Administrators shared ideas about ways to engage parents. One group in particular were asking how to engsge parents who are currently coming to schools to enjoy their second and third cups of coffee with friends in the neighborhood. How could schools get these wonderful folks into classrooms and learning related activities. Everyone could use the extra sets of hands to help the kids learn, and money issues or not the goal is to help children learn.

But money was still on everyone’s mind so the EdSuccess website (www.edsuccess.com) will shortly begin providing grant funding sources for folks who are looking for ways to jumpstart and/or support their parent involvement program. Let us know how we can help you begin to utilize parents to help children be more successful in school.

Saturday
Saturday saw a small but exuberant group of parents and professionals at the California Association for Compensatory Education conference. Although money may have been an issue, the major issue here was, regardless of money, how do we help the kids? Sounds like the same song different day and a different city and a different group, but it’s a very familiar melody.

Folks shared their vision for their children and discussed how learning was the key to bringing about those visions. One mom clearly declared that education was freedom. Education meant that her children could choose what they wanted to do with their lives and how they wanted to live. Another mom whose grown daughter was with her at the conference, stated with tears in her eyes, that education meant that her daughter and grandchildren could have a good life, perhaps a better one than she had had.

So…
Two very different groups with very different daily lives, but both have a major theme in common-helping children learn. I described my two days to someone by saying it was like going to a Methodist prayer session and a Southern Baptist tent revival meeting. Both were looking to the same Source and desiring a similar outcome. They just did it in a different way and I've had the good fortune to participate in both.

I’ve known in for years, since the time when I realized I was both an educator and a parent, educators and parents want the same thing. They both want children to be successful, happy, and have a wonderful life both now and in the future. We really are all for one when that one is the children we care so much about.

(To both groups: My apoligies for not using the pictures. I couldn't get them out of my phone onto the blog so I guess those of you with wanted posters out are safe for now. Whew. Thanks for being the people you are and keep up the great work. Joni)

Wilfred was also in the brown-eyed children’s group when we were doing statistics. The statistics included how many brown eyed children there were in comparison to blue and green-eyed children. Children gathered in their groups of other children with their same eye color then looked around to see how many of them were there. Seven brown-eyed children looked at each other, while one blue-eyed child looked into the eyes of one green-eyed child. One brown-eyed little boy tried hard to squeeze in next to his blue-eyed brother, but the facts remained. He couldn’t change his eye color so he stayed with his brown-eyed group to be counted.

The kids played games while their parents listened and shared activities they could do at home with their children. Checkers, crazy eights, dominoes, and chutes and ladders kept everyone’s interest. Once everyone enjoyed the play, we moved on to other fun games-ones that could help with school activities. Reading and math games took on as much importance as the game of checkers.

Teachers play too. Two teachers joined the parents and children in their games. Afterward they were excited about the possibilities of what kind of difference playing reading and math games could do for the children in their classroom.

Parent involvement makes a difference. Every book and workshop I write or give has the same message. Your child does well at what you pay attention to. So what will you pay attention to this week?

So.. this week when I met Kara and her Grandma, I got some tips. I was visiting in Ashland, Oregon and couldn’t resist Lithia Park. Brilliant reds, yellows, and orange leaves swirled on sidewalks in town and over the creek in the park. My camera longed to be used, but the first thing that caught my eye was not the park colors. 15-month-old Kara, dark-haired and dark-eyed, and her red-haired grandma, who drew me in. They were standing at the foot of a bridge watching the water drizzle over the rocks.

Kara, acorn in hand, watched grandma toss a similar acorn in the water. Kara, though, was reluctant to let go of the nut in her hand. What would happen? Would it come back or was it go forever away from her? You could almost watch the wheels turning in her mind. Not enough words there yet to express her thoughts, but she was watching everything closely and making a decision based strictly on emotion.

Finally, her decision made, she followed suit and threw an acorn in the water. It was then I noticed the one in her other hand. Smart young lady at 15 months. One in the hand would be worth two in the water.

