The Pithy Python

I found a great new blog that is inspiring called the Pithy Python.
I just read a great entry called a Tale of Two Nine Year Olds.

Please read as it is very meaningful.  This is what I have being saying to parents again and again:  read to your child, inspire them with literature.  It will make all the difference in their lives!

A great blog to follow! 

The Pithy Python

I found a great new blog that is inspiring called the Pithy Python.
I just read a great entry called a Tale of Two Nine Year Olds.

Please read as it is very meaningful.  This is what I have being saying to parents again and again:  read to your child, inspire them with literature.  It will make all the difference in their lives!

A great blog to follow! 

Top 5 Ways to Nurture Gifted Children

I came across this handout I give to parents. It has been adapted from Carol Bainbridge who offers advice to parents of gifted children.

1.  Follow Your Child's Lead

What does your child enjoy?  What does your child seem to be good at?  Provide opportunities for your child to work with things he or she enjoys or is good at.  For example, if your child loves dinosaurs, get books about dinosaurs, fiction and non-fiction.  Get games and puzzles about dinosaurs.  Go see dinosaurs at museums.  If your child is good at music or a sport, provide opportunities for him or her to learn an instrument or play a sport.

2.  Expand Your Child's Interests

While it's important to provide opportunities for your child to work with his or her interests and strengths, it is also important to expose your child to new things.  Children only know what they have been exposed to, so if they've never been exposed to music, they may not know whether they like it or are good at it.  Children need not be forced to try new things, but they should be encouraged.  It is not forcing a child, however, to insist that they not quit something after two days. 

3.  Be Creative and Ask Questions

This may seem as though it's easier said than done, but once you start thinking "outside the box" it gets easier.  Gifted children love to think and solve problems, so provide them with ample opportunities for doing so.  Write daily notes in their lunch box!  Cook together and ask questions about why vegetables get soft when cooked; or why cakes rise when baked.  Go for a walk and ask about why the sky is blue, what are the different types of clouds.  In the swimming pool, ask why they don't float but will sink to the bottom of the pool.  Asking questions will help them to think creatively and soon they will be asking the questions, if they are not already doing so!

4.  Look for Outside Activities and Networks

Many communities offer classes for children as do museums, zoos, community centres, and many universities and community colleges.  Some communities also have botanical gardens, planetariums, and other places of interest.  In addition, there are parent groups for gifted children, homeschooling opportunities, and a vast amount of online resources for gifted children and their parents. Make connections to make your lives easier!

5.  Keep a Variety of Resources at Home

These resources need not be expensive or elaborate.  They just need to allow your gifted child to develop his or her interests or get exposed to new ones.  For example, to encourage artistic talent, all you need initially are simple paint brushes, paint, white paper, crayons, and other supplies.    You can have a recycling box where your child can build and create sculptures from recycled materials.  An area, such as the dinning room table, is a great place for your child to spread out and work at!

Top 5 Ways to Nurture Gifted Children

I came across this handout I give to parents. It has been adapted from Carol Bainbridge who offers advice to parents of gifted children.

1.  Follow Your Child's Lead

What does your child enjoy?  What does your child seem to be good at?  Provide opportunities for your child to work with things he or she enjoys or is good at.  For example, if your child loves dinosaurs, get books about dinosaurs, fiction and non-fiction.  Get games and puzzles about dinosaurs.  Go see dinosaurs at museums.  If your child is good at music or a sport, provide opportunities for him or her to learn an instrument or play a sport.

2.  Expand Your Child's Interests

While it's important to provide opportunities for your child to work with his or her interests and strengths, it is also important to expose your child to new things.  Children only know what they have been exposed to, so if they've never been exposed to music, they may not know whether they like it or are good at it.  Children need not be forced to try new things, but they should be encouraged.  It is not forcing a child, however, to insist that they not quit something after two days. 

3.  Be Creative and Ask Questions

This may seem as though it's easier said than done, but once you start thinking "outside the box" it gets easier.  Gifted children love to think and solve problems, so provide them with ample opportunities for doing so.  Write daily notes in their lunch box!  Cook together and ask questions about why vegetables get soft when cooked; or why cakes rise when baked.  Go for a walk and ask about why the sky is blue, what are the different types of clouds.  In the swimming pool, ask why they don't float but will sink to the bottom of the pool.  Asking questions will help them to think creatively and soon they will be asking the questions, if they are not already doing so!

4.  Look for Outside Activities and Networks

Many communities offer classes for children as do museums, zoos, community centres, and many universities and community colleges.  Some communities also have botanical gardens, planetariums, and other places of interest.  In addition, there are parent groups for gifted children, homeschooling opportunities, and a vast amount of online resources for gifted children and their parents. Make connections to make your lives easier!

