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The 3 C's of Motivation
by Wendy Roberts
How do you get your children motivated?
As many parents have had to wonder at one time or another with even the
most cooperative of children, how do you motivate your children to do
what you know is good for them? Eat your veggies, do your math, and
clean your bedroom are all sources of this battle. .
...read more
We are not talking about forcing our children for that
only encourages rebellion. We are not into taking our children’s freedom to
choose from them but into encouraging them through education and patience to
decide on their own to discipline them selves to do these things.
The first C of motivation is CONSISTENCY. When you change
the rules of the game on them expect resistance- for at least 3 weeks. That is
how long it takes for a new habit to be formed. Now the fiercest battle will
be the first 3 days and most children except the deeply stubborn ones will
give up and follow you. But if you slack off or have excuses in your life why
you didn’t follow up you will be starting over as far as they are concerned
and it may even fuel the rebellion fire.
Let’s talk about an example. You are sick and tired of
the condition of your son’s room. He is old enough and you have trained him
sufficiently to clean it. You decide you will be requiring him to clean it in
order to go anywhere. The first day he quite frankly doesn’t believe you. He
thinks this is just another of mom’s storms that will pass if he just rides it
out. So he half heartedly picks up a few things and quits. You have not
thought much about it but just went in fed up and started throwing around
ultimatums. And guess what in two days you have a coop that he needs to do a
presentation on and his room is not clean and you take him anyway.
There are several consistency problems with the above
situation.
1. You set the consequence when you were emotional
2. You set a consequence without weighing whether or not you could be
consistent with it
3. You gave in on the 2nd day
So let’s change the situation.
You are sick and tired of the condition of your son’s
room. He is old enough and you have trained him sufficiently to clean it. You
think of all the consequences you can. You discuss in a calm and appropriate
manner your concern with out anger or frustration. You decide he will lose the
privilege of the computer in his room unless it is clean. This is something
you can take away and keep consistently. He can use your computer for school
if necessary so there will be no excuse to go back on the punishment.
Consistency requires you to really plan in order to
succeed. You can’t just go off emotionally either in exuberance for the new
school year, or upset in the heat of a moment and make big plans that you
can’t possibly keep. You must allow for the emergencies and changes in plan
that are inevitable and must plan for them but also come right back to the
plan at the first available time. If your plan is to have school from 9-12 but
you have a doctor appointment that you can’t reschedule at 10 then that next
day without fail you must be back on schedule and planning on resistance
because of the lack of consistency though not your fault that will surely come
because of it.
The second C is Currency. What is it that motivates your
child? Playing with friends, things they are passionate about learning, alone
time with a parent are all things that motivate some of my children. This
requires some real getting to know who your child is and what makes them tick.
It requires you to understand them and hear them.
If math is a problem at your house—then you can think of
ways to improve your math time by tying math lessons to something your child
is already interested in. For example my son loves art and by learning about
how Leonardo Divinci used math in his art we had some great lessons on math.
The last is compliment. Most of us get caught up in the
problems. We get focused on what is not going well in our homeschools. We
start blowing up the weaknesses all out of proportion and can’t see all the
good we are doing. One book I was reading recently talked about it being like
an iceberg and how the small part you can see at the top being like the things
that are going wrong but underneath the surface is this giant part that is
going right. We need to focus more on what is going right for although there
are things we need to improve focusing on them only causes more things to go
wrong.
There have been many studies of behavior and they have
found that people don’t change when criticized. People don’t change when
confronted with their weaknesses. People only change when they are
complimented on what they are doing right. When you start noticing the right
they are doing they are able to start working on the things that need
improvement.
We must look for the right that our children are doing
and applaud them for it. We must make sure that there are many times through
out the day that we rejoice in their successes.
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 in depth
research on the anthill in the yard, Mock Trial competition preparation, and
reading The Anatomy of Peace. 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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Nailing the College Interview
by Jean Burk
A student’s entire future can hinge upon the success of the college
interview. Those thirty minutes could be the difference between Harvard
and a community college, or scholarships versus student loans. An
applicant’s potential can be determined by just this one meeting.
Preparation is of the utmost importance. Students can lessen the
stress and heighten the success of their college interview by knowing
some simple guidelines....read more
Appearance is key. Attire, neatness, and attitude
are the first things noticed by an interviewer. Dress modestly. Shower,
iron your clothes, and use light cologne. Be confident and greet the
interviewer with a firm handshake. Always look him or her directly in
the eye. Be in control. If a question throws you off-guard, never lose
your cool.
