Do You Know What Your Child's Reading Level Is?

   
 We want our children to read, read, and read...but how do we know if we are selecting books that match our child's reading level?? When our children are reading we want them to be reading at a level that does not cause them to become frustrated, but one in which the right level of challenge and ease exists. The purpose of daily reading is to build confidence and a joy for reading...so the more we understand about our child's reading level the better . Many schools now use Lexile measures to determine an individual's reading level and how well they will comprehend the text. There are two types of Lexile measures: the Lexile reader measure and the Lexile text measure. A Lexile reader measure is a score from a reading test that identifies a student's reading ability. A Lexile text measure refers to the book's reading difficulty (level). The books level is determined by the Lexile Analyzer software.
If you know your child's Lexile level then you can visit the following site to select books that fall in their range:  http://www.lexile.com/findabook/.   Another excellent source to find the Lexile level of books is the The Teacher Book Wizard.  However, if  you are not sure of your child’s Lexile level, you will be able to figure out your child's approximate reading level by visiting Barnes and Noble's Lexile Reading Level Wizard.  The Lexile Wizard from Barnes and Noble will estimate your child's Lexile level and also generate a list of books.
    Dr. James Kim, a Harvard University Professor, conducted more than a decade of research and found that a primary reason that children do not read enough during the summer is the difficulty of finding books at their reading level and of interest to them.  He states that. "Young people have to want to read a book and they have to be able to read it." His research found that a child's reading abilities can actually grow over the summer when they read high-interest books in their Lexile range. If you would like to read more of his research click here. I hope that the tools noted above will assist you in helping your child reading abilities to grow by leaps and bounds. 

The Question is..."Have You Tried Anything New This Summer? The New School Year Is Right Around The Corner

     This week I had to run into our local Walmart seveal times and noticed  my first "back to school" display of the summer being assembled....new crayons and all! After my initial shock of the realization that my summer vacation is half way over I thought to myself.....wait I haven't finished everything on my "summer to do list".   I went home and started reviewing my list of things that I wanted to do this summer.  I did read three books on my list....2 for pleasure and 1 for professional development, but I still have about 5 more that I want to read.  I always have more books to read than time.  I am still trying to figure out how to work my ipad 2 and Adobe Photoshop...but hey I started.  I even have sewn several things for my daughters...not to bad.  So, my question is ..." Have you been able to check off somethings off your list of things you wanted to do this Summer?"  (I am not referring to the clean out my drawers and closets list:)

     So, if you happen to be looking for something new to try before school starts in a couple weeks check out a couple of the new educational tech resources.  When you return to school you will be able to show off and of course share your new resources and skills with your peers.

Google Maps...awesome resource for teachers...especially for Social Studies

Maps are obviously useful for Social Studies teachers, but recently when I attended a Digital Literacy Workshop I was introduced to the idea of using the multimedia maps to create stories. As a teacher you can build background for a story by using Google Maps and Google Earth by plotting points on a map and one could even add notes, pictures, and video clips to each placemark.  After your students have enjoyed you using the multimedia maps to enhance literacy they will be motivated to begin creating stories of their own using these resources.  Check out Google Lit Trips for more information about incorporating Google Maps and Google Earth into your lesson.

     Yummy Math is a site that was created for sharing math problems that could arise from real world situations. The activities found at this site are arranged by mathematics subject areas and chronologically. The following is just one example of a problem one would find at this site:

       The NBA Finals are here again and the Dallas Mavericks will be playing against Miami's Heat. In Brian's latest investigation, he has asked students to study the frequency of teams making the finals with data given as a pie chart and questions of comparisons. He has asked student to produce data given average; create a bar graphs; use data to create a Venn Diagram; and construct percentages and odds of teams being in the finals.

Try these two out and let me know what you think and I would love to hear from you....share some of your favorite sites with us!!

