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Reading Incentive Programs

Jun20

UPDATED 6/20/12

Do you have a student who needs a little incentive to read? How about food? Pizza Hut has a national reading incentive program for the summer and academic school year for grades 1-6. The summer reading program is called Summer Break Reading Challenge. There are online games, recipes, and activities to do throughout the summer. Any student that reads 5 or more books can enter a contest to win A Dairy of a Wimpy Kid package. During the academic year, Pizza Hut awards students with a free personal pizza. Yum! click here

PizzAchievemnt is a delicious school year reward program is open to home school teachers in areas that have LaRosa’s Pizzerias. This includes Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky; Middletown, OH; Beavercreek, OH; Centerville, OH; Englewood, OH; Huber Heights, OH; Kettering, OH; Mt. Orab, OH; Oxford, OH; Southeast Indiana (Batesville & Greendale). For more details click here

Not wanting to have food be an incentive? Sylvan Learning has a program called Book Adventures that helps students  K-8 pick books, take quizzes, and earn points for rewards. Find out more about the program by clicking here.

Interested in reading for helping others? I love this! Heifer International has a reading program where students help with the feeding and training of families less fortunate. Each reader finds people to sponsor each book they read and then collects the money and help with gifts of livestock and training.  This is a fantastic idea to get your student(s) involved with serving and helping others. click here

Berean Christian Stores has a reading program this summer. Here are the details from their website: read 8 age-appropriate books between May 16th and August 18th to earn one $5 Gift Card! Pretty easy, right? Next, if you read your Bible for 15 minutes a day for 50 days this summer, you can earn another $5 Berean Gift Card! Pick up your $5 Gift Cards on August 18th, 2012 on KID’S DAY ! Bring a friend who has never been to Berean and they will get a $5 Gift Card too! OR if you’re an online only customer, mail the form to our offices, postmarked by August 17th to get your $5 Berean Gift Cards online! For more details click here.

Barnes & Noble’s reading program allows children to earn a free book after they have completed reading 8 books. Click here for more details.

Half Price Books gives students 14 and under the opportunity to earn two $5.00 gift cards for reading in their Feed Your Brain program. How awesome is that? click here

LIBRARY PROGRAMS

I love the programs the library has to promote summer reading. I have listed several within the greater Cincinnati area.

If you live in Hamilton County there is a reading program for preschoolers through adults called Reading Rocks. Check it out!  click here

Do you live in Butler County? There is a summer reading program for ages preschool through teens. See more details

Perhaps you live in West Chester, Middletown, or Trenton? Here are the details for the Midpointe library system.

Mason’s library program began in late May, but it’s not too late to sign up.

Happy reading to all!

~Lisa~

Legos: A Fun Tool for Math

Jun16

UPDATED WITH NEW INFORMATION 6/12

Do you have a child who is interested in building with Legos? Did you ever consider using them for various subjects such as math, science, language arts, social studies, and art? Here are a few benefits of playing with Legos.

MATH

  • Developing spatial intelligence
  • Visualizing mathematical concepts
  • Teaching /reinforcing mathematical operations such as counting, sorting, adding, multiplying, subtracting, and dividing.
  • Constructing geometric shapes. (square, rectangle, triangle)
  • Estimating
  • Following directions
  • Reading a diagram
  • Teaching area
  • Designing
  • Graphing- Graph the results of the science or the sorting activities

Now that I got you thinking about Legos, why not incorporate them into your school day or use as an after school activity? 🙂 Here are ideas to help you.

SCIENCE

  • Buoyancy- How long can your model float? Hold a regatta, invite other home school friends to join you, and give a little Lego set as a prize.
  • Velocity- How fast does your model travel? (airplane, space craft, race car)
  • Simple machines- inclined plane, wedge, screw. Inclined planes- How long does the plane need to be in order to construct your creation? Try different lengths and angles. Check out this website. It has a variety of models of simple machines.
  • Ecosystems- Build a habitat for your models to live in such as a jungle, a garden,
  • Volume- How much liquid can your model hold?
LANGUAGE ARTS
  • Writing/giving a description of the creation
  • Writing/narrating a story including the model
  • Writing/ telling step-by-step directions on how to construct the model
  • Write to Legoland and ask for a map of the park and any other materials. (One of my students was going there and had a map of the park before he went since he had written and requested one. How fun was that for him?)
SOCIAL STUDIES
  • Build a model of a settlement or town of the time period you are studying.
  • Construct a catapult while you are investigating the Middle Ages
ART
  • Draw a picture of the model
  • Color the picture of the model
  • Draw designs of future projects
  • Design new Lego characters
  • Create jewelry using Lego blocks

I am tutoring a 6th grade student who loves Legos. I find it interesting that he can easily make these complex models. He is amazing at not only building the models that were purchased, but being able to create his own. His mother has told him that he has to wait until I come to the house before he can program his robotic Lego since this is part of his school time with me. I love it because he always looks forward to me coming. The funny thing is that I was under the impression that he and I  were going to build this complex model together. We sat on the carpeted floor and he began to open up all these packages of small pieces of Legos. All I could think of was that we were going to lose the pieces. All he could think of was the robot.

