Studio3Music Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Miss Analiisa’

Oct
5

A Spelling Game

Some of you know that I home school my three children. The rest of you – now you do. I have two boys who don’t love to write (a pretty normal condition for boys). We use a spelling program called Spelling Power instead of a typical workbook.

Because it’s NOT a workbook , spelling words aren’t learned by simply writing them multiple times in exercises. My oldest son is not a good speller. He was an early and voracious reader, and breezed over and through phonics (spelling) rules, because he really didn’t need them.

My younger son is a good speller, and he carefully sounds out words. However, he doesn’t like making mistakes. And the way Spelling Power works is that you pre-test a list of words, and study only the ones you don’t know how to spell. To help him not feel like a failure, I need to make a game of learning to spell the missed words.

My boys are oil and water. I never thought I’d find game that would work to teach them their words. But I found one. That works, 100% of the time. Both of them.

Here’s all you need: a whiteboard and dry erase markers. We use a slanted (22°) whiteboard for a lot of our work. One of the reasons is that a slantboard (like the slanted desks I had in elementary school) reduces stress on the optic system.

The text in the math book is so much smaller than what we can write on the board. Less eye tiredness happens with the board!

A slantboard also allows children to write larger. My 4^th grader makes far fewer mistakes doing his math on a slantboard, than trying to write small in his workbook. The errors he makes on the slantboard are because he made a math error, rather than one due to trying to work in a small space. And I make my 7^th grader redo any missed Algebra problems on the board. He suddenly can see where he made his errors.

I suppose if you’ve made it this far into the blog, you are wondering where the heck the spelling game is I promised. Finally, here it is:

Write the missed word on the board.

Trace around it in 3 different colors, being sure to match the shape of the word.
Always while looking at the board, spell the word forwards, and then backwards. Yes, backwards. Really. You have to do that. And, at the same time, tap your hands on the table/desk/counter, or on your legs, once for each letter.
Erase one letter. (Don’t erase the shape of the word.)

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the word is gone. (Keep looking at the board as you spell.)

Spell it forwards and backwards one more time.

There! That’s it. My 7^th grader FUSSED when I made him do this. For about 3 days. And then he stopped complaining because he realized it actually worked.

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who recommends the slantboard from www.visualedgesb.com

Tags: games, learning, Miss Analiisa

2 responses so far, join the conversation!

Oct
2

Why? How come? What’s next? Can I? What would happen if?

Posted in Child Development, Education, Imagine That, Things to do

Do you hear those questions at home? We hear them in Kindermusik Imagine That classes all the time! Your child is a discoverer, and loves comparing and categorizing things, conducting investigations, problem solving, and most of all, talking about what they learn from exercising their curiosity.

The things your preschooler naturally wants to do will boost their cognitive development – the growing of thinking skills, including problem solving and decision making. Cognitive development is not about the acquisition of information, though that might occur in the process.

What’s important about helping your child acquire cognitive skills now in the preschool years is that this aptitude can then be transferred to any other learning experiences in their life. For instance, take puzzles. There is a lot of thinking involved in completing a jigsaw puzzle. Sorting, organizing, categorizing, visual discrimination, remembering (Where did I see that piece I now need?), a plan of action (Do I do the outside or the inside first?)

Now fast forward 30 years. Your preschooler has become a successful research scientist. And puzzles have helped her become so. She learned the scientific method as a child. She observed the puzzle, she hypothesized how to solve the puzzle, she tested her solution and concluded if her solution worked!

All mistakes or problems are really opportunities for cognitive development. Here’s why: Children thrive on routine and familiarity. When something happens that thwarts their “normal”, they are required to come up with a solution that is outside of their box, and in doing so, cognitive development occurs.

Take the proverbial spilled milk. Your child dropped his cup of milk. You could get mad (especially if you just cleaned your kitchen floor), but don’t. Remember – all mistakes or problems are really opportunities for cognitive development.

Ask your child to look at the spill – Wow! That little mug of milk sure spread out all over the floor. Is the puddle going to keep growing, or stop? Is it a deep puddle? How can you tell? What should we do about all this milk on the floor? Oh, clean it up? How? What should we use to do that? Milk gets sticky when it’s dried, because it has a kind of sugar in it. What do you think could put on our washcloth to get the sticky off the floor? Why do you think you dropped the cup? How can you hold the cup differently next time so it doesn’t spill? Observing, hypothesizing, testing and concluding!

Here is a list of 10 cognitive skill-building activities to do with your child.

