We are a blessed family. We have been able to stay in contact with many friends and celebrate life's milestones together. Today we were invited to a housewarming, a graduation brunch, a graduation ceremony, a baby shower, a one year old birthday party and a wedding. We made it to the graduation brunch and the wedding. I love that we get to celebrate real life with people -but often I find myself analyzing life instead of enjoying my friends. So, I am trying to step back from that role and just enjoy the good things God has given us.
The graduation brunch was for the students that I was "mom" to at the boarding program. They all make me proud - I was almost in tears as I left. They are really good kids and they are off to great things. I hope that they all realize just how incredible they are to move to another country, learn a new language, live in dorms and somehow make it through high school.
The wedding was also awesome. I thought our wedding season had passed (some of you may remember we went to 7 weddings in 8 weeks one fall - well we will attend 3 in 6 weeks this sprping.) It was outdoors with a BBQ following - very Texas. I love weddings that are an expression of the couple this one had their name all over it. For the first time ever I saw the couple share private vows (in addition to the ones we normally take in marriage). It was really cool - you couldn't hear what they were saying (it's private) but you could see their love for each other. The other cool thing was that the pastor went through 1 Corinthians 13- the love chapter- talking about how we as their friends and family could show love by being patient, kind, forgetting wrongs, etc. He had us consider what we were saying when we commit to support the couple. It was very cool.
So today we celebrated. I am very sorry that I missed the housewarming, birthday party and baby shower - just not enough time. Please know that I am celebrating with all of you!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
It's been a while
Well I think I have succumb to a little bit of temporary insanity. I will be helping to run a summer camp program for a non profit affiliated with my church. I am looking forward to it but it will be lots of work! It already has me pretty busy. I do have to sing the praises of the city because it will allow my husband to be home in the mornings so I can work and then we will switch. It might be a little tough because my hubbie and I won't spend a lot of time together - but it's a short term thing.
In another news my little one has figured out how to push himself up to sit on his own. Today he did this right near our radio and he attempted to push the buttons - so we'll be moving stuff around again soon. He is getting closer to crawling but he's not there yet. So I'll continue to keep you updated about the excitement of summer camp.
In another news my little one has figured out how to push himself up to sit on his own. Today he did this right near our radio and he attempted to push the buttons - so we'll be moving stuff around again soon. He is getting closer to crawling but he's not there yet. So I'll continue to keep you updated about the excitement of summer camp.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Emotional Melt Downs
Well many of my friends have children that are turning growing up and trying to handle overwhelming emotions.
Recently I read Happiest Toddler on the Block which discusses dealing with children from about 12 months or so until they are about 4. He encourages parents to repeat what your upset toddler is telling you - with words and actions. He recommends using short phrases, repetition, emphasis and gesturing. Empathizing with your little one helps him realize that you hear him and allows him to calm down enough to hear what you have to say. (Obviously in dangerous situations you do NOT use this method). If you've ever been to a counselor or learned anything about counseling they constantly talk about repeating what you are hearing from the person you are talking to - Karp is applying this to little ones. The thing that strikes me about Karp's method is that he emphasizes body language and encourages parents to furrow their brows, beat the door, or do other more dramatic things to help express emotion. This makes sense because your 18 month old can't understand all the words you are using - but your body language can communicate a lot. He does admit that a lot of parents feel like fools acting this way - but when it works it's hard to argue with the approach. That's just part of the book - it's very interesting.
The other book or program that I've been looking at for preschool aged kiddos is the I Can Problem Solve approach. This method has been taught in classrooms and homes with long lasting effects for kids. Basically it teaches a series of phrases to help kids express their thoughts and think through situations. It seems really simple - but I think that's what makes it effective. I actually got Myrna Shure's book at the library and I think it's something that you can incorporate into your everyday life. When my little one is older I think I will be trying to incorporate this approach into our family life.
So these are just two options that might be worth checking out from your local library.
Recently I read Happiest Toddler on the Block which discusses dealing with children from about 12 months or so until they are about 4. He encourages parents to repeat what your upset toddler is telling you - with words and actions. He recommends using short phrases, repetition, emphasis and gesturing. Empathizing with your little one helps him realize that you hear him and allows him to calm down enough to hear what you have to say. (Obviously in dangerous situations you do NOT use this method). If you've ever been to a counselor or learned anything about counseling they constantly talk about repeating what you are hearing from the person you are talking to - Karp is applying this to little ones. The thing that strikes me about Karp's method is that he emphasizes body language and encourages parents to furrow their brows, beat the door, or do other more dramatic things to help express emotion. This makes sense because your 18 month old can't understand all the words you are using - but your body language can communicate a lot. He does admit that a lot of parents feel like fools acting this way - but when it works it's hard to argue with the approach. That's just part of the book - it's very interesting.