Grandma extolled the virtues of not only her first grandchild, but Grandmahood in general. I can see the joy already and am looking forward to its reality. Poor London child doesn’t know what she’s in for. Her mom, aunt and uncles have been mentioned in articles, books, and blogs for years. She’s not even born yet and she’s already in print. I, of course, love it.

It was nice meeting you Kara and Grandma. Thank you for making my visit to Ashland such a memorable one.

Preschool and Kindergarten teachers are looking for pictures representing their vision of what they want children to be in El Dorado County. The words going with the pictures are happy, secure, loved, successful, and learning. The pictures say it all …

Two gentlemen showed up in a crowd of 100 women in two sessions of workshops this week at the El Dorado Fairgrounds. The spot, home for the afternoon for food and lively discussion, was the third such session and the first for this school year. The teachers, brought together by Deputy Superintendent Cathy Bean, share what they do in their programs so the children and parents who are going from one program to the next, preschool to kindergarten, will feel more comfortable and know what to expect.

It shouldn’t be too hard. Sometimes the programs are right across the school yard from each other or just down the block. The difference comes not in proximity but in philosophy, training, and community perception.

Have I mentioned purple yet? I should. The perception of the philosophy for preschool teachers is often that of warm, soft, fuzzy loving, kindly and nurturing-what I might call blue. The perception of the kindergarten teacher because they are part of the K-12 system is much more academic, learning, test oriented and competitive-perhaps red fits here. The goal for the day was to put the two colors together and form a purple mass with teachers being loving, caring and supportive as well as providing great learning opportunities for children’s growth.

The importance of quality preschool is showing up across the country as research shows how much difference this nurturing, learning environment can make in a child’s entire lifetime. From development on language skills to reading and from quiet and shy to quietly, confident, the few years in preschool make a huge difference.

So preschool and kindergarten teachers in El Dorado County are talking. They’re comparing notes about what they teach and how they teach it. They’re sharing ways of including parents and having children feel comfortable growing and moving from one classroom across the street to the next.

My Spanish has improved greatly over the last couple of years working with schools like Luther, and Jackson Heights in Red Bluff or Fowler and Sun Empire near Fresno. Many of the parents “no hablan English,” but my dusted off high school Spanish seems to help bridge the gap a bit.

Written Punjabi appears a bit like worms have been dipped in ink and crawled across a page. I can’t speak or read a word of it, yet there are melodies in the words and portraits in the writing. My neighbors, Surrinder and Taj, translated books and materials for me, and, over tea, showed me India through the eyes of people who know it and love it.

As Elio from Fowler told me, “I didn’t go to school. I want my children to go to school and not have to work two jobs like I do.” Surrinder, who taught in schools in India for 32 years, explained that education is of highest importance in India.

Luther is a wonderful blend of three cultures. The other evening was no exception. Preschool parents shared a listening walk where they went outdoors to both see and hear what they could on a five-minute walk. They returned talking about cars, bouncing basketballs, birds chattering overhead, and voices. It didn’t matter the language. They saw or listened in a universal language. What mattered was their participation, their doing, then their talking with each other in words they understood. Next will come the most important part-their willingness to take the same walk with their children, building vocabulary in any language as they walk and talk.

The K-4th parents sorted and then counted screws, nuts, nails, and bolts. Any Dad or Mom can find a can of these in their garage or kitchen. Algebra activities come in all shapes and sizes, but even the most math phobic parent can do this one with their child.

All the parents were attentive when two of the Luther teachers, Lucia Espinoza and Claribel Frenger, explained both in English and Spanish how to “Write Right” and
“Read the Room.”

Here are their favorite Parent Playbook (www.edsuccess.com) activities you can try at your house:

K-2 Parent Playbook Activity: Write Right

Materials needed: paper, pen
Time: 5 minutes

Have your child write a story. For kindergarteners it may just be a scribble to begin with, but focus on starting from the left and moving to the right. For older children they may write a word or two, a sentence, or a paragraph. Then have them read what they wrote.

