Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Fun games for Halloween - parents at home, if a school bans Halloween Activities for children

Many school systems are trying to politically correct, and then ban Halloween activities for children during school hours. This leaves many parents searching for education, games, fun for Halloween but for home use. Parents would be free to look for games online, or purchase a fun Halloween activity book in a library or a downloadable eBook. Here are some ideas of the kind of educational games or activities are used to small children and enhance their capacities.



WordThe puzzles are always simple and provide recreational activities for children. They usually can also be used in cars, while in a waiting room or in a rainy weekend afternoon. word puzzles word searches would be variations based reordering words or creating words on a topic.

Mazes are always a big problem to solve tasks quickly and easily. labyrinths education can solve problems or to answer puzzles on the road, usually ends with a secret word orSentence.

math worksheets offer many opportunities for children Halloween activities with quality, fun exercises motivate students to practice skills and provide covered school. These spreadsheets can be a puzzle, riddle or a problem like Sudoku, but must use all the math skills of current to be effective.

must be used at home Writing family challenge others to write some stories of Halloween fun and interesting and share with everyone. Parents can motivateStudents will get some magazine writing with few complaints if they find some interesting and different calls.

quiz or trivia cards are always an engaging way to spend time with his family. The families at the dinner table or while riding in the car can alternately reading quizzes and trivia Halloween. Many of these promote problem solving and higher thinking skills, while children think they are just plain fun!

Commissionswith a Halloween theme to give the family a break standard form game that has all the time. Find Halloween party games that tap water in the resolve of the players at the school, math, vocabulary, problems make it even better.

Parents seeking education, but fun games for Halloween, will be better if they find one or two products that are engaged in quality over several grade levels. In this way, all children in the house can only be a resource, and it's getting new businessavailable for the coming years. It 'also important to ensure there are enough activities in each skill level, so that the resource can be used multiple times during the holidays.

If the school system in your area bans Halloween activities for children, and you happen to love the holiday, then find fun games for halloween at home using what you need. Parents are looking for an alternative to distribute sweets could also download some puzzles to escape on orange paper, rollwith a pretty bow and give it out to trick or treat!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Fun Games For Halloween - Parents Use at Home When the School Bans Kids Halloween Activities

Many school systems are trying to be politically correct and therefore ban kids Halloween Activities during school hours. This leaves many parents searching for educational, yet fun games for Halloween to use at home. Parents might search for free games on line, or purchase a fun Halloween activity book at a bookstore or find an downloadable eBook. Here are some ideas of the sorts of educational games or activities kids love and can be used to reinforce their skills.



Word Puzzles are always fun and simple activities to give children. They are generally individual so can be used in the car, while in a waiting room, or on a rainy weekend afternoon. Word puzzles would be variations on word searches, unscrambling words, or creating words based on a theme.

Mazes are always a great problem solving activity, quick and simple. Educational mazes might have problems to solve or riddles to answer along the way, generally ending up with a secret word or phrase.

Math worksheets provide many options for kids Halloween activities with quality, fun exercises that motivate students while giving extra practice on skills covered in school. These worksheets might be a riddle, puzzle or even a Sudoku type problem but they all need to use current math skills to be effective.

Writing prompts used at home will challenge the family to write some fun and interesting Halloween stories and share with each other. Parents can motivate the students to get some journal writing in with few complaints if they find some different and interesting prompts.

Brain Teasers or trivia cards are always an engaging way to pass time with the family. Families at the dinner table or while riding in the car can take turns reading brain teasers or Halloween trivia. Many of these promote problem solving and higher level thinking skills while the children think they are just having fun!

Game boards with a Halloween theme give the family a break form the standard games they use all the time. Finding Halloween board games that tap into school topics, math vocabulary, problems solving make it even better.

Parents searching for educational, yet fun games for Halloween will be better off if they find one or two products that have quality activities spanning several grade levels. That way all the children in the house can use just one resource, and there will always be new activities available for future years. It is also important to be sure there are enough activities at each skill level so the resource can be used several times during the holiday.

If the school system near you bans kids Halloween activities and you happen to love the holiday, then finding fun games for Halloween to use at home will be just the thing for you. Parents looking for an alternative to handing out candy could even run off a bunch of downloadable puzzles on orange paper, roll it up with a cute bow and hand it out for trick or treating!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The school is out, but as I keep my children involved, so do not forget your priorities?

Good question ...

Now I would say that his father taught as a professor three grown children 20 years and under Mathematics for 5.5 years, with a part-time college associates, there are lots of options.

