MSI Press Blog

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

  Congratulations to Colette McNeil on her book,  Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism , being selected as the  Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards  legacy award in the category of education.   “The author invites you on a journey in unfolding small layers of awareness,  illuminating how thoughtfully chosen vocabulary can greatly enhance your relationship with a child with autism. The pages within are filled with teachable tales exploring the communication, emotional regulation and relationship difficulties that common habitual language may trigger when engaging children with autism. Each tale absorbs the reader in a typical life scenario related to specific usage of the word, no, creating an engaging, informative, and personally relatable experience. Discussions following embed autism education and psychology theories to promote conceptualization and offer suggestions for enriched interactions.” Read more posts about Colette, this book, and her

  Congratulations to Colette McNeil, whose book, Choice and Structure for Children with Autism  has been selected as a Gold Medalist for the 2020 Reader Views Literary Awards in the education category. It was also selected for a silver award in the parenting category. This is the second of Colette's books to be selected for this distinction.  Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism   earned a silver medal in the adult classics - nonfiction category.  To read more posts about Colette and her books, click  HERE .

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 during the current covid 19 pandemic. 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: #203  Bug Off!  (Game for +, −, ×, ÷) Materials: a new fly swatter; flashcards, or note cards. 1. Hand your child the fly swatter and tell her she’s going to practice math. Already she’s interested and ready to enjoy this game to help improve basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. 2. Place cards with the answers to math facts she is working on in school or struggling with, face up, spreading them fairly far apart. Then, simply ask a question such as, “What is 3x4?” and have her slap the fly swatter on the index card with the correct answer. Variations: • Use another fly swatter and play the