ML Interest Tag: spell

Why We Need to Take the Home Out of Homework

By Gil Gibori

Your kid has a math test tomorrow. No sweat—you studied calculus your junior year of college. Yet, astonishingly, your 4th grader does not want your help. You’re not alone. For what it’s worth, you could have spent a decade working through fractions, and you’d still be faced with the same conundrum. Kids simply don’t want to accept help from their parents.

As a result, tutoring companies have biologists asking them to teach their kids basic science principals; published authors begging them to help their kids write their essays; and the most trusted child psychologists breathing sighs of relief when someone is finally able to help their kids get organized.

School is a time when kids get the opportunity to find their independence in their social lives, so why shouldn’t they do the same in their academic lives too? Better yet, why can’t they do both at the same time? That means getting homework out of the home and into a more collaborative work environment.

In an increasingly connected world, businesses have adapted to the times with open-concept offices (think WeWork) to inspire their employees to be more collaborative and creative. And it makes perfect sense. When every piece of information in the universe is immediately available at the touch of a button (or with the summons of Alexa and Siri), knowledge is not as important as the ability to think, reason and connect to others. If we intend to set the next generation up for success, we need to make homework a time when kids have more opportunities to interact, be inspired and frankly, have more fun.

Young students often feel liberated when they progress from one school to the next and realize they’re surrounded not only by older kids but a larger array of social study spaces available to them. Formerly frustrated students finally find their footing in dynamic study groups and bustling libraries, and they start to wonder why they didn’t have these options sooner.

Many parents pay premiums for private tutors to come to their homes, assuming they are meeting kids where they are inherently most comfortable—their own dining room tables. In actuality, the convenience of not having to leave the house would be immediately outweighed by the power to carve out space, autonomy, and control over the learning experience (it helps if you still let them wear their pajama pants).

It’s up to us to provide students with safe places to work and study and to design every nook and cranny of these spaces to encourage creativity and collaboration. After all, students are expected to spend more time studying as they move through the school system, at least an estimated ten additional minutes per grade level just on homework according to experts, so it’s important to instill good habits and help reduce stress from a young age.

And those stresses are no joke. When your child enters his or her teens, they begin to internalize the pressure to create the ideal college application package earlier and earlier. They spend every day in an intensely competitive school environment, over-scheduled from sunrise to sunset, and when they arrive home, parents (who only want the best for their kids) keep reminding them of what they already know—there’s so much to achieve and never enough hours in the day to get it all done.

At the end of the day, you are the person your child wants to impress the most, so it’s no wonder the pressure of performing perfectly at home can be overwhelming. So, don’t be offended the next time your kid gives you the cold shoulder when you ask to help him with his spelling assignment. Help your child find their own safe space to study with friends and trusted mentors. You’ll watch the confidence increase, and the battles at the dining room table will begin to melt away.

Gil is CEO and founder of The House, an on-demand, parent-free tutoring lounge for students. The House has revolutionized tutoring by giving students a space they can learn and grow on their own terms. Currently based in Glencoe, IL, Gil is looking at expanding the concept into new communities nationwide.

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Summer Learning Loss Is Real. Here’s How to Deal with It

By Eiko Nakazawa

Students’ loss of academic ground over the summer is widely referred to as “Summer Slide,” or “Summer Learning Loss.” While a luxurious three-month summer break does provide time for families to vacation and teachers to plan, the impact of this time away from school has been resoundingly negative for students, particularly with respect to their math computation skills. A lengthy summer break does not optimize for student learning and the duration of time U.S. students have between school years is longer than the majority of other national school systems.

The summer slide phenomenon has been documented since 1906, and more recently a narrative and meta-analytic review of 39 studies indicated student achievement declines over the summer, with the largest losses in children’s spelling and computational mathematics. Indeed, Dr. Megan Kuhfeld, a Research Scientist at the Northwest Evaluation Research Association (NWEA), finds that “in the summer following third grade, students lose nearly 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math. By the summer after seventh grade, students lose on average 36 percent of their school-year gains in reading and a whopping 50 percent of their school-year gains in math.”

