Forgive

Never take anything personal that children or anyone says to you.  Whether it is a student or your own child, let it go.  My mother used to say to me when other children had said mean things,  “Just let it roll off your back like water on a duck’s back.”

When you let what others say upset you, they think they have a way to control you.

LET IT GO!  Forgive!  Treat everyone unconditionally.   If you can master this, it will have amazing results.

Good Luck!

LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY–Love is the Key

Love is the  key!                                      

Everyone needs to feel loved and cared about.  No one can interact with others perfectly, but if the children in your life feel loved and cared about, they will work harder and be more successful.

Here are a few ideas to help children feel your unconditional love for them:

• Express your love for them individually.  Make it personal and real.
• Use Active Listening.   Repeat back to them what they have said in an understanding manner.
• Ask them a specific question about themselves.  I like to have free time first, so I can have some personal interaction with as many students as possible before starting class.
• An affectionate touch or hug.  Never force a hug or affection.   Sometimes a one-armed side hug, a hand on the shoulder or hand makes all the difference.  If you listen with your heart you will know when it is needed.
• A personal smile.
• Give them a personal simple task to help you.  We all need to be needed.  Incorporate helpers in your day.  Make helping a pleasure not a chore!  “You get to” or “I need you to”, not “you have to”, makes all the difference.
• One on one or small group activities help them see you care.  Try handwriting practice in a tray or plate of cornmeal or finger painting.

Sit back and quietly observe with an open mind.  Open your heart!  Taking time for each child will eliminate future possible discipline problems.  Act don’t React!  Enjoy your time with the children in your life.  Make each day a treasure; we never know what tomorrow brings.

Give us your comments on how you help children feel loved.  Have a great day!

Visit our website for great phonics materials for home or school. http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Take Care of Yourself–Discipline Tip

 

Self-Esteem–

You, as the teacher or parent, need to feel good about yourself.  To do this you must find your inner greatness.  You were created by greatness and that Creator only makes greatness.  Look inside yourself and see your own personal worth.  Your personal worth has nothing to do with your job, being a parent, how much money you have, what size you are, the bad things you have done, or the bad things that have been done to you, etc.  Your personal worth is a gift and it is inside you.  Your task is to look inward and find your personal worth.  Tips to find your inner worth:

• Make a list of qualities your Creator/Heavenly Father has.
• Realize those qualities you have inherited, and your task is to find them.
• Forgive.
• Life is full of possibilities.  Find your possibilities.
• Live for what you can do for others, and not what you can get.
• God doesn’t make junk.  Treat yourself with dignity.  You are HIS creation.
• There is a song from my childhood that has helped me through hard times.  “I Am A Child of God”  Find songs to help you.

When you start finding your inner worth, you will have more success working with the children in your life.    LOVE YOURSELF!

 http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Don’t

“Don’t” isn’t a word that children understand.

When you tell a child, “Don’t touch the stove.”, all they hear is, “Touch the stove.”

It is better to say what you want them to do such as: “Stand back!  It is hot.” or “Stop!  The stove is hot”.  This is hard to do, but instructions or rules given in a positive manner, always works best.

Examples:

“Keep your hands to yourself.”

“Keep all four legs of your chair on the floor.”

Good luck on making directions more positive!

For more educational products and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com

 

How to Use Music to Teach Anything!

How to Use Music to Teach Anything!

 Music is the best memory aid.  When we look back at the things we remember from our childhood, much of it is associated with music.  It is easy to add music to any subject.  Here are some suggestions:

•  Take a simple tune, beat or rap and add any items to be learned.  The simpler the better.  Keep the songs short and fun.  Funny and silly are especially successful. Children of any age will enjoy making up silly learning songs.
• Be brave.  You don’t need great music talent to use music.
• Find ready-made music.  Make sure the music is simple. It is good to hear the music before you buy it if possible.  Our phonics is taught with simple, short songs.  Contact us for Free music and books for teaching the phonetic sounds.     http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Please share your success with using music to teach with us.  

Discipline Tip- What about Bored?

Bored       

Children use the word, “BORED” to manipulate and get attention from the adults around them.  Teachers, parents, and other caregivers are easily pulled into trying to entertain them when this term is used.  Here are a few tips to help reduce the use of “BORED”.

1. Don’t allow the word to be used.  It goes right along with potty words.  Warn them matter-of-fact that the word is no longer allowed.  Maybe have extra jobs associated with its use.
2. Make sure you are not rewarding the use of the word “BORED” with attention.
3. Eliminate it from your own vocabulary.
4. Be proactive to create some positive, quality time with children.   Never have positive time be a reaction to negative actions or the word, “BORED”.

Enjoy those children in your care!   Love them!  Good luck on your journey to eliminate the use of the word, “BORED”.