5.  Keep a Variety of Resources at Home

These resources need not be expensive or elaborate.  They just need to allow your gifted child to develop his or her interests or get exposed to new ones.  For example, to encourage artistic talent, all you need initially are simple paint brushes, paint, white paper, crayons, and other supplies.    You can have a recycling box where your child can build and create sculptures from recycled materials.  An area, such as the dinning room table, is a great place for your child to spread out and work at!

Summer Reading for Gifted Learners

What does a dead hippo, Asperger’s syndrome, a nuclear power plant,  homelessness, pirates, and war in the Middle East have in common? 

My summer reading list for kids!  I have spent the last week at Pender Island with my family, reading and previewing exciting new books for my reading program this year.  There are some great reads.

1.     Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

    A girl who as Asperger's and must deal with the loss of her brother who was killed in a school shooting.  Cailtin must have "closure" around this tragedy and move forward in her life.  The book really gets into the social reality of a child with Asperger's.  Also, the book makes reference to the famous "To Kill a Mockingbird" novel and movie and draws parallels.  From a teacher's perspective, I loved this book and was crying through many parts. This is not an action packed book, but rather one that gets into the "head" of the main character and the reader feels the experience deeply.  An exceptional and moving book.

2.     Island of the Unknowns by Benedict Carey

A very different book; a mystery that needs to be solved using math. The main characters live on an island called Folsom Adjacent that houses a nuclear power plant; people go missing, and Lady Di Smith and Tom Jones must solve the mystery. I enjoyed it because I liked how the author brought math into the story line, and students who are passionate about math will enjoy this aspect of the book.  I liked the characters, and enjoyed how they were "misfits".  A great deal of the story took place with the main characters crawling around underground, and I found this quite suspenseful.  The math is high level, and there is a great activity guide at the back that explains the math concepts:  pythagorean theorem, and the magic of pi to be exact!

3.     Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs

 A fun mystery and a good read; the main character, Teddy,  lives at Funjungle - a super duper zoo theme park!  The main attraction, a hippo, dies, and Teddy finds out he is murdered, and the adventure begins.  I liked the characters and pace and the way Funjungle was presented as a mirror to theme parks that exist today.   I would use this book as a discussion point about the value of zoos and whether or not it is right to have animals in captivity.  I would also discuss the value of theme parks (money making ventures?) and whether or not they have any value in our world (think Disneyland and all of THAT).

4.     How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor

Is it ever right to steal something that is not yours?  I liked this book because the main character makes a big decision in order to help her family. Is it the right decision? Georgina plans to steal a dog to make money so that she and her brother and mother can rent a home and not live in their car -  a temporary situation after their father leaves and they can no longer pay the rent.   I found this book well written and this would make a fantastic read aloud to kids, at home and at school.  There was a fantastic quote in this book that I though was very powerful "Sometimes the the trail you leave behind you is more important than the path ahead of you" and it made me think about the importance of treating others well.  A profound novel about homeless, love, and caring for others.

5.     Camel Rider by Prue Mason

What I liked about this book was two boys coming together from very different backgrounds to work together to survive.  I liked how the book was written from each boy's perspective.  A good book to use to discuss different cultural values.  The book takes place in Abudai, a fictional city, which is typical of "many oil-rich states in the Arabian Gulf" states the author.  I enjoyed how the main character begins the novel as a "compound kid" who only cares about surfing - he is self absorbed and spoiled ex-pat.  Through the course of the novel, he changes, and comes out the other end as a more thoughtful person. 

I would also use this book with the fantastic Breadwinner series by Deborah Ellis which I thought was far more powerful and brilliant!  You could have a great literature circle theme around war and the aftermath and destruction it causes.

6.     The Dagger Quick by Brian Eames

This is an adventure book, and is great for boys and girls who love pirates.  I enjoyed the adventures, the pirate lingo, and the story overall.  The main character has to overcome many obstacles, and is considered an outsider because of his club foot.  However, he shows bravery and courage and determination!  The book ends on a cliffhanger, and I am hopefully there will be second book. 

These books are suitable for readers  grade 4 or 5 and up, depending on the child, reading ability, and maturity. 

Happy reading.....

Summer Reading for Gifted Learners

What does a dead hippo, Asperger’s syndrome, a nuclear power plant,  homelessness, pirates, and war in the Middle East have in common? 

My summer reading list for kids!  I have spent the last week at Pender Island with my family, reading and previewing exciting new books for my reading program this year.  There are some great reads.

