The Literacy Blog: How to Help our Girls

The Literacy Blog: How to Help our Girls: "Andrew Fuller is a Melbourne Psychologist here in Melbourne Australia. I attended an information evening that was presented by Andrew this w..."

How to Help our Girls

Andrew Fuller is a Melbourne Psychologist here in Melbourne Australia. I attended an information evening that was presented by Andrew this week on Valuing girls. The main message I can take away from that evening was that as parents, we need to play to the strengths of our children.

Using technology to Help Struggling Readers

Using technology to read books is the way of the future. It is particularly helpful for struggling readers. School are now embracing the digital revolution with laptops, cameras, ipads etc. Students have access to these learning tools within their classrooms. This product is the number one best seller on Amazon and has  the most 5 star reviews of any product.

"It's a mature product, very well designed and easy to use, performance is very zippy, it's competitively priced, and no e-ink based reader has a better, more readable display than the Kindle, not even the new Nook Simple Touch. Also, the Kindle universe is quite extensive: the Kindle store is great and has many thousands of free e-books as well as good deals on most other e-books, and once purchased, you can read your Kindle books on nearly any device you own (computer, phone, tablet), not just your Kindle. And there are tons of great cases and other accessories for the Kindle. "

Using technology to read books

Using technology to read books is the way of the future. It is particularly helpful for struggling readers. School are now embracing the digital revolution with laptops, cameras, ipads etc. Students have access to these learning tools within their classrooms. This product is the number one best seller on Amazon and has  the most 5 star reviews of any product.
"It's a mature product, very well designed and easy to use, performance is very zippy, it's competitively priced, and no e-ink based reader has a better, more readable display than the Kindle, not even the new Nook Simple Touch. Also, the Kindle universe is quite extensive: the Kindle store is great and has many thousands of free e-books as well as good deals on most other e-books, and once purchased, you can read your Kindle books on nearly any device you own (computer, phone, tablet), not just your Kindle. And there are tons of great cases and other accessories for the Kindle. "

The Literacy Blog: Grandparents can help to lessen behaviour problems...

The Literacy Blog: Grandparents can help to lessen behaviour problems...: "As reported in the Melbourne Herald Sun today, a recent study of English and Welsh children aged 11 to 16, found that kids and teenagers who..."

Grandparents can help to lessen behaviour problems in children and teenagers

As reported in the Melbourne Herald Sun today, a recent study of English and Welsh children aged 11 to 16, found that kids and teenagers who spend time with their grandparents have fewer behavioural problems. Researchers believe this may be because children saw their grandparents as a confidant and a source of comfort and support. This then enables less disruptive and hyperactive behaviour to occur. The study found they were also more likely to get along with their peers and they have a closer connection with their maternal grandmothers. 

The Literacy Blog: How to handle a meltdown

The Literacy Blog: How to handle a meltdown: "So what would you do if your child/student has a meltdown. Typically, meltdowns are related to individuals who have Asperger's Syndrome, but..."

How to handle a meltdown

So what would you do if your child/student has a meltdown. Typically, meltdowns are related to individuals who have Asperger's Syndrome, but they can happen to anyone. Some of the common causes of meltdowns are when a:
1. child does no receive understandable answers to questions
2. child does not understand the reason for sudden change

3. child has a sensory overload

4. child is given open-ended or vaguely defined tasks

5. child is given too many choices

6. child is taken by surprise

 

If you would like more information about what a meldown looks like, the causes and what you can do in these difficult situations, please visit this amazing website

 

http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2011/05/how-to-manage-meltdowns.html

 

Cheers

Christine

The Literacy Blog: Autism information in an e-newsletter format

The Literacy Blog: Autism information in an e-newsletter format: "Schafer Autism Report - New App on iPhone, iPad From iTunes: The Schafer Autism Report (SAR) app provides a digest of the latest relevant ..."

Autism information in an e-newsletter format

Schafer Autism Report - New App on iPhone, iPad

From iTunes:  The Schafer Autism Report (SAR) app provides a digest of the latest relevant news and developments about autism in an e-newsletter format.  SAR has been a main resource for families and professionals in the autism community since 1998.
The SAR e-newsletter is independent, non-profit, without advertising and is published two to three times a week.

The Literacy Blog: Virtual Reality Games Help Stroke Patients Recover...

The Literacy Blog: Virtual Reality Games Help Stroke Patients Recover...: "Virtual Reality Games Help Stroke Patients Recover Motor Functions A new study suggests that virtual reality and other video games involvin..."

Virtual Reality Games Help Stroke Patients Recover Motor Functions

Virtual Reality Games Help Stroke Patients Recover Motor Functions

A new study suggests that virtual reality and other video games involving motion can enhance motor improvement after a stroke (SharpBrains.com 2011).

The Stroop Test is a perfect example of testing your attention ability. The Stroop test is used in neu­ropsy­cho­log­i­cal eval­u­a­tions to mea­sure men­tal vital­ity and flex­i­bil­ity, since per­form­ing well requires strong atten­tion and self-regulation capability.

What you do is read the colour you see in every word not the word you read.  Go!!!!!!