NWEA’s findings illustrate not only that summer slide has a more deleterious effect on math than on reading, but that the amount of learning lost over the summer increases as a student progresses through school. 

But there are ways to prevent children’s summer learning loss! We’ve compiled our five most effective summer slide deterrents below.

1. Be intentional about setting time aside for learning.

  • It can be easy to forget all about academics when rushing from summer camp to ballet to the pool.  Intentionally scheduling time every day for literacy, numeracy, science, or writing may help to prevent valuable learning time from being replaced by other summer activities.

2. Talk to your child’s teachers.

  • They may be happy to recommend extension activities, or relevant workbooks, for your child to complete over the summer to give them a leg up in the fall.  

3. Read in the Evening

  • Taking time out of your busy schedule to spend 30 minutes reading with your child is invaluable.  Not only is there power in your child being able to see you read (just like them!), but it can be a wonderful way to ritualize reading, rather than computer games, before bed

4. Don’t neglect math and spelling.

  • Children’s largest academic losses over the summer are in spelling and computational mathematics. Make a list of age-appropriate spelling words and challenge your child to spell them in chalk outside or using lettered tiles from games around the house. Print out some math worksheets for your child to complete while on their way to summer camp or when waiting on the trains. Incorporate numeracy into everyday activities, talk about all the ways you can use math in the real world, or balance your checkbook with your child!

5. Hone in on challenges.

  • The summer represents a wonderful, stress-free opportunity to bolster a child’s skills. If your child was struggling with a particular subject or standard during the school year, taking just 20 minutes a day to work with them over the summer can produce remarkable results. Similarly, many summer programs offer targeted support in specific subjects and may your child to see and understand the material in a new way!
This post originally appeared on Dearest Blog.

I'm an NYC mom who is passionate about early education. I created Dearest to solve the quality issues of child care in the city, by connecting families with a community of educators who can take excellent care of the children while inspiring and teaching them.

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To My Kids on the Last Day of School

By Krissy Dieruf

Photo: Photo by Gabby Orcutt on Unsplash

You did it. Another year of school has come and gone. Another grade you have walked newly into unknowing of what lay ahead. You have worked, struggled, excelled, and conquered. You aced some spelling tests, you learned some new math problems, you made some new friends. All of this is a really big deal. Some things you didn’t do so well on, you forgot your homework a few times. You almost missed the bus on (many) occasion, and you came home from school sick once or twice. All of this is a little deal. What truly matters in the middle of all of the moments that add up to your whole year is that through it all, you faced the challenges with grit and spirit. You helped others along the way. And you let others give you a helping hand, too. I am so proud of you.

Never will you have this year again. Next year will brand new and you will surely walk into it with a little bit of worry, a little bit of excitement, and a little of “let’s do this” attitude because that’s what makes you the amazing kids you are. It is hard to start new things, and yet you do. It is even harder to end some things. You are doing it beautifully. You opened your heart and your mind to your teacher, your school, and your whole class and now you must say goodbye to the group you have been for the last nine months. Maybe it is a relief, maybe you are excited for the next year and new things. Maybe it is sad and you wish you could stay forever. Maybe it’s both. It can be everything. It’s normal to feel all the big feelings so don’t try to keep them hidden away, or think you have to pretend not to care. It’s good to care. Your teachers and classmates care about you and were lucky to have you with them.

If you are celebrating though, all excitement for lazy summer days, sleeping in late, swimming and biking and hanging out with friends, don’t forget to stop and remember all the hard work you have done to get to the fun. Because you did work so hard and learn so many new things. You were challenged and tested and stretched to do better than you may have ever thought you could do. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, know that you did. Give yourself a second to be proud of that. Let it all sink in.

This is the last time you will be this old and, in this grade, and maybe even in this school because you are growing bigger every day and becoming exactly who you are meant to be. Keep learning, keep being kind, keep talking about it as you go, keep looking out for the underdogs, and doing your very best no matter how it compares to anyone else. Keep thinking positive even when things are hard, keep reading and writing, and always keep laughing.

