Guest Post By Laura Sherman
I think we can all agree that most parents want their children to have the best advantages in life. We want our children to be able to stand on their own two feet, solving problems that come their way on the fly. The chess board is an excellent training ground for developing this skill.
The last thing we want is for our next generation to sit around and wait for someone else to take responsibility for a situation and solve the problems that crop up. These people would lack courage and integrity, having little confidence in their ability to create solutions.
When you play chess, you’re on your own. It’s just you and your opponent. There’s no one there feeding you answers, guiding you along to the next move. That would be cheating. No, you either figure out how to defend an attack or you lose. It’s pretty simple.
I remember when one of my students asked me, “Will this position come up in another game?” I looked into his eyes and knew he wondered if the lessons he learned in one game could be used in another. It was a valid concern and showed his strong intelligence.
I explained to him that although the exact position probably wouldn’t come up again, other ones with similar themes would appear again and again. Learning how to tackle problems in one game will most certainly help you in future ones. I showed this boy common themes that he’d probably seen before and would see again.
It is always a good idea for chess students to go over their games with someone who is more experienced, someone who can help them spot weaknesses and strengths in their play.
Once one knows what works and doesn’t work, one can begin to build from that and solve more difficult problems on the chess board. It gets to a point where one can look at a position and spot the best moves quickly, throwing out the ideas that won’t work. This ability to analyze is priceless.
That student’s eyes lit up! He immediately recognized the patterns we were discussing and became excited. At that moment he said, “You know if I practice some of these techniques at home, I bet I could win more!”
I have to tell you that this was one of the most exciting moments for me as a chess coach. He was embracing the idea of doing chess homework and could see the benefits it would bring. This basic lesson could carry over into his life and benefit him greatly.
Ever since I was a child problem solving was fun for me. It was a game that sparked a challenge deep within me, one I relished. I wish to share that joy with the next generation and hope they can use these skills to solve some of the problems they will face in the future.
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Laura Sherman wrote Chess Is Child’s Play with Bill Kilpatrick. Chess Is Child’s Play teaches any parent, of any skill level, to teach any child, of any age, to play chess.
Tag: teaching strategies
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Building A Next Generation Of Problem Solvers
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I was a Reluctant Reader. There, I said it!
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Guest Blog by Martha Rodriquez, author of A Reel Cool Summer. @AReelCoolSummer
I’ve been hearing and reading quite a bit about reluctant readers lately. I’ve found that some of the folks talking or writing about the subject weren’t reluctant readers themselves, but have children or know others who are. I was a reluctant reader as a child so I thought I would address the topic from my perspective.
Come to think of it, I’m probably still a reluctant reader. When I buy or borrow a book you can be sure that I have researched it thoroughly before taking the plunge. I won’t just pick something up and give it a try because I know that I probably won’t get past the first few pages. This has been true for a long time.
I remember reading the Dick and Jane books as a child, but I’m not sure those books count because they were required reading in my first few years of school. And, yes, I read Dr. Seuss books and some of the other books that were popular, like Caps for Sale and the Curious George books. If my memory serves me correctly, I remember that those books were just “okay.” You’re probably upset with me right now and I’ll probably get some interesting comments for writing that.
I read those books because they were familiar and easy to read, not because I couldn’t put them down. I read them because they were always easily available in my elementary school classroom, not because I always had to have a book in hand. I read them because they were the books that the librarians propped up on the shelves, not because it was a read or die situation. I’m not saying that they weren’t and aren’t wonderful books. They have stood the test of time and are terrific books loved by all. What I’m saying is that I was not a reader. There were a few rare occasions when I picked up a book, like Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl or Helen Keller’s The Story of My Life, and read it cover to cover in one or two sittings but that was quite rare.
What was wrong with me? Nothing. Who was to blame? Not a single person.
I just preferred to play hopscotch outside with friends, play with Barbie Dolls, or watch television. Some of you will recall that we used to do those things back in the dinosaur age… I mean in the 70’s. I’m sure that my parents, teachers and librarians tried everything they could to spark a love of reading in me, but it just wasn’t happening. The only time I ever thought about reading was when there was a reading assignment and a subsequent report due. My thoughts were mostly of how horrible the whole ordeal would be. What could I do about it? Nothing, just read the book and do the assignment. I disliked (we weren’t allowed to say “hated” in my family) every minute of it.
Does everyone like peas and carrots or jumping out of an airplane? No. So, is it possible that not everyone likes reading? I know, it seems weird that I’m asking that, especially because I just wrote a children’s book!
