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Family is the most important Socialization!
by Wendy Roberts
This is my last article for awhile, I need to take
a break and focus on some other things but for my last article I wanted
to give you a piece of my heart.
When I first started this journey we call
homeschooling I was afraid. Ok that is an understatement, I was
TERRIFIED! Many homeschoolers had been put in my path and I was drawn to
that choice, but the fear was overwhelming at times. All the doubts that
swelled inside me, “But what about Junior Prom?” “What about math?”
“What about . . . .” You know all the questions and doubts because
unless you were homeschooled how could you not set upon this choice
without the unknown reaching out with tentacles of fear.
...read more
A dear friend whom I confided in about all these feelings
both those of a desire to homeschool and those of fear said “If you feel that
this is right for your children then you will have the help you need to be
successful.” Oh the peace and comfort her words have given me over the last 8
years.
So what have I learned that has quelled those doubts and
proven them false? First is Family is the most important socialization our
children can learn. Family requires us to learn love and service. It requires
us to learn loyalty and fidelity. Family requires us to learn forgiveness and
repentance and most of all Family requires us to learn work!
Your Family no matter what size, shape, or composition is
the perfect “school” for learning to be social. John Taylor Gatto in his book
“Dumbing us down” talks about sending a young Hispanic girl on a trip to the
city with her mom as the best way to help her learn. Her mother although she
could not speak English in Mr. Gatto’s opinion was the best teacher that child
could have. Obviously not a teacher of English because that is not what her
mother knew but of love and self worth no one can teach better than that
child’s own mother.
As a nurse in a children’s psychiatric hospital I learned
that family is foundational. As I was being trained I was being taught the
rules and discipline that the staff was to use with the patients. I mentioned
to the trainer that I had 3 children and knew about disciplining them. He said
“these kids are not like your kids”. Now since he had never met my kids I
didn’t know what he meant until later. Children who had been abused by
strangers were hurt, depressed, and in need of help. But those who had been
abused by family had broken foundations. They were unstable to the core and
had more needs for healing than seemed humanly possible at times. They didn’t
understand basic fundamental things like right and wrong, the golden rule and
self worth. They were truly broken. When I first arrived at the hospital
trying to learn all that I could to become better at my job I would search the
hospital records of these children who were so broken. Their stories were a
horror to me. All my thoughts about my parents mistakes and weaknesses were
put into proper perspective as I learned what horrible things could happen to
a child. I soon learned that the more bizarre a child’s behavior the less I
wanted to learn why.
You are your child’s best teacher. If you are not strong
in certain areas that can be found among experts outside your home but the
foundation no matter where your children go to school must be built by you!
Here are 2 lessons I think you can teach better than
anyone else:
- Self worth- Dr Jane Nelson says “Do they see your eyes light up when
they walk in the room?” Now this question is two fold do your eyes light up?
and second do they see it? These questions have caused me to change my
behavior a lot. A suicidal teen from my experiences working on a children’s
psych ward told me “It doesn’t really matter what you or the doctors think
about my worth, my mother thinks I am worthless so I must be.” No one can
make up for your messages to your child about their worth to you. I tell my
children often “I am so glad I am your mother”, “I am so lucky to be your
mother!” I know you think it, but the second part of the question is do they
see and know it? I believe the opposite of that teen’s question is “My
mother thinks I am worth more than anything else so it doesn’t really matter
what anyone else thinks.”
- Love of Reading- In Jim Trelease’s wonderful book “The read-aloud
handbook” he says “What is the single most important thing that parents can
do to interest children of any age in reading?. . . Read aloud to children.”
(pg 34) Reading aloud is something my teens beg to do even now, we have a
habit of reading aloud as a family each night and try to have a monthly
read-a-thon with pillows and blankets. In the same book Jim reminds us that
advertising for reading is what we are doing when we cuddle our children and
read aloud to them. “These are. . . the sustaining principles of
advertising: Promote the pleasures, downplay the unpleasures,. Every time we
read to a child, we’re sending a pleasure message to the child’s brain. . .
if a child never or seldom experiences the “pleasures” of reading and meets
only the unpleasures then the natural reaction will be withdrawl.” (pg 9)
Lastly I want to give you comfort, if you feel drawn to
this choice you will be helped along the way to succeed. It has been a great
way of life for our family and the best child rearing decision I have ever
made! You can do it!
