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Great Tips for Motivating Kids To Complete Their Summer Reading List

Complete Their Summer Reading List
Many kids have a summer reading list to complete before returning to school in the fall, with different books assigned based on their grade level. This summer reading helps keep their brains active and engaged during the break. Here are some ideas to motivate kids to keep up with their reading assignments while actually enjoy books!

1. Get out of the House for Reading Time

Make reading time fun by turning it into an outing! There are plenty of places to read with your kids, and exploring new reading spots can be a great adventure. Bring a blanket to the park and read under the trees, or visit a public library for a quiet environment that helps kids concentrate. High school students might enjoy reading on a university campus to get a feel for college life. Once your kids finish their allotted reading, they can enjoy some free time on the outing. By turning reading time something pleasant, you help them associate reading with fun activities.

2. Use Incentives as Motivation

Some children may need incentives or rewards to motivate them to read. You can create guidelines that include small prizes for short-term goals and a bigger prize for completing the entire reading list. One idea is to match their reading time with an equal amount of TV time. For a final reward, consider a trip to a theme park or a special activity chosen together. This approach can make reading more engaging and rewarding.

3. Set a Good Example by Reading With Your Kids

Want to inspire your kids to love reading? Lead by example! Instead of just telling them to read, grab a book yourself and make it a family affair. Reading together sets a positive tone wile turning it into a fun family activity. Plus, there are tons of awesome adult reading lists out there, so you can enjoy your own book while they dive into theirs. It’s a win-win for everyone!

4. Encourage Thoughtful Reading by Using Reading Journals

Looking to make reading more enjoyable for your kids? Encourage them to dive deeper into their books! Whether it’s discussing the story together or jotting down their thoughts in a summer reading journal, engaging with the material can make all the difference. Why not have them create their own reading response journal? They can write in it after each reading session, helping them remember key details and stay excited about the story!

5. Don’t Stop Once Your Kids Are Finished With Their Summer Reading List

Finished with the summer reading list? Don’t stop there! Let your kids keep the reading momentum going by picking out their own books. Knowing they have the freedom to choose can also be a great incentive to finish the assigned books. Who knows what new adventures they’ll discover next?

Science Lesson: Teach Students About Autumn’s Nature Changes

Squirrel in fall - Autumn’s Nature Changes

Autumn is a great time to observe some of nature’s most fascinating rituals. Leaves fall, squirrels bury their nuts, and birds begin migrating. Plants and wildlife will be getting ready for winter. This is an excellent opportunity to teach students about autumn. There is much to learn about nature this time of year, so we’d recommend turning this into a science lesson for kids!

Observing Neighborhood Wildlife

The great thing about teaching students about wildlife during the fall is that there is so much they can see happening in their own neighborhoods. Assuming your students live in a residential area with some green space (grass, parks, backyards), it’s probably not too hard to find examples of plant and animal life adapting to the changing seasons. Today, we’ve compiled a list of plants and animals often found in neighborhoods as a quick guide to get you started.

Fungi – Cooler temperatures and more moisture mean that fungi (mushrooms) will start to grow. Fungi are fantastic organisms that come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny yeasts to giant mushrooms. Fungi play a crucial role in nature by breaking down dead material and recycling nutrients into the ecosystem. Plus, they can be found almost everywhere— in soil, on plants, and even in our favorite foods like bread and cheese!

An excellent place to start is by taking your students to a park because you won’t have to look too far to find fungi. To help you explore the wide world of mushrooms, the USDA created the “Field Guide to Common Macrofungi in Eastern Forests and Their Ecosystem Functions,” which breaks down everything you need to know about mushrooms.  However, while exploring, please be cautious around mushrooms, as some can be very harmful despite their intriguing appearance!

Squirrels – Not only are squirrels found all over the world in abundance, but they are perhaps one of the most fascinating animals to watch during this time of year. This is because they are incredibly active during fall, as they will be busy sprinting all over the landscape, stashing nuts and acorns in trees or in the ground. This activity is essential for their survival, as the food will be retrieved later in times of scarcity, such as during winter.

Although many mammals, including ground squirrels, avoid “stashing away” food through hibernation, one of the most commonly seen squirrels, the grey squirrel, doesn’t hibernate during the winter because it can’t retain high body fat. That’s why many of the squirrels you see this time store nuts before the winter — they need a steady food supply.

Annuals and Perennials – As Mother Nature slowly fades in time for winter, now is a perfect time to teach kids the difference between annual and perennial plants. Annuals die off within a year. On the other hand, perennials tend to live for years because they have specialized structures such as bulbs or thick bark that allow them to withstand the cold.

See if you can help kids point out the different types of annual and perennial plants! For example, trees are perennial, while many gorgeous (but not all) flowering plants, such as marigolds, are annual.

Take Your Children on a Field Trip!

For students who may not have direct access to the plant and wildlife in their neighborhoods, a field trip to a place like a local, national park or reserve can be a transformative experience. This wooded area offers a safe and enjoyable environment for children to immerse themselves in nature. The park provides a hands-on learning experience with guided tours and activities, allowing children to explore the plant and animal life we’ve discussed more tangibly.

Autumn is a beautiful time to engage students with nature’s captivating changes, from observing squirrels’ bustling preparations to exploring the diverse world of fungi and understanding the lifecycle of annual and perennial plants. This season offers a unique opportunity to turn these observations into enriching science lessons, sparking curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the environment.

To support your child’s learning journey and make the most of these educational moments, consider reaching out to School is Easy for more tips, resources, and personalized tutoring solutions tailored to inspiring young minds throughout the school year and beyond.

