MSI Press Blog

Back Story  of  365 Teachers Secrets for Parents: Fun Ways to Help Your Elementary Child Succeed in School  by Cindy McKinley Alder & Patti Trombly Nearly 30 years ago, I met Patti in the back row of a grad school classroom at Eastern Michigan University.  Our professor had us begin the class by writing out a “Bliss List”: all the things that made us happy.  When we compared lists, we were shocked to see they were almost identical! We were both due to have our first babies in a few months, both elementary school teachers, both working on a Masters in Reading, and both had a weakness for soft pretzels. We didn’t know it at the time, but that day sparked a decades-long friendship. Throughout the years, Patti taught upper elementary, and I taught the lower grades.  We met weekly with our four kids and, of course, always ended up talking about teaching and how eager the parents were to find ways to help their kids at home.  I eventually decided to stay home with my kids more and became

  Want to know if 10 Quick Homework Tips  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly is worth reading? Since we published it, certainly we believe it is. However, as evidence, take a look at the endorsements of others. GOLD WINNER for EDUCATION KOPS-FETHERLING INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS Reader's Favorite evaluation: Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly's 10 Quick Homework Tips is an excellent manual for all parents to help them deal with homework and use the Homework Agreement so that pressure can be taken off the family. The tips are simple and easy to apply so that an organized atmosphere conducive to learning can be created at home. It is a good way to work towards building a space that is just right for the child to finish the homework and produce quality work. The approach to the topic is excellent and makes it easy for both parents and children to deal with homework better so that it is manageable and the ambiance at home is healthy and positive.   Purchase: Kindle versio

Today's daily excerpt comes from 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents by veteran teachers Cindy Alder and Patti Trombly Tip  #362 Build Vocabulary   The most important thing is to read as much as you can, like I did. It will give you an understanding of what makes good writing and it will enlarge your vocabulary. ~J. K. Rowling   Parents are their children’s first role model for vocabulary. So, it is important for you to create an environment which enriches your child’s vocabulary. Below are some ways to help increase vocabulary at home. ●        Post your child’s spelling words at the message center, and challenge the family to try to use as many of them as possible during the week. ●        Start a Word of the Week activity. Each family member can take a turn choosing a word for the week. Try to make it one you may actually use in conversation. Think of a common word like talkative and find a more interesting word for it like loquacious . Put the word and its meaning

  Today's excerpt comes from 10 Quick Homework Tips by authors Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly: TIP # 2 TYPE UP AN OFFICIAL HOMEWORK AGREEMENT     Like anything worth doing in life, happiness takes time and patience and consistency. ~Mark Manson   Why is this Important?  That idea of heading off stress by being proactive about homework is perhaps best used in the creation of a Homework Agreement.  Quite simply, this is an agreement your family makes that states when, where, and how homework is expected to be done. Having a plan before school starts in the fall allows you to avoid that “you against them” feeling that so often is attached to homework.  If the year has already begun, though, there is still no time like the present to make a great change for the better! What You Can Do: Have you ever realized that it is easier to get out of something if you can "blame something else"?  “Sorry we can’t come to your son’s piano recital; we have a family reunion that d

  excerpt  from review -- an excellent manual for all parents  pressure can be taken off the family tips are simple and easy to apply approach to the topic is excellent makes it easy for both parents and children to deal with homework better [makes] ambiance at home ... healthy and positive. Read the full review HERE . See other posts about Cindy and Patti and their books HERE . See posts about other books in the pandemic series HERE .

  "Your child is much more likely to finish homework and produce quality work if s/he has a special place in which to do it, equipped with all the tools s/he needs." 10 Quick Homework Tips by Alder & Trombly) Is there a lot of whining at your house about homework? Do you find that it sometimes also comes from your kids? If you are tired of the back-and-forth of homework battles, then this book is your solution.  10 Quick Homework Tips  provides a quick reference for parents who are looking for ways to help their kids with their homework. Written by two teachers with over 40 years combined experience, this book will show you  - the easiest way to set up an efficient workspace so kids can do their best, quality work;  - how to reduce your child's stress (and yours!) by being proactive; -  why creating a simple "Homework Agreement" between you and your child will take pressure off of the whole family;  - how to make large projects more manageable; - where to fi

  Just in -- great review for 10 Quick Homework Tips from Readers' Favorite: "an excellent manual for all parents" Read the full review HERE . Read posts about Alder & Trombly and their other book, 365 Teacher Secrets , HERE .

TIP # 4 KNOW WHERE TO GET HELP Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. ~ Barack Obama   Why is this Important?  It is very frustrating for kids when they come upon something they don't know how to do while trying to complete their homework.  Getting stuck can really derail concentration for some kids.  That’s why it is good to know, ahead of time, what your child should do if she gets stuck. What You Can Do: Teachers sometimes use the “Ask 3 Before Me” rule.  This means that before kids go to the teacher for help, they are encouraged to try to solve the problem themselves by asking/using three other sources first.  At home, there may not be three other people to go to for help besides you, but you can brainstorm possibilities: friends, maybe even a pre-arr

  Cndy McKinley is a parent, a teacher, and a writer.  She grew up in Milford, Michigan, and has lived there for about 40 years, attending Huron Valley Schools.  Cindy has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in the Teaching of Reading from Eastern Michigan University.  She taught lower elementary for seven years, also in Huron Valley Schools, both at Kurtz Elementary and Country Oaks Elementary.  Her children attended the very same elementary, middle school, and high school as she did! She now tutors children of all ages in the community and teaches English at Oakland Community College in Royal Oak.  She’s been teaching for over 25 years. In 2002 her first book, a children’s book called  One Smile,  was published.  It won the Benjamin Franklin award that year.  In 2013 her second children’s book,  One Voice,  came out. It immediately won the Preferred Choice Award and the Carol Reiser Award.  Both books show how simple random acts of kindness can change th

Released today: 10 Quick Homework Tips . with special advise for activities during a quarantine. Written by two teachers with 40 years of combined experience: Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly.   Check out their other book that also has many activities that can be done during a pandemic: 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents . And here is another source of hood activities to help during quarantine from Black Parenting Magazine: click here .

🌟   5 Tips for Surviving This Time off of School and in the House!  🌟 To be sure, this is an unprecedented time, and an unusual break from school. Your  kids might feel frustrated they aren’t getting to go to school, see their friends, and engage in their favorite sports and activities right now.   But every time your family chooses to stay home, help your kids see that they are actually being brave and helpful. You can help your kids think of this time not like a punishment, but rather like they are giving their community a great gift. Staying home, as many are, is a true act of solidarity. It’s a sacrifice they can give so that nurses, doctors, and all those for whom it is not possible to stay home and protected (from first responders to grocery store personnel, and many, many others) can continue to do their jobs and keep the rest of us safe and keep our lives as normal as possible. Here are a few ideas from an article I wrote about stopping Summer Slide and from my boo

Exceptional teachers Cindy McKinley and Patti Trombly have put together a book that can help any parent through this extended period of sheltering in place. Packed with home activities for learning, readers can pick any number that appeal to them or fit their personal family circumstances. Here is one example that is bound to make the time spent in lockdown more fun: #231 What’s the Matter? Matter is everywhere, but what exactly is it, anyway? Matter is something that is observable with some of our five senses. Matter has weight and takes up space. It is all around us. To help your child understand the concept of matter, as well as its various phases, here are some facts to share and activities you can try: (1) Discuss what is and is not matter. (For instance rocks, milk, and air are matter; ideas, words, and feelings are not.)  (2) Make a chart of what you come up with. Look around your home, even take a walk or a drive to find examples around you.  (3) Further