At the interview, have your personal file with you, even if
the school already has access to these important documents. Bring any finished
projects relating to your proposed field of study. (If you are interested in
journalism, bring published articles from your school newspaper or writing
samples.) Include a smiling picture of yourself with these documents; this
keeps your face on the mind of the interviewer long after you have left.
Be ready to answer a range of questions. Topics may
include current events, literary works, and influential people in your life. Be
descriptive. Answer with a paragraph, not just a single sentence. Always be
honest, even if that means admitting ignorance. A unexpected question might ask
you to describe your favorite ice cream flavor and how it represents you. Don’t
let the interview become a one-sided conversation. Have questions prepared for
the interviewer. Most importantly, hold a mock interview beforehand and
practice with possible questions.
Prepare by researching the school’s campus life, classes
and atmosphere. During the meeting, speak as if you are already planning to
attend their college. (E.g., “When I go here, I’m going to join the newspaper
and run for student government.”) If the interviewer fails to notice some of
your best assets, feel free to bring them up. These might include your SAT
score, your G.P.A., community service, and leadership skills.
Hopefully, at the end of the interview you will hear, “I
think you are a good match for this school.” Don’t be surprised if the
interviewer keeps silent. Most colleges’ follow-up the interview by sending
their answer in the mail. Be sure to send a thank you note to the person who
interviewed you. He will probably keep it next to the picture of your smiling
face.
Jean Burk
is an author, teacher and speaker. You may contact her at
Jean@collegeprepgenius.com or for more college prep tips or raising SAT
scores , visit
www.collegeprepgenius.com
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Why Danny Doesn't Share
by
Naomi Aldort Ph.D.
Q:
Our neighbor's child happily shares everything but our children don’t
share. They don’t share with
each other either and every piece of cake
becomes a fight. How can help them see the gift in
sharing? ...read more
In one
of my workshops a mother summed up her childhood experience of sharing
by saying, “Every time I got a candy I had to share it with my sister.
Mom said it was nice to share but I was sure it was bad because I was
always left with half the candy.”
Whether
sharing a cake, toys or the use of the slide, the result of adult directed
sharing often leaves a child with a sense of loss or a diminished experience and
not with joy. Children’s authentic generosity shows up in areas that we often
don’t notice or don't approve of. For example, when we were hosting homeless
people, my children asked why we don’t let them stay with us for good. Children
also assume that food in every home is for everyone; they take and give it
freely; they share clothes and beds easily, they love giving gifts, hugs and
love notes. Children are generous and they also like to keep certain personal
things and experiences to themselves, just like adults. Therefore, in this
column I will use the word “sharing” to describe what adults wish that children
would share.
There are
children, like your neighbor, who seem happy to share. This can shake your
confidence in yourself as a parent. However, you did nothing wrong. With rare
exceptions, children who share everything “happily” are doing so to please their
parents and live up to expectations. The mother who recalled hating to share
never told her parents how she felt. When sharing her candy, she experienced
being “a good girl,” not an authentically generous one.
It does not
take long for children to discover the cultural code, “I am what I have.”
This lesson is spelled out everywhere, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive,
the homes we dwell in and the financial intent behind so many of our actions. We
live in a society in which we are defined by what we own and we don’t often
share it or we share it only within our own family and community and based on
our personal choices. Likewise, children want to choose freely what, when and
with whom to share, based on their evolving sense of identity as related to
owning and needing things.
We must
respect a child’s preference to share or to keep things to herself. Commonly,
the ability to give up something for the sake of somebody else is not yet
developed in a child. If we let go of such expectations we will be able to
notice and to cherish the child’s generosity. Keep in mind that the child is
learning from our ways with her, not from what we say. Therefore, “share with
your cousin,” teaches : 1) Tell others what to do regardless of what they feel
and need. 2) Ignore your own preferences and follow instructions. Instead,
your generous trust and support of her choices will provide your child with the
ground on which the joy of sharing grows.