Well, the truth is that we would all be very happy if everyone liked to read but the reality is that not everyone does. Yes, reading plays a critical role in expanding vocabulary and comprehension, in unleashing imagination and creativity, and in growing curiosity in children. The problem is that it can’t be forced on someone any more than you can force a person to eat their peas and carrots (believe me, my parents tried and somehow I always found a little hiding place for them) or to jump out of an airplane (my husband would like to try to convince me but knows better).
So, what do we do? We keep trying just like my parents, teachers, and librarians did because we want to give our kids the best we can. It takes a bit of patience and some imagination to find the right fit for each child but if you can get that spark, it’s all worth it.
I’m not a teacher or a librarian and I certainly don’t play one on TV, but as a reluctant reader and the mom of a somewhat reluctant reader, let me give you some ideas that I’ve used successfully.
1. Books you enjoyed as a child: Read to your child the books you enjoyed as a child or young adult. Tell them why you liked the books, where you read them (in a fort you built in your room, for example), how you came upon the books, and who read them with you (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa).
2. Books that interest your child: Always be ready to read books that interest them, even if they don’t necessarily interest you. This one can be tough. Remember it’s not about you; it’s about your child and that spark you want to create.
3. Picture books and books with pictures: When children are very young, picture books are wonderful because, while the child may not yet be able to read, the pictures are fun for little ones to look at. They will probably memorize the story before they can read the words. Once they are able to read the story, they will enjoy the book in a completely different way. In a funny twist, small children may also like books that are not necessarily meant for children but that have colorful pictures. You can relay the information in the text by tailoring it to their comprehension level. Make up stories for the pictures until they are old enough to understand the actual text.
4. Different genre: Read all types of books with your child to find out which ones he or she likes best. If one genre isn’t appealing, try something new as long as it is age and reading level appropriate. Historical fiction, current events (even newspapers, magazines and on-line blogs or articles) and biographies may interest him or her.
5. Sports and animals: Children’s sports magazines with interviews of favorite athletes may encourage a child to read more about a particular sport or her favorite team member. Likewise, animal magazines usually feature unusual creatures and their unusual lives. It’s a fun peek into another world and a reason to find more reading material of the cool animals featured.
6. School topics: Find books or fun workbooks about topics your child likes in school like math or science. Even fun workbooks require reading comprehension, writing and focus. When the problems are fun to solve, they will most likely look for harder ones to challenge themselves. Even young children like to peek under secret flaps or follow a winding road to find their favorite characters.
7. Magic or science kits: Magic and science experiment kits are a great way to get your hands on reading and a great way to show what you can do with a magic wand or a test tube.
8. Comic books: Age appropriate comic books are fun. The pictures are detailed and engaging and allow children to escape to different worlds. It’s fun to imagine living in a strange world of superheroes with superpowers. Children may even be encouraged to write their own adventures.
9. Mad Libs: Fill-in-the-blank books like Mad Libs and others are a fun way to be silly and giggly. They won’t even know they’re reading and… added bonus, writing. They can even try to write their own fill-in-the-blank stories.
10. Board games: Play board games with age appropriate trivia questions. If your child doesn’t know the answer, it can be fun to explore on-line or at your local library for the answer or to learn more about the topic
11. Cooking, crafting, exploring: Find cooking or craft activities to do together or go exploring in your back yard with a bug book and magnifying glass or a telescope and astronomy book.
12. Plays and movies: Buy or borrow books of plays and help the kids put on a production for family and friends or make a movie. Sometimes getting into costume can make reading fun.
13. Don’t stop there. Ask your child’s teacher or librarian for more ideas, be a good example by reading books for pleasure, listen carefully to your child when he tells you why he likes or dislikes certain books, and relax and let him or her take the lead from time to time. You never know… she may write a book some day!
Until next time… stay cool!
Martha
Safety first! Parents should always supervise children when working with science kits, cooking and crafting, or when going on-line.
Here are some resources you may want to check out:
Sports Illustrated Kids: http://www.sikids.com/
Zoo Books: http://www.zoobooks.com/
Highlights: http://www.highlights.com/highlights-magazines-for-kids?ccid=KNC-1042-1000605&source=google_magazine
Mad Libs: http://www.madlibs.com/
Comic book list by Imagination Soup Blog: http://imaginationsoup.net/2011/09/great-kid-comics-and-graphic-novels-for-kids-of-all-ages/comment-page-1/#comment-51555
Show Me How! by Vivian Kirkfield. With one hundred picture books, crafts and cooking ideas for young children. http://www.positiveparentalparticipation.com Read my review here: http://areelcoolsummer.blogspot.com/2011/08/five-gold-stars-for-show-me-how.html
Free movie script for elementary school children: Mama Mia Can’t Believe Her Ears
Free plays at http://www.freedrama.net/index.html.