And a special note to the moms and dads reading this, I know it feels like the year went by so fast even though the days were long and the homework hard. You did a great job too. Take a few minutes (or days!) to remind yourself of all your amazing accomplishments (like the last minute project you busted out with your kid until late at night, or how you got up earlier than your kids every morning just to pack lunches, set out their bags, or have a moment of sanity to be the best mom or dad you can be), and how important that is. Kids don’t always remember to say thank you, but they are, thankful. Nice job. Maybe it wasn’t always pretty, trust me, I know, the bus came early around here and it was a hot mess getting out the door half the time! But we kept doing it every day, and we’ll keep getting better. (Or hopefully, the bus will get later!) Either way, it’s a group effort most days, and your kids are blessed to have such incredible people cheering them on as they began, and now end, this school year.  Cheers to you all!

Whatever next year will bring, whatever grade hangs in the future waiting to welcome your sweet little faces and your shiny new shoes, know that you will rock that one just like you did this one. But not yet. It is time to relax and soak up every second of summer before the long yellow school bus pulls back up in front of our house at the crack of dawn in three short months. (I swear I’m not counting!) Now, who wants ice cream!?

 

Krissy Dieruf is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children, loves to sing and dance around the house and has a soft spot for rebels and crazy hair. 

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The Most Epic National Spelling Bee Ever Just Ended in an 8-Way Tie

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Can you spell erysipelas? Or even define it? Eight kids under age 15 can and they all took home the title of Champion in the 2019 Scripps Spelling Bee.

After 20 nail-biting rounds the judges of the 92nd Scripps Spelling Bee declared not one,  but eight champions. Three hours into the competition and the voice of the Scripps Bee, Jacques Bailly, announced that they were running out of words to challenge the competitors. Then for the first time in history more than two winnners were announced.

The champs were Rishik Gandhasri, 13; Erin Howard, 14; Saketh Sundar, 13;  Shruthika Padhy, 13; Sohum Sukhatankar, 13; Abhijay Kodali, 12; Christopher Serrao, 13; and Rohan Raja, 13

Each winner went five perfect rounds, spelling the final 47 words with precision. They will all take home the $50,000 prize, trophies and will enjoy an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Scripps National Spelling Bee via Facebook

 

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Shannen Doherty Joins the Reboot Cast & the OG’s of “90210” Are Back

by Erica Loop

By now you probably already know that Kelly, Donna, David, Andrea and Brandon are making a return to the small screen in the Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot. But what about Brenda?

While the other half of the Walsh sib set was a holdout, actress Shannen Doherty finally announced that she will join the rest of the original cast for the new series. Doherty recently posted a pic of the ’90s gang on Instagram along with the caption, “Yes it’s official.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwvBMwQBUOY/

If you’re wondering what the all-new 90210 will look like, the official description is, “Having gone their separate ways since the original series ended 19 years ago, Jason, Jennie, Ian, Gabrielle, Brian and Tori reunite when one of them suggests it’s time to get a Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot up and running. But getting it going may make for an even more delicious soap than the reboot itself. What will happen when first loves, old romances, friends and frenemies come back together, as this iconic cast — whom the whole world watched grow up together — attempts to continue from where they left off?”

Following Doherty’s IG announcement, cast-mate Tori Spelling posted her own throw-back pic (a decades’ old publicity photo of the original four females of 90210), adding, “It’s OFFICIAL…ALL the OG 90210 girls will be together again!”

Sadly, the new BH90210 will air without one notable cast member. Known as the cool-kid/heartthrob of West Beverly High, Dylan McKay, actor Luke Perry tragically died following a stroke last March. Perry’s former cast-mates, and current BH90210 stars, took to social media with an outpouring of love for the actor. Doherty posted on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuokFQVgoUz/

The reboot, which is scheduled for a summer premiere, is a limited six-episode series.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Courtesy of 90210 Productions/FOX

 

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Michael Phelps Is about to Become a Gold-Medal Dad for the Third Time

by Karly Wood

Michael Phelps and his wife Nicole are expecting baby number three! The 23-time Olympic gold medalist and his wife both shared an adorable image on Instagram on Sunday, announcing the news their family is growing by one more.