Your
generosity with your child has the greatest impact. It is easy to give to the
young and only seems difficult when you become fearful that he will stay in the
receiving mode forever. In such doubtful moments, recall that your child started
to breath with no previous experience. Coming out of the womb prematurely does
not benefit the infant’s growth nor would breathing lessons in uterus. Likewise,
causing a child to behave as though he was in a later stage of his development
does not get him there sooner. On the contrary, he might cling and yearn for
what he missed for much longer while being confused and inauthentic. Therefore,
when a child has a need to own and to keep things to himself, it is best to
trust that this stage is vital for his growth.
Before friends
come to play, ask and listen to your child’s needs regarding his toys and help
him put away toys he would rather not share. He may want to share some things on
his terms; discuss with him how this would work. You can also make a generous
offer, “Would you like me to buy another box of leggos
for use with
guests?” If he has already developed feelings of guilt around sharing, your
personal preferences may be reassuring, “I don’t share my car and my clothes
often and I do like to share food with our guests.”
When friends arrive, respect your child’s choices; to the
question, “How come Lily doesn’t share her new bike?” you can respond with, “She
feels so excited about it; she wants to keep it only hers for now. I can see how
much you like it.” Provide empathy and information about available toys while
trusting the visiting child to resolve her own dilemma. If she is expected to
share in her own home, your words could validate her unexpressed need to protect
her possessions.
As for food,
it is easiest to offer generous quantities that allow everyone unlimited
amounts. However, when given a treat to share with a few, children often divide
things fairly. What’s unfair is to give one child a candy and then expect him to
give part of it up. If a child receives a treat in a party that her sibling did
not attend, she needs not share it unless she chooses to do so of her own free
will. You can offer something else to her sibling or, in the absence of a treat,
give empathy. There is no need to save children from experiencing living with
others, only to respond with compassion.
When
protecting his property leads a child to dispute with his friends, avoid morals
and advice. Listen, validate feelings and acknowledge the difficulty. Let the
child come to his own conclusion and generate his own choices. At the end, it is
your generosity with him that will flower into his generosity with others - in
his own ways and time.
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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Mom, I'll Love You 'Til Infinity
by
Susan Jarema, Googol
Learning
Discussing the concept of "infinity" can be an eye-opening experience!
In our
family, we have a going-to-bed ritual. We ask each other, "How much do I
love you?" The answers are always filled with giggles as we declare: "A
googol? A googol and one? A googolplex? Double a googolplex! I love you
'til infinity!"
...read more
One evening, my
three-year-old, in his usual stalling-tactic mode, asked me one more question:
"Mom how many words are there in the English language?" I answered, "Well, I
guess there are about 600,000 and a few more are added each year." Then we
talked about other languages. He pondered for a while and then asked, "Isn't
there a name for each number?" Now that was a good question — good enough to
talk about and, of course, delay going to bed for at least another 10 minutes.
I'd never thought
about this. If we have a name for each number, and numbers go on and on, then
the number of words (or combinations of words) could be infinite as well. I'd
been taught that there are a set or finite number of words in a language. As
usual, it took a young child to get me to think outside of the box and use my
own imagination. After this awakening (for me) we had many interesting
discussions that emerged from teaching my child the abstract concept of
infinity.
Start off by
asking your child, "What is the biggest number you can think of? What is that
number plus one?" Soon your son or daughter will get the idea that there is
always one number bigger. Demonstrate that infinity is NOT a number; it cannot
be defined; it is NOT finite. If there were such a number, then we could easily
add one more to it, or double it, and then it would not be infinity. The word
infinity comes from the Latin infinitas, or "unboundedness." Infinity is the
concept of going on and on without a limit, the endless, no boundaries ...
forever.
Use your
imagination! Even though you can never define infinity, you can imagine it! And
you can have fun together trying to imagine infinity. You and your child can
imagine adding one more grain of sand to a beach. Imagine a really fun day —
could you think of one more fun thing to do? And then another, and another ...
Would you want that day to go on forever?
Talk about large
numbers you know of. Young children love the names of large Numbers, like a
googol (10100). They also enjoy making up names for other large
numbers. Can you count the number of grains of salt in a teaspoon, a bucket, the
world? Discuss the number of odd or even numbers, negative numbers, points on a
line, tangents of a circle.
Bring up the
concept of time. How long does it take to write out a googol? Can you write out
a googolplex? (No!) How many seconds are in a day, a year, a millennium? How
long has the Earth been around? How many stars are in the universe? What is a
light year?