Martha Rodriquez, author of A Reel Cool Summer. @AReelCoolSummer
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The Last Lecture is a Great Teaching Tool!
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Last Lecture Speech outline (time based on 1:44:08 google video) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5700431505846055184
The Last Lecture is a great speech. Arguably one of the best of all time. I have found it to be a great source of activities for high school seniors. I will share other activities in later posts.
Before deciding to use the Last Lecture with your students. I recommend you view the speech. Even if you decide not to use the speech with your classes, I am sure you will find it rewarding on a personal level.
I hope you find it helpful. I would love your feedback!
Speaker introduction (0 – 8:20) Excellent to give background for the impact Randy has had on his school and profession. Not necessarily important to show the kids. Very good. Good to show EA sports guy! Ask how many students have played / used the Sims game. (Ask how many students have played / used the Sims game.
Introduction (8:20 – 11:15)- Elephant in the room – not in denial
- Push-ups (10:10)
- What we are not talking about.
My childhood dreams (11:15 – 38:50)
- Overview of childhood dreams (11:15 – 13:20)
- Zero gravity (13:20 – 16:32)
- Playing in the NFL (16:33 – 20:25)
- World Book Encyclopedia (20:25 – 21:20)
- Captain Kirk (21:20 – 23:35)
- Stuffed Animals (23:40 – 25:30)
- Disney Imagineer (25:30 – 38:50)
Enabling the dreams of others (38:50 – 1:03:00)
- Tom and Star Wars (38:50 – 40:30)
- Building Virtual Worlds – 1st assignment – Raise the bar (40:40 – 43:50)
- Campus wide presentation – synergy (45:20 – 52:30)
- Dream Fulfillment Factory ETC – 2 years masters program (53:50 – 1:00:25)
- Alice computer program – infinitely scalable – professional legacy (1:00:25 – 1:03:00)
Lessons Learned (1:03:00 – 1:23:44)
- Role of parents, mentors, students – select one person and thank them
- Dad (1:03:43 – 1:04:40)
- Mom – Paint the bedroom (1:04:40 – 1:05:00)
- Andy van Dam (1:06:20 – 1:08:40)
- Katlin Kelleher (1:08 – 1:09:57)
- President Cohen (1:09:57 – 1:10:25)
- Tigger vs. Eeyore (1:10:25)
- Never lose childlike wonder (1:10:40)
- Help others (1:10:45 – 11:11:38)
- Loyalty is a two-way street (1:12:15 – 1:13:30)
- Syl – best advice ever “When it comes to men…” (1:13:30 – 1:14:30)
- Never Give Up (1:14:30 –
- Get a feedback group and listen to it (1:21:30)
- Show Gratitude (1:22:55)
- Don’t complain, just work harder (1:22:13)
- Important Advice – Be good at something, it makes you valuable. (1:22:20)
- Find the best in everybody – just keep waiting
- Be prepared – luck is where opportunity meets preparation
- Today’s Talk – the head fake (1:23:00)
I hope this is useful to teachers and parents. Please email mark@mytowntutors.com if you are interested in copies of The Last Lecture activities.
I hope you enjoy! -
X is the Letter of the Week
Letter of the Week – X x
During the week, please learn to identify this letter, it’s sound, and formation. At home please make a list of words that END with this letter.
Also identify the high frequency words “red,” “blue,” and “yellow.”X x Activities
- Make a green X on the animal that gallops.
- Make a red X on the animal that was once a caterpillar.
- Make a purple X on the largest animal.
- Make a blue X on the animal that lives in the water.
- Make a black X on the animal that hops.
Activity: Make the shape of the letter X with your body! Stand up and make a big X with your arms in the air and your legs wide apart. Make little x’s with your fingers. Cross your wrists, then your elbows to make X’s with your arms. Find other things in the shape of X. Have fun!
Word List (this time include words that END in x): six, fox, box, rain, fix, paint, mix, moon, elevator, excellent, cat, pox.
This lesson was taken directly from the homework assignments of a Massachusetts kindergarten teacher.
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Q q is the Kindergarten "Letter of the Week"
Letter of the Week – Q q
During the week, please learn to identify this letter, it’s sound, and formation. At home please make a list of words that begin with this letter.
Also identify the high frequency words “one,” “two,” and “three.”Q q Activities
Let’s make a quilt by following the directions for each box. Create a page with 12 squares. Have a parent or friend use a ruler to create 12 equal size squares. Number the squares 1 – 12 and follow the directions below.
