Math and Reading Apps

Apps are not only fun and entertaining, they can also help your children review and practice skills they've already learned in school. Using their tablets, practicing reading and math, for example, can be enjoyable. However, as any tablet user knows before there are thousands of apps available which makes the task of selecting them a bit daunting. Fortunately, there are also a great number of professionals who are constantly reviewing and updating the functionality of these apps. Through  list.ly you can find some of these reviews which will help you choose the best according to your children's needs. These are two of my favorites:

Best Elementary Reading Book Apps

View more lists from Katherine Page Burdick

25 Best Math Game Apps for Kids for the Summer!

View more lists from Fun Educational Apps

Magnetic Alphabet

Magnetic Alphabet is an app that will help your little ones to learn the alphabet and numbers and your children in elementary grades to practice their high frequency and spelling words.Your children could also use the numbers to learn about place value, addition, subtraction, etc. The app is a great source of creativity and fun to help your children learn and practice new skills. It comes in a lite free version and in a full version with plenty of useful features for $9.99. There's also an intermediate version with limited features for $1.99.

A Great APP

This app, developed by Zientia, will keep your children entertained, practicing their fine motor skills, and using their tablets in an absolutely meaningful way. First, you must download and print the coloring pages from their website. After the children have colored the pages, they use the app to create the story and listen to it. So you're a bilingual mom (or dad) and you want to use the summer for your child to practice their Spanish? Good news, with this app they can read their stories in either English or Spanish. More good news, is that this app is compatibe with iOS and Android tablets or smartphones.

Parenting in the Tablet era

Hello All, I am so glad to be back and connecting again with my readers and followers. I've been extraordinarily busy being a teacher, a mom, and a wife (not necessarily in that order) but you know how it goes. Although I no longer have young children at home, I do deal with a handful of boisterous first graders 180 days a year. This year my students have been absolutely delighted by having the opportunity to use tablets in the classroom. It has been a challenge for both teachers and learners to use them in a engaging and meaningful way. I must confess that in spite of my love for technology, I find the App universe absolutely challenging with hundreds, if not thousands, of apps available. What's more, tablets have become so affordable that more and more parents are able to provide their children with them, which of course post the challenge of how their children can use the tablet with educational purposes. Often parents ask me about appropriate Apps for their children to set in their brand new tablets. The App universe is so vast that it seems impossible to keep up with it.  If you are a parent I recommend for you to check these. If you are looking for some apps your children, go here.
I hope you find them helpful, I will continue posting more resources as I find them!

Is your Child Gifted?

Do you have a Gifted Child? Most parents tend to see their children as not only the most beautiful but also the brightest. Although, truth be said, that’s not always the case, many children do have above age abilities or are just truly gifted on one area or another. Maybe your child’s teacher has mention it to you…Whether your child has, or not, been identified as a high achiever/talented or gifted child, there are some things that you as parent could do to further his/her interests and abilities. First of all, if you have truly believe that your child has special or above normal talents, talk to his/her teacher. Your child’s teacher can not only give you additional insights, but he/she can offer special assessments to confirm if your child is truly talented. Your child’s teacher can also recommend activities to support his abilities: readings, projects, or even groups for you and your child to further his/her talents. Yet even if your child is not as talented as you believe he/she is, be sure to provide extra -curricular activities to spur his/her natural curiosity. For instance, as the weather improves, trips to the neighborhood park are a great opportunity to explore the outdoors and the wonders of nature. Allow your son/daughter to study the change of the weather, form of the clouds, the speed of wind. Look for and identify the great variety of trees, leaves, sprouts, flowers, bugs, insects, etc. Then take your child to the library and encourage for additional research in books. Teach your child the value of the internet for learning and finding information. These are just a few suggestions to stimulate your child’s creativity. Do you have others? How else can we as parents support our Gifts of Life (a.k.a. our children)?