The new baby will join big brothers, Boomer, 2 and Becket, 1 sometime this year. Nicole shared a photo with big brothers riding in a toy truck is adorned with gold letter balloons spelling out “baby” and could the Phelps boys be any cuter!?

Phelps has expressed the family’s desire to include three kiddos in the past, so we weren’t totally taken aback at the wonderful announcement. Neither Phelps nor his wife shared the due date or gender of the future bundle of joy, so we will all have to stay tuned.

Boy or girl, Phelps is well on his way to forming his own mini-swim team!

––Karly Wood

Featured photo: Michael Phelps via Instagram

 

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When Bright Children Struggle to Learn: How to Build Confidence & Joy

By Dr. Deborah Ross-Swain & Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider

Noah is a bright third-grader who has always struggled to learn. Nothing comes easy for Noah despite his Herculean efforts, outside tutoring and documented intellectual abilities. He gets in trouble in class for not being organized, daydreaming, not completing assignments and “not trying hard enough.” Noah feels defeated because even with all of the extra help he’s getting, nothing is getting easier. Reading, spelling and math are still struggles. Noah doesn’t learn like his classmates and can’t feel the success they do. He is sad, frustrated and feels “stupid.”

Noah has a learning difference—not a learning disability or disorder. Noah isn’t stupid. Actually Noah is very bright and can learn many things that his classmates themselves would find challenging.

There are many students like Noah in classrooms across America—bright, yet with learning differences, who struggle to learn core subjects like reading, spelling and math. Unfortunately, their lack of success with learning makes them feel bad about themselves and can affect their desire to learn. Without success, they are robbed of experiencing confidence and joy. When children face daily tasks or situations in which they consistently fail, they will feel defeated, frustrated, sad and anxious. Constant academic struggles and lack of success are huge robbers of confidence and joy in bright children with learning differences.

Every child needs to be supported, encouraged and recognized for his or her unique talents. When learning differences aren’t identified and investigated thoroughly, these struggling students are often misunderstood. Frequently they hear: “You need to try harder;” or “You need to listen better;” or “You have a bad attitude.” Comments like these from parents and teachers only make them feel worse. They also act as confidence and joy robbers.

All children want to be successful. But, if their brains are wired in such a way that they have difficulty focusing, listening, getting organized or focusing for extended periods of time, no consequences, threats or bribes can change the way their brains work.

Parents and professionals can help insure these bright but learning different children experience confidence and joy by using DEAR strategies:

Detect

Put on a detective’s hat and determine the child’s learning st‌yle, interests and areas of natural talent. Identify what teaching strategies allow for the child’s learning success.

Encourage

Involve them in activities, tasks and events that allow them to use their natural talents. Encourage professionals working with these children to develop teaching st‌yles that work with the child’s learning st‌yle and natural talents.

Advocate

Go to bat for your child in order for him or her to experience success, confidence and happiness. Involve professionals working with your child to go to bat as well.

Repeat

Repeat activities, strategies, skills and learning situations that work well in allowing for the child’s mastery, sense of well-being and feelings of success. Confidence and joy are natural by-products of success.

With success, confidence and joy, the bright but struggling child’s relationship with learning can change from “I’m stupid” to “I can learn,” and from “I can’t” to “I can!”

Dr. Deborah Ross-Swain & Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Dr. Deborah Ross-Swain is a licensed speech-language pathologist and CEO of the Swain Center for Listening, Communicating and Learning. Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider is CEO of TouchTime International. Drs. Swain and Schneider’s new book, Confidence & Joy, provides parents with tools to help children with learning differences realize lifelong success.