Let me start that studies have shown that children begin their school year, retaining less information
when the school year ended. It 's amazing that with all the hard work, study and learn from August, the children until May / Juneactually start school with less retention of this information.

Part of it is that many students to stimulate your brain by learning during the summer months. Fill watch TV with their daily routine, work longer hours, holidays, hobbies, family vacation, staying up late, sleeping late, video games, etc.

What can parents do?

Well, just inform the school children home during the summer months (my sister at home
all three of itsChildren), have you tried these ideas?

Find out first what your child needs assistance or help with subjects. Maybe your child the results of their taks (Texas got in there is an end of the national examination for the conservation and understanding of a student of English, mathematics, science and social action). Students vote in all four subjects received a high school diploma. If you test its end of the course, ACT, SAT exams, the last witness took Lookwhich files are inside, perhaps worse, your child
did well, but are always looking accepted to school, have higher grades, want to take AP classes, etc.

Others Search the site for some free web resources in each of these subjects. I used to teach students a summer program in mathematics at a private school local school to middle school, called Middle School Math with puzzles. I want students first half, algebra and algebra concepts to introducewhile reinforcing the skills they have learned before, but use some puzzles and some Web pages that were fun educational games in mathematics and computer science. It made learning the concepts of "fun."

Use this as a punishment. In my years of teaching, I wish I had a dollar every time a student said he could not count because they were stupid or not good at math. I always believed that trying to believe in themselves and have a positive attitude. I enjoy mathematics, exciting and aboveWith regard to the real world (science, English, art, social sciences, engineering, etc.). I had a student a few years ago I hated math, but at the end of Algebra II, smiled and passed. Another student has left school and came a few months later and told me he had a 4.0 average in his classes in a nursing college, and because of that I had taught Algebra II.

The idea is to get extra help or tutoring should never be used as punishment or to minimizeYour
Child. When I was in the army, if something is not achieved for the first time, go back and look
in the task, processes, how you can practice better not to practice, practice, and again.

Such is life .. It is the reality, guess if it does not take math, science, social studies and English concepts, then, was sitting on the couch all summer complaining about the school will not help, next year.

Get help. Try some online sites. If youTheir textbooks, writing these words.

b. If you can not do it alone, to see if your community has some summer school programs that can check on Some are only a few weeks, and only a few hours a day.

c. Find a mentor who can help you. Perhaps you have another student in your area that can be invoked. Find a reputable company where you get tutor lessons in order to have the comforts of home (if you're at home) and work one by one with your child. I did thisexpected for several years, and I had to mathematical concepts in a hurry, then. I have a student of seventh class C and D's seen him do in algebra, geometry and algebra II The investment for your child really helps ... Believe me, you try your child may not work tutors. My daughter told me years ago after not understand the concept of cross wishing I was her math teacher ... to give the other, my two children, not like my boring, ask questions, etc. I don 't likeAnswers.

d. visit your local library .... Believe it or not to read some books in your field. Even books such as Math for Dummies, Idiot's Guide ', have a lot of good advice to help students, but will still be fun and understandable.

e. Back to the Library. Most banks have online data and samples. We have several tests that will take you to practice your act, SAT and other exams. Look at your local library and see if some are onlinePractice tests.

f. Take a summer course at a higher grade in the class, you will need. If your local school is a preparatory class for the beginning of the ninth grade students in algebra, then this might help.

g. video series ... Personally, as tapes and DVDs from the Standard Deviants. You can use the value of the concepts in an interesting way to cover entertainment. Check that the library will look at these resources.

h. Last but not least. There is a whole world of the Internetto obtain resources for help. I know some who have the taks practice questions, SAT Prep, etc.

I hope this helps .. It can not work with every student, but the idea is to keep them intellectually challenged and still learning all summer .... Jöhnk

Thursday, August 19, 2010

School Is Out, But How Do I Keep My Kids Involved So They Don't Forget Their Main Subjects?

Great Question...

Well let me say that as the father of 3 grown kids in their 20's, and having taught mathematics for 5.5 years, along with being a part time associate college professor, there are a lot of options.

Let me start off, that studies have shown that children start their next school year retaining less information
then when the school year ended. It is amazing that with all the hard work of studying and learning from August to May/June, that children will actually start school with retaining less of this information.

Part of it is that a lot of students do not stimulate their brain with learning during the summer months. They fill their daily schedules with watching tv, working more hours at jobs, parties,hobbies,family vacations,staying up late, sleeping late, video games, etc.

So what can parents do?

