Preparing for New School Year

Grandparents Often Help Prepare Children For School

When families prepare for the first month of school, they often include grandparents who provide before and after school care, when possible.  Sometimes they are on call in case of emergencies or available on Face Time or Skype for children to discuss a problem immediately and a parent is not available. All kinds of support systems are being generated this time of year.

  Teachers and physicians offer tips to prepare for a positive school start and successful year. More than ever, success in school depends on a partnership between extended families and school.

 Helpful School Family Checklist

·       Check out school supply lists 

.       Check bus schedules and other transportation needs

Check Transportation Needs

·       Are registration information and vaccinations current?

·       Who will be with the children before and after school?

·       Is there a backup plan for sick days and vacations?

·       Does the school offer before and after school programs and tutoring/homework help so children of all ages do not go home to an unsupervised house with access to the Internet and friends?

·       Is there a quiet spot to do homework, daily reading, and projects at home?

·       Are all technologies like TV’s, computers, personal devices, and phones in the kitchen or family room and not in the privacy of children’s bedrooms? Do they have child protection? Are they checked often for site history and communication with others?

·       Are technology rules discussed, 

written, and supervised?

·       When the family is home is there a time scheduled for a snack and schoolwork before TV, play, or personal classes and sports?

·       Do children know how to fix themselves a bowl of cereal or make a cheese or nut butter sandwich? Can they find a piece of fruit like an apple or banana, vegetables or cheese and crackers to hold on until dinner?

Can Children Find & Fix Healthy Snacks?

·        Is someone ready to help with assignments?

·       Are backpacks checked each evening for notes and updates from school?  Are school papers looked over? Is there a schedule for long term projects to avoid night- before craziness? Does someone check regularly with the teacher and teacher’s web site? Are papers coming home? Are desks checked for stashed papers? Is the teacher contacted before conferences if there is suspicion something is not quite right?

·       Take time around dinner for a moment to talk with children daily about two good 

things that happened, something new they learned, and something that was not good, not right, or worrisome at school. Stay alert for “friends” problems.

Families may wish to encourage reading for relaxation before sleeping. It tends to calm the brain. Games and Internet activity excite the brain and make it more 

difficult to sleep.

Scientific studies suggest children need about 10 hours of sleep every night to avoid a sleep deficit by Friday.
Sketches: Mark Nowicki
Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

For more science and math STEM adventures go to -  grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons live Tuesdays at 4:30pm and Saturdays at 8:30 am and pod casts archived on the site.

Picnics Are Fun for Teaching

Summer Is Picnic AND Learning Time

Summer is the perfect time for combining skills with a picnic. This easy activity filled with fun and learning is another way to have more TIME IN with children. 

You’ll need picnic materials, children’s favorite picnic foods, a frozen drink can of juice or water, carrots, fruits, cookies, plastic knife, peeler, camera, and drawing materials.

Plan Together

Step by step plan a picnic lunch together. Even with nonreaders write a list with careful printing and correct capitals and lower case letters. Where will you go? What things should you bring? Making lists improves thinking, planning, reading, and writing skills.  Children who help adults write lists learn it is a useful skill.

Make some of the food together at home. Read out loud, follow directions on the frozen drink can, and measure the water together to increase math and reading skills. Children learn by example. If adults show that reading and math are important, kids will mimic adults and think those skills are important, too.  Families are the most powerful teachers.

Learning is Fun

While making sandwiches, children can help spread the butter, or peanut butter and jelly. Talk about cutting the sandwiches in halves or fourths. Make triangles, trapezoid, and rhombus (diamond) shapes. 

What Are Your Favorite Foods?

Discuss how many pieces you will need.

With a little help, children can peel the carrots, wash the fruit, and place things in containers to develop fine motor skills. Then pack up.  Did you remember everything?  Check off the list you made together. If the weather is not picnic perfect, the back yard or a place in front of a fan or air conditioner can be a good spot.

Once you have the place, children can spread out a blanket, set up the food, and pass out supplies. Planning and setting up a sequence of activities is an important learning skill. 

If you are eating outside, look around and have a conversation. What kind of summertime plants and animals do you see?  How is the weather (wind, clouds, sunshine)? 

What Kind of Summertime Plants Do You See?

What foods are your favorites? If there is sand close by, make squares, rectangles, circles, semi circles, rhombus, trapezoids, triangles, letters, and numbers in the sand. Count the number of sides and corners (vertices).

You can take pictures of the whole process to make a little word memory book or to send to relatives.

Afterwards, children can draw pictures about making food or having the picnic.   Young children can tell you how to label each object or print a sentence about the pictures.  Then families can make a little book with the pages and read the words together.