 

This is a fun warm up activity to do with your class or if you home school. It really is gym for the brain.

 

The Literacy Blog: Say No to Bullying in the Workplace, Online, at Sc...

The Literacy Blog: Say No to Bullying in the Workplace, Online, at Sc...: "Here in Australia, the Victorian government recently passed a law that makes bullying in the workplace illegal. http://www.abc.net.au/news/..."

Say No to Bullying in the Workplace, Online, at School, Everywhere!

Here in Australia, the Victorian government recently passed a law that makes bullying in the workplace illegal.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/04/05/3183259.htm

Workplace bullies in Victoria will face up to 10 years in jail under changes to stalking laws to be introduced to the State Parliament.
Facebook has also recently announced changes to their social networking site to help keep children safe from online bullying. Young users will be able to request two passwords to make it harder to sign in to their account and have their session encrypted so their movements on the site cannot be intercepted.

Let's stomp out bullies in the workplace, schools, online,  everywhere!

The Literacy Blog: Discipline-How and When to Praise your child

The Literacy Blog: Discipline-How and When to Praise your child: "Hi Everyone, Today I thought I would talk about 'praise' as a positive form of discipline. Experts say that for every negative comment,..."

Discipline-How and When to Praise your child

Hi Everyone,
Today I thought I would talk about 'praise' as a positive form of discipline. Experts say that for every negative comment, you need 10 positive comments in order to counteract the fall out from that one negative comment. So the question remains, how often do you praise your children? One important thing to remember is to be mindful and aware of their behaviour all the time so that when something good is happening, you can jump in and praise that good behaviour. What 'good' behaviour means is actually another huge topic I could perhaps address another time.
Mark Hutton has an online parenting site with some good tips on praising your child. Have a look and let me know what you think. The link is here
http://www.onlineparentingcoach.com/2011/04/how-to-use-praise-effective-parenting.html
Cheers
Christine

The Literacy Blog: Book Review Podcasts

The Literacy Blog: Book Review Podcasts: "A fantastic site that reviews books using podcasts. Take a look. It will certainly help to engage your students in the literacy block. Have ..."

Book Review Podcasts

A fantastic site that reviews books using podcasts. Take a look. It will certainly help to engage your students in the literacy block. Have a look at 'Goal' as a good example.
http://www.readinginaction.org/bookcasts/childrens

The Literacy Blog: Bullying - no way!

The Literacy Blog: Bullying - no way!: "Here in Australia on March 18 this year, was the National Day of Action Against Bullying. There is a great website here below http://www.bul..."

Bullying - no way!

Here in Australia on March 18 this year, was the National Day of Action Against Bullying. There is a great website here below
http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au/
This website is called Bullying. No way! and is developed and managed by all Australian education authorities for use by Australia's Government, Catholic and Independent school communities. It provides resources, a space where you can make contributions or talk.
With the latest bullying experience of a boy called Casey Heynes, it is worth taking a look at the site. What do you think about this story?

The Literacy Blog: The Importance of Teamwork

The Literacy Blog: The Importance of Teamwork: "The importance of teamwork cannot be underestimated. I found this YouTube clip about how Geese work wonderfully as a team and support one an..."

The Importance of Teamwork

The importance of teamwork cannot be underestimated. I found this YouTube clip about how Geese work wonderfully as a team and support one another in times of need. Have a look!

The Literacy Blog: Vitamin D and cognitive decline-the latest researc...

The Literacy Blog: Vitamin D and cognitive decline-the latest researc...: "The latest study conducted in 2010 suggests that low levels of Vitamin D are asssociated with your cognitive ability. Ch..."

The Literacy Blog: Vitamin D and cognitive decline-the latest researc...

The Literacy Blog: Vitamin D and cognitive decline-the latest researc...: "The latest study conducted in 2010 suggests that low levels of Vitamin D are asssociated with your cognitive ability. Ch..."

The Literacy Blog: Vitamin D and cognitive decline-the latest researc...

The Literacy Blog: Vitamin D and cognitive decline-the latest researc...: "The latest study conducted in 2010 suggests that low levels of Vitamin D are asssociated with your cognitive ability. Ch..."

Vitamin D and cognitive decline-the latest research

The latest study conducted in 2010 suggests that low levels of Vitamin D are asssociated with your cognitive ability. Check out the article here:
http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2011/02/01/vitamin-d-and-cognitive-decline-what%e2%80%99s-the-relationship/

The Literacy Blog: How are you preparing your students for the techno...

The Literacy Blog: How are you preparing your students for the techno...: "I recently celebrated a birthday and what I observed was the number of text messages, phone calls and wishes on Facebook that I received. An..."

How are you preparing your students for the Education Revolution?

I recently celebrated a birthday and what I observed was the number of text messages, phone calls and wishes on Facebook that I received. And they weren't just from the younger generation either. In fact, the number actually outweighed the number of cards I received by post! This is the way we are heading in this technological age. Is the birthday card we receive in the post becoming extinct? This got me thinking, how are we preparing our students for this revolution?  How are you embracing the technological revolution in your classroom?

