Inspiring Intelligence
Learning
Tools of the Mind
Sep 11th
I believe that intention makes all the difference.
Research supports this belief
as early as preschool.
There is a great article about the benefits of a program called “Tools of the Mind” here.
Important Parts of the Program Include:
- “Every moment of the day is devoted in some way to teaching the kids”
- “Before [the children] even think about picking up a toy, they sit down….[and] spell out their intentions.” (For example, “Today I am going to play store,” is written with the help of a teacher and then the child draws what s/he will be doing.
- Then they play. The play “help[s] build a critical cognitive skill called executive function.”
- “Executive function has a number of elements, such as working memory and cognitive flexibility. “
- “But perhaps the most important is self-regulation — the ability for kids to control their emotions and behavior, resist impulses, and exert self-control and discipline.”
So, what is executive function and WHY is it so important?
Executive Function is the ability to override impulses.
Previously, it was assumed that executive function is something that just develops naturally over time.
And, it does.
But, we are learning that it does not have to be a waiting game.
Children can learn to control their impulses.
And research is demonstrating that it has a profound impact on intelligence.
In fact, researchers are having a hard time completing a study using these programs
because the impact is so great and happens so quickly
that principals and teachers think it is cruel to deprive the “control” classes of using the program.
(Every study needs a control group in the same setting who does not receive the program
just in case there was some other factor influencing the performance.)
So, how does “Tools of the Mind” work?
Children are asked to plan their play.
If they veer from their plan,
the teachers remind the children of the plan.
The result?
Conflicts during play decrease significantly.
Also
The play has more intention
and children can focus in their play longer.
Other things a Tools of the Mind program may have:
Children are asked to score their own work and the work of their classmates.
For example, when practicing their letters, the children could be asked to circle the one that looks the best.
Children may play a game of Freeze.
The game where children children dance until the music stops and they are asked to freeze.
Well, in a Tools of the Mind game of Freeze,
the children will be shown a pose WHILE the music is playing
and when the music stops,
the children must remember the card and strike the pose.
The children regulate their urges to strike the pose when the music is playing.
Exploration Activities (ages 12 months and up)
Aug 24th
The following are great exploration activities that will be great opportunities for their development and will be fun!
These are great things to do with children beginning at 12 months, although one or two will require a little more supervision than others. (Bird seed is one that can be replaced with other things for the children who like to stick things in their mouth.) Most things are safe to eat and while there may be some messes, there will also be a lot of learning!
Edible Play-doh
Materials
8 oz cream cheese
½ c. dry milk
1 T. honey
Instructions
Mix and play
Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated
Froot Loop Sand
Materials
Ziploc bag
Froot loops (or cheerios or crackers)
Tools to smash/bang/roll (such as rolling pin, bottles, toy hammer, etc)
Optional: glue and paper
Instructions
Place froot loops in Ziploc bag and allow children to smash/roll/bang until crushed
Allow them to play with sand as you see fit.
Optional: Can be used much like glitter if you glue shapes on paper and allow them to pour it on the paper. Then shake the excess off to see how it sticks to the paper.
Paint with Ice
Materials
Ice cube tray
Water
Food Coloring
Paper
Instructions
Mix food coloring in water and place in ice cube trays. After frozen, allow the children to use the ice cubes to paint on paper. It will be cold, but the cold and melting should also be part of the exploration and are a great opportunity for learning.
Lava Bottles
Materials
Equal parts water
To equal parts oil (baby oil, etc.)
Food coloring
Bottle (water/soda/etc.)
Instructions
Pour water into bottle and mix with food coloring. Then add oil and seal the bottle.
Allow the children to shake and explore the “lava”
Bird Feeder
Materials
Toilet paper roll
Peanut Butter
Bird Seed
Hole Punch
String
Instructions
Punch holes in toilet paper roll. Spread peanut butter on roll. Pour bird seed in a tray and let the children roll the peanut butter in the seeds. Tie the strings through the hole and place outside. Watch the birds eat the seeds.
Straw Painting
Materials
Straw (Turkey baster or bulb syringe also works)
Thin paint
Thick paper
Instructions
Pour paint onto paper. Allow the children to blow (or practice blowing) into the straw to spread the paint around on the page.
Paint with Water
Materials
Marker
Paper Towel
Paint Brush
Water
Instructions
Draw shapes on paper towels with markers. Let the children “paint” the water on the paper towels to watch the colors bleed around the paper towel.
Sponge Printing
Materials
Sponges
Chalk
Water
Paper
Instructions
Soak sponges in water (can be cut into shapes). Squeeze out excess water and color the wet sponge with chalk. Allow the children to press the chalk sponge onto paper to make a print.
Educating without Teaching
Jun 27th
With us being in the middle of summer, what I am always trying to find are ways to keep [the kids] learning without them knowing they are learning. When we travel we try to play car games that challenge them and cause them to be more observant, and when we are in town we try to do things that offer information even if only on a small scale…but how can you keep them engaged and keep them learning without making them feel like they are still in school?