Online Reading

Do your children spend long hours at the computer? Probably they do, and as you know it is very important that you supervise the sites their access and all their online activities. However, not all is bad online, in fact there are many great sites that offer children the opportunity to have fun and learn simultaneously. One of my favorites is We Give Books at www.wegivebooks.org At this site children will have the opportunity to read wonderful stories, and while practicing their reading skills they will support a campaign to donate books for different causes. Children's Storybooks Online http://www.magickeys.com/books/ also offers a great selection of stories for young children. Storynory at http://storynory.com/ has free audio stories that include the classics and new stories from around the world. Between the Lions, from PBS Kids - http://pbskids.org/lions/stories/ has wonderful folktales that will definitely entice and entertain your children.

Summer Reading List

Summer is here and our little ones are at home resting from a very intense and, hopefully, productive school year. Remember that in order to avoid summer loss the best you, the parent, can do is to set aside a time  time for reading every day. Whether your child reads by himself, you read to him, or you both read together, reading for 15 to 30 minutes every day would support your child to maintain the skills learned throughout the year. If you would like some suggestions for books or other reading material, visit your public library and ask the librarian for suggestions about up-to-date materials that support your child's reading interest. In addition, the Houston Area Independent Schools Library Network, has put together books recommendations for students of different ages and grade levels. Here is a link to this list.

Is your Child Dyslexic?

Dyslexia is in part the result of inefficient phonological processing; children with dyslexia lack the ability to sort out, analyze, and sequence sounds heard in spoken language. Dyslexia accounts for approximately 80% of all diagnosed learning disabilities. The most common difficulty for children with dyslexia is in learning to read, write, spell or do math, although some children might show problems in acquiring spoken language.

While the most common indicators of dyslexia is the reversal of letters and numbers, sometimes, it’s important to understand that often these signs might just express a developmental stage of the child. Sometimes children with dyslexia may show problems recalling certain words and word sequences (days of the week, months of the year, etc.); they also show difficulties organizing thoughts, memorizing information, understanding intended meaning.

Looking for signs:

If your child is in pre-school notice if he has difficulty: learning numbers or the alphabet, identifying rhyming words, or remembering colors.

For children in the elementary grades the alarming signs may include difficulties in sounding our words, reversing numbers or letters, persistent errors in reading or spelling, remembering facts such as math facts and even misunderstanding arithmetic signs.

Dyslexic students in middle school tend to show difficulties in reading comprehension, concentrating and paying attention. They usually struggle with writing assignments and show poor spelling. They lack organizing, planning, and managing skills which affects their ability to complete assignments.  For students in high school and above, dyslexia also impacts their ability to remember, retrieve, and comprehend detailed and or complex information.

While these are only some of the signs of dyslexia, it’s important that as a parent you are aware if any of these appear consistently and affect your child’s academic progress. Talk to your child’s teacher and look for the professionals in the school system to assist you in determine if your child might be dyslexic.

On the bright side, remember that many people from scientists to artists are affected by dyslexia, yet they have been able to overcome it and succeed.

For additional information visit:

The International Dyslexia Association

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Avko: Educational Research Foundation
Reading from Scratch

More Benefits from Physical Activity

The benefits of physical activity have been extensively discussed. We know that it promotes health and fitness, prevent illnesses and supports positive attitude. While being physically active is important at any age, it’s especially significant for children. Now we have additional evidence of its benefits: it promotes academic achievement. In a study recently published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, researchers have established the links between children who routinely engage in physical activities and their success in the classroom. While more studies are suggested to identify how one influences the other, we can safely assume that increasing children’s play time at home and in school –away from video games and other sedentary activities- would promote better health and school success.

You can find additional information about this report in Education Week.

MommyMaestra’s Favorite Holiday Books For Children

Monica Olivera (Mamiverse) shares this interesting list for our young readers.

MommyMaestra’s Favorite Holiday Books For Children

Preschool signs and symptoms of a LD

Are you concerned that your child might have a learning disability? Learn about the signs in this article on Great Schools:

Preschool signs and symptoms of an LD

Encourage your child to read!