 

Who is in Charge?

Who is in charge in your school, home, etc.? 

    It needs to be a teacher, parent or leader.  Be prepared and come with a plan.  Children can sense when you doubt yourself.  Keep it positive, upbeat and confident!

      Children feel safe when they are with an adult that has control of the situation.  Expect children to mind and accept nothing less.  Encourage the behaviors you want and ignore or isolate the unwanted behavior.  Never just watch unwanted behavior.  That rewards that child.  Create something more interesting to do.

Example:  What to do when taking a child shopping at the supermarket? 

• Keep your focus on shopping and the child.  Involve the child in the shopping experience.  (No cell phones or any long conversations with other adults) 
• Have them help look for items or have them count out an amount of some item. 
• Don’t ask them what they want or give them big choices.  Instead give them a choice between 2 or 3 items. 
• Never let the shopping become what the child wants.  This is your shopping list. 
• If a child asks for things say something like, “It isn’t on the list. Maybe we could plan to get it another time.” or “Remember, candy you buy with your own money.” 
• If a child starts fussing about something say: “I never buy for fussing children.” then ignore them. 
• Don’t tell children you will buy them something if they are good, because it creates more problems than it solves.  
• Never turn control of the shopping trip over to the child.   Continue to focus on the list, the shopping and the behaving child. 
• NEVER give into tantrum children or they will tantrum again!

Hope this helpful.  Enjoy the little ones in your care.  Be in charge and everyone will be happier.

Act Don’t React!

As homes today are now schools, we will post often some ideas to help with your new role as teacher.

When you anticipate what will happen and make plans to avoid any problems, it makes everything go smoother.  Here are examples of how to ACT.

• If you have a child that has attention-getting behavior,  evaluate when they misbehave, then plan ahead to give them opportunities to help.  This gives them a chance to have positive attention before you start the family dinner, lesson or other activity.  Preparation avoids most discipline problems.
• When a problem happens, stop and pretend to be angry before it goes too far.  Use very few words.  (I like the word, “Stop”.)  Sometimes we are too patient and let bad behavior go too long.  If you pretend to be angry, you can pick words that address the behavior instead of attacking the child.  If you wait too long and really become angry, you will say things you will later regret.

Think ahead and plan how you will act with the children in your life.   Enjoy the children in your life.  Smile more.

Great learning materials for children.  http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Discipline Tip–First Day of School

Discipline Tip—First Day of School       

 

The beginning of a new school year is a good time to set the tone for the year at home and in the classroom.  Here are a few tips to make the first day of school the start of a great year:

·       Know every child’s name and work to make each feel welcome to your class or your home.  It is fun to sing a simple song that includes each child’s name, for example “Here we are together, together, together.  Here we are together in our school.  There’s ____, and _____, and (continue to include all the children).

·       Only have a few rules and voice them in a positive manner.  (Never use the word “Don’t”.  It just puts ideas in their heads.)  Sample rule:  “In our school everyone treats everyone kindly.” (Then invite the children to create ideas of how they can treat each other kindly.  With children who can read you can help them create a list of the positive ideas the children come up with.)

·       SMILE!

·       Believe children can mind and behave.  Your attitude is contagious.  

·       Plan fun, simple, and short activities.  Keep it a fun, interesting day. 

·       Set a simple routine.  This way, children know what to look forward to each day.  Vary the activities inside the routine.

·       Never use bribery.

Have a great, enjoyable new school year.

For more educational tips and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com

Long Vowel Simple Sight Words

Long Vowel Simple Sight Word Lesson: ( Free worksheets.)

Do a lesson for each long vowel sound.

Preparation:

• Make cards for the words  me, we, he, she.
• Copy the long vowel worksheets. Worksheet for long vowel E words Worksheet for long vowel I words Worksheet for ay long vowel words (You may want to do another lesson on AY words. may, say, day and a lesson for I words. I, hi, sky, fly, why)
• Locate  the book: He Bear, She Bear by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Lesson:  Rule:  Vowels not followed by a consonant and end a syllable, especially the first syllable, are usually long.  

• Discuss the rule.
• Read together all the word cards.
• Read the story He Bear, She Bear by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

Activity:

• Do the worksheet together. Write the letter to finish the word and review the sound, combine the consonant with the long vowel and sound out the word, then draw a picture  of each word.
• Repeat with each word.
•  Have the children read the words to as many people as possible for their homework.

Options:

• On the back of the worksheet have them write some other long vowel E words and draw pictures for each.  ( tree, bee, free, see, )
• Put this sentence on the back of the worksheet.  ( See the bee in the tree.)   Have the children draw the picture for this sentence.
• Make a simple book where they draw the pictures with these words,  He sees  _____.  She sees_____.  We see _____. I see  ______.