At first I sat there worrying about how he and I were going to find the correct piece, read the directions, and try to assemble this pile of several hundred pieces (more likely thousands of pieces) into something like the picture that was featured on the kit. My worry changed to astonishment and then admiration as I watched him construct this robot from the directions that were provided. He didn’t need my help at all, and in fact, I was pretty much in the way. He showed me which piece was needed and how the pieces fit together. I wasn’t the tutor that day, but rather the student. This was a wonderful way for him to not only build, but also explain and demonstrate what was occurring. Don’t you love how this activity is not only for math, but language arts as well? My student was kind to me though, and let me feel useful by giving me the task of assembling some wheels and holding some of the tiny parts that I was concerned about losing.

NEW INFORMATION

Bricks4Kidz is a homeschool owned and operated company providing learning programs that teach elementary school aged kids principles of science, technology, engineering, math and more using LEGO® components.  Their programs provide an extraordinary atmosphere for students to build unique creations, play games, and have loads of fun using LEGO® bricks. Check it out!

Websites

Do you have a student who has been playing with Legos and is wanting a challenge? Why not have them enter a Lego contest? The whole family can be involved in this project since it involves creating a 2.5 minute video.  Have fun and post a picture of your creations that you enter for the contest.

Here is a website that has activities for younger students to work with Legos, but you can adapt these to students of various ages. littlebrickschoolhouse

Have you seen legoquest yet? This is a blog that is sure to inspire your creative builders. A challenge is given, models are built, and pictures can be sent to the blog for all to see. There are tabs on the side for further exploration as well.

Check out First Lego League The intent of creating Lego teams is to foster an excitement for science and technology. There are teams that compete from all over the world. You can go to this website to lean more about it.

Have you thought Legos are just for young students? Look at this website. Your senior high student will benefit from this if (s)he is interested in engineering and/or math.

Has anyone used Legos for school and would like to post an idea? I’d love to hear about it. Does your Lego engineer  or artist need an audience to view their masterpiece? Post a picture and I’ll be sure to comment. Now, what to do with all those pieces that are on the floor…

Organizing Thoughts in Writing: Venn Diagrams

May14

The Comparison/Contrast Paper

A few weeks ago I was tutoring a young man and told him he would be writing a comparison/contrast paper by using a Venn diagram. His response was a blank expression and a question some of you may be asking, “What is that?”

I am glad you asked. Let me show you!

I know it looks like two overlapping circles (which they are), but these two circles  are a graphic organizer that help a writer compare and contrast two items. It is particularly useful to people who are visual learners or are having a difficult time being able to generate how items can be different and alike.  Let me give you an example of what I am discussing so you can teach this to your child(ren).

In this compare and contrast paper we will look at land animals and sea animals. This will be at an elementary level, but can easily be adapted for younger or older students. You can require less or more depending upon your student’s knowledge base.

Starting with the circle to the left, label  directly above it Land Animals. Label the circle to the right as Sea Animals and the overlapping area as Shared.

Now, inside the land animal circle list all the characteristics of these creatures that are different from sea animals.

Next, do the same with the circle to the right for the sea animals.

Last, list all of the characteristics that are shared by both land and sea animals. (Note that I listed they all don’t live in the same place. I was thinking of habitats. Some land animals live in Africa while others live in South America and some sea animals live in the Mediterranean Sea while others live in a different body of water.)

Now that you have determined similarities and differences, it is time to write the paper. There are three different ways to write a comparison/contrast paper: whole-to-whole; similarities-to-differences; and point-by-point.

In a whole-to-whole paper you say everything there is to say about the first topic (land animals) and then everything there is to say about the other topic (sea animals). The paper would be constructed like this: paragraph 1- introduction, paragraph 2- land animals, paragraph 3-sea animals, and finally paragraph 4-conclusion.

When writing a similarities-to-differences paper you show all of the similarities of the topics and then tell how they are different. The paper would be constructed like this: paragraph 1- introduction, paragraph 2- similarities of land animal and sea animals, paragraph 3-differences between land animals and sea animals, and finally paragraph 4-conclusion.