Often kids associate reading as a part of school’s assignment and think of it as a task rather than an enjoyable activity they can do just for pleasure. As a parent you can help your child to see and appreciate reading from a different perspective. First of all, don’t use it as a punishment. Sometimes, parents assign reading as a consequence for something the child had not done or hasn’t done it right. That doesn’t contribute to see reading as a pleasant activity; instead, it sends children the wrong message that if they don’t behave they will be ask to read.  Second, find what interest your child. All children have different interests. Some are interested in sports, while others in animals, astronomy, insects, etc. The good news is that there are books for every topic: fiction and nonfiction books in every area that your child might be curious about. Third, use your child’s natural curiosity to foster his interest in reading. Instead of just providing an answer to a question, show him how to use books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and internet resources to find answers to his own questions.

Rather than spending lots of money in buying different kinds of books, take your child to the library and get him a library card. Make a habit to go to the library, every other week (if possible) and check out different kind of books for him to read on his own and/or with your help. Some libraries even offer the same version of the books in more than one language. I often encourage my Latino parents to check the books in both English and Spanish and take turn with their children reading both versions.

Remember that the objective of reading is to comprehend what is in the text. To promote reading comprehension ask and show your child how to use his imagination to visualize (make a picture in his mind) about what he is reading. As he reads, ask him to predict (tell what will happen next) later in the story. Then check if his predictions were right. Many stories offer parents the opportunity to tap into real life situations, thus ask your child about his own opinions: what could this character have done different, what would you do?

Set a time, as often as you can, to read to your child, to read with your child, and to listen to your child read to you. It’s also important that your child “sees” you reading: letters, newspaper, magazines, books, internet articles, etc. Use these opportunities to talk to your child why it’s important to read: be informed, learn about something, pleasure, and so forth.

Happy Reading!

Helping with Homework

Homework is an opportunity for children to review what they have learned in class, and for families to be involved in their children's education. In the early grades, homework help children to develop good study habits and positive attitudes toward education; in the upper elementary grades and beyond homework supports school achievement. In fact, several studies have shown that students who complete homework regularly score better on standardized tests and earn better grades.

As a parent, you can help your children with their homework assignments by showing them that you care about it. Children need to know that their family members think homework is important. If they know their families care, children have a good reason to complete assignments and to turn them in on time. Some of the things, you can do to show your children that you value education and homework are:

1.      Set a Regular Time

Having a regular time to do the homework helps children to complete assignments. The best schedule is one that works for your child and your family. Of course, it also depends on your child's age, grade level, and his/her specific needs. Your child's outside activities, such as sports or dance/ music lessons, may mean that you need a flexible homework schedule. Your child may study after school on some days and after dinner on others. If there isn't enough time to finish homework, your child may need to drop some outside activity. Let her know that homework is a high priority.

You might need to develop a schedule for all the activities your child needs to accomplish during the week. You may find it helpful to write out this schedule and put it in a place where you'll see it often, for example: the refrigerator door.

2.      Set a Place

Your child's homework area doesn't have to be fancy. A desk in the bedroom is nice, but for many children, the kitchen table or a corner of the living room works just fine. The area should be well lit and fairly quiet.

Your child may enjoy decorating a special area for homework; you can provide a container to hold pencils and add some favorite artwork taped to the walls to make homework time more pleasant.

3.      Provide Basic Supplies 

Have available pencils, pens, erasers, writing paper and a dictionary. Other supplies that might be helpful include a stapler, paper clips, maps, a calculator, a pencil sharpener, tape, glue, construction paper, old magazines, scissors, a ruler, index cards, a thesaurus and an almanac. If possible, keep these items together in one place (for example, a shoe box works just fine.) If you can't provide your child with needed supplies, ask his/her teacher if the school could offer you some assistance.

4.      Remove Distractions

Turn off the TV and discourage your child from making and receiving social telephone calls during homework time, (however an occasional call to a classmate about an assignment could be allowed.) Some children work well with quiet background music, but loud noise from the CD player, radio or TV is not appropriate. If you live in a small or noisy household, try having all family members take part in a quiet activity during homework time.

