New Favorite Toy of the Month

My latest find is the "Spooner".  As far as I can tell, this is a training device for using skateboards, snowboards and surfboards.  It consists of a piece of plastic that is curved up at either end, and comes with instructions for how to balance while seated or standing, and how to jump and make the board spin around while you land the other way.

I can't describe it as well, but picture in your mind snowboarders doing tricks that flip their snowboards around as they jump in the air and you get the idea.  Think of this as the bicycle with training wheels that leads eventually to mountain biking.  Even children who have difficulty with balance and coordinating their bodies have fun with this toy.

A simple piece of plastic, but the children I know love it and will keep trying even if they fall off.  To have an activity that children like enough to stay with it even if it's tough makes it a winner in my book.

A New Direction for Schools?

It may not be new, but it's certainly rare.  I recently heard of a private school that has created classes for children who have learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and other conditions that keep them from learning up to their potential in a typical classroom.

The school, Los Altos Christian, formed classes of no more than 10 students, and uses curricula which uses techniques proven to help kids who struggle in a "regular" classroom.  I'm going to meet with their principal to find out how this works, and I'll keep everyone posted.

How exciting that something like this actually exists!  I wonder if it would be possible to have similar classes, even at an additional cost, in public schools.

More on this as I get more information.  Meanwhile, I'd love to hear people's experiences and thoughts as to how this could work in their community school.

Make Writing Fun

Wow, that can be a tall order.  So often kids get caught up in telling the "right" story, i.e. the story they think we adults want to hear.  Or the act of writing, forming letters with enough clarity that others can actually read them, trips them up.

This article lists some important things parents can do to help their children become good writers: http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/archive/2013/01/a-recipe-for-raising-great-wri.html

It's important for all of us to remember the developmental progression, as the author outlines.  One other important consideration is to remember where each child is developmentally, regardless of their age and/or intelligence.  If we push too much or expect results too quickly, that will turn what should be an interesting and fun activity into just another chore to be gotten through as fast as possible.

This is another reason toys that build imagination are so critical, stories are full of rich meaning and children understand this at a young age.  They are so much more than recitation of facts.  Stories help children make inferences as to what is happening beneath the surface, so that they can better understand the subtleties of human interaction and thus build their social-emotional skills.

By breaking down writing into its smaller stages and helping children achieve competence and mastery at each stage, we can give them skills which will enhance their relationships over a lifetime.