Learning at Home Part 2

This post started off far more complicated than it needed to be (those who know me wouldn't be surprised by that statement) so let's see if I have pared it down to the bare essentials!  I pulled many of the sites below from an ADDitude magazine email but thought better of including a truly detailed schedule. 

However, most of the sites I've been checking out recommend breaking the day into chunks for learning, chores, activities, your own work-from-home responsibilities, and personal breaks from each other.  Please do not dismiss any of the sites because the links refer to ADHD students.  ALL of the resources work for all students, all of whom learn differently.

Here's what cemented my decision to try to be simpler, from a recent National Geographic email:

“Any other parents totally overwhelmed by the amount of resources we’re getting now?” tweeted @JessGrose of the New York Times Parenting section. “I’m not a teacher and I still don’t know how to be no matter how many color-coded schedules and ‘helpful’ links I receive.”  

That’s why experts are urging parents to try to keep it simple when it comes to structuring their children’s days at home. 

So here's a curated list of suggestions and resources.  On a more personal note, I am learning about many resources that will help me as I tutor!

Physical Activity

• YouTube Exercise videos
• Write Happy Messages on the sidewalk as you walk
• Check out Neighbourhood Window Walks; adapt it to become a personal Scavenger Hunt (i.e., how many houses still have Christmas lights up - no judging; how many spring flowers can you see on the lawns?)

Reading

• 100 Greatest Books for Kids by Scholastic

• Children's Books & Authors 

• This is really a site for educators, but check out the section for parents.
• Check out your local public library website for access (with a library card) to borrowing eBooks and audio books.
• 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12
• From picture books to graphic novels, fantasy to family fun, these must-read books have the power to hook both boys and girls. Whether you have a reluctant reader or a budding bookworm, check out these surefire, kid-tested titles. (We've included a few rated best for 12 and up for the precocious readers out there!) 
• Want more? Check out the Essential Books Guide to build your kid's personal library.
•  From my own blog: Some Reading Ideas and The Importance of Reading Aloud to Kids  

Writing

• ABCya - "ABCya provides over 400 fun and educational games for grades PreK through 6. Games are categorized by grade and subject, and cover topics such as multiplication, parts of speech, typing, pattern recognition, and more. We even have games that are just plain fun (and safe) to play!"

Social Studies

• See previous post Learning at Home
• National Geographic Kids 
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art – Virtual Tour - this looks like a busy site visually, but check out Time Machine and Made by Kids (it might inspire your kids to do their animation).

Math

• Check YouTube for MathAntics for video instruction on a variety of math topics.  Of the many math video series this is one of the most professional.
• Check out an earlier post of mine to find games and apps to help all students.  Scoll down past the section to Dyscalculia.   Math Apps
• Illumination – From the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - this is a rich resource from the American math teachers' website.
• Mathies Games is on the Ontario Association of Math Educators website. The Mathies site is designed for students and parents, K-12.
• TVO Mathify - this is a tutoring website and it now includes Grade 6 - 12.  Tutors are available Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Sunday, 3:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Science

• See previous post Learning at Home
• Science Experiment Ideas from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - a variety of activities and games
• National Geographic for Kids – science experiments for home
• Find ScienceMax on YouTube
• Check out Steve Spangler for experiments to do at home.

Miscellaneous

• Typing.com - click on 'Students' and watch the video for why we learn 'typing' or keyboarding.
• Best game yet - Tenzi
• 101 Screen-free Activities - it's rather ironic that I have to use screen-time to share these ideas, and you have to use screen-time to view them.  And who knew that May 4-10, 2020 is Screen-Free Week.  We'll see how that goes!
• Mo Willems – the beloved children’s author and illustrator will lead doodle sessions each day at 1 pm EST
• USA National Gallery of Art – lessons and activities - don't let this become too overwhelming, but there is a lot of material for discussion and trying.  It is really a very rich site.
• TIME for Kids - Check out the sample articles from different editions.  "TIME for Kids engages students with authentic journalism, inspires them to join the national discourse on current topics, and provides teachers with valuable resources for the classroom." 
• 37 Amazing Craft Ideas - this is so not me, but it's all about diversity!

Learning at Home

Without preamble, here is a curated list of possibilities and resources for those with children at home for the next few weeks.  I will continue to add to this list as I find more. Please share this and share with me any other resources you are using.  

1. A SCHEDULE: 

This schedule was created by Jessica McHale @Jessica McHale Photography and was added to a Facebook page called Active Parents Burlington.  The author has many ideas for the GTA but I thought that many of you would appreciate having a schedule to structure your day.