- comment from a parent of 4 girls (ages 7 to 16)
I can provide a lot of information about learning ideas, and I will, but first, I would like to mention motivation.
Motivation is very powerful and if you can find things that motivate your child, it becomes much simpler to “sneak” in other educational avenues.
Teachers struggle with motivating students because they have to motivate 10 – 30 students with different interests to enjoy the subject at hand.
As parents, it is much simpler to motivate your own children.
Granted, it is still not easy, but it is simpler.
As a parent, you know what interests your child.
My son loves trains, so I can throw him all kinds of challenges using trains.
Recently, we turned playing with trains into a science lesson about magnets.
We found some trains that had a positive and negative end and we started by looking at what happens when opposite charges are placed next to each other.
It quickly led us to other magnets and we began playing with magnets instead of trains.
We have also used trains for math problems. (word problems, addition and subtraction, patterns, etc.)
The trick in being able to turn natural interests into fun, educational opportunities, is that I have to slow down and watch what they are doing. (I am a do-er and stopping to watch is hard for me!)
When I watch him play, I catch the teachable moments and when I do catch them, they do tend to lead to some really interesting impromptu education projects.
My daughter has a recent fascination with animals. She has been driving me crazy because she has been pulling all of the decorative pillows off every bed, chair, and couch. She throws them on the floor to make “a nest” for her baby birds, zebras, bats, or whatever other animal of choice.
It took a week of fighting her on this before I realized she really wants to learn about animals.
So, we took a trip to the library, and I grabbed a bunch of non-fiction kid’s books about animal homes and babies.
The books were the kind that I did not ever like to read as a child.
There was no cartoon drawings and the information was really boring, in my opinion.
But, my daughter LOVES those books.
She enjoys them so much that I can use them as bargaining tools.
“We are only going to read the animal books after you eat the rest of your peas.”
I do not push them on her, and I treat them as any other book or toy.
Of course, every child is different, and as the kids get older, it might become harder to be sneaky about education.
You also have to be comfortable exploring subjects that you may not be well-educated, too.
I try to remember that it is okay for us to learn together.
Even some board games are great educational tools.
A favorite of mine is Scattegories.
Scattegories may not have a definite end goal, but it does challenge the brain, and helps develop language skills.
A lot of research is showing that challenging the brain improves memory.
Even things like Sudoko can help.
Do you have any other ideas I should include?
Intentional Learning
Jun 16th
I am always asking “Why?” So are my children.
Everyone wants their children to be brilliant. I am no exception to this hope.
But, I try to be intentional in my instruction.
I am not always successful, but I do try.
I TRY to think about what I would learn from a lesson if it was being taught to me.
Let me explain.
I found this craft idea on another blog. I think it is a cute craft and it would be fun. But, I started wondering if I were the child doing the craft, would I understand that I was making a rabbit in the shape of an R because the word rabbit starts with an R? Probably not. Please do not misunderstand me here, because I think it would be a fun activity. I also know, though, that as the mother who would spend a lot of time getting this project ready, I would end up feeling like it was a lot of effort for a little return. Please do not think I am judging the parents out there who do spend the time on this activity. Kudos to those of you who want to spend your time helping your children. But, to those other parents who are overwhelmed and trying to figure out how on earth you are going to find the time to go to the store to get supplies, get the supplies ready, then after the mess has been created, clean up yet another mess in your house: there is another option.
If I were a child learning about the sounds letters make, I would need to hear the sounds. Yes, seeing the letters helps. But, I do not need to add to my list of daily chores. In fact, I am a big fan of incorporating activities into daily life. For example, when we are at the grocery store, we play games. We pick a letter, talk about the sound, and look for it around the store. For “R” we could look for rice, raisins, etc. We repeat the words over and over. We sing songs and manipulate the words in the song. If we are singing Row Your Boat, we could switch the beginning sound to R for many of the words. (We sing “Row, Row your Roat, gently down the Ream…” and the kids love it.) But, these are things that we can do anytime and while I am finishing other tasks.
I could go on all day about intentional learning. For now, I think the best summary in my approach to parenting is to consider how I am preparing my children to be adults. I am not only preparing my children for elementary school. I am not only preparing them to learn to read. I am preparing them for life.
I want my children to be prepared for the future. I want to think about why I am spending time doing the things I am doing.
I am a huge fan of motivation. If my children are not interested, they will not learn. There is a lot of research to support that statement.
I will probably talk about intentional learning a lot. I hope I can do a better job of clarifying eventually.
For now, I will leave you with this:
Involve your children in the things you are doing. Discuss colors, shapes, sizes and sorting when doing laundry. Let your children help. Listen to the questions about why and see if you can explore it together. You will be amazed at how much your child can learn!
Enjoy the explorations!