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“Beverly Hills, 90210” Is the Latest Show of Our Childhoods to Get a Reboot

by Erica Loop

When Brandon, Brenda, Kelly, Dylan, Steve, David, Donna and Andrea graduated over a quarter of a century ago, who would have expected a Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot? Well now it looks like the gangs heading back to the Peach Pit—because Tori Spelling just confirmed a reunion!

During an interview with Access Live the actress/reality star dished after being asked about recent pics of Spelling, along with former cast members Jennie Garth, Brian Austin Green and Ian Ziering. What looked like a casual brunch between friends was really a between-meeting coffee break. That’s right, Spelling confirmed that the 90210 gang was indeed talking to networks about a show reboot.

After getting cheers (and who would cheer this littler slice of ’90s nostalgia?), Spelling asked, “Did I just confirm something that wasn’t known?” Um, yes! The former-Donna Martin actress went on to add that it is the “OG” crew back together again, playing “heightened” versions of themselves. The only exceptions being Luke Perry (due to potential Riverdale conflicts) and Shannen Doherty. While Doherty’s character Brenda was obviously central to the show, the actress’s recent battle with breast cancer has made her return an unknown as of now.

So when can we expect 90210 to return to the small screen? While there’s no debut date as of now, Spelling did say that the show will air sometime in 2019.

—Erica Loop

Featured Photo: Courtesy of 90210 Productions/FOX

 

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If You Grew Up in the ’70s You Probably Played with These Toys

by Allison Sutcliffe

Sure your kids have hoverboards, virtual reality goggles, and LEGO sets you only dreamed of. But don’t forget, kid toys from the ’70s were cutting edge … in their day. So go ahead and relive those hours spent playing on the shag carpeting with this list of retro toys you’re sure to remember. Scroll down to see them all.

via ebay

You totally beat Han’s 12 parsec Kessel Run record when you captained Kenner’s Millennium Falcon Spaceship. Every time.

Mattel website

You puckered up alongside Kissing Barbie and planted lipsticked kisses on your unsuspecting kid brother.

via ebay

You used your Speak & Spell to practice spelling, but secretly wondered if it could really “phone home.”

 

 

via ebay

You blasted Asteroids and conquered Space Invaders on your Atari 2600 every chance you got. Curious about other games kids played back in the day? Find more favorites here.

via ebay

You went through all your Lite Brite peg sheets in one sitting and still wanted more. (Get the retro reboot for your kid on Amazon.)

Allison Sutcliffe

You were always on the winning team when you played electronic football. 

 

 

via ebay

Snoopy was always invited to chill at Barbie’s place when you mixed and matched your Colorforms. (Get the retro reboot for your kid on Amazon.)

via ebay

If you concentrate real hard, we bet you can still conjure the smell of Strawberry Shortcake’s sweetly scented hair. 

via ebay

You spun serious tunes on your Fisher Price record player. Jack & Jill, London Bridge and Edelweiss never sounded so good. 

via ebay

You waffled between anticipation and terror every time you wound up Mattel’s Jack in the Box.

You never did answer the question “just how far can Stretch Armstrong stretch before he breaks?” But you got close plenty of times. (Get the retro reboot for your kid on Amazon.)

via ebay

You chucked Nerf balls at your friend’s head … indoors!

At least once a summer you’d beg your parents to please, please let you and your friends make a cherry red snow cone with your own Snoopy SnoCone Machine (Get the retro reboot for your kid on Amazon.).

via ebay

Shopping wasn’t your priority when you pulled out the Fisher Price Cash Register. Ringing up sales was. 

via etsy

Strapping on skates and hitting the sidewalk was how you rolled on warm summer days. Psst ... find more nostalgic sidewalk toys here.

via ebay

Your parents were swimming in key chains from all the Shrinky Dinks you colored, cut and baked.

via ebay

When you played with your Fisher Price Sesame Street Playhouse, Mr. Snuffleupagus was still Big Bird’s imaginary friend.

via ebay

You did your best Swiss Family Robinson impression every time you played with the Tree Tots Family Tree House.

Did your favorite childhood toy make it on our list? If not, what would you add? Share your favorites in a comment.

— Allison Sutcliffe

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