2. How to Talk to Your Children

Some key points from a couple of sites that have been recommended:

Adapted from ADDitude magazine, Child Mnd Institute:

• Focus on the facts, understand the fear.  Don’t try to predict the future or share Doom’s Day scenarios with your children. Projections aren’t helpful when no one knows for certain what’s ahead, and trying to guess may cause anxiety to run rampant.  
• Not talking about something can make kids worry more.  
• Acknowledge and manage your own anxiety.  Easier said than done but try some of the relaxation strategies we keep hearing about: softening the face and jaw muscles, dropping the shoulders a bit, and taking a few deeper breaths. Then you can have a conversation with your kids.
• Start with a question.  Follow with facts.  Let your kids tell you what they are worried about.  Don't volunteer too much information. 
• You want to be prepared to answer (but not prompt) questions. 
• Use the wealth of information on the Canadian government website.  Be wary of social media!
• Limit news exposure. "Seeing images of people wearing masks in hospital wards and hearing coronavirus news reports all day long can increase distress in anyone. Experts say it’s a good idea to decrease your viewing time in common family areas of your home. Be mindful of little ears playing nearby that overhear news reports you’re watching or hearing."
• Don't overshare. The best thing you can do is reassure them that responsible adults are working hard to keep everyone safe and healthy. You can also point out that experts say that being at home is the safest place to be. Hearing that home is the safest, healthiest place to be is the most reassuring message your child can hear.  
• Focus on what you're doing to stay safe.
• Maintain a routine.  See #1!
• Try to play - and laugh. Board games, baking, hiking.

3. Canada's History Magazine for Kids

Check out the digital issues of Kayak: Canada's History Magazine for Kids and their complementary educational resources. These lesson plans are designed for students in grades 2-7, but can easily be adapted for older and younger audiences.

These magazines are exceptionally well-done and to have access to the PDF version is terrific.

There's also a Kayak Kids' Illustrated History Challenge (deadline June 15, 2020) for kids aged 7 - 14.  

4. Scholastic 

Check out what Scholastic is offering for all grade levels.  

Note that the website directs you to the US Scholastic.  There's still lots to do but it is not Canadian.  

Here's the link to the Canadian website.

5. Websites to Explore the World (and beyond)

a) San Diego Zoo 

This is one of the most colourful sites I've seen.  So much to explore and have fun with.  Lots of activities and games.

b) Explore the Surface of Mars

This site has potential.  Explore using the 'About' over in right hand corner.

c) Farm Food 360

So many VR tours and 360 tours with details on how to use different devices.  A good Canadian site inviting you to a variety of farms.  

Flip through the current magazine, virtually.  So much information!

d) Discovery Education

Learn about Polar Bears in this well-done experience.  "Since 2010, Discovery Education has teamed up with Polar Bears International to host a series of shared learning experiences to engage students and inspire their interest in studying the science of polar bears and their Arctic habitat."

e) Louvre

Visit the museum's exhibition rooms and galleries, contemplate the façades of the Louvre...

Come along on a virtual tour and enjoy the view, thanks to the sponsorship of Shiseido.

6. Jump Math

I've been recommending the JUMP at Home program for a while; books for all grades are available at  Mastermind and Amazon and they are about $18 - $20. They might help to keep kids up to date on some aspects of the math curriculum.

7. Math Card Games

16 Card Games That Will Turn Your Students Into Math Aces

High School Assignments - Starting & Completing

This post started in the dentist's chair!  My hygienist, Nancy, has been trying to help her son (who has an IEP for ADHD) complete his Grade 10 assignments.  It's a measure of the positive relationship that Nancy and her son have that he accepts her help, but Nancy was concerned that they were spending far too much time on the assignments.  She was also frustrated that neither of them were entirely sure that they were going in the right direction.

Children with (Executive Function deficits and) ADHD have a hard time getting started — and following through — on assignments because they have difficulty picking topics, locating appropriate resources, holding and manipulating information in their memory, organizing and sequencing the material, and getting it down on paper — all before they forget what they wanted to say.

               So with the help of additudemag.com and understood.org here are some ideas.

Please keep in mind that if you're supporting your child with his assignments, you are part of the process of helping students learn to do these assignments on their own .  It is not about parents 'doing' the assignment, but rather helping students gain the tools and strategies so that they can be independent learners.  Often, parents have to be their child's 'Executive Functions' until the child has acquired the relevant tools and strategies.  