Wendy Roberts is the homeschooling mother to 7
wonderful children. The Roberts family has been homeschooling for 8 years from
Atlantic to Pacific. Their most recent adventures in learning include working
on rank advancement for scouts, meal preparation and planning, and work is the
cure for summer boredom . Wendy is a new Usborne books supervisor you can shop
her website at
http://www.homeschoolingwithusborne.com . She is currently anxiously
awaiting the “arrival” of her first book co-authored with Tamra Norton
“Homeschooling a Houseful” due end of 2007. See her website at
http://www.homeschoolingahouseful.com for more information about
homeschooling large families or join her yahoo group for homeschooling a large
family at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschoolingahouseful/.
[ hide article ]
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Terrific Tips for Parents
Who Want to Teach their Child a Second Language
by Beth Butler
You realize the benefits of having a second language but do not know
where to turn or how to begin the process for your little one? You
recognize the fact that your child will need to speak more than just one
language in order to travel successfully through this global society of
ours? Read through the following second language learning tips provided
by a bilingual mom of three, educator of thousands
and leading expert on the subject.
...read more
Start the second language learning early! Experts agree –
the earlier, the better. Play language music CDs during the pregnancy. Talk to
your baby from the moment of birth – in two or more languages if possible. If
you and your family only speak one language, begin introducing a new language
with bilingual music CDs and DVDs when appropriate.
Repetition is the key for all your child’s learning.
Repeat! Repeat! Repeat!
From birth through age 10, many experts advise using the
native and the new language together in a side-by-side presentation (referred to
as a bilingual format). After the age of ten to twelve, total immersion is a
good option. Early in life, the bilingual approach is best for better retention
and higher self esteem for the child.
Find a bilingual language learning program/product for your
young child that incorporates these following components: visual cues, music
fun, beginning reading and verbal exchange.
Help your child enjoy the new language daily. How much is
enough you ask?
The following are some simple guidelines by age:
Infants should receive 10 minutes
of bilingual music fun each day.
Toddlers should enjoy 20 minutes
every day of bilingual board books, music and/or games. Preschoolers easily
learn with 30 minutes of fun bilingual DVDs, games and music each day.
Elementary school children should
be exposed to 45 minutes of music, movement and creative bilingual learning
tools daily.
Make learning the new language fun! Do not ever force it.
Avoid the, “If you don’t speak to me in xyz language I will not
answer you.” This approach only causes tension and rebellious actions.
Gently guide your child into the new language journey.
Show a high level of confidence. Smiling usually works best!
If your home language is Spanish, do not agree to an
immersion program of English only for your child under the age of 10. The “sink
or swim” mentality does not work for little children. Young children need the
comfort of their native language and connection to their heritage to maintain a
high level of self-confidence and desire to continue speaking in their native
language while learning a most difficult language at the same time.
If your Spanish-speaking child is learning English, do not
listen to school staff members who suggest you give up speaking your native
language at home. The myth that your children will be language delayed or have
a language disorder is just that – a myth. In fact, bilingual children will
ultimately speak both languages better, read sooner and score higher on
standardized tests’ math and verbal sections (not to mention experience better
opportunities later in life).
Show your child that you respect other cultures and value
the ability to speak other languages by attending multi-cultural events
revolving around dance, music, food and the arts of other cultures and people.
Be patient! Have fun! Even if your child may not be
verbalizing the new language right away, remember that repetition is the key to
learning. Your child’s brain is processing the new language – wiring it for
future use. Your child is getting a strong foundation for later language
learning.
Beth Butler is a bilingual educator of young
children and strives to prepare our young children for a very global society.
She is the founder of the internationally acclaimed BOCA BETH Program
that introduces children ages birth – ten to Spanish as a second language. The
BOCA BETH Program and its fun and easy-to-use bilingual products were
recently awarded Learning Magazine 2007 Teachers’ Choice Award for the
Family & Best Educational Product of the Year (2006 & 2005) –Parent to
Parent/Adding Wisdom Award.
To sample this fun, integrated bilingual product
line for free visit
www.bocabeth.com.
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The Fear of Tears
by by
Naomi Aldort Ph.D.
