MSI Press Blog

  Today's tip for parents (from two talented teachers) comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly (yes, those are the two talented teachers). #6 The Message Center   Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. ~Anonymous     Creating a Message Center is an easy way for the entire family to get organized and stay on track. It needs to be in a central location that all family members see frequently throughout the day, such as the kitchen. Every family has different needs, so every message center will not look the same. Here are some great ideas to get you started:   ●       Display a monthly calendar where everyone writes important events for all to see. ●       Offer a weekly calendar so that everyone, at a glance, can know what is going on each day. (The wipe-off kind work great because they’re reusable, have plenty of room, and are easy to update. Try a differen...

  Today's tip for parents (from two talented teachers) comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly (yes, those are the two talented teachers). #5 Personal Journals   Nurture your mind with great thoughts. ~Benjamin Disraeli   Reading aloud with no one around can be a safe way for your child to experiment with and gain command of reading skills. Writing only for himself can do the same for his writing skills. One way to accomplish this is to let your child choose a diary or notebook to use as a personal journal. In this journal, he is free to write whatever crosses his mind with no one there to check his spelling or point out punctuation errors. Some children will love this idea and write in their journal every day with pleasure. For others, it may be helpful to set aside some time (perhaps right after D.E.A.R. time, just before bed, or first thing in the morning) just for the purpose of journaling. If eve...

  Today's tip for parents (from two talented teachers) comes from  365 Teacher Secrets for Parents  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly (yes, those are the two talented teachers). #4 Setting Goals   Goals not written down are just wishes. ~Unknown   To encourage your child to care about her success, have her set goals for herself. Ask her what she'd like to improve upon. For a younger child, encourage her to start with something simple and attainable such as learning her address and phone number so she'll feel successful right away. For older children, the goals could be complex, such as learning the multiplication tables, writing in cursive, or long division. Have your child set new goals each week, month, or whenever the previous goal is achieved. Keep track of her progress in a visible place, such as a refrigerator, so that everyone can be proud of her success. You may even want to have the whole family try this! Wouldn't it be great if everyone had a ...