Well, short of home schooling your children throughout the summer months (my sister home schooled
all three of her kids), have you tried these ideas?

1. Find out what subjects your children needs help or assistance with. Maybe your child got the results of their TAKS test (In Texas, there is an end of year state test to measure a student's retention and understanding of English,Math,Science and Social Studies). Students have to have a passing grade in all 4 subjects in order to get their high school diploma. If they took their end of course exams, ACT, SAT Exams, even the last report cards, look at what subjects they did the worse in. Maybe your child
did fine, but they are looking at getting accepted in college, need higher grades, want to take AP classes, etc.

a. Look on the web for some free web resources in each of these subjects. I used to teach a summer school math program at a local private school for middle school students, called Middle School Math with Brain Teasers. I liked to introduce middle school students to pre-algebra and algebra concepts, while reinforcing the skills they already learned, but use some brainteasers and some websites that had fun educational games in math/science. It made learning the concepts "fun".

Don't use this as punishment. In my years of teaching, I wish I had a dollar every time a student said they could not do math because they were stupid or not good in math. I always believed in trying to make them believe in their self, and have a positive attitude. I made math fun , exciting and especially how it relates to the real world (science, english,art,social studies, engineering,etc.). I had a student a few years ago who hated math, but at the end of Algebra II, she was smiling and she passed. Another student left school and came back a few months later and told me she had a 4.0 average in her nursing classes in college,and that it was because of the Algebra II I taught her.

The idea is that tutoring or getting additional help should never be used as punishment or to belittle your
child. When I was in the Army, if something was not accomplished the first time, you go back and look
at the task, processes, what ways can it be improved, practice,practice,practice, and do it again.

Life is like that.. It is the reality that if you did not grasp the math,science,social studies or english concepts, then guess what, sitting on the couch all summer complaining about school, will not help you next year.

Get some help. Try some online websites. If you have your textbooks, review those concepts.

b. If you can not do it on your own, see if your community has some summer school programs you can check into. Some are only for a few weeks, and only a few hours a day.

c. Find a tutor who can help you. Maybe you have another student in your neighborhood who can be trusted. Find a reputable tutoring company where you can have a tutor come to the comfort of your home (when you are home) and work one on one with your child. I did this for several years, and I had to reteach math concepts. I have seen a 7th grade student with C's and D's make A's in Algebra, Geometry and Algebra II. Making this investment for your child really helps...Believe me, trying to tutor your child may not work. My daughter told me years ago, after she did not understand the concept of slopes, that she wished I was her math teacher...On the other hand, my two sons, did not like my drilling,asking questions, etc. I don't like to give answers.

d. Visit your local library....Believe it or not, check out some of the books in your subject area. Even books like Math for Dummies, Idiot's Guide for ???, have a lot of good tips that will help your student, but yet make it fun and understandable.

e. Back to the Library. Most have online databases and sample tests. Ours has several tests that you can take to practice for your ACT,SAT,and other exams. Look at your local library and see if they have some online practice exams.

f. Take a summer course to get a higher grade in the class you need. If your local school has a prep class for beginning 9th grade students in Algebra, then this might help.

g. Video series...I personally like the tapes and DVDs from The Standard Deviants. They can cover a year's worth of concepts into a fun interesting way. Check to see if your library will let you check out these resources.

h. Last but not least. There is a whole world of internet resources for getting help. I know several that have practice TAKS questions, SAT prep, etc.

I hope this helps..It might not work with every student, but the idea is to keep them intellectually challenged and still learning over the summer....JohnK

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Keep Your Cognitive Ability Healthy By Helping With Your Kids' Homework

Every parent wants to help their child to do well in school. As you already know, helping your children with their homework is one of the most reliable ways to improve their academic performance. Things have probably changed quite a bit since you were in school yourself, but the basics will never really change - and by helping your children with their homework, you'll be exercising your own brain and improving your own cognitive abilities, not just your child's.

It may take you a little time to get back into the swing of things. Most likely, it's been a long time since you took algebra and if you're like most of us, you've forgotten much of what you learned. If you need to, follow along with the sample problems given in the book to refresh yourself so you can help your child with their work. You can check your child's math homework by doing the problems yourself independently. If your child comes up with a different answer, then help them work through the problem again until they find the right answer.

You can also improve your cognitive abilities while helping your children out with their English homework. You probably don't remember all of the grammatical rules you learned back then; most of us don't! You'll relearn this material quickly though and improve your own reading and writing skills even as you help your child improve theirs.