If a point-by-point paper is being written the author first discusses one point about land and sea animals and then discusses the next point. A different type of graphic organizer would be better suited for this type of paper.  Click here.  Point-by-Point comparison and contrast uses a separate section or paragraph for each point. Point #1 for your paper could be information about where animals of land live and then where animals of the sea live. (You may be thinking that it is obvious they live on the land and in the sea, but being specific would be beneficial.) You’d begin a new paragraph for Point #2. For consistency, begin with the same item in each section of your point-by-point paper. The paper would be constructed like this: paragraph 1- introduction, paragraph 2- how land and sea animals breathe, paragraph 3- how land animals and sea animals move, and so forth, until your concluding paragraph. (source:http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/compcontrast)

Resources:

Do you want some practice before you try this on your own? Have Fun Teaching has worksheets for younger students to find differences. They also have some topics that have already been chosen for your student to compare and contrast such as You and I .

Venn Diagram Template 1

Compare:Contrast Chart Candy What child doesn’t like candy? This is not a Venn diagram, but rather a chart I made that younger students can use.

Compare/Contrast Chart A general compare/contrast chart that is discussed above in the point-by-point paper.

Freebies and a Chance to win an iPod Nano

May9

free coloring pages http://www.currclick.com

I love to get free things, who doesn’t? It is especially nice when what is being given away is of good quality. 🙂

In honor of all you fantastic moms there is a giveaway this week from currclick.com  that includes a lapbook on gardening, a guide to homeschool conventions, a place value worktext for 2-3 graders, a Mother’s Day unit with crafts, and printable coloring sheets bundle.

If that doesn’t appeal to you, they are also giving you a chance to win an iPod Nano. For more information click here.

Enjoy the freebies and I hope you win the Nano!

Organizing Thoughts in Writing: the Idea Wheel

Apr30

Students of all ages struggle with getting thoughts on to “the paper”. I have found that organizing thoughts are a critical and necessary step to help writers in the head-to-hand process of communication. There are many ways to organize thoughts, anywhere from making a list; to writing uninterrupted for 3-5 minutes ; to worksheets that help corral ideas into a logical process. I have a few graphic organizer worksheets that I found on the internet that will be useful in assisting your writer.  As I show you the various types of graphic organizers I will give you instructions on how to use them so you have success in teaching. This week I am going to discuss the Idea Wheel.

The Idea Wheel can be used when you are trying to generate ideas for topics in which to write. This can be particularly useful for when you have a student that says they have nothing to write. The idea here is to give the student four broad categories at the beginning and then narrow it down to where they can write about one of them. As you can see from the photo, Malcolm has written several ideas for each section.

After we looked at each of these categories he decided he had enough to write more about a subject that he knows quite well, coffee. This is important for your student to feel confident they have enough to say about the topic they have chosen. If they do not, stop there for the day and come back to it the next day.

Below is a picture of the next step in this process. I gave Malcolm another idea wheel so he could write details about coffee, one of the topics he listed in his idea wheel. Your writer may need guidance and some ideas to help with the various categories. The upper left-hand quarter of the circle is Brewing Methods, the upper right-hand quarter of the circle is Types of Roasts, the bottom right-hand quarter section is Places to Drink Coffee.

This may take time so do not let the process become laborious. Set the timer for 5 minutes and let your writer know this so it keeps things moving along. You can adjust the time accordingly as you will have some students who need 1 or 2 more minutes.

If you have a beginning writer, do not have them write more than one or two ideas in each section. Adjust the time spent in writing ideas to 3 minutes instead of 5 minutes if necessary. Remember, the principle behind this is to help them see they have something about which to write.

Writing requires thought and may not come as easily as some other subjects. Be sure to remind your writer to: 1) write about something that interests them and 2) pick a topic for which they have a knowledge base. This makes the process of writing less difficult and promotes success.  I would advise you to sit down and go through the process with your student(s). You get an idea of how your writer feels and they can see that you have an interest in this too.  Have everyone share what was written after the activity has been completed.

The first few times you do this may be difficult, but continue because it will help your writer focus on what to write.  Just like anything new you try, it is feels awkward, but it will pay off and I think it will cause your writer(s) to create better papers.

Now that this process is completed the actual writing of the paper can begin. If your writer gets stuck, refer back to the wheel for ideas. Not every idea needs to be written about if your student is doing well.

An author always likes to have an audience! Share the stories at dinner or call Grandma to have your author read their story to an interested and doting family member.  If there is any interest, send me your author’s story and I will  post it. If you have a student who loves to draw, have them add pictures to their story. I am sure this will be a keepsake and you can use this as an example of writing for a portfolio review.

If you have a senior high student you can use the wheel without the cute pictures in the upper right hand corner.  If you think the wheel will be met with resistance, divide a paper into four sections. Guess what? I actually use this type of organizer sometimes when I am trying to generate blog topics. I like to see different ways to organize as there is something about doing things the same way all the time that gets to be mundane for me so I like to mix things up a bit. I even like the wheel with the pictures, but I am an elementary teacher by trade and at heart. 🙂

Okay, are you ready? Get set, write! If you have questions or comments please let me know.

Next topic of organizing writing: Venn diagrams for Comparison/Contrast Papers