Debi Taylor-Hough

Bright-Kids
________________________________

Vol. 5, No. 33 - August 18th, 2008
http://hometown.aol.com/brightkidsrus
mailto: debi@simplemom.com
Copyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-Hough
ISSN: 1536-0466 All Rights Reserved
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IN THIS ISSUE:
-- "Dear Readers":
-- Quote-able
-- Teaching Young Children to Read
-- Back-to-School Preparation for All Ages
-- Reader Tips
-- Assorted Information (resources, archives, etc.)
________________________________

< < O U R . S P O N S O R > >

New "Millionaire Calculator" Teaches Children the Power of
Compound Interest

Baby boomers are retiring broke in record numbers because
they failed to start saving early enough.

Parents can help their children avoid this grim future by
getting them in the habit of saving while they are young.

The new Millionaire Calculator by KidsWealth reveals how
easy it is for your child to retire a millionaire if you
start a monthly savings plan right now.

"My 2 year-old will retire a millionaire if we save just
$97 a month until he is 20!" - Chris Loch in Provo, UT

http://tinyurl.com/5nsvb8

________________________________

Dear Readers,

So sorry that this issue is a little late. We had a minor -- but all
consuming -- crisis here at home and I've been struggling to get
things done in a timely fashion (you should see my kitchen sink ...
or maybe you shouldn't). ;-)

I hope you'll find the tips in this issue on back-to-school ideas and
teaching young children to read to be helpful in your home and
family. And as always, be sure to show your support to our faithful
sponsors. Without them, this mailing list wouldn't be possible.

Simply Yours,

--Debi
(Deborah Taylor-Hough)
Editor, Bright-Kids Email Newsletter
--Author of the popular 'Frozen Assets' cookbook series, 'A Simple
Choice,' and 'Frugal Living For Dummies(r)'
--Editor, Simple Times and Bright-Kids email newsletters

http://brightkids.wordpress.com
http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com
http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware
http://dsimple.wordpress.com
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QUOTABLE

"... nothing is so practical as a great idea, because
nothing produces such an abundant outcome of practical
effort. We must not turn the cold shoulder to philosophy.
Education is no more than applied philosophy -- our effort
to train children according to the wisdom that is in us; and
not according to the last novelty in educational ideas."

--Charlotte Mason, The Original Homeschooling Series
http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1889209007/simplepleasuresp/

________________________________

TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN TO READ
Copyright Catherine Levison
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
http://charlottemasoneducation.com

You're reading right now. That shows you know how to read.
But can you recall how you learned to read? Many of us can't
remember.

It's fairly common to find people who taught themselves to read
unaided, but many of us learned in a classroom with a teacher
writing words on the board. Then we would be asked to refer to
the words in front of us in the form of a worksheet or perhaps
little book. For some, the decoding of symbols on the page came
easily and some it did not. I can only imagine the frustration a
child could experience if the majority of the group quickly grasped
the concept while they sat there mystified as to how they were
doing it.

My advice is don't have a book anywhere near you and the child
when you sit down the first time. The exception would be the self-
taught, but they'd be reading already without your intervention.
What you'll need to have are some loose letters. Think of those
plastic letters with magnets that are used on refrigerators. In fact,
those magnetic letters work just fine. Or buy some crepe rubber
ones, or cut some letters from paper. You could even knit a set
from yarn if you have the time. The point is that the letters are
moveable and it won't matter much whether you use capital letters
or lower case ones. Although, if given the choice use capital letters.

Choose a time when your child is teachable. If they've missed a
nap or are sick or distracted, wait for another opportunity. Perhaps
you could talk it up a bit. In other words, tell them a "special time"
is coming -- a time to sit with Mom or Dad and have some fun.

To begin, simply hold up the letter "a" and tell them it is an "a" ..,
that is its name. It makes the sound "aaaa" like apple. Set it on
floor in front of the two of you. Pick up the letter "t" and tell them
this is a "t" and it makes the sound "teh" like table. Set that on
the floor and tell the child the word they are looking at is the word
"at." Use "at" in a sentence or two.

If for any reason they appear distracted or begin to throw things
about the room, go ahead and stop for the day. However, if they're
simply looking at the two letters on the floor and accept the fact
that this is indeed the word "at," then proceed.

Grab a "p" or "c" and place that in front of the "at." (You're way
ahead of me, aren’t you?) Tell them the "c" is called a "c" and it
makes the sound cccc as you lay it down. Be very phonetic and
over pronounce your words, but then begin to blend them together
until "cat" is coming out of your mouth with ease.

The next steps are the same. Use s, m, p, r, f, and any others to
make the first three letter, short vowel sound words your child will
read. This first session will probably end in success and last about
ten to fifteen minutes.

The next day -- or skip a day on purpose and proceed on an every-
other-day basis -- allow about the same amount of time. Remember,
keep the situation as distraction-free as possible.

Ask the child to show you what they learned the last time and
have them make the little words on the floor while you watch.
Hopefully, cat, sat, pat, etc. will appear before your eyes. If all
is going well and you're favorably impressed that they're catching
on quickly, then lay out the word "the" and have them memorize
it. Yes, memorize. "The" is a sight word and phonics won't help
you.

