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Study Break!

Posted by on November 21, 2011 Leave a Comment

It turns out that never before was $3 so brilliantly spent.

The dollar store bells are a HUGE hit at our house! The other day my son and I set up a little challenge course to take a break from reading: we emptied a basket and put two bells inside, and then used dad’s chin-up bar for another challenge area, placing one bell inside of it.

Using a beach ball, my 6 year-old wound up and let loose, aiming for either the easier floor area or the more difficult basket on the chair.

If we heard the bell ring, he got a point! We used our trusty white boards to count how many bells we rung and celebrated together.

What an easy way to get up and get moving…the perfect study break for you  and your little ones!

What do you do at home to take a break together?

Filed Under: Games, Having fun with your kids, Study Break Ideas, Using Whiteboards | Tagged: Tagged With: , , ,

White Boards+Blooms

Posted by on May 11, 2011 Leave a Comment

When I was in college, feverishly working to graduate in four years and keep my loans down to the price of a small palace, I decided on an education major. Dr. Wessman, my intro professor, hammered home the basics of theory and practice, cutting our teeth on names that I, sadly, can now barely recall.

One concept that did manage to cement itself was Bloom’s Taxonomy, a ladder-like way of conceptualizing a student’s [or your child's] depth of understanding. The higher up the “ladder” you climb, the more difficult and abstract the questions become, demanding greater critical thinking and evaluation skills.

We have found these questions to be really handy to have on hand—or at least to have a few tucked away in the brain for family discussions. You can see a great list of examples HERE. One way that we employ this technique is by using whiteboards while we read stories or do family devotions.  For example:

While Reading or After Reading Books:

  • Stop at a critical turning point in the story. Ask your kids to make a prediction about the next events or the culmination of the story. Have them draw this in picture form on their white board and then explain it.
  • To occupy little ones during chapter books, ask them to draw a picture of the main character based on the description given by the author. Have them point out key distinguishing characteristics of this character.
  • As a character struggles with important choices, ask your kids, “What would you do?” Have them do their best to write a sentence on their boards and then explain their choice. This opens up a natural teaching opportunity for you, especially if the choices invite you to explain your morals.
  • Refer to THIS LINK again for other question starters.

While doing Family Devotions:

  • Ask your child to draw the landscape described in the Bible Story. Are you wandering in the desert? Laying palms at the feet of Jesus as he approaches Jerusalem? At the parting of the Red Sea? Give praise for extra details.
  • Have your kids imagine they are spectators to the story. What would they be feeling? Is this a scary time? Exciting? Uncertain? Have them draw their own face to represent the emotion conveyed in the story.
  • Divide your white board into 4 quadrants. Ask your child to focus on the main character and draw or write 4 other stories or words that can be attributed to that character. For example, if you’re reading about Moses, you might draw a picture of the burning bush, Moses as a baby in the basket, parting the Red Sea, etc. If you’re reading about Jesus and have older kids, using words to describe his character can also be powerful: loving, Savior, servant, rabbi, etc.
  • Again, refer here for further question starters and allow your kids to draw or express answers in words.

What creative ways do you use to help your kids dig deeper into their reading?

[photo credit]

Filed Under: Bible Time, Checking for Understanding, Communication, Comprehension Strategies, Discussion Ideas, Teaching Reading, Using Whiteboards | Tagged: Tagged With: , , , ,

Whiteboards + TV

Posted by on May 9, 2011 Leave a Comment

The other morning I positioned my youngest son in front of our bedroom TV while I was showering. One of his favorites, Dinosaur Train, was on PBS and when I peered in on him, I noticed that he had plopped down with his mini-white board and was drawing [what was later revealed to be] his version of a pteranodon.

“Mom,” he said, lifting his white board. “Look what I did! What do you think it is?”

My eyes sprang open, eyebrows climbing half-way up my forehead upon hearing the question. The “guess what I drew” game is always a bit dangerous, isn’t it? Not wanting to disappoint, I craned my neck and squinted my eyes, trying to identify the orange blob that seemed more like some sort of chemical pond than a dinosaur.

“Wow, buddy…Hmmmm…I don’t know.” I paused, rubbing my chin in thought.

“It’s a pteranodon!” he glowed.

“Oh! I can see it now–there’s the thing on top of his head…”

Hearing him describe his creature inspired me: we have used whiteboards while reading [details next time!], but why not while watching an educational program on TV?

If you’d like to turn TV time into something with a little more meaning and staying power, start by purchasing a small whiteboard for each of your kids [available for a couple bucks at Target/Walmart] Here are a few easy ideas!

  • Discuss the difference between main and supporting characters. Ask your kids to identify the main character in the show and draw him/her. Can they do the same for two supporting characters?
  • What was the setting of this show? Can you draw it? Emphasize the details of landscape just as much as those of manmade objects such as bridges and buildings. If you have older kids, ask them to write the name of the state, area, or–if you’re watching Dinosaur Train, the time period.
  • Recall: If you’ve watched the show with your child, conjure up a few questions and allow them to answer by drawing or writing a word answer: What did the dinosaurs use to enter the Jurassic Period? What was Papa Bear working on in the woodshop? What did Laura Ingalls have to bring into town?
  • Ask your kids to imagine an alternate ending. What if the Man With The Yellow Hat hadn’t left George alone in the apartment. What do you think they would have done together? Have your kids draw their alternate ending and then go around and take turns explaining them.
  • Was there a moral of the story? What was the lesson? Discuss or draw.

Of course your kids might protest if every morning becomes a platform for a quiz, however allowing whiteboards to make an appearance every once-in-awhile can be a fun challenge and an opportunity for you to praise their brainpower. Try it and see if TV time becomes a little more intentional–especially with shows that already convey a moral or clear teaching.

What creative ways do you employ to discuss the shows and movies you watch with your kids?

[photo credit]

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Filed Under: Checking for Understanding, Communication, Comprehension Strategies, Discussion Ideas, Uncategorized, Using Whiteboards | Tagged: Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,