Play Hot and Cold. Hide an object and give your child clues as to where it is by saying hotter, colder, or warmer.
Games like Dominoes, Uno, Skip Bo or Battleship
Cooking. Let your child mix, pour, etc. Lots of mistakes or problems can occur to solve in this activity. (Just ask professional chefs.)
Play I Spy with shapes, colors, textures, etc.
Household chores like sorting laundry or putting away silverware.
Ask (sometimes very silly) thinking questions. Is an elephant purple? Which is bigger – our cat or our dog? What did you eat for dinner last night?
With your finger, draw a simple shape or picture on your child’s back. See if they can guess what it is. Give clues if necessary. (It’s something you find outside. It is very tall.)
Category games. What doesn’t belong – cat, mouse, frog, tree? Find me 3 things that are yellow.
Create an obstacle course.
Let them make mistakes and then allow them to figure out how to solve them.

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who thinks she’s pretty cognitively savvy, until she plays the game Gobblet Gobblers with her children and loses!

Tags: games, kindermusik, language development, learning, Miss Analiisa, preschoolers, toddlers

Join the conversation

Sep
22

Picking up my euphonium. And playing it.

Posted in Bits and Pieces, Things to do

This is my euphonium. And yes, it's heavy. I dropped it and my case on my foot in college and fractured my heel. 12 weeks in a boot.

I joined a high school band last week. No, not the garage rock band type. The one with clarinets and trumpets and trombones and drums. And yes, well, I did graduate high school in 1986, so you do the math. And it kind of horrifies me to realize that some of you weren’t even born in 1986.

I’m finally using my college degree. For the first time ever. (What else do you do with a BMUS in Euphonium Performance, but play in a high school band?) My son’s home school band director asked me to play this year, and work with the low brass. I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having. I haven’t played in a group since graduating college. Not even in a brass ensemble. Or sadly, even a duet.

One thing I had almost forgotten – what an indescribable sense of community and happiness comes from being a part of a group, making music together. I felt my soul come alive. The stress of my life, for that hour and a half on Monday afternoon, went away.

And I’m telling you this because I think you should make music with other people, too. You don’t play an instrument? Learn one! It’s a whole lot more fun to practice at 42 than 12. (Just ask my children.)

You don’t have time? You can make the time. I spend 50+ hours a week running a business, plus home school three children, write, volunteer, cook, clean, do too much laundry, and be a wife and mother. I know you can make the time if you want to. I encourage you to want to. You’ll be glad you did. I guarantee it.

Or, try singing. I know it sounds corny to have a “sing-along”, but have you tried singing with other people? It’s okay to sing at Christmas, why is it not okay in September? Why have we limited singing to the 7^th inning, at church, or when lighting birthday candles? People have been singing together since the beginning. Why in our western culture is doing that now “embarrassing”? Why have we stopped? You love to listen to music. Why don’t you love to make it? (And I’m not referring to Karaoke, unless you are singing with at least one other person!)

So, start with the music of your cultural heritage. I’m positive the people in the generations before you sang. Are you Welsh, Native American, Japanese? Somewhere, there is someone who would be delighted to teach you the music of your heritage.

And then, in turn, sing with your sister and your best friend. Or your spouse or neighbors. It’s not about having a great singing voice. That totally misses the point. Make music with your children. Find three other people you know and turn off the TV. Practice Christmas carols, even in September. Join a community choir. You don’t have to read music.

Teach your children how to make music with others. You have a responsibility to do so. What happens if you don’t? I’ll never forget listening to Dr. Barnwell from Sweet Honey in the Rock. She said that in Africa, music was always made in community. The elders taught the younger ones the rhythms, interval patterns, and words, and how they were layered on top of each other to form music. She demonstrated this to the audience, and we made traditional African music together. It was a powerful, moving, and beautiful experience.

Rap has its roots in African music. Why is much of it full of hate, and sex and f-bombs? In Africa, she said, everyone in the community participated in the music making, and the wise and experienced elders literally monitored the creation of music. Rap, she said, no longer falls under that pattern. It’s come out from under the guidance of the community leaders.

Something to think about. And then to DO.

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who has recently reclaimed her chair in the row in front of the percussion. It’s time to teach a new generation of low brass what their rightful role in the band is.

Tags: Miss Analiisa, music, Things to do

Join the conversation

Sep
17

Hickory, Dickory, Dock. How fast is your internal clock?

Posted in Child Development, Imagine That, Music and the brain, Our Time, Things to do, Village, Young Child

What is steady beat? Though we associate it most closely with music, steady beat is really just an action repeated at about the same pace each time. Steady beat is required in everything from clapping along to a piece of music, talking smoothly, walking steadily, kicking, reading, cutting with scissors or even typing.

There are two kinds of steady beat. The first is internal, which is unique to every person. You are born with your own inner tempo. Think about yourself – how fast does your “clock” tick? Do you walk fast, talk fast, expect quick results? Get frustrated when everything or everyone else can’t keep up? Your internal tempo is probably allegro!