An average child will simply believe you when you tell them this
is "the." While we're on the topic of sight words, go ahead and
teach them the word "said." Again, phonics would tell us that
"said" is spelled "sed." Don’t go into that with the child.

Armed with your "at" words and the memorized "said" and "the"
you're now able to bring a book to the process.

Many children are thrilled to sit down and read their first little
book. Hopefully, you've located an easy reader that confines
itself to the "at" words. If a few other words come along, don't
panic ... just tell them the word and have them keep reading.
If you've accidentally chosen a book with too many unknown
words, it probably won't be very fun for your child and this isn't
the time to cause frustration. Realize your mistake and don't
force them to read a book they aren't prepared for.

On your next session, you're now ready to work with loose
letters again and it's time for the letter "o." Same system: its
name, its sound. Make words on the floor using "o" and teach
new consonants as needed. Because the magnetic plastic
letters are so very inexpensive, you'll probably be happier if
you had two sets to work with. With two m's and two d's,
you'll be able to make the word "DAD" and the word "MOM."
Children seem to like that.

At some point you will get to the day when you proudly hold
up the letter "e" and put it at the end of a three letter word.
Tell the child "e" is special. It can make the letter "a" say its
name. Change "mad" into "made," for instance. Be sure to
pronounce the word "made" in an overly exaggerated manner.
Draw out the "a" sound as long as you can so that they can
hear "a" saying its name. Change "cod" into "code" and "rod"
into "rode." Now you're ready to read an easy reader together
that has four letter words in it that have silent “e.”

As these sessions advance and both of you are enjoying
yourselves, try four letter words that use two vowels together.
The word "bead" is one example of this. Teach the child the
saying, "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the
talking and usually says its name." The "e" and the "a" are
walking together so the "e" is allowed to say its name. If you
don't think fast under pressure, then prepare a list of double
vowel words to use before you sit down.

Soon you'll be done using the loose letters as the child finds
he can read and decode new words from the books themselves.
We only used those to make it more of a game.

There are children who will freeze in terror at the sight of a book.
With those, keep using the letters on the floor for as long as
necessary.

Our family had a large set of rubber letters so we were able
to write sentences on the floor and I did teach diphthongs and
blended consonants and vowel sounds using them but you don't
have to go that far. Double vowel sounds can be taught by writing
them on paper just as easily.

I can hear you saying, "But this sounds too easy!"

Yes, it is easy ... and in the same amount of time it took me to
explain it, I could have taught one of your children their first reading
lesson.

Teaching reading this way is inexpensive and can be accomplished
for under ten dollars. It takes some consistency and some regularly
set aside time. Fifteen to twenty minutes about three times a week
should get results very quickly.

Think of it this way. Little Emily approaches you and speaks of her
new desire to learn how to play the piano. You're elated! You find a
teacher in your area and the lessons begin. But that isn't what you'd
do if you played piano professionally for many years. No, you'd be far
more likely to teach little Emily yourself, at least until you established
her dedication to practicing. That would be because you knew how
to play the piano proficiently.

Reading is no different.

You know how to read and you don't need private lesions with a tutor,
you don't need to purchase a two hundred dollar reading program
complete with a compact disc. If you already own a program like that,
then by all means put it to use -- especially if it worked for another
child. If you don’t already have one, save your money. Give this nearly
free system a chance for your child, and if it doesn't work, then look
at other options.

My goal here is to boost your confidence. You may have come to
think that learning to read is a very difficult process and you'll need
outside help from an expert. You may have been told by a company
with a product to sell that you're an amateur and success depends
upon their product. Chances are neither of these are true unless your
child has special needs, in other words, a learning disability. If that's
the case, then of course you'll seek outside help at the earliest
opportunity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
--Catherine Levison is a well-respected workshop presenter
to parenting and educational audiences throughout the USA
and Canada. She's also the author of two popular books and
is regularly featured in this email newsletter. Visit Catherine
online at: http://charlottemasoneducation.com

ATTENTION: Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia
parents, educators, and home schoolers. Catherine Levison
will be conducting one of her popular All Day How-to Workshops
in Auburn, Washington (located about halfway between Seattle
and Tacoma) on Saturday, September 20th. For complete info,
go to: http://charlottemasoneducation.com/speaking.html

You can purchase Catherine Levison's books online at:

A Charlotte Mason Education
http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1891400169/simplepleasuresp/

More Charlotte Mason Education
http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1891400177/simplepleasuresp/

________________________________

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________________________________

BACK-TO-SCHOOL PREPARATION FOR ALL AGES
Copyright Laurie Hurley
Used with permission from EzineArticles.com.
http://www.hometutoringbusiness.com

If you have children, late July, August and early September
represents more than summer ending, cooler weather and fall
foliage. School begins once again for millions of kids across
the country. Getting your child prepared, regardless of whether
they are in Kindergarten or a senior in high school, is a must.

Here are some tips to make the transition from several weeks of
summer fun to school days and homework easier.