The other book or program that I've been looking at for preschool aged kiddos is the I Can Problem Solve approach. This method has been taught in classrooms and homes with long lasting effects for kids. Basically it teaches a series of phrases to help kids express their thoughts and think through situations. It seems really simple - but I think that's what makes it effective. I actually got Myrna Shure's book at the library and I think it's something that you can incorporate into your everyday life. When my little one is older I think I will be trying to incorporate this approach into our family life.
So these are just two options that might be worth checking out from your local library.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Reading - step by step
In my search for information about teaching phonics I found the NAEYCs statement outlining the literacy goals from preschool to third grade. I think this is a balanced look at what children should be able to do at each stage. I think I could very easily fall into pushing my kiddo to do more than he can or should do at a certain stage. These markers help me remember it's not a race and that learning to read is a process that takes time and trial and error.
On the other hand, this informaiton is useful if you feel that the school is pushing the academic side of reading too much. NAEYC is the most widely recognized accredidation organization for early childhood centers. If the school is drilling and killing too much you might encourage them to consider this statement and how it should impact the way they teach their students.
As far as phonics goes, it appears that there is no standard way to introduce the letters and sounds. There are suggestions that basically start with the easy sounds and work from there. The research does indicate that a systematic approach to teaching phonics is key to becoming a proficient reader. So, if for some reason the school your first grader attends is still insistent on the whole language approach as the only method - you need to step in on your child's behalf. You can teach phonics at home if need be.
In the end, remember that the goal of reading is inform, entertain, communicate, etc. - not decode. So, we need to make sure that we are reading materials to our kids (yes even when they are older) so that they can learn to enjoy the whole process of reading and see a reason for wading through the difficulty of putting together all those sounds.
On the other hand, this informaiton is useful if you feel that the school is pushing the academic side of reading too much. NAEYC is the most widely recognized accredidation organization for early childhood centers. If the school is drilling and killing too much you might encourage them to consider this statement and how it should impact the way they teach their students.
As far as phonics goes, it appears that there is no standard way to introduce the letters and sounds. There are suggestions that basically start with the easy sounds and work from there. The research does indicate that a systematic approach to teaching phonics is key to becoming a proficient reader. So, if for some reason the school your first grader attends is still insistent on the whole language approach as the only method - you need to step in on your child's behalf. You can teach phonics at home if need be.
In the end, remember that the goal of reading is inform, entertain, communicate, etc. - not decode. So, we need to make sure that we are reading materials to our kids (yes even when they are older) so that they can learn to enjoy the whole process of reading and see a reason for wading through the difficulty of putting together all those sounds.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Great Literacy Info
For all you moms out there (or grandmas) who are wondering how to make the most of your time at home and help your little one to enjoy reading I found a great site. It's probably a little more academic than most sites (it is out of the University of Florida) but it has great information on it. It looks like they have really done their research and condensed it down into a usable format. My two favorite pages are:
1) Inexpensive Literacy Materials and Activities - that says it all and they are easy to do too!
2) Characteristics of Children's Writing - this handout tells you about the developmental stages that children pass through in their writing. It's pretty nifty.
Another interesting piece that I found in my search is about transitioning into kindergarten. I realize it is May, but I want to post it before I lose it. This site has lots of information for parents about the BIG step. I think my favorite page is the 80 items that can help ease your little one (not so little anymore) into kindergarten. It's not a screen or skills test - but it gives you an idea of the types of things they should be able to do. So those are my educational finds for today.
1) Inexpensive Literacy Materials and Activities - that says it all and they are easy to do too!
2) Characteristics of Children's Writing - this handout tells you about the developmental stages that children pass through in their writing. It's pretty nifty.
Another interesting piece that I found in my search is about transitioning into kindergarten. I realize it is May, but I want to post it before I lose it. This site has lots of information for parents about the BIG step. I think my favorite page is the 80 items that can help ease your little one (not so little anymore) into kindergarten. It's not a screen or skills test - but it gives you an idea of the types of things they should be able to do. So those are my educational finds for today.
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