Q: My
nine-year-old daughter is jealous and refuses to understand our response
to her younger brother’s needs. He cries when I leave with her; he
doesn’t want to stay with his dad. We take him with us but she is upset.
Yesterday we interrupted our visit with friends because he cried and
wanted to go home; it was too much for him. She cursed and whined. She
calls him “King James,” and wallows in self-pity. How can I help
her accept her brother’s needs, and how can I help my son be less needy?
...read more
A:
I understand your inclination
to prioritize your crying son. Yet, your daughter is also crying, only without
tears. You cannot change how she feels; instead you may want to understand
her. Any time we try to oppose a child’s feeling or behavior, we miss our own
lesson; our children shed light on what we cannot see or hear on our own. When
you follow your daughter instructions, the issue will be resolved for both
children.
This difficulty arises when we believe that
something is wrong with crying and that tears are to be stopped or prevented.
No matter how much we try to meet our children’s needs, they do experience
frustrations and wants that cannot always be fulfilled. They can handle
natural life experiences but, sometimes, we cannot handle our feelings about
their feelings.
Children can become powerful in the face of
reality if we don’t rush to stop their tears with quick solutions,
compensations or distractions. They can handle not getting what they want
(outside of basic needs) when we are responsive to their feelings. Responding
to feelings does not mean getting rid of them by supplying the impossible or
by compensating or distracting. Instead it means listening, validating and
understanding. Sometimes the wish can be granted, other times it cannot. The
child can handle it, if you don’t fall apart.
Children become needy and dependent when they learn to fear emotions and to
expect their magical parents to shape reality for them. Yet, true power,
freedom and joy do not come from having whatever one wants, but from the
ability to find joy in whatever shows up.
Any time you wish your daughter would feel other than the way she feels, you
are missing the guidance that will solve your dilemma. Stop yourself and
reconsider: You want your daughter not to be jealous, you want her to
understand that her brother’s needs come first when he cries. This is
impossible! Her way of being is the proof of the only way she can be. Instead
of trying to fix her, listen.
Failing to live up to your expectation, your
daughter may be in great pain and confusion. She does not see the reason why
her brother’s need overrides hers. She has not adopted the belief that tears
are something to avoid or to stop at all costs. She only observes that
avoiding tears is more important than she is, or that her brother is the
priority. She could start crying too and test your philosophy, but she stays
true to herself. Unwilling to compromise her own integrity, she tells you that
you are missing her while caring for her brother. Indeed, both children will
feel relieved when free from the tyranny of tears.
Search in your heart and find how and why your daughter is right. When you do
that, you love her unconditionally and you give yourself an opportunity to
grow as a parent and a human being. Our judgments of others are always lessons
for ourselves. She cannot change how she feels, but you can change how you
perceive tears and how you experience your children.
So search for your own wisdom: Do you really want your daughter to feel happy
while having to give up what she wants because her brother cries? Wouldn’t you
then be worried about her self-esteem? Her persistence indicates that she
knows how much you love her and that you will listen. She is right - you are
listening and searching for a solution by asking this question. Notice that
when you want her to be other than the way she is, you feel anxious and unable
to find solutions. Yet, it’s not even what you want. If you don’t expect your
daughter to understand your actions when she doesn’t, you may realize how
happy you are that she persists in telling you what she needs. You want her to
be how she is - authentically.
If you can plan your outing with your daughter at a time that your son is
engaged with a happy activity elsewhere, do so. But when not possible, give
him advanced notification, “Sarah and I are going for an hour or so this
afternoon and you and Dad will play at home.” If he cries, validate his
feelings, “I know you would prefer to come with us.” After you leave, dad will
validate his feelings and listen to his protest (if any is left). Most often
the child is actually overjoyed to stay with dad, and he only needs our clear
action to know that he can enjoy himself. Sometimes he may think that it would
please mom if he doesn’t want her to leave, or he may be caught in other
confusions, which are resolved with our clear and peaceful action.
The same with your visit with friends. You are asking your friends and your
daughter to cut the visit short for the sake of one child. Why not empower
your son to make peace with being there, or discuss it with the others and
find a solution that satisfies everyone? It is scary for your son to have
power over other people. He doesn’t want it. Power over others is really
helplessness and dependency; getting what he wants at the expense of another
is not the lesson you are trying to pass on. He wants power over himself,
which comes with the ability to move with reality and not against it.