Once your children see how interested you are in their homework, they'll be more likely to come to you when they need help as well as being more motivated to get their homework done. Doing homework with your child can also be a family bonding experience; kids don't always feel comfortable asking their teachers for help, but they will come to you.

All too often though, parents aren't familiar enough with the material their kids are learning or are in need of a refresher to help them with their homework. Helping your kids with your homework helps them do better in school while giving you the mental workout you need to improve your cognitive abilities. If you have more than one child, you'll have your work cut out for you, since you'll have to learn what all of them are learning

You can get information which can help you help your kids online if you don't find your child's school books helpful. There are many websites which are devoted to helping parents to get back up to speed on these long-forgotten school subjects in order to help their kids. You can get in touch with your children's teachers if you're unclear about anything - explain that you're interested in helping your child with their homework and they'll be glad to assist you.

Best of all, you'll remember more of what you learn now that you're doing it for the second time. You'll have more background knowledge and some skills you didn't have as a child. You'll gain a new perspective on this old coursework; you'll know just what your kids are doing and how long it should take.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

How to Deal with Teasing at School

It inevitably happens to everyone. Some more than others.

Whether it's because you wear big glasses, you're not wearing the coolest clothes, you're too tall or too short or big or too small - teasing is a timeless "activity" that never goes out of style (unfortunately).

So, how do you deal with it without having to resort to physical violence?

Here are a couple of tips that I've learned:


Walk away. When kids, teens or even adults tease one another, they do it because they want to get a reaction out of you. They enjoy seeing you squirm, get upset and feeling bad about yourself.

Mostly they do it so they can make themselves feel better by making others feel bad about themselves. (yes, I do feel sorry for those teasers).

When the teasers begin to find that their teasing no longer affects you, no longer gets a reaction out of you, they inevitably stop (and most likely move onto another target). It's no longer fun for them.

So, don't give them what they want. Don't react, just walk away and ignore them.

I've found that tip #1 works the best, but what if you can't walk away? What if they corner you in and you can't push your way out? Firstly, I would keep with ignoring them. Stand there with a straight face (as if you're waiting for the silliness to stop).

If that doesn't work?

Scream and yell "Help!" - bring as much attention to the teasers as you can. If you're on school grounds there should be monitors and teachers around that should hear you and come to help.

If you're off-school grounds, I would yell "Fire!". If you yelled fire on school grounds, you may end up getting yourself in trouble so I would reserve this for off-school grounds.
These two tips are what I've found to work. Of course, each situation is different. Each person is different.

If you or your child is being teased at school or outside of school, talk to your child and tell them that they don't have to face this problem alone. Seek professional help, by no means should you take these tips as concrete advice but I hope it gives you a starting point.

Speak to the parties involved. Speak to teachers and principles as they have a responsibility to create a safe and comfortable learning environment.

There may also be a need to involve the teaser's parents as well. As they have a responsibility for the behavior of their child.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

How to deal with teasing at school,

Inevitably happens at all. Some more than others.

That great because you wear glasses, you are not the most beautiful dress, you're too big or too small or too big or small - no kidding time "activities" that never goes out of fashion (unfortunately).

So as you can manage without resorting to physical violence?

Here are some tips I learned:


walk. When children, youth and adults tease each other, they dobecause they want a reaction from you. Enjoy your visit wind upset and feeling bad about themselves.

Usually they do so they can be heard better from other bad feeling about themselves. (Yes, I'm sorry for those teaser).

As you get to see the teaser to their teasing does not interest you, is no longer a reaction from you, stop inevitably (and most likely move to a different purpose). It is no longer funnyfor them.

So do not give them what they want. Do not answer, just go away and ignore them.

I found that tip # 1 best works, but if you can not go away? And if in the corner, and you can not escape? First I would like to keep ignoring them. There with a straight face (as if he expects to stop the stupidity) are.

If this does not work?

Shouts and yells "Help!" - Teaser carry, how much attention toas you can. If you need to be monitored at the school and teachers would hear around you come and help.

If you are off campus, I would yell "Fire!". If you yelled fire in the school, you may end up alone in trouble, so I make this for off-campus Reserve.
These two tips are what I found to work. Of course, every situation is different. Everyone is different.

If you or your child is teased at school or outsideSchool to discuss the baby and tell them they can not manage this problem alone. Seek professional help, in any case these recommendations as practical advice, but I hope that gives you a starting point.

Make the parties involved. Talk with teachers and principles as they have the responsibility to create a safe and comfortable learning environment.

You may also imply the need for parents as well as teaser. When you have a responsibility for the conduct of theirChild.