5.      Set a Good Example

Show your child that the skills he/she is learning are an important part an adult's life. Let him see you reading books, newspapers, news on the internet, writing letters, e-mails and shopping lists; using math to balance your checkbook or to measure for cooking, or for buying new household materials. Share with your child what you do at work, and how you use reading and math skills in your daily activities. 

Help your children to use everyday routines to support the skills they are learning in school; for instance, play  word and math games; help him to look up information about things/people they are interested in:  performers, athletes, animals, cars, sports, space travel, etc. While walking from school, to the store, to the park, etc, ask her questions about what she sees and hears. 

6.      Be Interested and Interesting

Make time to take your child to the library to check out materials needed for homework (and for enjoyment) and read with your child as often as you can. Talk about school and learning activities in family conversations. Ask your child what was discussed in class during the day. 

Participate in school activities, such as parent-teacher conferences, plays, concerts, open houses and celebrations. If your schedule allows it, volunteer to help in your child's classroom or at special events. Getting to know some of your child's classmates and their parents builds a support network for you and your child. It also shows your child that home and school are a team!

·         Source: US Department of Education

·          For more information visit: http://ed.gov/parents/academic/help/homework/homework.pdf

Be Involved!

A vast number of researches have established the unequivocal relationship between parental involvement and student achievement. The earlier parents become involved in their children’s education, the more powerful the effects.  These studies have demonstrated that students whose parents are involved in their education tend to have higher grades, scores, and graduation rates. Parental involvement also acts as a motivation for students’ attendance, increased academic enthusiasm, and better self esteem. In the long run, children whose parents are involved in their education tend to have lower rates of behavior problems, decreased use of drugs and alcohol, and a better attitude for facing life-difficulties. Parental involvement has also shown to be a good indicator for students’ academic success even within families with low socio-economic status. While there are many ways by which parents can become involved in their children’s education, the most effective forms of parental involvement are those, which engage parents in working directly with their children on learning activities at home.

• How to do it?

Sometimes parents do not know exactly how to help their children with their education, in that case the best advice is to approach your children’s teacher and ask him/her for guidance.  With the teacher’s support parents can become increasingly involved in home learning activities and find themselves with opportunities to teach, to be models for and to guide their children. For example, the teacher may require from parents to practice reading at home. There are many studies proving that when children read with their parents at home, they make significant gains in reading achievement compared to those who only practice at school.

Some basic tips for parental involvement include:

1.       Establish a daily family routine. Start by providing a specific time and a quiet place to do homework and study. It’s important that you make an effort to have the basic supplies for your child to complete his/her homework: paper, scissors, colors, pencils, erasers, a dictionary, etc. If you don’t have a specific place, prepare a container (shoe box, paper bag, etc.) that your child uses only during homework time.

2.       Monitor out-of-school activities.  Limit the time your child spends watching TV or plays outside during school days; these need to include other extra-curricular activities including family visits, shopping etc.

3.        Model the value of learning, self-discipline, and hard work.  It’s important  that you  communicate regularly with your children, through questioning and conversation, showing them that achievement comes from setting goals and working hard toward meeting them.

4.       Set high but realistic expectations for achievement.  Ask your child’s teacher about the goals and standards appropriate for his age, grade level, and maturity. It's equally important to take into consideration your child's special talents, and to offer support to overcome specific limitations.

5.       Encourage children's development/ progress in school.   Children need to see/hear their parents maintaining a positive and supportive home-school relationship. Thus stay in touch with teachers and school staff and show your child your appreciation for their decisions and recommendations.

6.       Last, but not least, encourage literacy. Your children need to see you reading on regular basis (the newspaper, a letter, emails, etc.), writing (letters, emails, shopping lists), and talking (of activities that include literacy) among family members. 