I am not suggesting “an answer” but a principle that is not rooted in a need
to escape from tears; otherwise no one has freedom since all three of you are
simply the victims of tears. Indeed, your daughter is just as capable of
making peace with the reality of going home earlier or including her brother
in an outing occasionally. Often the children themselves will solve the
problem or a family meeting will bring good will or creative solutions.
Allowing tears to be, but not to dictate, the children have freedom to find
kind solutions.
A mother who consulted me by phone about a similar difficulty said, “But I
cannot refuse my child when he cries In fact, I always say to my children that
if someone is so sad as to cry, we take care of him first. Isn’t that teaching
compassion?”
I invited her to explore her
thought and asked, “Are you sure that your child shouldn’t cry?”
“I think I do believe that,” she
responded.
“Yes,” I said, “And how do you
feel when he cries and you believe that he shouldn’t?”
“I feel anxious, panicked, and I
rush to fix everything.”
“Yes,” I said, “we act based on
our thoughts, even if they aren’t valid. Can you be sure that your child
shouldn’t cry?”
“No,” she said, “obviously he
does cry often.”
“How would you respond to your
crying child whose need cannot be met, if you didn’t have the thought that he
shouldn’t cry?”
“I would feel peaceful about the
crying and hug him.”
“That’s unconditional love. When you act from your own anxiety you don’t
really respond to the child’s need because you are too occupied with your own
need to have him be happy all the time. When you love the child as he is, you
notice a need for a hug, validation and understanding. Sometimes a specific
solution may arise, other times a good cry with a hug is all that is needed
for the child to feel powerful and capable of embracing reality.”
Two weeks later this mother told me that since she had stopped devoting
herself to making her son happy all the time, he had became much more
confident, assertive and happy. He doesn’t use tears to manipulate, and
instead he asks for what he wants. He cries a lot less (naturally) and when he
does, she is there for him.
Many of us learned the lesson, “If I cry or if I am miserable enough, I can
get whatever I want.” We are familiar with feeling like a victim, and thinking
that our happiness depends on someone who would rescue us from our miseries.
Instead of raising a child to expect a life in which reality shapes itself for
him (impossible), and in which he tries to change people to fit his dream
(hopeless), allow each child to experience that she has the power within her
to live with reality and to shape her own life.
The fear of tears often starts with the way we treat our babies. Many parents
wish to see their babies happy all the time - even when the baby wants to cry.
I know this sounds strange because the desire for another to be happy is
considered such a nice and caring thing. Yet, if your baby wants to express
sadness or rage over the many helpless and speechless moments of his life,
then your desire for him to be happy is, surprisingly, selfish. Does this mean
you are not a good parent? Absolutely not. Children are well designed to
withstand growing up side by side with their human parents. It is a learning
path, not a performance. You are always doing the best you can.
When we stop and prevent emotional expressions of sadness, fear, or anguish we
create what I like to call emotional constipation. The body and mind will find
another outlet for emotions, through stuttering, aggression, bed-wetting,
whining and other behaviors and symptoms we often consider normal in children.
I am not suggesting to create reasons for tears or to ignore your child or
baby’s crying. On the contrary, respond to all his needs, including the need
to cry. When he wants to change reality, notice how you are the source of his
world-view. When you model wanting to change how your daughter feels, your son
learns to want to be at home when he is not. When you want your son not to cry
when he cries, your daughter learns to want attention when she cannot get it.
Wanting what isn’t, always hurts and weakens us. Teach through modeling by
loving the way your children are, and you will respond in ways that empower
them and allow them to retain more of their emotional freedom.
Naomi
Aldort is the author of, Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves. Parents from
around the globe seek Aldort's advice by phone, in person and by listening to
her CDs and attending her workshops. Her advice columns appear in progressive
parenting magazines in Canada, USA, AU, UK, and translated to German, Hebrew,
Dutch, Japanese and Spanish.
Naomi
Aldort is married and a mother of three. Her youngest son is thirteen-year-old
cellist Oliver Aldort
www.OliverAldort.com
.