The Literacy Blog: Back to school fingerplay

The Literacy Blog: Back to school fingerplay: "As we are going back to school for the new year, I found a cute little fingerplay for parents and teachers. Back to School Fingerplay Two l..."

Back to school fingerplay

As we are going back to school for the new year, I found a cute little fingerplay for parents and teachers.
Back to School Fingerplay
Two little houses all closed up tight 
(make fists) 
Open up the window and let in the light 
(open fist) 
Ten little finger people tall and straight 
(ten fingers) 
Ready for school at half past eight 
(walk with fingers)

The Literacy Blog: How do you professionally diagnose Aspergers?

The Literacy Blog: How do you professionally diagnose Aspergers?: "Aspergers is sometimes difficult to diagnose as it can present with many other disorders such as: * Attention Deficit Hyperactive ..."

How do you professionally diagnose Aspergers?

Aspergers is sometimes difficult to diagnose as it can present with many other disorders such as:
* Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
• Depressive Disorder
• Dysthymia Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Seizure Disorder/Epilepsy
• Sensory Integration Dysfunction
• Tourette’s Syndrome
The diagnosis is usually done by a Psychiatrist and is a very comprehensive assessment that involves looking at  the history, behaviours, an interview with the parents, a psychological assessment and recommendations.
If you would like more information, please click on the link below.
http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2011/01/how-aspergers-is-diagnosed.html

Do you have a question you would like to ask?


 

The Literacy Blog: Small focused groups versus Inquiry Learning

The Literacy Blog: Small focused groups versus Inquiry Learning: "While 'discovery-based' instructional strategies may have enjoyed a resurgence, they have recently come under scrutiny, particularly those..."

Small focused groups versus Inquiry Learning

While "discovery-based" instructional strategies may have
enjoyed a resurgence, they have recently come under scrutiny, particularly
those strategies which provide no teacher assistance in the learning process.
A new study compared unassisted discover to explicit instruction and then
compared assisted discovery techniques to explicit instruction and other
teaching methods.  They found in the 580 classroom comparisons, that
unassisted discovery does not benefit learners.  Classrooms which allowed
enhanced discovery, using feedback, worked examples, scaffolding and some
explanation were most successful in learning outcomes. 
Alfieri, L et al. (2010).  Does discovery-based instruction enhance learning?  Journal
of Educational Psychology, (Nov issue preview).
Do you have small group focused teaching combined with Inquiry leaning in your classroom? What do you think about this latest research?
Cheers
Christine

The Literacy Blog: The teaching of spelling and nine suggested tips f...

The Literacy Blog: The teaching of spelling and nine suggested tips f...: "The teaching of spelling always receives lots of media attention here in Australia. In my experience, it is more than just giving your stude..."

The teaching of spelling and nine suggested tips for implementing a word study program

The teaching of spelling always receives lots of media attention here in Australia. In my experience, it is more than just giving your students a list of words to memorise. It involves actually teaching them to break words up. Ideally, this should be done in targeted small focused group instruction within the classroom. Lots of hands on activities using teaching aides such as magnetic letters, games and cards, helps to keep students engaged and motivated.

 I have added a link here to an article which describes nine tips for implementing a word study program in the K-2 classroom. These tips are based on the results of four classroom-based qualitative research projects collaboratively conducted by a university professor and four primary grade teacher-researchers.

The article also suggests that through small-group word study instruction and hands-on word work activities, teachers can keep students motivated and engaged in learning about the English spelling system.

Please take a look...I'm sure you will get at least one good thing out of it.

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/40267

The Literacy Blog: How to manage anxiety

The Literacy Blog: How to manage anxiety: "Everyone feels anxious from time to time but for some people, they experience these feelings so strongly that it can affect their daily live..."

How to manage anxiety

Everyone feels anxious from time to time but for some people, they experience these feelings so strongly that it can affect their daily lives. Anxiety can be such a debilitating experience for anyone. In the extreme form, it can affect academic performance in children. I have seen children having 'melt downs' and it is a very painful thing to watch. Time out, deep breathing, relaxation techniques, counting to 10 are some of the immediate ways you can address a panic attack.

Adults experience anxiety and panic attacks.  Panic attacks can be serious; its symptoms include sleeplessness, constant fear and dizziness, as well as a feeling of suffocation and negativity. Although the physical symptoms may not be immediately noticeable to the person who is experiencing a panic attack, the attack is usually associated with the place the person is at or the activity that the person is doing. This makes the individual more wary about the location or the activity, triggering fear and anxiety upon merely seeing the place or having to engage in the particular activity once again.

One treatment on the market is called 'Panic Away'. This program is having great success for those suffering from anxiety.
"My worst panic attacks were happening in the car - always in the morning on the way to work at one particular place. Since practicing the One Move technique I feel I look forward to driving again. I am not afraid anymore of having an attack - which is extraordinary! -I cannot thank you enough."

 If you would like to see for yourself what this program has to offer, you can click on this link below.
http://47ac91l3a6ya4n2hn8m1jofu31.hop.clickbank.net/