This process is called scaffolding  because supports are put in place to help the student learn how to achieve her own learning goals.  For instance, "graphic organizers, pictures, and charts can all serve as scaffolding tools.  Graphic organizers ... help kids visually represent their ideas, organize information, and grasp concepts such as sequencing and cause and effect."

Check my first post Smart but Scattered. Check out the edition for teens.  Lots of good ideas to help with assignments.

I have divided the rest of this post into two sections.  The first is for the student,  the second for the parent.  I hope that that works for you both.

PART 1 - STUDENT

Getting Started

1. Technology
2. Teacher
3. Buddies
4. Calendars
5. BROIL

1. Technology

• Use technology to help you know what is required.
• Take a photo of the posted assignment on your phone.
• Record your understanding of the assignment as soon as you can, either verbally or on paper (text or diagrams).

2. Teacher

• Ask your teacher for exemplars of what a similar completed assignment looks like.
• Take photos to help you remember.
• Ask your teacher for recommendations for succeeding on the assignment.
• Ask for an explanation of anything you are not sure of.  
• Go over the rubric to make sure you know how you will be assessed.
• Know what's in your IEP and talk to your teachers about modifying assignments to ensure your success. This is not easy.  Work with your parents to practise!

3. Buddies

• Find a buddy in class who is open to you phoning or texting to get clarification about the assignment.

4. Calendars

• Use calendars (monthly, weekly) to keep track of assignment deadlines
• Sync these with your parents' calendars 

5. BROIL 

 Nope, it's not a cooking method.  It's a mnemonic.  Use it as a guideline to know what to include in your notes before you start:

• B - anything the teacher writes on the BOARD
• R - anything the teacher REPEATS
• O - anything the teachers says will ON THE TEST
• I - anything the teacher says is IMPORTANT
• L - anything that is in a LIST

  

Completing the Assignment

There are a variety of tools and strategies listed below.  It is not a 'one size fits all' game.  Pick and choose depending on your learning style, your comfort level. Even mix and match.  

1. Technology
2. Soft Technology
3. Parents 
4. Graphic Organizers

1. Technology

• Use voice to text programs/apps to help you expand on what you heard in class or what you have researched.
• Or just dictate what you are thinking about and then play it back to see if your own thoughts generate more ideas.
• Use the photos you took of the assignment, the notes, the deadlines. Print them if necessary.

2. Soft Technology

• Use erasable highlighters in textbooks to note key points.
• Use sticky notes to keep track of main points as you research (there are big sticky notes out there).
• Group the notes together to keep track of similar points.
• If you're a 'moving' (kinesthetic) learner - post the notes around the room, or down the hall so that you can pace and physically move them around to see where they fit best.
• Use a big whiteboard or a large piece of paper up on the wall (painters' tape keeps it there and doesn't ruin the paint) to record your ideas

3. Parents

• Use your parents as scribes; dictate your thinking and then have them type it up so that you can edit and organize on the computer.
• Get their help in setting up the monthly and weekly calendars to keep track of dates.

4. Graphic Organizers  

Remember the 'Hamburger Paragraph' from elementary school.  That was a graphic organizer!

• Use graphic organizers to help you organize your thoughts.  Here's a link to some great organizers that you might have used before.  
• Start with three (3) pieces of paper or documents on the computer:
• What I know already
• What I need to know
• Where I can find out what I need to know
• If visuals work for you, use drawings to generate ideas (Remember that a picture is worth a 1000 words!)

PART 2 - PARENTS

Helping Students Get Started

I want to keep this specific to the topic of completing assignments.  There are ideas throughout my posts to help with the organization of work.  I've also suggested to students that they reach out to their teachers.  For any student that can be intimidating (shouldn't be but often is); for students who learn differently it can be a game changer.  

Spending time boosting your child's confidence in self-advocacy is key.  (Self -Advocacy is defined as the ability to speak on one's behalf and represent personal needs and interests.) Role-playing before hand (you're the teacher, your child is the student and you practise what to say; reverse - you're the student; child is the teacher; how does that go?).  Nancy's son went to school with cue cards to help him talk to his teachers.  Here's a graphic from the Ontario Federation of Teachers website.