Excellent Online Literacy Game Resources For Parents and Teachers to Use With Their Students

I hope your children find these online games fun and entertaining....not to mention educational!  I thought I should share these Online Literacy Games sites since the weatherman forecasts intense heat nationwide and drenching rain where I live.  I hope these help your children beat the boredom blues and  retain their academics from last school year.

PBS~Zoom

pbskids.org/zoom/activities/playhouse/

 
PrimaryGames/
/www.ww
www.primarygames.com

Many, many different choices for the children to choose from...not only literacy games but many other academic areas are addressed.

www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/games/
Many games to choose from for your children.  Many of the games use popular book characters in the games on this site.  There are also many other intersting things to do on this site...author interviews, videos, updates on new books for kids, and this is created to draw in the kids.

STORYLINE
www.storylineonline.net/
Grades K-6 Free.  Some favorite children's books read by famous actors. This is such a neat site numerous famous actors read aloud popular stories for children.  Some of the titles you will find on this site are...The Rainbow Fish, Harry The Dirty Dog, Stellaluna, The Night I Followed The Dog, A Bad Case of Stripes, and Brave Irene....just to name a few.

ict games  www.ictgames.com/literacy
This site provides educational ICT activities linked to the English National Curriculum.  Numerous beginning reading games and several writing game activities.  Scroll down a bit to about the middle of the page and then you will see the different game choices.

Kindergarten Readiness....Thoughts On Preparing For The Big Transition

     The excitement is building as we enter into the month of July as we prepare our children for the big transition from preschool to kindergarten this Fall.  Trust me I know...we aren't just feeling excitement but most likely feeling a little bit of anxiety and nostalgia mixed together as our little ones are about to step into their kindergarten classrooms.
     Kindergarten readiness....what does it really mean?  Automatically, academic skills and concepts pop into our minds and yes they are certainly a part of preparing.  However, there’s much more to preparing for kindergarten than academics. I cannot promise that there won’t be any hiccups during their transition, but there are some proactive things that you can do this summer to prepare your child to be successful -emotionally, socially, and academically..   
Oral Communication
     Talk with you child ...point things out and ask your child questions. Teach your child the correct names for everyday items.  Encourage them to speak in complete sentences when answering your questions.  A main goal should be for your child to use language to express their needs and wants. Take advantage of  every opportunity to build vocabulary. A great time to work on vocabulary is in the car.  Researchers have found that a strong vocabulary is a major indicator in a child's academic success.
Fine Motor Skills
     Practice buttoning, buttons and zipping, zippers. Practice opening and closing sweaters, coats and   jackets. Practice tying shoelaces. Go ahead and be a little messy at home and create crafts that allow you child to use scissors, glue, paint, and other art materials.  This will help them to use their school supplies with relative ease when school starts. Model how to grip a pencil, crayon, or marker correctly (with the thumb and forefinger supporting the tip).
 Practice Writing & Recognizing Name
     Help your child recognize and print their name. When practicing with your child remember to use a capital for the first letter only. Your child will be very proud to share with their teacher that they can print their name.
Get Counting
     Practice counting objects and counting aloud to 20. Keep it simple... give your child jobs like counting out plates, silverware and napkins are good practice. Allow them to Sort laundry into different colors this helps establish the concepts of same and different.
Encourage Independence
     Work on developing independent bathroom behavior.....pulling up pants, zipping& buttoning clothing, and cleaning themselves. Practice flushing the toilet and washing hands.This will help your child feel comfortable and confident when beginning school.  Also, show your child how to open their backpack and lunchbox...this can be difficult for many children.  They will feel better having practiced at home  using their new supplies before the first day...and don't worry they will practice this more at school.
Provide Opportunities to Spend Time With Other Children
     Try to provide times in which your child will be able to work and play in group settings.  This will help your child to begin to gain a sense of expectations and the give and take of playing with others.  Also, playing simple games and practicing taking turns at home will help your a child develop their social/behavioral skills.
     Keep in mind that getting ready for kindergarten doesn’t have to be the main focus of your family's summer. Allow your child to play and enjoy the summer...do not force or drill skills because this can cause anxiety and stress. However, taking time to familiarize your child with their school and educating yourself on what modern kindergarten is all about ensure a smooth transition.