Additional resources for parental involvement:

- Education Week

- Parent Involvement Matters

- National Education Association

How to Choose a Book for your Child

If you’re buying books for your child take into consideration his/her age and preferences; overall young children like books that use word repetition and predictable texts, and of course they have plenty of colorful pictures. If your child is beginning to read, be sure to choose books that match their skill level. Look on the back of the book; you will see something like K (kindergarten) or 1 for first grade.  Children who are already reading enjoy choosing their own books. If your child has a favorite book, try to find other books by the same author; or books that match their interest: dinosaurs, spaceships, sports, etc. Expose your child to a variety of genres: folktales, biographies, mysteries, and non-fiction stories. Show interest on what your child reads, and share with your child what you are reading: a novel, a cooking book, the newspaper, THIS BLOG!

Raising a Successful Reader!

There’s no doubt that learning to read is the most important skill a person will need  in his/her life. Reading is involved in every part of our life. We need to be able to read for accomplishing from the simplest to the most complicated tasks.

However, a child success as a reader does not start on the first day of school. The basic skills he/she will need to become a reader must be developed early in life, with YOU at home. In fact, there are many things parents can do with their child that wouldn’t even require a special time and that could be incorporated within much of your daily routines.. For example, when you are driving or walking to the store, park, etc. you can just point to the print around you: street names, traffic  signals, store names, billboards, etc. You can point to a word, say the word, ask your child to say it to you, spell the word, etc; see if your child can find the word on other forms. Play word games with your child, such as “Silly Tongue  Twisters.” Reading Rockets offers the following “Tips for Parents.” I suggest you print this one page document and place it on the refrigerator as a reminder of how you can start Raising a Successful Reader!

Getting Ready for your Child's First Day of School

In just a few weeks your child will be starting school. You both are anxious and excited! What can you do to have him/her ready? Well there are many things that parents can do to get their children ready for that great adventure of starting formal schooling. To start, help your child to “have fun” with language: play with letters, words, and sounds. Talk, talk, talk, to your child. As the first day of school approaches encourage your child to talk about school, what is he/she going to learn, about making new friends, and other exciting things that would happen in school. Read, read, read, to your child. Take your child to the public library, bookstores, yards sales, and get books he/she seems interested in and read it to him/her. Read the books as often as your child want to hear them, and encourage him/her to “read” portions of it to you. Help your child make connections with the story. This is an excellent way to help your child to develop reading comprehension skills. Connect the reading to what happens in real life. If you’re reading a book about sea animals, for example, relate that to a trip to the beach. Teach him/her nursery rhymes, sing songs together. Use the newspaper, magazines, and other type of print to cut out letters, make an alphabet chart; write your child’s name and other family members’ names. Help to develop his/her fine motor skills by helping him/her to trace letters, cutting and pasting, coloring, etc.

Remember, you’re your child’s first and most important teacher: Have fun!

Avoiding Summer Loss

Summer is the time we're all looking for! It's the time we use to relax, recharge our energies and do all those things we postpone for the most part of the year. Yet one of the most dreary consequences in our children is learning loss. To avoid it, parents ought to plan activities that include plenty of opportunities for their children to be in contact with books. To start, take your children to your local library. Most libraries have summer reading programs which provide both intrinsic rewards and incentive programs to reading all summer long!

It's also important that you help your child to develop reading comprehension. Help your children by asking them to stop, review, clarify, make connections with previous readings and experiences, and reread if necessary. Also, have your child read books to you. Have them stop when they encounter difficult vocabulary, passages, and pronunciation of words.

Read a book together! Take turns reading with your child and modeling appropriate reading comprehension when it’s your turn to read! Make reading a daily routine. Twenty or thirty minutes would be enough. Read in front of your child. Reading is contagious. The more your child sees you read the more they will think it’s a good idea too!

Have grandparents, favorite aunts, uncles, close family friends, etc. to suggest your child would like to read. Go to a book store, garage sale, or look for books in the internet. Nowadays there are several digital libraries offer books/stories that could be read online. But most importantly: READ, the best way to become a better reader is to read.