From OTF (Ontario Teachers' Federation)

• Be in regular touch with teachers, including Special Education teachers and support staff.  Use the school staff directory to find all those working with those who learn differently.
• Stay up-to-date with your child's IEP and specific modifications, recommendations, and/or accommodations that apply to assignments.
• Be prepared to help teachers understand your expectations from the IEP.
• Know where to find the links for the assignment (e.g., Google Classroom).
•  Look for specific instructions, rubrics, exemplars (sample work that will help illustrate expectations of leveled work).
• Ask for specific deadlines, hopefully broken down into manageable segments.
• Add the deadlines to the BIG calendars in your home.  See The Executive Functions of Time Management

Helping Students Complete Assignments

• Keep track of the amount of time spent on the assignment.  
• Ask teachers for a guideline of how much time is expected to complete this assignment.
• If it's taking 3 hours per night for what should really be 30 minutes per night, does the assignment need to be modified? 
• Check to see if your child needs reinforcement to stay on task, especially with the content itself.
• Stay on top of the assignment's deadlines, using the monthly and weekly calendars. 
• Be ready to be a scribe.  And only a scribe, hard as that might be.  The scaffolding strategy would include asking these questions:
• What do you think of...?
• Have you thought of....?
• What would happen if.....?
• Can you try.....?
• Work with your child to set up incentives for reaching specific deadlines and/or achievements.
• Celebrate those small steps and successes.

Finally 

As you (both) get closer to the deadline, you may feel like the paper isn’t good enough. Don’t go there. If you have followed all of the steps above and have committed to the project from the start, the paper may be better than you think it is. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Do your best to tidy up what you have produced, and turn it in.

      And finally, finally - stay well, stay safe, and stay home!  

Starting and Completing High School Assignments v2

If you have been directed to this post, please see this post instead. It bothered me that the formatting did not work in the post below.  So I reworked it and as I did so I tightened up some of the text.  My apologies but you will be directed to a better version!

This post started in the dentist's chair!  My hygienist, Nancy, has been trying to help her son (who has an IEP for ADHD) complete his Grade 10 assignments.  It's a measure of the positive relationship that Nancy and her son have that he accepts her help, but Nancy was concerned that they were spending far too much time on the assignments.  She was also frustrated that neither of them were entirely sure that they were going in the right direction.

Children with (Executive Function deficits and) ADHD have a hard time getting started — and following through — on assignments because they have difficulty picking topics, locating appropriate resources, holding and manipulating information in their memory, organizing and sequencing the material, and getting it down on paper — all before they forget what they wanted to say.

So with the help of additudemag.com and understood.org here are some ideas.

Please keep in mind that if you're supporting your child with his assignments, you are part of the process of helping students learn to do these assignments on their own .  It is not about parents 'doing' the assignment, but rather helping students gain the tools and strategies so that they can be independent learners.  Often, parents have to be their child's 'Executive Functions' until the child has acquired the relevant tools and strategies.  

This process is called scaffolding   because supports are put in place to help the student learn how to achieve her own learning goals.  For instance, "graphic organizers, pictures, and charts can all serve as scaffolding tools.  Graphic organizers ... help kids visually represent their ideas, organize information, and grasp concepts such as sequencing and cause and effect."

Check my very first post Smart but Scattered. Check out the edition for teens.  Lots of good ideas to help with assignments.

I have divided the rest of this post into two sections.  The first is for the student,  the second for the parent.  I hope that that works for you both.

Getting Started

1. Technology
2. Teacher
3. Buddies
4. Calendars
5. BROIL

1. Technology

• Use technology to help you know what is required.
• Take a photo of the posted assignment on your phone.
• Record your understanding of the assignment as soon as you can, either verbally or on paper (text or diagrams).

2. Teacher

• Ask your teacher for exemplars of what a similar completed assignment looks like.
• Take photos to help you remember.
• Ask your teacher for recommendations for succeeding on the assignment.
• Ask for an explanation of anything you are not sure of.  
• Go over the rubric to make sure you know how you will be assessed.
• Know what's in your IEP and talk to your teachers about modifying assignments to ensure your success. This is not easy.  Work with your parents to practise!

3. Buddies

• Find a buddy in class who is open to you phoning or texting to get clarification about the assignment.

4. Calendars

• Use calendars (monthly, weekly) to keep track of assignment deadlines
• Sync these with your parents' calendars 

5. BROIL 

 Nope, it's not a cooking method.  It's a mnemonic.  Use it as a guideline to know what to include in your notes before you start:

• B - anything the teacher writes on the BOARD
• R - anything the teacher REPEATS
• O - anything the teachers says will ON THE TEST
• I - anything the teacher says is IMPORTANT
• L - anything that is in a LIST

  

Completing the Assignment

There are a variety of tools and strategies listed below.  It is not a 'one size fits all' game.  Pick and choose depending on your learning style, your comfort level. Even mix and match.  