For more information:
www.NaomiAldort.com
or
www.AuthenticParent.com
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Make Your Home a Family Learning
Environment
by
Susan Jarema, Googol Learning
As parents, we are all teaching our children. We are raising them to
adulthood - to learn social skills,
to learn to read, to learn to think on their own, to love math, to learn
to problem solve, to be organized
and to keep a schedule. Your child is learning all the time - not just
when they are at school. ...read more
Family learning is about parents and children learning together.
Make learning part of everything you do. The list is endless:
playing games that combine math and reading, listening to
educational music, cooking together, explaining how things work,
looking up answers to questions and more. It is something all
family members can take part in and encourages working with your
child's teacher to see how you can complement learning at school.
Family learning also allows children to learn at their own
speed and interest. For example, a parent working individually
with their child to build math skills has the opportunity to
follow the child's own natural curiosity and explore new topics.
Learning can, and should be, a fun part of your time spent
together.
Start by finding something that the whole family can learn -
history, music, art, maybe a new language. How about re-learning
the math you forgot? Parents will have fun as they learn along
with their children. Family learning is rewarding for everyone.
Family members spend quality time together and parents are able to
take part in their child's education. Parents will also gain an
understanding of their child's learning style, which can be
helpful when working with their teacher.
Schooling is only one of the many tools that help children on
their developmental journey. We parents are there to provide
support, overall guidance and to contribute what we can. With the
help of the internet and local libraries, we have information and
answers at our fingertips. It has never been easier for parents to
get involved. Take control of your child's education. Instill a
love for learning that will last a lifetime.
Susan Jarema is the founder of
Googol Learning and the
Crazy 4 Math
Contest. The Learning with Googol Power Website has many free
resources to inspire mathematics and family learning in your home through
music, games, stories and layered learning. Visit
www.googolpower.com for
more information on workshops, presentations, the award-winning Googol
Power Math Series and Discovery Multiplication Program.
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Go for Gold in the Scholarship Olympics
by Jean Burk
Let the games begin! Looking for scholarships can seem like a marathon.
The competition is fierce, but hard work can pay off in scholarship
gold. With the right knowledge and some persistence, students can put
themselves ahead of the game and bring home the prize in the way of
college money.
...read more
Finding college scholarships as a homeschooler is
not as hard as you may think. Begin looking at your local high school
guidance counselor’s office as well as in your own community. Local
organizations often have contests for area students who will represent
their companies well. And the fastest growing scholarship resource is
the internet with sites such as
www.fastweb.com
and
www.collegeNET.com.
Many are offered at the beginning of the school year and generally have
a deadline. Make sure you only apply for the scholarships that you are
qualified for.
On your contest application, be sure to convey who you are,
where you are going, and what you have to offer them (i.e., the contest giver,
the college). Make a good first impression with a concise and memorable
description of yourself. The judges may never meet you so it will be your
writing that will win the contest. Do not be afraid to brag a little on
yourself.
You should also enclose the following items in your
scholarship letter: a list of your volunteer work, extracurricular activities,
leadership positions, and awards received. Add several letters of
recommendation from teachers and employers. Attach a cheerful picture of
yourself so the judges can connect your face with your application.
Most scholarship contests require an essay. Make sure to
keep the topic positive and upbeat. Put yourself in the place of the judges and
ask yourself how they might feel after reading your paper. Read some previous
winning essays to help find clues to the judges’ preferences. Be as specific as
possible when asked about your accomplishments. Somewhere in your essay,
interject how you are a world-changer and a future leader who will represent the
contest well if chosen as the winner.
Winning scholarships can be within your reach. Finding
known and little-known contests and creating a stand-out application can make a
great team to help you triumph in your college financial goals. Victory can be
yours so good luck and go for the gold.
Jean Burk
is a local author and teacher who has successfully helped students raise their
SAT and PSAT/NMSQT scores as well as get FREE college. You may contact her at
jean@collegeprepgenius.com or visit her site at
www.collegeprepgenius.com
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Worms are Fun!
Recycling with Worms and Related Activities
by
Seth Prezant
Don’t eat fried worms! They are much better alive!
Worms consume and recycle
organic material. In this article you will see how easy it is to set up
and maintain your own indoor family or classroom worm bin. It’s
engaging, educational, fun, and
yes…creepy and crawly!
Your children will discover how to keep, feed and maintain worms while
having numerous (almost endless) related science projects throughout the
summer and way into the school year.