My 9 year old son’s internal beat is much slower than mine. He needs to process and “cook” information. As a Suzuki violin momma, I have to participate in his practice. After 2 years, he finally said, “You’re going too fast. You’re confusing me. It’s too much information at once.” If only I had recognized that before. If I continue to coach him at my pace, I’m going to frustrate him, and he’ll probably end up hating violin. Practice is now relatively easy on both of us.

Faster internal steady beats don’t equal brighter children; my easy-going middle child is just as smart as my speedy 12 year old. They just both like the information presented to them at a tempo that matches what is going on inside. If I keep that in mind, I’ll be a better parent.

We cannot change an internal working tempo. It’s yours for life. We can, however, teach children to be flexible to match an external steady beat with the activity they are doing. Why do we do this? You don’t want to cut out a delicate paper snowflake at 90 miles an hour! Nor do you want a slow tempo child to read at a snail’s pace.

Babies come ready made with their own internal steady beat. Sometimes in class, a song will play that is pretty close to their own tempo. Then that baby will tap his drum right in time to the music, and all the grownups in class will ooohh and aaahh at this little musical genius!

It isn’t usually until they reach age 3 or so that they begin to be able to match an external source of steady beat, such as playing instruments to a song, or marching. And we don’t really expect consistent beat matching to occur until between Kindergarten and 2^nd grade.

But because the ability to match a steady beat is so vital to success in many other skills, we do start steady beat practice from the very earliest Kindermusik class – Village. You can practice at home, too. Here are some fun ideas to try:

For babies and toddlers: To help these little ones to feel an external steady beat, use their bodies. Put your child on your lap and steadily chant a nursery rhyme, or sing a simple song. Bounce your child up and down, keeping the tempo consistent.

For preschoolers: Hold hands, a rope, a stretchy band or a large scarf between you. Sing a song your child knows (so she doesn’t have to think about the words) and sway or rock back and forth together. You can change the tempo every couple of repeats.

For young schoolchildren: Put on one of your Kindermusik Young Child CD’s or their current musical favorite. Music that changes tempo is especially good, so try some classical music. Give your child a big sheet of paper and some markers or crayons. Have your child draw (lines, dots, circles, squiggles, etc.) to the tempo of the music. Ask questions like: “What does this slow music look like?”

There are lots of fun ways to practice matching an external steady beat. I’m sure you’ll get creative!

-posted by Miss Analiisa, who is determined to workout her internal speedy steady beat muscles by learning to slow down and rest. Actually rest. Stop doing things. Stop thinking. Breathe deep.

Tags: kindermusik, language development, learning, Miss Analiisa, music, physical development, reading, Things to do

Join the conversation

Sep
11

Naps for 7th graders. Do they make rest cots that size?

Posted in Child Development, Education

I am the mother of a 12 ½ year old son (the half being important enough to him that I mention it to you). He is a homeschooler, which means that for the most part, (Latin, band, and geology aside) I am his teacher as well.

Like many other adolescents, he wears his headphones so much I am afraid that his earbuds may one day become permanently attached to his ears. In order to complete his schoolwork, he insists it is necessary to work in a multi-media environment – watching TV while working on a computer (not related to the homework subject), all while listening to an audiobook on his mp3 player. Seriously?

This year I frequently find him napping in the afternoons, or on his breaks in between subjects. I know teens need lots of sleep as they are growing so much, but if this keeps up, I swear he’s going to be 7 feet tall! How much will that cost me in groceries?

And then I came across an article that made me consider that maybe (just maybe) his brain knows what it is doing.

Ron David, chair of the Scripps Florida Research Department of Neuroscience explains that this generation has grown up with huge amounts of information vying for their attention. (Think texting, video games, listening to music, watching TV and doing homework all at the same time.)

Davis says, “They have adapted to it. Their brains are probably wired differently from their parents. So it may well be that today’s teens and twenty-somethings need to have a multi-sensory experience to learn well.” So not what I wanted to hear. But, just because my forty-something brain can’t handle all that input at once, it doesn’t mean his can’t. The test, of course, is can he complete his schoolwork accurately and in the appropriate amount of time? If not, the multi-media show gets turned off.

Now, on to the need to nap. During school, and after school. And as late as possible in the mornings. I know that during these years that the need for sleep increases, and often teens body clocks switch to night-owl mode. But the napping?

The other interesting thing Davis spoke about in the article was called “spaced conditioning”, which is the fact that when learning is spaced out with rest periods in-between, we remember the information for far longer than if we receive all that knowledge in a single episode of learning.

“No one really knows why it’s important to long term memory formation”, says Davis, “but there appears to be something magical about rest periods during learning.”

What does this teach me? That my junior higher needs recess just as much as my 4^th grader and kindergartner. Even if recess + preteen = nap.

-posted by Miss Analiisa, mother to one almost teenage Nathan, who wants him to know that just because he’s going to read this blog, does not give him the right to tell me that “his brain knows best” whenever he feels like it. Despite what you may think, it doesn’t, and I’m still your mother!