1. Technology
2. Soft Technology
3. Parents 
4. Graphic Organizers

1. Technology

• Use voice to text programs/apps to help you expand on what you heard in class or what you have researched.
• Or just dictate what you are thinking about and then play it back to see if your own thoughts generate more ideas.
• Use the photos you took of the assignment, the notes, the deadlines. Print them if necessary.

2. Soft Technology

• Use erasable highlighters in textbooks to note key points.
• Use sticky notes to keep track of main points as you research (there are big sticky notes out there).
• Group the notes together to keep track of similar points.
• If you're a 'moving' (kinesthetic) learner - post the notes around the room, or down the hall so that you can pace and physically move them around to see where they fit best.
• Use a big whiteboard or a large piece of paper up on the wall (painters' tape keeps it there and doesn't ruin the paint) to record your ideas

3. Parents

• Use your parents as scribes; dictate your thinking and then have them type it up so that you can edit and organize on the computer.
• Get their help in setting up the monthly and weekly calendars to keep track of dates.

4. Graphic Organizers  

Remember the 'Hamburger Paragraph' from elementary school.  That was a graphic organizer!

• Use graphic organizers to help you organize your thoughts.  Here's a link to some great organizers that you might have used before.  
• Start with three (3) pieces of paper or documents on the computer:
• What I know already
• What I need to know
• Where I can find out what I need to know
• If visuals work for you, use drawings to generate ideas (Remember that a picture is worth a 1000 words!)

Parents Helping Students Get Started

I want to keep this specific to the topic of completing assignments.  There are ideas throughout my posts to help with the organization of work.  I've also suggested to students that they reach out to their teachers.  For any student that can be intimidating (shouldn't be but often is); for students who learn differently it can be a game changer.  

Spending time boosting your child's confidence in self-advocacy is key.  (Self -Advocacy is defined as the ability to speak on one's behalf and represent personal needs and interests.) Role-playing before hand (you're the teacher, your child is the student and you practise what to say; reverse - you're the student; child is the teacher; how does that go?).  Nancy's son went to school with cue cards to help him talk to his teachers.  Here's a graphic from the Ontario Federation of Teachers website.

From OTF (Ontario Teachers' Federation)

• Be in regular touch with teachers, including Special Education teachers and support staff. Use the school staff directory to find all those involved with those who learn differently.
• Stay up-to-date with your child's IEP and specific modifications/accommodations that apply to the assignment.
• Be prepared to help teachers understand your expectations from that IEP.
• Know where to find the links for the assignments (e.g., Google Classroom).
• Look for specific instructions, rubrics, exemplars.
• Ask for specific deadlines, hopefully broken down into manageable segments.
• Add the deadlines to the BIG calendars in your home.  See The Executive Functions of Time Management

Parents Helping Students Complete Assignments

• Keep track of the amount of time spent on the assignment.
• Ask teachers for a guideline of how much time would be expected to complete the assignment. 
• If it's taking 3 hours for what should really be 30 minutes per night, does the assignment need to be modified? (Check to see if your child needs reinforcement to stay on task.  I used to remind my students that the majority of the work was to be on content; the cover page and making the assignment beautiful should be done last and in the least amount of time). 
• Be aware of lagging enthusiasm (i.e. limit the amount of time spent at any one time).  
• Break the time spent on the assignment into shorter periods and come back refreshed.
• Suggest a walk outside or some physical exercise to remove the cobwebs.
• Stay on top of the assignment's deadlines, using the monthly and weekly calendars. 
• Move the 'clock' forward toward the approaching deadline (not to create a sense of panic but to show - in 'real time' - that there is a sense of urgency).
• Be ready to be a scribe. 
• And only a scribe, hard as that is (which doesn't mean you can't make suggestions.  Try
•  'What do you think of...'; 
• 'Have you thought of....'; 
• What would happen if you .....'; 
• 'Can you try.....?') 
• Work with your child to set up incentives and rewards for reaching specific deadlines and/or achievements.
• Celebrate the small steps and successes.

Finally 

As you (both) get closer to the deadline, you may feel like the paper isn’t good enough. Don’t go there. If you have followed all of the steps above and have committed to the project from the start, the paper may be better than you think it is. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Do your best to tidy up what you have produced, and turn it in.

Personal comment: I have spent a lot of time on this post.  I was so disappointed when I previewed it and saw that the formatting was not as it looked when I 'wrote' it.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I should do (and might still go back and do that).  But then I thought I should take my own advice.  I would like it to look perfect but the content is solid.  And so I will not let 'the perfect' be the 'enemy of the good'.  

But if any of you know how to make it look 'better' I'd be most appreciative!

And finally, finally - stay well, stay safe, and stay home!