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.                                                        #133 Fun with Words   I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. ~Dr. Seuss   Poetry is playing around with words in unique and wonderful ways. You can also do the same without creating a poem. Just make up some silly stuff! Try these:   Alliterations (sentences in which most of the words begin with the same sound): ●        Have your child choose a beginning letter or sound. Let’s use “m” as an example. ●        Now have him brainstorm a wide variety of words that begin with that letter. ●        He c...

  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). #12 Language is More Than Reading and Writing   We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. ~Epictetus   Parents are usually very aware of how well their children are doing in reading and writing. You may set aside time to help them practice and make an effort to show them that they are valued. There are two other components of language that are also very important, and these skills are often overlooked. They are listening and speaking . You do not need to set aside time in the day or week to practice listening and speaking to show your child that these are important life skills. Just make an effort to show your child you are really listening to her when she is speaking. She will know she has your attention by your body language, eye contact, ...

  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). #11 Thinking Out Loud   Enthusiasm is contagious. Start an epidemic.  ~Unknown   Did you know that talking to yourself not only helps you organize your thoughts but also helps your child? When you are working through a problem, make it a point to say what you are thinking out loud. Look for opportunities to do this. For example:   "I need to make 100 cupcakes for the bake sale. If each muffin tin makes 12 cupcakes and I have 2 muffin tins I can make 24 at a time. So, let’s see… how many batches will I need to bake? I will divide 100 by 24…."   Your child will realize that adults, like children, must go through a series of steps to conquer a problem. If you're enthusiastic about learning and are willing to take the time to really think something ...