KINDERGARTEN - 5th GRADE

1) About a week before school starts, have your children go to
bed at the time they will when school begins. Set their alarm or
wake them up early. It's difficult for some kids to adjust to going
to bed and getting up earlier after having an entire summer of
sleeping in or staying up late. Many young children need to be
on a schedule and preparing a week or so earlier will pay off,
especially if you have a night owl or late sleeper.

2) If you have a school supply list (many school districts post
them on their website or hand them out the last day of school),
buy the supplies early. For the child who is not organized, this
is a good way to begin the school year off on the right foot. Label
everything and get the backpacks ready the night before school
starts. Buy some extra supplies to keep at home if your child is
one to lose or forget their pencils or markers at school. They will
probably need some basic supplies for homework time. Nothing
is more frustrating than sitting down to do homework and
discovering the basics are missing.

3) If you have a Kindergartener, walk to school two or three days
before school begins (or drive if they take a bus or you will be
driving them). This helps acquaint them with what they will actually
be doing that first day and can work wonders for alleviating the first
day jitters. If your child is especially anxious, ask if you can let
them visit their new classroom for five or ten minutes the day before
school starts. Many principals will let the Kindergarteners come to
the campus prior to school starting.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

1) Many sixth graders will be attending a new school for their middle
school years. Oftentimes, the campus is much bigger and can be
intimidating. Of course pre-teens may not admit they are nervous,
but most parents are. Suggest a bike ride over to the school some-
time during August just to look around. Many middle schools conduct
orientation anyway a couple of days before school actually begins,
but an extra trip without all of their peers might be worthwhile.

2) Just as in elementary school, it is important, if not more so in
middle school, to have all the school supplies ready, especially an
organizer. Some schools make it mandatory for the students to
purchase an organizer directly from the school. Get in the habit
from day one of checking it and being sure homework assignments
are recorded. Visit the school website and see if homework and
grades will be posted on the site. This is an excellent way to stay
involved with your child’s progress throughout the year.

3) If your student struggles with the basics -- math or language
arts -- consider hiring a tutor for some review sessions before and
during the first semester. Also, it is quite common in middle school
for students who are excelling to be moved to Honors classes
sometime during the year. Being in an accelerated class is a good
way to prepare a student for Advanced Placement (AP) classes in
high school, which count as college credit.

HIGH SCHOOL

1) Find out when the PSAT and SAT exams will take place. If your
student is not a good test taker, consider enrolling them in a test
prep class. As colleges become more and more competitive, test
scores make a difference. One can take the exam more than once
if they are not happy with the score, so plan ahead and register
early.

2) Stay tuned in to your student's school and social schedule. There
is a tremendous amount of freedom in high school and even the most
academically gifted students can be distracted by all of the things
that are associated with the teenage years. Establish a curfew for
school nights and limit the amount of time that is spent at a part-time
job or involved in sports, especially if time management and study
skills are not your child’s forte.

3) If your son or daughter is college-bound, start doing your research
and be sure to attend the college nights that many high schools
sponsor. Know what is expected on college applications. It is no
longer a simple process like it was for the baby boomer generation.
Test scores, a formal essay, volunteer hours, and class selection in
high school are all important factors in getting into college. Take
advantage of the many companies that exist today solely for the
purpose of assisting you and your student select the right college
for them.

Regardless of the age and grade of your children, stay involved.
Volunteering on any level -- whether it be reading stories to your
elementary aged child's second grade class, helping in the computer
lab in middle school, or being on a committee for peer counseling in
high school -- it is important to know what is happening at the place
your children spend a large part of their week. With so many parents
working, many Parent Teacher Associations have their meetings in
the evening, so more parents can attend. There are activities that
need volunteers that do not involve daytime hours such as calling
parents in the evening for a fundraiser or helping with a weekend
car wash at high school.

These tips can help your children get back to school the right way
and prepare them for a year of learning and fun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
--Laurie Hurley is an educational consultant and mentor to small
business owners. Hurley was recently featured in Woman's World
and Entrepreneur Magazine as well as Family Circle and others.
She can be reached at http://www.hometutoringbusiness.com or
1.888.847.0033. Article is free to be reprinted as long as author's
bio remains intact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurie_Hurley
________________________________

READER TIPS
Submitted by Bright-Kids' readers.

No tips this week ... feel free to share your ideas, tips, and general
thoughts on parenting, education, family fun, etc. We'd love to hear
from You! :-)

* * Your Tips? * *
Do you have some great family fun, educational, or parenting
tips/ideas you'd love to share with other parents and caregivers?
Just send your tips and ideas to Debi at Bright-Kids:
DSimple@aol.com
______________________________

READ-ALOUD BOOKS FOR FAMILIES:

http://snurl.com/reading4kids

Recommended books for children and families
(This is a great list to print out and hand to your kids'
grandparents for suggestions at gift-giving times!)
_______________________________

A special thanks to Gary Foreman and the friendly folks at
The Dollar Stretcher for making this mailing list possible! :-)
http://www.stretcher.com/
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Bright-Kids - 08/18/08 - Teaching kids to read; back-to-school prep