If you keep
getting larger, you can also keep getting smaller. How small is an atom? How
many atoms are in the universe? Is there a googol of matter in the universe?
Does anyone know for sure? What do scientists really know?
Cycles that seem
to go on forever are another interesting discussion — the water cycle, the cycle
of life on our planet, the life cycle of a star.
Look at the symbol
for infinity. What does it mean to you? Could anyone skate around in a figure 8
forever? What a about a racecar driving down an infinity-shaped track?
Imagine a building
with an infinite number of floors. How high up would it go? Past the moon? How
long would it take to get down the elevator? What if one more floor were added?
Who would wash all those windows?
Hold up two
mirrors facing each other. How many reflections are there? If the mirrors are
large enough, you can demonstrate an infinite number of reflections of your
child — infinite tongues, infinite waving hands, infinite smiles.
Infinity is an
exciting concept, and learning about infinity can lead to big discoveries for
children of all ages. It opens our eyes and minds to the concept of time, life
cycles, molecular particles, large numbers and the magnitude of the universe.
There are so many questions that can get everyone THINKING. You can never reach
infinity, but you CAN have googols of fun trying.
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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Student Self-Assessment with TAGteach
by
Theresa McKeon
TAGteach™ (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance)
is a new way of teaching using positive reinforcement with a click sound marker
to identify successful performance.
The next series of articles will cover more
advanced TAG techniques. Here we discuss how TAGteach allows the student to be
the teacher. .
...read more
A New Tool
Give the tagger to the
student and let them tag you! This gives a new perspective to both student and
teacher and can be a valuable tool not available with conventional teaching and
coaching.
From an Expert
Suzann Scheimer,
Ph.D., is a nationally-recognized expert in assessing
student learning in physical education and the author of, “Assessment
Strategies for Elementary Physical Education”. “This (TAGteach) is one of
the most important developments in the teaching of physical education. When I’m
TAGteaching, I know exactly when my students have learned the skill and, just as
importantly, so do they!” She went on to explain, “There is exceptional
power in giving the tagger to the student. If I am not sure the learner fully
understands the directions for a particular skill, I can create a tag point;
‘bounce ball with finger tips’, and have them tag me. If the student tags me
correctly I know they have at least a visual understanding of the directions and
we can continue from there.”
Benefits of Student Tagging Teacher
There are many benefits of surrendering the
tagger to the learner. Forever being on the receiving end of wisdom is
educational but not always fulfilling. Being the ‘teacher’ can develop a strong
sense of self-worth as described by these fourth grade cheerleaders after they
‘taught’ their teachers and other teammates using tag. “It’s like a little kid
can be a teacher and help others get better” and “It makes you feel good that
you’re helping others”.
When you turn the tables and bestow
leadership and responsibility to those formerly without, you set the stage for
your learner to live up to those qualities. Have your child tag you for:
-
Tag point is…Close your computer when I
walk in the room.
-
Tag point is…Morning newspaper in the
recycling bin
-
Tag point is…Coffee cup to the sink
-
Tag point is…Clothes in the hamper
-
Tag point is…Keys on the key ring
They can even tag you for school work.
1. Tag point is…‘Show
your work’, while solving a math problem,
2. Tag point is…
Correctly spell pumpernickel
Handing the physical tagger over to the
learner sets the stage for growth of character, develops focus on the part of
the student (for now he/she is the teacher) and creates a fun, game-like
atmosphere. Next time you are stuck in a lesson, hand it over!
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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You're Killing Your Child's Chances For
Success in School
by Jim Sarris
Parent's who reinforce memory problems with tales of their own give
their kids a perfect excuse to give up. Here's what you can do to change
that.
I know for a fact that students in my classes don't have to improve
their memory. They tell me the details of their video games or their
favorite sports teams without even stopping to think..
Yet, they can't seem to remember information for tests and quizzes. A
coincidence? Do they have to
improve their memory? I don't think so.
...read more
To get to the root of the problem, it's necessary to see what happens when a
student struggles. Normally, the parents are called and a parent teacher
conference is scheduled.
In those conferences, parents say that a lot of interesting things. In terms of
memory ability, it seems parents struggled (and continue to struggle) with
memory issues. They point out that they themselves had the same trouble their
child is having so they're not surprised at the results. Disappointed,
concerned, but not surprised.
When I hear that, I immediately think of the conversation that has probably gone
on at home since elementary school.
Child: "Mom, Dad, I didn't do so well on this test. I keep forgetting stuff."
Mom: "I had a terrible memory, also. I guess it's in the family. Your father
could never remember, either."
So what does your child begin to think after a while? It's probably something
like this: "Why try to study? It's a done deal. It's in the genes."
The trap is set and your child falls into it. An occasional test comes back with
a good grade but the overall picture is bleak. You see, the good grade was
lucky. The bad grades are the norm. And your child never realizes that it's
possible to learn memory skills.
But wait! Your child doesn't have to worry about improving their memory. They
remember sports, movies, TV shows and video games. What's the deal?
I know what you're going to say. "He's interested in those things. Of course, he
can remember!"
Well, that's a great first step. His memory is working fine. It's just school
work that he doesn't remember.
Let's look at four things you can do today to turn that around.
Here they are:
1 - Start from the premise that your child's ability to remember information is
fine. Once you do that, you can change the way you talk about poor grades and
memorizing. As we've just seen, it's more a question of interest than it is
ability.
2 - Learn about memory strategies. Your job is to help your child find ways to
make learning. storing and retrieving information more interesting. You can
discover dozens of ways to look at information, put it into a form that's easily
filed and then easily recalled. And the style you choose can fit your child's
preferred learning style.
3 - Encourage your child. Tell them they can do well. Help them to understand
the process of learning. Everyone does it the same way: You find ways to look at
material that work for you, not your friend or your neighbor. Maybe you learn
with pictures, maybe you like to listen or maybe you like to get up and move.
Success depends on finding your style and using it.
4 - Don't expect miracles overnight. Like all new habits, there is a period of
adjustment where you won't see much change. Don't stop! You can help your child
learn more easily if you just take it slow and easy. Think of it like watering a
plant. You give enough water each day and then you let it be. Over time, the
plant grows. You can't explain why but it does. Your child will develop better
habits the same way.
So, there you go. Change your habits and you can change your child's path to
success. Memory skills are just one area you need to look at. Just remember. It
begins with you.
Jim Sarris, author of Memory Skills Made Easy,
www.memorizing-made-easy.com
has a free report on his web site that talks more about memory problems students
have.
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Writing Numbers
by Jane Straus
First, I’ll answer a reader’s question about using
“and” in place of a decimal point when writing out monetary amounts.
Question: Do I need “and” if I write out $52.46?
Answer: Yes. You would write it this way: Fifty-two dollars and
forty-six cents
...read more
Rule 1 The numbers one through nine
should be spelled out; use figures for numbers 10 and above.
Example I want five copies.
Example I want 10 copies.Rule 2 With a group of related
numbers where one number is above nine in a sentence, write the numbers
all in figures. Use words if all related numbers are below 10.
Correct I asked for 5 pencils, not 50.
Incorrect I asked for five pencils, not 50.
Correct My 10 cats fought with their 2 cats.
Correct My nine cats fought with their two cats.
Rule 3 If the numbers are
unrelated, then you may use both figures and words. Again, one through
nine should be spelled out.
Example I asked for 30 pencils for my five employees.
Example My nine cavities are exceeded in number by my
14 teeth.
Example I have 10 toes but only one nose.
Rule 4 Always spell out simple
fractions and use hyphens with them.
Example One-half of the pies have been eaten.
Example A two-thirds majority is required for that bill
to pass in Congress.
Rule 5 A mixed fraction can be
expressed in figures unless it is the first word of a sentence.
Example We expect a 5 1/2 percent wage increase.
Example Five and one-half percent was the maximum
allowable interest.
Rule 6 The simplest way to
express large numbers is best. Be careful to be consistent within a
sentence.
Correct You can earn from one million to five million
dollars.
Incorrect You can earn from one million to $5,000,000.
Correct You can earn from $500 to $5,000,000.
Incorrect You can earn from $500 to $5 million.
Correct You can earn from five hundred to five million
dollars.
Incorrect You can earn from $500 to five million
dollars.
Rule 7 Write decimals in figures.
Put a zero in front of a decimal unless the decimal itself begins with a
zero.
Example The plant grew 0.79 of a foot in one year.
Example The plant grew only .07 of a foot this year
because of the drought.
Rule 9 The following examples
apply when using dates:
Example The meeting is scheduled for June 30.
Example The meeting is scheduled for the 30th of June.
