above 200% of the poverty level	5.4%	18.3%

Increasing allergy rates equate to increasing risks for children and those who work with them.  We must all make sure that we understand children's known allergies, detail how to respond to an allergic emergency with these children, and to handle situations in which a child has their first allergic response while with us. 

Misty

Jackson KD, Howie LD, Akinbami LJ. Trends in allergic conditions among children: United States, 1997–2011. NCHS data brief, no 121. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2013.

Math Manipulatives—Help or Hindrance?

As early educators, we have been taught the value of concrete, hands-on learning experiences.  Children learn best by doing.  In math, one of the most frequently used methods of providing concrete, hands-on experience is through manipulatives.  Especially for one-to-one correspondence and addition and subtraction, simple counters are some of the most-used manipulatives.  I think, at one time or another, I have used about every kind of counter made—discs, bears in three sizes, cars, etc., etc., etc.

I read an article today about the down side of manipulatives (McNeil and Jarvin, 2007).  The authors contend that there are two reasons that use of manipulatives can be harmful in math education.  The first reason, which I don’t believe is an issue in Early Childhood Education, is that teachers hold on to a belief that math should be explained to children rather than discovered.  The teacher will guide a student step-by-step through the problem, allowing the child practice the procedures, and providing feedback as necessary.  The authors quoted one teacher as saying “Sometimes I think that they are just having fun, but I don’t mind because eventually we’ll get to the real math part.”  That does not sound like an early educator to me.

However, the authors’ second concern regarding manipulatives was interesting to me.  They contend that “poorly chosen” manipulatives can pose problems.  They state that it is confusing for children when everyday items are used as manipulatives…you know, like when I used little cars.  The authors’ research found that familiar manipulatives, especially those that are very perceptually detailed, can be distracting as the student may spend more time thinking about the objects and their known purposes than about the math concepts being presented (ScienceDaily, 2013).  However, that same perceptual detail can help a student’s understanding of the concept if the manipulative is not a well-known item.

McNeil summarized this finding as "…it is easier for children to use objects in mathematical tasks when those objects have maximum 'bling' (they are bright and shiny) and minimum recognizability".  Food for thought when you are planning your next math activity.  (Just be sure that your new manipulatives are appropriate-sized so that they do not present choking hazards.)

Misty

“When Theories Don’t Add Up:  Disentangling the Manipulatives Debate” by Nicole McNeil and Linda Jarvin in Theory Into Practice, Fall 2007 (Vol. 46, #4, p. 309-316).  http://www3.nd.edu/~nmcneil/ManipulativesMcNeil%28MM211%29.pdf

University of Notre Dame. "Child's counting comprehension may depend on objects counted, study shows." ScienceDaily, 18 Apr. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130418154405.htm

Cultivating Creativity

I’ve seen various lists on the internet recently about “Ways to Stay Creative”; some with 29 ways, some with 33, etc.  They all have good suggestions, but it seems to me that some of them are a bit of a stretch and some could be changed up just a bit.

• Write it down.  The old saying “If it’s not on paper, it’s vapor” is very true for me.  I have the occasional good idea (mostly at night), but if I don’t write it down right away, I’ll never remember it.
• Bloom where you’re planted.  As a former military brat who moved, on average annually, I’ve seen people thrive in less-than-perfect places and people struggle in beautiful places.  It’s all about accepting where you are (geographically or otherwise) and making the best of it.
• Don’t just think outside the box, but realize that there is no box.  “The way we’ve always done it” might just not be the best way to keep doing it.  But, at the same time, don’t just change for the sake of changing; make sure that the change is well thought out.
• Try something different—read a book from a different genre than what you normally read, listen to a different type of music, watch a foreign or independent film.
• Surround yourself with smart, creative people….and listen to them.  The best ideas usually come through collaboration.
• Give yourself permission to make mistakes.  It’s hard to be innovative if you are constantly afraid of doing something wrong.  Don’t look at mistakes as failures, but as opportunities to learn.
• And, my favorite one (which probably explains why it was common to each of the lists that I found) is to stop trying to be someone else’s idea of perfect.  Don’t be an incomplete copy of someone else, but be the absolute best version of you. 

Have fun and let your creative juices flow! 

Misty

Music Education and Reading

I have spent the past 3 weeks preparing a program for students who do not yet have the foundational skills that they need to be successful in a reading program.  The program that we are about to start will help our students to distinguish between words and syllables and to change sounds within words, such as changing "cat" to "bat".  In this program, children will clap, chant, and play percussion instruments to the rhythm of the words.

Along with this, the reading certificate program that I recently completed had me thinking about prosody in reading; reading with good tone, phrasing, emphasis, etc.  Basically, reading like you are reading in the same way as you would have a conversation. Prosody is sometimes called "the music of the language".

As I thought about these components of early reading education, a clear connection between the skills that children learn in music education and pre-reading and reading skills began to come to light. 

• In teaching children how to identify syllables, we show them to put their hand under their chin while they say a word and count how many times their chin drops; once per syllable.  In music education, children are taught to be very aware of the movement of specific parts of their bodies; hand position on a drumstick or bow, mouth position on a mouthpiece, etc.
• Once children can identify syllables, we tap them out in rhythm, to help them see the difference between syllables and words.  In music, students develop a solid sense of rhythm.
• We teach children how to hear all of the sounds in a word, instead of seeing the word as one, unchangeable piece.  (Children who can't do this often have a hard time with vowel sounds and blends; they simply can't hear those sounds in the middle.)  In music, children are taught to listen for slight differences in sounds.
• We teach children how to read with good tone, phrasing and emphasis.  As this prosody is known as "the music of the language" this relationship pretty well sums it all up.  This is when it all comes together.

As I think about all of these aspects, I'm thinking (mostly seriously) that all children should have music education.  The benefits are so far-reaching.  At the very least, all children should be provided with high-quality early education that includes a music and movement component.  Just my two cents!

Misty 

"Green Eggs and Ham" Activities for Multiple Intelligences

Dr. Seuss’s birthday is coming up next week.  To honor his birthday (and to celebrate “Read Across America Day” on March 1), I decided to put together a series of activities based on his classic “Green Eggs and Ham”.  The activities are designed for multiple intelligences to provide something that will, hopefully, appeal to any student.  

So, back to “Green Eggs and Ham”.  It’s such a great book.  It appeals to everyone from pre-readers to young readers and even old folks like me.  It is written with only 50 different words (so that Dr. Seuss could win a bet with his publisher).  The language is simple and its rhyming, repetitive format makes it very predictable.  

While I have long extolled the virtues of this book, I forgot about the most important aspect of it.  It’s just a blast to read out loud.  Last week, I sat down and read the book with a student.  The rhyme, the rhythm, the repetition; it just flows.  We read back and forth, me reading most of it and my student providing the logical rhyming words.  It was quite simply, a thoroughly enjoyable experience for both of us.  

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss and, thank you.

Misty

Get the "Green Eggs and Ham" activities free by clicking for the Preschool version 

or the School-Age version

“Children's reading and children's thinking are the rock-bottom base upon which this country will rise. Or not rise. In these days of tension and confusion, writers are beginning to realize that books for children have a greater potential for good or evil than any other form of literature on earth.” ― Dr. Seuss