- Yellow sun
- Brown square
- Green circle
- Purple moon
- Blue square
- Black line
- Red kite
- An orange
- A brown leaf
- A happy face
- A rainbow
- Your name
Activity: Play this game. Make a “YES” and “NO” card. Say, “I am going to say a word, listen carefully to it. If you think the word starts with the /kw/ sound, hold up your “YES” card. If you think the word does NOT start with the /kw/ sound, hold up your “NO” card.”
Word List: quilt, question, baby, quarter, dog, quick, quiet, bear, quack, duck, quail, queen.
This lesson was taken directly from the homework assignments of a Massachusetts kindergarten teacher.
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Flattening the classroom walls through Skype and more!
Guest Post: Flattening the classroom walls through Skype and more!
Skyping with Mr. S of Living Maths in Cape Town, S. Africa Since the beginning of the year, I have been working to incorporate technology into the classroom in many different ways.- Blogging – We got started on this right away. The first few days on the portable laptop stations were quite challenging, but the payoff has been a classroom full of students who are motivated to write and post on their blogs on a weekly basis (more than I can say for myself 😉 Our blog is password protected, but we allow guest comments. The students are so proud when they get positive feedback on their work.
- Edmodo – We joined an Edmodo group through the Global Classroom. Students from all over share and ask questions about seasons, holidays, school, and their favorite things. This is a lot of fun and a nice extra for the kids to do in the computer lab or when they have free time in the classroom.
- Voicethread – Again, through the Global Classroom we joined the “Seasons Around the World” project and “Kids Speak”. My students have enjoyed adding slides and their voices to the Voicethread and hearing kids from other places tell about themselves.
- Skype – I intended to start much earlier, but this week I finally unwrapped the webcam I received through DonorsChoose and hooked it up! I immediately called Ms. Naugle’s class in New Orleans to make sure we had a good connection since I have signed up to Skype with her this coming Friday. We were so excited when she answered and we got to say hello to all of her students. When we join them again on Friday they will be teaching us about Mardi Gras.
I have a feeling we will be adding a few more stars to our global project map now that we are Skyping. This afternoon I set up Skype sessions with Mr. S of Living Maths in Cape Town, S. Africa and another teacher in suburban Chicago. During these sessions, my students will be learning new things from students and teachers from far away places. How cool is that?
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Great Tutoring Opportunity for Massachusetts Teachers!
My Town Tutors is looking for current and retired Massachusetts teachers who tutor to join our website. Our goal is to be the #1 resource in Massachusetts for parents looking for tutors. We currently list over 235 teachers, but still need so many more.
Our core belief is “teachers are great tutors!” We also know tutoring is a great way for teachers to earn $40 – $85 an hour.
Teachers can use their education, experience, knowledge, and training to do what they do best – help students achieve academically. At the same time, these teachers have the flexibility of selecting their own hours and own rate of pay.
Parents benefit because they can find qualified, professional teachers, with unique skills to work with a child. Parents can have complete confidence that the every tutor we list has experience and training working with students who have a variety of learning abilities and styles.
My Town Tutors firmly believes teachers who tutor are a much better alternative for parents than the national tutoring franchises. Many of these companies rarely employ teachers, and if they do, the teachers are grossly underpaid. The national franchise tutors are usually college students who have little, if any, training or experience working with students. Additionally, the cost of these services for parents is insanely high.
Massachusetts teachers know the curriculum, content, and state standards. More importantly, teachers know children. They understand the learning process and the challenges faced by many students. They speak regularly with other educators and have been trained to use strategies to reach many different learning styles.
The goals of My Town Tutors are really simple.- To make it easy for students and parents to connect with a qualified, local teacher who tutors.
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Last fall, My Town Tutors was tested successfully in the towns south of Boston. Parents and teachers loved it! We now list over 235 teachers who tutor. Our goal now is to list teachers in every Massachusetts community.
Over the summer we added some great new features, including updates to our profile page (Tutor Profile: Mark Molloy) and we are reaching out to teachers across the state.
My Town Tutors would love to have any Massachusetts (or U.S.) teacher who tutors join our national directory. With our special promotion, teachers can register until September 31, 2014 for only $12. There are no other fees for our service. If a teacher charges $50 an hour, the teacher keeps all $50. It is that simple.
If any teacher or parent has a question about our services, please email – mark@mytowntutors.com. I would appreciate any feedback
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4 Great Websites to Test US & World Geography Knowledge
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It is always a challenge to find useful resources on the internet for the classroom. This past year, I discovered four great activities that are engaging, interactive, and challenge a student’s knowledge of geography. The activities can be done individually or in small groups based on the number of students in your class, student ability levels, and the availability of technology.