Help Prevent Bullying in Schools on Valentine’s Day

Help Prevent Bullying in Schools on Valentine’s Day

Schools on Valentine’s Day
Photo Credit: tonguetyed

Many parents and guardians might not realize, but bullying on Valentine’s Day is a serious issue affecting kids of all ages.

Valentine’s Day bullying is a bit different from bullying on other days. On Valentine’s Day, it’s very hard for students to avoid some form of bullying – like feeling left out, teased, or made fun of. These things can lead to feeling depressed and alone, which is exacerbated by the fact that other kids will be enjoying their fun on this colorful holiday. Although Valentine’s Day has an uptick of bullying, there are also ways we can stop this awful trend.

The source of bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day

For students who do not have a significant other or groups of friends to exchange valentines with, the day can be down right excruciating. And if you think schools make things easier for children, you may be mistaken. In fact, some schools support fundraisers that allow students to buy flowers or sweets for their classmates, making this issue even worse. The Valentines are then presented to the students during class, which makes it obvious to see who did not receive a Valentine. This leaves students who did not receive chocolates or flowers prime targets for bullying.

How can parents and teachers help prevent bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day?

In primary grades, it’s usually expected that everyone in the class gets a Valentine. This helps avoid anyone feeling left out and reduces bullying on Valentine’s Day. However, in secondary schools, students often switch classes throughout the day, so it’s not as easy to give everyone a Valentine. This can make some students feel left out or teased for not getting anything on Valentine’s Day at school. So, what can parents and teachers do to stop bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day?

1. Try to ensure that everyone receives something on Valentine’s Day

If parents are aware of students feeling left out or bullied on Valentine’s Day they can bake treats to pass out in every class their child is in. Teachers can also participate in providing Valentine’s Day treats to all of the students in all of their classes. If some parents and teachers help spread the word to other parents and teachers then hopefully every student will have an opportunity to receive at least one Valentine’s day treat so that they do not feel completely left out.

2. Remove school fundraisers that promote Valentine’s Day gift giving

If schools got rid of the fundraisers that single out certain students, this would help prevent bullying in schools on Valentine’s Day. As an alternative to selling gifts that will be delivered to the students during class students could still buy treats and give them to one another more privately. This at least would get rid of the open displays in classrooms that point out which students have significant others or a lot of friends.

3. Provide support for students who experience bullying

While we may wish to completely eradicate bullying from schools, the reality is that it may still occur on Valentine’s Day. The most effective approach to minimizing bullying is to educate students about its harmful effects. By raising awareness about bullying, students can recognize it and take a stand against it when they witness it or its aftermath. Encouraging students to support those who are bullied or appear to be feeling left out is crucial—they can speak up for them, offer a listening ear, and inform an adult about the situation. Providing ongoing support to individuals who have experienced bullying, both within and outside of school, can help prevent them from falling into depression. All the parties involved (including the bully) should receive the proper support in order to cut down on bullying. For additional tips on how to prevent bullying in schools visit this the stopbullying.gov website.

Defeat School Stress! 10 Stress Management Techniques for Students

Students walk to high school

It can be stressful to be a student in high school or secondary school. There are so many things they’re trying to juggle: school, work, family, social life, finances, and so much more. However, if they don’t work on mental health coping skills, your kids can quickly become overwhelmed. When this happens, they won’t be able to give their best. Moreover, you they start to see your grades slip, causing pressure, which only leads to more stress. [Read more…]

Temple Grandin: An Example of How To Teach Kids Based on Their Way of Thinking

Kids Based on Their Way of Thinking

In her popular TED Talk, Temple Grandin, a person born with autism who succeeded in life, presents her learning experience with autism. We’ll spend this article learning about her central beliefs on teaching children with autism and how to apply them to your own kids.

First and foremost, it is empowering to truly understand your student. Grasping how your child thinks and learns will revolutionize your approach to teaching them. This goes beyond just their social skills. It’s about being attuned to any sensory issues they may have, as this will shape their learning environment. For instance, they might be sensitive to certain lighting or sounds. But most importantly, what kind of thinker are they? Temple Grandin’s insights on the three thinking styles prevalent in children with autism can be a powerful tool in your hands.

1. Visual Thinkers

Photo-realistic visual thinkers, as Temple calls them, are learners who can think in detailed pictures. Temple recounts her own experience of being asked to picture a church steeple. While most people would picture a fairly standard generic steeple, she sees a specific steeple on a particular church and has a detailed image in her head. These kinds of thinkers place sensory-based information into specific categories.

2. Pattern Thinkers

Although Grandin talks extensively about visual thinkers, she points out that “not every autistic kid is going to be a visual thinker” (5:01 of TED Talk). Pattern thinkers are those who have minds geared toward Math or Music. They may have trouble reading or writing but excel in seeing patterns of numbers. One thing Grandin noticed is their ability to create intricate origami.

3. Verbal Thinkers

Finally, there are the minds that are word-based. These thinkers can memorize facts about nearly anything and often make excellent journalists. In addition, Temple mentions that many children with autism who are verbal thinkers are good actors, due to their learning social skills like being in a play.

Once you’ve gained a deeper understanding of your learner’s thinking style, you can guide them to develop their interests. For instance, a pattern thinker with a passion for planes can be taught math through the lens of aviation. Harness their interests or fixations to motivate their learning. And don’t forget the power of mentors, tutors, or experts in their field of interest. These individuals can ignite the spark of curiosity and passion in your students, making learning a truly inspiring journey.

We’ve written about examples on this blog, including:

Teaching kids math with cars

Teaching kids math with baseball

Teaching kids math with bowling

Teaching kids math and meteorology with barometers

Teaching kids history and science with tea

When different, specific minds like these work together, they can complement each other’s abilities to solve a problem in a thorough way. But it all starts with understanding your learner and how they think. This knowledge can be the key to sparking their interest and guiding them towards their potential.