3-5 Parent Playbook Activity: Read the Room

Materials needed: none
Time: 10 minutes

Have your child read items in the room. If you are in the kitchen can labels or the back of a cereal box will do. Have him read the recipe to you while you make dinner. In the living room the TV guide or newspaper can be read. Wherever you are let him read and explain what he’s read to you.

Two grandmothers, Maxine Calkins and Pat Martin at Park Avenue help provide ideas for new moms trying to balance kids and jobs. Maxine had plenty of experience with six grown children, 18 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, there wasn’t much that she hasn’t seen or done in helping her brood. One of her comments during the evening was, “I want to help my kids. They work and I can give them some relief with their children. I live two blocks away from the preschooler, Katie, so I just go pick her up and we do things even when I have nothing planned to do.”

Grandparents make a difference. Preschool teachers make a difference. And more than anyone, parents make a difference.

The parents at both schools got and gave some ideas about things they can do to help their preschoolers with math:

MATH ACTITIVY: GARAGE SORT

Level: Preschool up

Materials: Nuts, bolts, screws, nails, washers, etc

Activity: Your garage is a great place to start algebra and you and your child may not even know it. Let your child help sort out all of those nuts, bolts, etc. you’ve been throwing in a can until you got time to do it. They can sort by color, size, shape or whatever you choose. Sorting and classifying is part of math specifically algebra, but also helps in science.

MATH ACTIVITY: CARD MATCH

Level: Preschool

Materials: Deck of cards

Activity: Match the cards that have the same dots on them. They don’t even need to be able to count yet to match the ones that look alike. As they can count and recognize numbers, the game gets easier. This is actually an algebra activity too. And you thought you couldn’t remember anything about algebra.

One Bridge Street preschooler joined us for the meeting. She was great fun. She played the entire time with the learning toys and games on the table. Making the best point possible-learning can be fun.

Five minutes later, moms and dads began returning talking about what they’d done on their walk-counted leaves, picked up rocks, and talked about their kids. Talking about their kids was a great segue into the next few activities. The focus for the evening was for parents of preschoolers to experience some fun things they can do with their kidlets that help reinforce what the children learn in preschool. We mostly did pre-reading and math activities.

The walk was for talking about what they see. It’s a great vocabulary developer and a good oral vocabulary leads to easier reading skills. We played with magnet letters that go great on a refrigerator. One mom shared that Michaels has alphabet cookie cutters. I need to get a set. We also read a couple on sale from Target Sesame Street books to each other for read aloud practice. One mom and grandmom giggled a great deal over their story. A last piece on the language and literacy side was to write in a journal. It doesn’t need to be a fancy journal-a few printer pages folded in half will do. The Dollar Store has them too. The writing will probably be scribble words and pictures for awhile, but it won’t be long before a letter, then a word or two will emerge from those scribbles.

When I asked my favorite question, “What will you do with your child this week,” I got a new answer. I like to share good ideas so here’s one from Sheila:

Materials: A sales paper that has any type of food, plain paper to write on and a pen. This activity is great for kids of all ages, I have a 8,6,and4 and they all love playing it together

Activity: One person is the waiter or waitress, and they take orders and write them down, and depending on witch child is waiting my 8 yr old adds up the bill and gives us the total and then makes change, my 4 yr old just pretends to use money and the 6 yr old is starting to make change. We also use the something to play grocery store. Same ideas just different settings

This activity is great for both writing and math and great for a variety of ages. One simple activity also reinforces a number of writing and math standards the teachers are teaching in their classrooms. Thanks Sheila.

If you have a fun idea please share it as Sheila did through our website at www.edsuccess.com. I’ll be happy to share it with other parents who can

I’ll save the math activities we’re doing for next week after the workshops at Park Avenue and Bridge Street Schools. Stay tuned for more.

Something that will make a difference for kids. Something that will make teaching and learning better and easier. When I was teaching, that’s what I wanted in a staff meeting. Heck, that’s what I wanted in any meeting. I didn’t have time to listen to bus and bell schedules. I wanted something that would make a difference for the kids in my classroom.