Photo: Fran Darling - fdarling fotos 
Sketches: Mark Nowicki

For more science and math STEM adventures go to -  grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons live Tuesdays at 4:30pm and Saturdays at 8:30 am and pod casts archived on the site.

Finding Symmetry in Nature

Symmetry Is All Around Us

Symmetry is all around us in summertime. Children are fascinated with insects, flowers and other natural objects that are symmetrical.  This is an opportunity to talk about some math concepts and make beautiful symmetrical objects in nature.

  There are two main types of symmetry: rotational and reflection. When children point the top or bottom of pine cones at their nose they can see that both sides of the swirl or rotation are the same.  If children look at a butterfly and cover one half going north and south, they will see both sides are the same (reflection). If they place a little mirror down the center (going north and south) they will see the reflection is exactly like the other half.

Collect Nature

  When families go on car trips or hikes they can collect symmetrical clam shells, leaves, flowers, rocks, insects, or take close up pictures of them.

Two Main Types of Symmetry

Point out to children that their bodies and shadows are symmetrical, too. Is their house symmetrical? Look at family pets. When they are observed at certain angles are they symmetrical? 

 This easy art project is another way to play with symmetry. Gather some drinking straws to use as eye droppers for colors of poster paint, markers, sheets of paper, small stones, or art jewels.

  Help children fold a paper in half either the long way or short way. Open the paper and drop several colors of paint from the straw “eye droppers” onto one half of the paper next to the fold line. Children can now fold the paper over the paint. Rub gently over the paper to blend the colors. Open the paper and talk about the “blobby” shape that has appeared. Point out that what is on one side of the fold is also on the other side of the fold. Look for the symmetry.

Symmetry Search

  While the paint is drying, search for symmetry in leaves, flowers, pine cones, insects, and other objects in your own back yard. Children often enjoy taking 

 Close-Ups of Insects on Flowers

close up pictures of colorful insects on bright flowers that are also symmetrical. Use a magnifying glass and study some insects or spiders you find. Talk about what makes them spiders and insects the same and different.

  Once the paint is dry children can use markers to add antennae, wings, eyes and legs. To make the new insect even more beautiful children may want glue on craft jewels. They can name the new insect and put it on display.

  Some books about symmetry include: “What is Symmetry in Nature?” by Bobbie Kalman and “Is it Symmetrical?” by Nancy Allen. 

Photos: Fran Darling - fdarling fotos

  For more science and math STEM adventures go to -  grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons live Tuesdays at 4:30pm and Saturdays at 8:30 am and pod casts archived on the site.

Family Treasure Hunts in Museums

Museums Have Treasures

Many families stop at local museums while traveling.  They are a fine break from riding in the car.  These museums often have treasures and a flavor of the area and its past.  However, young children often want to go through like they do most everything—fast.  While older children and adults may want to take time to read and do interactive exhibits.

  A very easy game takes no preparation, slows everything down a bit so everyone can enjoy the experience, and provides something to discuss in the car while resuming the 

Make Sketches of Favorite Displays

trip.

  You will need a spiral notebook and pen for each family member or team of a very young child with an older child or adult.

Family Meeting

  You can set the ground rules of museum politeness and respect: Find at least five exhibits you find interesting. Use soft indoor voices.  WALK around.  Do not touch exhibits or artifacts unless invited by signs. Ask questions of guides. Do not enter roped off areas. Meet at a certain place at a designated time. When leaving, everyone 

Ask Questions of Guides

thanks the museum personnel for what they do.  The guides might enjoy seeing some of the children’s sketches.

  While looking around each family member or team makes a “Find Five Artifacts” game.  Make a sketch and write words that will help another member find the five artifacts when they meet with one other person/team and switch sketches.  When the other members find the artifact, they must read the sign, find the use of the item and be ready to explain its part in history or tell its story.

Share History

Native American Displays Show Our Past

For example, there might be a solar compass in an exhibit about the discovery of iron ore.  They may be a wigwam and display of wool blankets Native Americans traded for furs with the Europeans.  What do the lines stand for?  Sometimes there are two or three, long or short.  What is the meaning?

  Meet others twice and exchange games.  Members will have written answers and notes on a separate piece of paper. Share a bit, but save the most for the car trip.   

  Before leaving, each member may pick one exhibit to share with the family and play the part of a docent/explainer.

  Usually no pictures are allowed inside museums, but take a picture outside the museum and make a note of the address.

Back home Grandparents will enjoy the

Share Information About a Favorite Activity 

sketches and listening to children tell about their museum adventure.  Children will learn how to visit a museum and to take time to observe.  They will learn that visiting a museum is not a race. There are treasures inside. 

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos from: Fort Michilimackinac and Marquette Regional History Center

More Vocabulary Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores. For more help to prepare young children for success, check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube