PARENTS CAN HELP CHILDREN

MAKE FRIENDS WITH BOOKS, WORDS AND NUMBERS

DR. MORTON BOTEL, SENIOR ADVISOR, PLN

THERE IS A NEW WAVE OF INTEREST ON THE PART OF PARENTS WHO WANT TO KNOW WHAT WORKS TO HELP THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN BECOME PROFICIENT AT READING AND MATH AND DEVELOP THEIR LIFETIME HABITS OF STRATEGIC LEARNING. THEY WANT TO NURTURE NOT ONLY THEIR CHILDREN’S MINDS, BUT ALSO THEIR HEARTS. AND THEY WANT TO HAVE FUN WITH THEM WHILE DOING SO. THE PROBLEM IS THAT MOST OF THE PROGRAMS THAT PURPORT TO MEET THOSE GOALS SIMPLY DO NOT WORK. HERE ARE SOME RESEARCH FINDINGS:

IN A RECENT NEWSWEEK ARTICLE BARBARA KANTROWITZ REPORTS ON SUSAN GREGORY THOMAS’ NEW BOOK “BUY BUY BABY” REVEALING HOW EAGER ENTREPRENEURS CAPITALIZED ON A WELL MEANING REPORT IN 1994 BY THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION. IT WAS CALLED “STARTING POINTS” AND LED TO THE CREATION OF A VAST MAKETING EFFORT BY EAGER ENTREPRENEURS WHO CREATED A $20 BILLION A YEAR INDUSTRY USING NAMES LIKE, BABY EINSTEIN, BRAINY BABY AND BABY GENIOUS. BUT RECENT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THESE PROGRAMS DO NOT WORK.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, ACCORDING TO ANNE LEWIS, EXPERT ON EDUCATION POLICY, IN A RECENT PHI DELTA KAPPAN ARTICLE: “THE PUNDITS ARE NOW ADMITTING THE THAT LAW HAS DONE LITTLE TO IMPROVE REAL ACHIEVEMENT (AS APPOSED TO VERY MODEST RAISING OF TEST SCORES BY INCREASING TEST PREP), NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND FOSTERS CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS THAT RUN COMPLETELY COUNTER TO HIGHER-END LEARNING OR RESEARCH-BASED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT STIMULATES STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS OF ABILITY TO WANT TO WORK HARD.”

MOST PARENTS HELP THEIR CHILDREN WITH HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS. BUT HOMEWORK IS TYPICALLY MIND NUMBING PRACTICE AND DRILL. RESEARCH IS CLEAR THAT TYPICAL HOMEWORK DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF EITHER A POSITIVE OR A PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN AND PARENT OR TO CHILDREN BECOMING STRATEGIC ACADEMIC LEARNERS.

THERE ARE WORKBOOKS AND COMPUTER PROGRAMS THAT PROMISE TO HELP CHILDREN LEARN BETTER. ALMOST ALL SUCH PROGRAMS FOLLOW THE PRACTICE AND DRILL/TEST MODEL WHERE THE CHILD WORKS ALONE ON AN ACTIVITY THAT LOOKS LIKE A TEST. ANY INTERPLAY BETWEEN PARENT AND CHILD IS LIMITED TO APPROVAL, AT BEST, IF THE CHILD GETS THE ANSWERS CORRECT AND CHASTISEMENT IF THEY DON’T.

BUT PARENTS CAN MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ENABLE THEIR CHILDREN TO BECOME THOUGHTFUL AND STRATEGIC LEARNERS.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH ACTUALLY SAY ABOUT WHAT DOES WORK? THE ANSWERS, QUITE SIMPLY INCLUDE TALKING TOGETHER ABOUT BOOKS AND IN GENERAL, SINGING TOGETHER, WIDE READING, PLAYING TOGETHER, INVESTIGATING LANGUAGE IN GAMELIKE SETTINGS AND EXPLORING MATH PATTERNS.

HERE BELOW ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF WAYS TO HELP CHILDREN GET INVOLVED IN RESEARCH BASED ACTIVITIES. AS A RESULT THEY WILL GROW ACADEMICALLY IN A SUPPORTIVE HOME, TUTORING OR SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND HAVE FUN DOING SO. AND NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED.

READING AND LEARNING ABOUT WORDS

DOING SUSTAINED SILENT READING, READING ALOUD AND SHARING. SET UP REGULAR TIMES OF A HALF HOUR OR SO WHEN EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY READS SILENTLY SOMETHING S/HE HAS CHOSEN. END THE PERIOD BY EACH FAMILY MEMBER SHARING OR READING ALOUD SOMETHING THAT STOOD OUT FOR THEM.

DOING GUIDED READING. CHOOSE BOOKS THAT CHILDREN CAN READ FAIRLY EASILY. THEN,

ENGAGE THEM IN CONVERSATIONS THAT FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE TITLE AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS

READ THE PIECE ALOUD SO THAT THEY HEAR THE INTONATIONS OF SPEECH RATHER THAN WORD BY WORD READIING

DO ECHO READING (YOU READ A LINE AND THE CHILD ECHOS) AND CHORAL READING

AT VARIOUS POINTS IN THE STORY, HAVE THEM PREDICT WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT

WHEN FINISHED SHARE RESPONSES TO, “WHAT STOOD OUT FOR YOU?”

DOING WORD INVESTIGATIONS BY ARRANGING AND REARRANGING WORDS AND THEIR FORMS:

GRAMMAR PUZZLERS (SCRABBLE): TAKE WORDS FROM THE STORY WHICH WHEN COMBINED AND RECOMBINED RESULT IN A NUMBER OF SENTENCES. EACH OF THE SENTENCES IS WRITTEN DOWN OR RECORDED ON THE COMPUTER. EACH SENTENCE IS CAPITALIZED AND PUNCTUATED. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WROTE THE FOLLOWING WORDS OR VERTICAL WORD GROUPS ON INDIVIDUAL CARDS AND PLAYED THE GAME OF “HOW MANY SENTENCES CAN YOU MAKE?” YOU COULD ARRANGE AND REARRANGE THEM TO MAKE DOZENS OF SENTENCES. THIS ACTIVITY PROVIDES PRACTICE IN CHOOSING STANDARD ENGLISH GRAMMATICAL FORMS AND WORD ORDER, PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING FORMS.

I AM HE HOME WANT CRY TO SCHOOL GO

ME IS HIM WANTS CRIES GOES

WAS CRYING WENT

GOING

YOU WILL GET SUCH SENTENCES AS:

I AM GOING TO SCHOOL.

AM I GOING TO SCHOO?

HE WAS CRYING.

I WANT HIM TO GO.

HE WANTS ME TO GO HOME.

ETC., ETC., ETC

MAKING SENTENCES AND THE WORD MAKING ACTIVIEY THAT FOLLOWS INVOLVE THE CHILD IN DOING INVESTIGATION, NOT JUST MINDLESS DRILL. IN THE PROCESS THE CHILD USES MANY SENSES: TALKING, MOVEMENT AND WRITING. THIS PRACTISE FOSTERS INSIGHTS IN INTUITIVE GRAMMAR, WHICH WILL SERVE THE CHILD WELL IN UPPER GRADES WHEN FORMAL GRAMMAR IS TAUGHT.

DOING PHONICS OR LETTER PATTERN INVESTIGATIONS BY ARRANGING AND REARRANGING LETTERS AND LETTER PATTERNS

PHONICS PUZZLERS (SCRABBLE): TAKE LETTERS AND LETTER PATTERNS FROM A STORY WHICH WHEN COMBINED AND RECOMBINED RESULT IN A NUMBER OF WORDS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WROTE THE FOLLOWING LETTERS ON INDIVIDUAL CARDS AND PLAYED THE GAME OF “HOW MANY WORDS CAN YOU MAKE?’ YOU CAN MAKE MANY WORDS AND WHILE DOING SO PRACTICE PHONICS AND SPELLING.

OOK OW L N S H C IKE AKE

YOU WILL GET SUCH WORDS AS:

LOOK, LIKE, LAKE, HIKE, LOW…

DO NUMBER PATTERN INVESTIGATIONS

PLAY THE GAME OF HOW MANY WAYS.

INSTEAD OF JUST PRACTICING ISOLATED NUMBER FACTS LIKE 2+3= 5 HAVE THE CHILD SEE HOW MANY WAYS THEY CAN PUT 5 PENNIES IN TWO BOXES. IF THEY KEEP A RECORD THEY WILL FIND SIX DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES, WHICH CAN BE REPRESENTED BY NUMBER SENTENCES (LATER ON WE CALL THEM EQUATIONS). THIS MIGHT BE THE ORDER OF THEIR FINDINGS:

2+3=5, 4+1=5, 5+0=5, 3+2=5, 0+5=5 AND 1+4=5

THEN THEY MIGHT NOTICE OR YOU CAN HELP THEM SEE THAT A NICE WAY TO RECORD THE RESULTS IN A VERTICAL COLUMN WOULD BE:

0+5=5

1+4=5

2+3=5

3+2=5

4+1=5

5+0+5

PLAY “WHAT’S MY RULE?” OR EXTEND THE PATTERNS

1 2 ___ 4 5 6 ___

2 4 6 ___ 10 ___ 14

A C E F ___ ___ K ___

2, 4 3, 5 5, 7 9, ___ 13___ ____ ____

TELLING STORIES ABOUT NUMBERS

TELL A COUPLE OF STORIES ABOUT A NUMBER OR NUMBER SENTENCE AND HAVE THE CHILD TELL YOU STORIES AND WRITE THEM IN A JOURNAL WHERE YOU MIGHT KEEP A RECORD OF OTHER DISCUSSION AND OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE CHILD.

2 I HAVE TWO HANDS,

I SPENT TWO DIMES AT THE STORE

PLEASE PUT TWO SPOONSFUL OF SUGAR IN MY TEA…

2+3=5

JILL HAS TWO BROTHERS AND THREE SISTERS.

THERE ARE TWO CATS AND THREE DOGS IN THE PET SHOP WINDOW.

THREE ASTRANAUGHTS WENT TO THE MOON TO RESCUE TWO OF THEIR FRIENDS STRANDED THERE.

TWO DIMES AND THREE DIMES ARE FIVE DIMES.

TELLING NUMBER STORIES HELPS THE CHILD UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE AN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF REAL WORLD OR IMAGINARY EVENTS OR CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE REPRESENTED BY A NUMBER OR NUMBER SENTENCE. FUTHERMORE THE CHILD GETS TO READ HIS OR HER OWN WORDS. (CALLED “A LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE APPROACH” TO LEARNING TO READ)

BY PROVIDING THE KINDS OF EXPERIENCES PRESENTED ABOVE, PARENTS, TUTORS AND TEACHERS WILL PRODUCE THE PROMISED RESULTS: A LASTING FRIENDSHIP WITH BOOKS, WORDS AND NUMBERS: A FRIENDSHIP THAT WILL RESULT IN STRONG FAMILY TIES AND STRATEGIC ACADEMIC SKILLFULNESS AND FUN IN THE PROCESS.

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THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES ARE FOUND IN TWO NEW PROGRAMS ADDRESSED TO PARENTS, TUTORS AND TEACHERS BY DR. MORTON BOTEL THEY ARE: THE BOTEL READING MILESTONE PROGRAM AND THE MATH WORKSHOP PROGRAM. THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN AGES 5-12. EACH PROGRAM HAS A LEVEL FINDER TO DETERMINE A CHILD’S STARTING LEVEL. PENN LITERACY NETWORK PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL AND PARENT TRAINING FOR THESE PROGRAMS.