At the start of the class, I hand out a worksheet with the website links and a spot to record each score. (If teachers are interested, please email me for a copy of the worksheet – mark@mytowntutors.com). Each student hands in the worksheet at the end of the activity. This is an effort activity, so the scores are not nearly as important as the effort. You certainly can develop your own grading rubric for the activity.
To add a little excitement and competition to the activity, I have created a “Hall of Fame” for the top scorers. If you continue using this activity over several years, the Hall of Fame should increase student interest, effort, and motivation.
Seeing the names of neighbors, teammates, and even family members can ignite the competitive juices of certain students. Sibling rivalries can now exist in an academic setting. To create competition within and between classes, I also post the top 10 scores for each year. If you have a class website, this is a great opportunity to post your top scorers (first name and last initial).
It is important to remind the students that the reporting of scores is based on the HONOR SYSTEM. I have not had any issues with honesty, however, you also could go around and visually check each top score to verify the authenticity.
1. World Geography Quiz – This is a great activity to test knowledge of World Geography. Scores are based on accuracy (how close to the location) and speed (how quickly the location is selected).
There are 12 different levels. Each level has a higher difficulty of questions. The majority of students finished below level 6. There are 3 categories (World Cities, Famous Places, World Capitals) with 4 different levels (Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert).
The majority of students the grade 9 students finished below level 6. To advance to the next level, a minimum score must be achieved. This minimum score is located in the top right corner of the page.
For each question their an an interesting fact listed at the bottom of the map.
At the completion of the game, 3 scores will be recorded:
Final Level: (maximum level 12)
Final score:
Traveller IQ:
Class results (Grade 9)
Final Level Range: (maximum level 12) Levels 1 – 10
Final score range: 9,995 – 257,345
Traveller IQ 13 – 89
2. Place the state on the map – This is a great activity for visual learners. The students are shown the shape of one state at the top of the page and are asked to place the state in the correct location on a map of the United States. The difficulty level decreases with each state that is placed. The activity works like a 50-piece puzzle. With each additional piece, the puzzle become a little easier until there is only one spot left.
A person only gets one opportunity to correctly place the state. The program will keep track of the average miles of error for placing the states. After the activity is completed the students will be given 3 scores:
Score (%)
Average Error (in miles)
Time (seconds)
# perfect out of 50 turns
Class score
range (April 2012) 35% – 92%
3. The USA Quiz – This is another great activity that tests a student’s ability to identify a state. There is a map on the left side of the page and on the right side is the question “Where is……..(name of a state)?” A student has 3 chances to select the correct location. A correct choice on the first answer is worth 3 points, the second answer is worth 2 points, and the third answer is worth 1 point. After 3 choices, the student must move on to the next questions.
Maximum score 150 points.
4. The World Quiz – This might be a great activity to finish to build self-esteem. It is a 12 question quiz that asks you to identify the continents and the oceans. Like the previous quiz, students are given three opportunities for a correct answer. With the same point totals for correct answers.
Maximum Score 36. Several students were able to achieve the maximum point total.
* A teacher may also want to introduce this activity for the students at the start of a unit. For homework, the students can practice on their own. At the end of the week you can assess the students in the form of a quiz. You can record the score right on the spot. No papers to take home!
I would love feedback and suggestions for other great websites for US History. Email mark@mytowntutors.com, -
E e is the Kindergarten "Letter of the Week"
Letter of the Week – E e
During the week, please learn to identify this letter, it’s sound, and formation. At home please make a list of words that begin with this letter.
Also identify the high frequency words “one,” “two,” and “three.”E e Activities
- Walk and dance like an elephant.
- Jump up and down eleven times.
- Eat eight pieces of something you like.
- Go outside and close your eyes. What do you hear with your ears?
- Cut out pictures of eyes and ears from old magazines.
- Try to touch your elbow to your ear.
- Using your eyes, what things do you see on your way to school?
- Empty your glass of milk… drink up.
- Do some exercises.
- Let a bowl of water evaporate.
Activity: Play this game. Make a “YES” and “NO” card. Say, “I am going to say a word, listen carefully to it. If you think the word starts with the /e/ sound, hold up your “YES” card. If you think the word does NOT start with the /e/ sound, hold up your “NO” card.”
Word List: elbow, exercise, eggs, rain, enter, paint, exit, moon, elevator, excellent, cat, empty.
This lesson was taken directly from the homework assignments of a Massachusetts kindergarten teacher.
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