...read more
Keeping
a worm bin can strengthen children’s problem solving skills and scientific
methodology practice (even with young children). The end result of having an
indoor worm bin is harvesting the worm castings (the greatest natural
fertilizer).
Let’s
get started.
ORGANIC MATTER: Anything made of
living or once-living animals or plants. This can include paper, cotton socks,
hair clippings, eggshells, wooden rulers, dead animals, corn husks, and leaves.
IDEA: Have your children go around room and label items as organic or
inorganic. Discuss what things are made from and what makes it “organic”.
PEOPLE PRODUCE GARBAGE: Approximate
600 pounds of solid waste per year! An estimated 10%-20% is organic waste and
can be recycled into a rich source of nutrients for plants and trees using vermi-composting
(composting with worms!). IDEA: Chart how much garbage your
household/classroom produces per day, week, and year. How much of that garbage
is organic? Start weighing and keep track. What can your home/class do to
recycle or cut down on waste?
WORMS
EAT ORGANIC MATTER AND HELP PLANTS GROW:
Worms
eat and digest organic matter, burrow through the soil, and leave behind
castings (manure) – a super source of nutrients for plants and trees. This is a
SLOW-release, organic fertilizer, that will not burn plants.
Within
the gut of a worm, soil and decomposed organic material are mixed. The sand or
soil in the worm’s gut helps break down the organic particles and is mixed
together with microscopic bacteria, fungi, and mold. When the worm excretes the
castings (manure) the microorganisms in the castings add to the health of the
soil. They are all held together in a sheath that acts like a binder and
dissolves slowly over time as food for plants. Cool.
SOME
WORM FACTS:
No worm
diseases are communicable to humans
Worms
have no bones, eyes, arms or legs
Worms
are hermaphroditic – having the reproductive parts of both the male and female.
In the
wild, worms can consume up to their own weight in organic food every day.
Eisenia
fetida –the preferred composting worm, known as the red worm, is top feeder
staying less than 12 inches below the ground. Worms breathe through their skin.
Worms
need a great deal of moisture but can’t swim.
Worms
are nocturnal – and for a good reason. Direct sunlight can kill them in less
than three minutes.
The
first 1/3 of a worm’s body contains most of the vital organs – the rest 2/3 of a
worm are the intestines.
Salt is
harmful, even fatal to worms.
Worms can’t hear but they
respond to vibration, light, and temperature.
Adult
Red Worms have between 80-120 circular rings on it’s body.
Setae,
little hair-like legs help the worm tunnel, move and grip onto objects. Satae is
made from same thing as fingernails called chitin.
Worms
have 5 hearts (more to love!)
Worms
have a mouth but NO teeth. Repeat – NO TEETH!
The worm
produces enzymes which act as both insecticide and antibiotic for the worm.
These are passed on to the plants as they absorb the worm castings. Worms and
plants have a symbiotic relationship. DISCUSSION: What other animals have
a symbiotic relationship?
Read complete article with more info about setting up the bin and related
activities.
Have a
creepy crawly time learning about science, nature, recycling, ecosystems, and
discover cool and exciting things along the way!
Seth Prezant is the founder and Bugmaster of
www.CoolBugStuff.com
.
His award winning web site was created to help promote fascination and education
in science using nature’s most abundant creatures…Bugs! Seth is a true EEE
(Education & Entertainment Entrepreneur) providing educational and entertaining
nature shows for schools, camps, aftercare programs and home school groups all
around South Florida. The Bugmaster can be reached @
seth@coolbugstuff.com.
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TAGteach Without the Tagger?
by
Theresa McKeon
Evidence suggests that the sharp,
discernible sound of the tagger is a powerful tool for learning; but
what if the use of a tagger is unavailable or inappropriate? Can the
TAGteach methodology still be applied?
The answer is - you betcha!
There are several avenues to take when using the tagger is not an
option.
...read more
The
Focus Point
The first involves a special phrase that
informs the student that there is a single, specific, well defined goal, but
feedback will be verbal and not come from the tagger.
Preface the desired behavior with, “The focus
point is” instead of “The tag point is” and make clear to the student that you
may say “Yes” or “Good” when the goal is met, but the ‘tic tac’ sound of the
tagger is not part of this game.