So we talked about something that could make a difference-involving parents. Sure we’ve involved parents before in Back to School Nights, PTA meetings, and spaghetti dinners, but we were talking about involving them in learning. There's a whole lot of research out there that shows when parents are involved in their children's learning, the kids do better in school. These days schools are really trying to find as many additional ways as possible to help children succeed in school.

To involved parents in learning, it needs to be easier than the complexity of some of our adopted school curriculum. It needs to be something parents can and will do. Nothing fancy. Just easy, fun activities, but activities that specifically reinforce what a child is learning in school.

For kindergarteners learning algebra, yes they do start algebra concepts in kindergarten, helping Dad to sort the nails and screws in the garage. For first grade sound recognition writing a letter on a yellow post-it and having a child find something in the room starting with the sound of the letter. Nothing fancy. Just easy fun activities, but each activity helps to promote learning as well as confidence and ability to succeed in school.

By the end of the meeting, the teachers were coming up with all kinds of ideas to help parents help their kids. One second grade teacher really liked the idea of a history line using family photos. The textbook was over the kids’ heads, but that would be something they could see and understand.

Teaching is about getting someone's attention and holding it long enough for a new concept to be developed. Then the learner gets to run with it. If it's a valid concept and something the learner can use, the teacher can stand back and let things happen. The King Avenue teachers are great at it. They grabbed a concept and are already running with it their way. They'll pass it on to their classroom parents and kids who will benefit from new learning too.

To me, that's what makes teaching and learning so much fun. I'd like to think it was an OK staff meeting.

School for some children is a challenge, not because they aren’t smart enough or capable enough. They are, but for some children their brains and their bodies just don’t seem to work in synch with the rest of world’s expectations.

When I first started teaching in Special Education more than a few years ago, we called this phenomenon minimal brain dysfunction. MBD sounded a bit harsh and generic so the term morphed over time to what we now know as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The children, for the most part boys, haven’t changed as much as the term has. There just seem to be more of them.

These are still the kids who have trouble sitting still, holding their attention to a task, organizing their notebooks or bedrooms, and standing in line for anything. Without the abilities to do these skills, school becomes very difficult and not a place for a great deal of success.

Often in the gifted range of intelligence, these kids have a hard time reaching their potential. Because they don’t process information like their counterparts, they’re often in trouble and begin to think they’re not smart, they’re failures and they give up. Left to live out these beliefs, they don’t become all they can be. The Rose Scott Learning Center is attempting to dispel those negative beliefs and allow these kids to shine. Based on the concepts of multiple intelligences and a deep understanding of the working mind of the ADD/ADHD child, Cindy Carlson and Linda Fleishman, the co-founders of the center, are definitely trying to make the difference for at least these five children.

The can be found daily at the First Baptist Church in Chico or contacted at 530-354-3103.

This year is definitely a new beginning for me. I’m moving this week. I bought a new home and get the keys tomorrow. It’s exciting and a fun new school year start.

As I’ve picked up a dish drainer here and new towels there, I’ve watched kids from all over shopping for backpacks and notebooks, pencils and crayons, dorm room decorations and school t-shirts.

It’s fun to watch the students of all ages. It’s almost more fun to watch the parents. They’re so proud of their kids as they get ready to take on the next school year. I miss the shopping trips and plans for the year. Although I’ve talked to two of mine who are starting a new college year, they’re both in other locations so no school shopping trips, just the bill for classes.

I do have something to look forward to however. It was the catalyst for my current move. Although it will be a few years until we’re ready to do the beginning of the school year trip, my daughter is expecting my first grandchild. She finds out Tuesday whether we’ll be taking a little boy or a little girl on those trips. We’re all very excited and looking forward to his/her arrival.

Please check my website www.edsuccess.com for new contact information. I do enjoy hearing from you. Have a great school year.