1.     Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

    A girl who as Asperger's and must deal with the loss of her brother who was killed in a school shooting.  Cailtin must have "closure" around this tragedy and move forward in her life.  The book really gets into the social reality of a child with Asperger's.  Also, the book makes reference to the famous "To Kill a Mockingbird" novel and movie and draws parallels.  From a teacher's perspective, I loved this book and was crying through many parts. This is not an action packed book, but rather one that gets into the "head" of the main character and the reader feels the experience deeply.  An exceptional and moving book.

2.     Island of the Unknowns by Benedict Carey

A very different book; a mystery that needs to be solved using math. The main characters live on an island called Folsom Adjacent that houses a nuclear power plant; people go missing, and Lady Di Smith and Tom Jones must solve the mystery. I enjoyed it because I liked how the author brought math into the story line, and students who are passionate about math will enjoy this aspect of the book.  I liked the characters, and enjoyed how they were "misfits".  A great deal of the story took place with the main characters crawling around underground, and I found this quite suspenseful.  The math is high level, and there is a great activity guide at the back that explains the math concepts:  pythagorean theorem, and the magic of pi to be exact!

3.     Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs

 A fun mystery and a good read; the main character, Teddy,  lives at Funjungle - a super duper zoo theme park!  The main attraction, a hippo, dies, and Teddy finds out he is murdered, and the adventure begins.  I liked the characters and pace and the way Funjungle was presented as a mirror to theme parks that exist today.   I would use this book as a discussion point about the value of zoos and whether or not it is right to have animals in captivity.  I would also discuss the value of theme parks (money making ventures?) and whether or not they have any value in our world (think Disneyland and all of THAT).

4.     How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor

Is it ever right to steal something that is not yours?  I liked this book because the main character makes a big decision in order to help her family. Is it the right decision? Georgina plans to steal a dog to make money so that she and her brother and mother can rent a home and not live in their car -  a temporary situation after their father leaves and they can no longer pay the rent.   I found this book well written and this would make a fantastic read aloud to kids, at home and at school.  There was a fantastic quote in this book that I though was very powerful "Sometimes the the trail you leave behind you is more important than the path ahead of you" and it made me think about the importance of treating others well.  A profound novel about homeless, love, and caring for others.

5.     Camel Rider by Prue Mason

What I liked about this book was two boys coming together from very different backgrounds to work together to survive.  I liked how the book was written from each boy's perspective.  A good book to use to discuss different cultural values.  The book takes place in Abudai, a fictional city, which is typical of "many oil-rich states in the Arabian Gulf" states the author.  I enjoyed how the main character begins the novel as a "compound kid" who only cares about surfing - he is self absorbed and spoiled ex-pat.  Through the course of the novel, he changes, and comes out the other end as a more thoughtful person. 

I would also use this book with the fantastic Breadwinner series by Deborah Ellis which I thought was far more powerful and brilliant!  You could have a great literature circle theme around war and the aftermath and destruction it causes.

6.     The Dagger Quick by Brian Eames

This is an adventure book, and is great for boys and girls who love pirates.  I enjoyed the adventures, the pirate lingo, and the story overall.  The main character has to overcome many obstacles, and is considered an outsider because of his club foot.  However, he shows bravery and courage and determination!  The book ends on a cliffhanger, and I am hopefully there will be second book. 

These books are suitable for readers  grade 4 or 5 and up, depending on the child, reading ability, and maturity. 

Happy reading.....

The Write Stuff

  
The first program I am offering in the 2011-12 school year is called "The Write Stuff" and I am pulling in some fantastic writers in grades 3 and 4.  This is a pre-selected group of students.


The program will be about narrative writing, and is geared towards students that have shown some interest or talent in the written word.  Basically, these students love to write!

The Write Stuff  September 19, 20, 27/ 2011
In this program, we will study how to be a good writer; we will talk about good writers we like to read.  We will look at:

• how to develop characters in a story


• how to come up with a problem in a story


• how to pace our story and come up with an outline or direction for the story


• how to capture the reader in the introduction (good beginnings)


• how to use dialogue


• strategies to keep writing at home and in school and continue with our writing passion

As this is only a three day program, students will be working on a story or short novel. 

What is the purpose of the program?
1.  To have students who are good writers, meet with other like minded writers to share ideas and get inspired.

2.  To learn more about writing in a program where I can focus on their skills and needs in a more intense and specific manner.  

3.  To have students go back to their school environment with a new focus on writing.   

I can't wait to meet the students in September, and if you are one of the students coming to program, I hope you are enjoying your summer! See you soon!