For example, Sara and her daughter Katie are in
a doctor’s waiting room and decide to use this time to practice finding sight
words in a magazine. Mom holds the magazine open for Katie and tells her, “the
focus point is; point to the word, and”.
Katie scans the page and finds the word, and.
Mom says “Yes!”. Katie scans again and points to the word, ask. Mom says
nothing and waits for Katie to self-asses.
Katie looks at the word again. She sees
realizes the word she picked is incorrect and moves along the page until she
finds and points to the word, and. Mom says, “yes!”.
The criteria for a ‘focus point’ is the same as
a ‘tag point’. It is single, clear, appropriate goal that has a yes or no answer
and receives quick, positive feedback. The terminology change makes it clear
the student which kind of feedback to expect.
The Virtual Tag
The second option for tagging without the
tagger is a ‘virtual tag’. This is when you pretend to have a tagger in your
hand and imitate the motion of tagging while verbally saying “tag”. This style
of tagging is most often used to capture appropriate behaviors and is not
typically prefaced with “the tag point is”.
For example, six year old Jake takes off his
muddy shoes at the door in an obvious effort to keep the floors clean. Mom sees
this and immediately mimes the action of tagging and says “tag”. Jake
appreciates this acknowledgement of his housekeeping prowess and they both
smile.
One parent of a ‘tag-taught’ child told us of
memorable virtual tag moment. The four year old was dealing with an annoying
sore throat. Mom decided a small dish of ice cream would be soothing, even
though it was not ‘ice-cream Saturday’. As she handed over the cold treat, her
son managed a smile and said “tag Mommy!”
We invite you to join the TAGteacher discussion
group at
www.tagteach.com to meet others who are implementing TAGteach in various
disciplines and to see the list of upcoming TAGteach seminars. We will be in
Ottawa Canada in June.
©2007 TAGteach International, LLC;
www.tagteach.com
Theresa McKeon is a professional gymnastics
coach and co-founder of TAGteach International, LLC (www.tagteach.com).
With over 25 years
of practical experience, she has personally trained athletes from several
disciplines. Many of her students have attained national and international
competitive status, including Junior Olympic National gymnastic champions, and
the world and five-time National Aerobic Team champions. She holds Bachelor
Degrees in Theatre and Dance from Roger Williams University
in Bristol, RI.
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Learn Any Language Faster by Overcoming
this Obstacle
by Jim Sarris
Sounds too good to be true, right? Learning languages is difficult,
right? Well, you'll find that what's holding you back is not what you
think.
How difficult would it be to solve a problem in algebra if you only knew
addition? You guessed it, close to impossible.
Without the necessary skills to perform, you're lost....read more
Well, guess what? If you're struggling as a language learner, there's
a good chance you need a certain skill to help you move forward faster
and easier.
But I'm not talking about learning another tense or 20 more adjectives.
I'm not talking about more discipline or will power. I'm not even
talking about having more contact with native speakers.
If you have all the materials you need, and a great desire to learn,
then there's something else holding you back.
Do you know what that is?...Your mindset.
Your problem is you don't think you can do it. Whether you had a bad
experience in language class, or a terrible track record as a student,
or you believe others who say you're wasting your time, you are stuck.
You spend money on language programs, slave over the books and audios,
and then give up. Why? Because deep down you don't think you can do it.
You biggest obstacle is you ...and the way you think. The doubts, fears
and disappointments play tricks on your mind and you're unable to fight
back.
So, you're stuck in "No-Learning-Land." The language program goes in the
closet and your hopes go with it. Or worse still, you continue to study
but develop a hatred for languages that you never overcome.
Is there a solution? Of course. There are plenty of reasons why you can
learn.
One, maybe you're trying to learn with worksheets and boring stories.
Languages need to be alive and vibrant.
Two, maybe you're attention is on other topics and language is just an
intrustion. It takes you away from other subjects you're more interested
in.
Or three, maybe you're trying but haven't discovered the true secret to
learning. Here's a hint: if you don't believe you can do something then
you can't!
Your mind represents the missing link. With the right mindset, you can
learn anything. Without the right mindset, you're in big trouble.
Learn how to harness that power and your confidence rises, your results
improve and your desire for more increases. It's the only way to go.
Jim Sarris, author of Memory Skills Made Easy,
www.JimSarris.com
has a free report on his web site that talks more about memory problems students
have.[ hide article ]
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