Last Thursday 100 parents and twice as many children showed up for an EdSuccess workshop at Lincoln School in Yuba City sponsored by the Smart Start school readiness program. The topics were getting ready for Kindergarten reading and math. We needed two translators and even then we missed a couple of families who spoke something other than English.

Before the start of the workshop I chatted with some of the parents and met as many children as possible. One of the children was Isabel, a delightful, smiling 8-month-old. During the workshop it was easy to use Isabel as an example of how children learn. Even at 8 months she’s listening to everything and everyone around her. She turned her head as her mom talked to her and tickled her. She paid close attention to the lady next to them and was quiet, for an 8 month old, while I talked about listening. She turned to look when I mentioned her name.

Listening and speaking build a child’s vocabulary. A good working vocabulary is a major key to reading. I want parents to listen and talk with their child then when reading is introduced, it’s easier to learn.

When we started talking about recognizing letters as a first step to the reading process, I met Rachael. I often demonstrate an activity where I pretend to be a mom fixing dinner at the stove. I ask someone for the workshop to act as my five-year-old brand new kindergarten child. Rachael volunteered and was a wonderful five-year-old.

“What did you learn in school today,” I asked.

“Letters,” said Rachael.

“What letter did you learn today?” I asked.

“B,” said Rachael.

While still pretending to stir soup, I picked up a yellow sticky pad and a pen and wrote the letter “b” on the top page. I pulled it off and asked Rachael to go find something in the room that started with a “b.”

She looked and looked until she found a book. Everyone, all 100 other parents, seemed ready to help if she couldn’t find something. Then we tried a "d" and Rachael took her time finding a door. Applause were warranted for such great work.

The idea is to have fun with learning. Rachael and the whole group did. My last question to them, the one they had to answer before they could have the great dinner being served after the workshop was, “What are fun, learning activity are you going to do with your child this week?” So..."What are you doing with your child/grandchild today?"

I recalled times at Chuck E. Cheese when my four children were little and all clamoring for coins so they could go play the games. They’d return just in time to see Chuck E and all his buddies do their stage performance then they’d be off again. A dozen birthdays would be celebrated while we were there. My kids might wander into the party and half the time no one knew if they belonged there or not. We’d go rescue them, mumble an apology and a parent would say, “Oh, I thought they were Timmy’s friends.” Sure, good ol’ Timmy.

There was also the evening one of my children had been having lessons in school on drug and alcohol prevention. We had gotten our pizza and pitcher of soda when this same now learned child looked over at the table next to us. Those folks also had a pizza as well as a pitcher of beer. “Mom,” said the all-knowing child in a loud voice, “look they’re doing drugs.” Another mumbled apology was in order while trying to explain to a child that beer wasn’t a drug, but, well, yes it sort of was, but….. I wonder if they know Timmy.

As they got older, our pizza orders grew from a large pepperoni to medium sausage and pepperoni’s to Pizza Factory’s gargantuan extra large with everything but anchovies. Four teenagers could devour most of Cleveland if left unattended. Leaving them or a credit card unattended was never an option.

I walked in the Pizza Palace Monday evening to find four girls and their grandfather around one large table containing two large pizzas. The three boys sat in a both nearby taking care of grated cheese and hot peppers. Every child, ages eight to sixteen and the sixty-year-old, was attacking their favorite pizza slice and enjoying lemonades and sodas. Conversation ranged from summer work projects to sunburns, possible vacations, and upcoming fishing trips.

I had forgotten how much fun a night out for pizza could be. Thanks for the reminder.

Luther Elementary School in Live Oak is a Smart Start site. The parents turn out in droves for events and workshops at Luther and the workshop for Smart Start Literacy and Math was no exception. Three different languages were spoken but it doesn’t matter the language. What is spoken is love and support for their children. It’s a universal language learned in heart not head school. Luther and Smart Start staffs don’t teach it, they live it.