Coming soon....I will share some good books to read together before school starts to help prepare them for Kindergarten.

Top Notch Educational Apps for Your Children

The ipad and iphone have definitely altered the way we interact with the web, how we read, and how our children are learning and entertaining themselves. As parents and teachers we are constantly looking for new and engaging games to enhance learning opportunities.  Below are just a few that I ran across recently.  These games are awesome because our children are able to learn at their rates using an innovative mode that reaches into their world.  I will post more on the blog as I find more apps.... here are just a few:

TouchyBooks for Kids

Price: Free
Age: 1 -11 years old
This application is an interactive book store for children that allows them to choose from a collection of children's stories. This app has an average of a 4 star rating        from purchasers.  TouchyBooks is a unique and engaging app that will draw your children into Literacy.

 Simon Says
Price:  Free
Age:  Kids of all ages
This is an innovative spin off of the classic game we played as kids.
 A classic vocal memory game for kids of all ages. Simon Says features many different levels in an engaging, fun, intuitive and educational turn based Simon Says game. Excellent for memory skills and learning patterns.

Math Bingo
Price:  .99
Age: 5-10

Math Bingo has been ranked as #1 educational app for 3 weeks straight! The object of Math BINGO is to get a pattern of five BINGO Bugs in a row by correctly answering math problems. You can choose from 4 different games:  addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division at three different levels (easy, medium, and hard).


 

 Stack The States
Price: .99
Age: elementary school aged
Voted Best Kids App for iPad! - 2010 Best App Ever Awards
Voted Best Educational Game App - iEAR.org
Stack the States makes learning about the 50 states exciting! The states will come to life with the vivid colors and the awesome game. This app will all you or   your child to learn state capitals, shapes, geographic locations and more.

Get Ready Teachers~ For These Engaging Digital Resources

     I came across this interesting blog tonight as I was browsing the Internet - Teaching With Soul. I was searching for information on using digital resources in the classroom and ran across this blog that is offering "New Teacher Boot Camp"  ...she is doing a free professional development series focusing on Web 2.0 tools for new teachers.  However, I think since most of us are "digital immigrants" it could apply to anyone that is a teacher. Here is a little bit from her recent blog entry...

     "Over the five-week workshop, participants will learn about one new tool a week, then they’ll do some practice lessons before developing their own. As a group, participants will also be able to brainstorm ways to integrate these tools into the classroom in creative and engaging ways.
Who doesn’t love Summer Camp, right? OK…well maybe some of our summer camps weren’t fun, but this one is going to be a blast! What could be more fun then joining hands and walking through the how to use great educational tech tools to support learning with enthusiastic teachers? And…You won’t even need to pack the sunscreen! So…I designed this boot camp and want you to join me, or help me spread the word to all the new teachers you know that could benefit from this experience. (You don’t need to be on Twitter to participate, BUT…it will add to the fun!) By the end of the camp, participants will have a lot of great first-hand exposure to some new tools, plus a whole repertoire of projects to use in their classroom."   from teaching with soul.  So, I am helping spread the word by sharing this information with you.
Check out the topics she is covering:

New Teacher Boot Camp Schedule:

July 5, 2011: Using Wordle in the Classroo
 July 12, 2011: Using Voicethread in the Classroom
July 19, 2011: Using Storybird in the Classroom
July 26, 2011: Using Wetoku in the Classroom
Aug 2, 2011: Using Blogs in the Classroom

Here is the link for registration if you are interested..I know it already started but the other topics look great:)
http://www.edutopia.org/new-teacher-boot-camp

Please comment and let me know what you think if you check out this professional opportunity;)