Example We have had tricks played on us on April 1.
Example The 1st of April puts some people on edge.
Rule 10 When expressing decades,
you may spell them out and lowercase them.
Example During the eighties and nineties, the United
States economy grew.
Rule 11 If you wish to express
decades using incomplete numerals, put an apostrophe before the
incomplete numeral but not between the year and the s.
Correct During the ’80s and ’90s, the United States
economy grew.
Incorrect During the ’80’s and ’90’s, the United States
economy grew.
Rule 12 You may also express
decades in complete numerals. Again, don’t use an apostrophe between the
year and the s.
Example During the 1980s and 1990s, the United States
economy grew.
Rule 13 Normally, spell out the
time of day in text even with half and quarter hours. With o’clock, the
number is always spelled out.
Example She gets up at four thirty before the baby
wakes up.
Example The baby wakes up at five o’clock in the
morning.
Rule 14 Use numerals with the
time of day when exact times are being emphasized.
Example Monib’s flight leaves at 6:22 a.m.
Example Please arrive by 12:30 p.m. sharp.
Rule 15 Use noon and midnight
rather than 12:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.
Rule 16 Hyphenate all compound
numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine.
Example Forty-three people were injured in the train
wreck.
Example Twenty-three of them were hospitalized.
Rule 17 Write out a number if it
begins a sentence.
Example Twenty-nine people won an award for helping
their communities.
Example That 29 people won an award for helping their
communities was fantastic!
Jane Straus is the author and publisher of The Blue Book of Grammar
and Punctuation, an easy-to-use reference guide and workbook
designed for home schooling families as well as for business
professionals. You can order this popular book, take an online quiz, and
preview the contents online at
www.grammarbook.com. Jane is also the author of Enough Is Enough!
Stop Enduring and Start Living Your Extraordinary Life, (Jossey-Bass,
August 2005). A popular guest on TV and radio talk shows, she also
coaches individuals, couples, families, and businesses along with
offering keynotes and seminars. Learn more about her work by visiting
www.stopenduring.com
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What's The Matter?
by by
Seth Prezant
For those that follow my articles you know I love
experiments. Here is my latest:
In April 2007, I assembled ten parents are in a classroom. I ask the
moms and dads to raise their hands if they feel their elementary child
or children are “deficient” in Science. I had no takers. Not a hand in
sight. I then asked the moms and dads to raise their hands if any of
them had a science
deficiency. All but one mom (she was a medical doctor) raised their
hands.
...read more
Five years earlier in January 2002 an article was
published in the Education Leadership Journal reporting that “students
who start middle and high school with a severe deficiency in Science
(around 70%) rarely catch up through traditional remediation and they
have small hope of succeeding in advance courses for which they are
under prepared.”
That study was reported in 2002. Five years later and not
only have we failed to improve Science learning…we have decreased it! Major
companies in the United States are importing workers to fill a gaping hole in
the Science workforce. Where are our inventors and engineers?
The fact is today we are no better prepared to educate our
children in Science than we were five years ago. Parents, put your hands in the
air because chances are your child has a major deficiency in Science. With hit
shows like C.S.I., one would think that moms and dads would be all over this
area of education but this is just not the case.
Parents, there is no more excuse for not knowing the
definition of Matter than not knowing the definition of a Noun. Physical change
versus chemical change, volume, mass, matter. What’s the matter with knowing a
little Science? If we as parents don’t know and don’t care then I ask how in the
world could we expect our children to learn?
Step #1: Go to the library with your children and check out
some Science books. There are wonderful children books on food Science, soda
Science, Science using balloons, balls, goo, magnets, and my personal favorite
bugs!
Step #2: Read the books with your children and don’t be
afraid to experiment. There is no right and wrong with Science. It is all about
figuring out what is going on even if it is going wrong.
Step #3: There are inexpensive and easy Science kits, games
and books sold just about everywhere online. Thames & Kosmos, Insect Lore,
Safari LDT, Cranium, Lucon Kids are just a few companies that manufacture and
sell some of the best Science related products for kids. We are not the only
seller of Science products and we don’t carry every product under the sun but we
do have a nice selection for just about any family.
Stop by
www.CoolBugStuff.com and if you place an order for your children during the
month May, CoolBugStuff.com will send you a free gift just to get the Science
ball rolling. Type “No Science Deficiency” in the comment section when ordering.
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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