In the workshop parents learned about listening to their children, then listened to each other share about themselves. They heard about talking with their children, then practiced talking with each other. The focus was on building vocabulary, new words that light up a picture in a child’s mind when they hear the word. Only then did we turn to reading with an understanding that the more pictures a child has in their mind for words they hear and say, the easier reading will be.

Math games and puzzles were easy to add to an already interested group. They counted beans, buckets and bracelets. They were encouraged to count barnyards and all the animals in them, billboards on the way to the store, and babies in the park. Count toys, trucks, and tanks. Just count.

At the end of the hour long presentation we were about to break for dinner, but before pizza came a question. The parents were told they could go pick up their children in the classroom and bring them through the backdoor of the cafeteria. While in line they had to answer one question, “What fun thing will you do with you child this week to help with reading or math?” The question was asked in both English and Spanish. An answer was the key to unlocking the door to dinner, and with a child tugging at you, it had better be a quick and good one.

Parents said, “read a story at night,” “talk about magazine pictures,” and “count beans.” Each parent was ready for the week. Each parent had a Parent Playbook of ideas to work on for the rest of the summer, making this summer a real Smart Start for school this Fall.

My workshop over for the day, I stopped by Target to pick up a gift for a friend. I was wandering toward the toy and game section when I saw a Mom and baby in a cart coming around the corner of one of the aisles. Not wanting to run into them, I stopped short.

The little girl, Alyza by name, had the smallest, cutest, and pinkest ball glove I have ever seen. She was so cute I couldn’t help but watch. She held her glove by one finger, but in an instant she could have it on and ready to play.

I asked Mom if she was trying out for the team. Mom asked Alyza what she was going to catch in her glove. Alyza promptly pulled out the green ball that was next to her. She didn’t say the word, but that might be because she didn’t want to be talking to strangers, but she clearly knew what to do with a ball glove.

Alyza is two and a half. She hadn't talked with me, but she certainly wasn't missing anything in the conversation her Mom and I were having. After Mom and I chatted for a minute or two, she and Alyza went around the corner. As I was jotting down her name, I could hear Mom talking with her about Sponge Bob, items on the shelf, what to watch on TV, and probably what they would be having for dinner. Alyza chined in with her opinions on all of the itrms.

I’m at a preschool conference this week talking about preschool to K-3 transitions. Last week I talked to incoming kindergarten parents. Part of my message is the same for both. Reading skills really are based on vocabulary and vocabulary develops with talking and listening. Alyza will go to preschools and on to kindergarten reading with a full amount of vocabulary thanks to Mom’s interaction with her.

Yea Mom. Her comes your daughter ready or not.

The parents checked their children in with the playground supervisor and trudged into class. The room was quiet and not like the noisy playtime of the five-year-olds who frequent the place during the day. No one spoke. No one made eye contact.

This may be their first parent session, but the quiet wasn’t going to work. Kindergarten is a place of joy and spontaneity, and I wanted the parents to sense what their children would experience. I would only be their teacher for a short while, so they needed to talk and laugh before the evening was over.

Kindergarteners begin the process of learning to read and parents can help their child’s progress every day. Developing a vocabulary is a key. Listening to a child tell you about their newest pet, the batch of cookies they made, or their friend’s grandfather gives them both words to use and ways to use them that make sense. Talking to them about how your washing the dishes or painting their room give them more words and ways to use them. Both listening and talking develop pictures in a child’s mind attached to words he or she hears and uses.

When the letters and sounds they learn in kindergarten begin to fit together as words those pictures appear in a child’s mind. When they see the word “dog,” their dog picture appears in their head. When the sentence says “The dog runs across the yard,” they can see a dog running across the yard. Without the practice of hearing, saying, and connecting words to pictures in their mind, a child can “read” letters and sounds without ever knowing what the words say. No pictures appear.

So our group listened and talked and talked some more. For a group that didn’t know each other when we started, they had lots to say before the evening was over. Hurray! Before they left, each parent passed by the Smart Start Director, Mary Ann Hendricks, and provided her with an activity they were going to do with their child this summer, the summer before kindergarten, so their child would be ready for the first big step.