A Tid-Bit from Hopalonglearning.com

Hey!

Take a look at one of my phonic songs. If you like it and want to see and hear more, become a member of my education website, hopalonglearning.com. You get an entire on-line reading programme. It's so easy to use and a 100% sure way of teaching your child to read!!!

Don't forget that you get loads more than just a reading programme, but lots of other teaching/learning resources for the primary school child.

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I was having a discussion with an elderly friend of mine when she began talking about her now grown grandson. She told me that when he was about five years old he excitedly approached his grandmother with a grand observation.

"Granny," he said, " do you know that half of eight is three?"

His grandmother - my friend - laughed, "you're too bright for me, yes!" as she continued what she was doing.

"Wait granny," he persisted, "you have paper?" She good-naturely obliged.

Her little grandson promptly wrote the number '8' on the paper and drew a line down the middle. "You see granny...the number 3!"

So the next time a child comes forward with strange observations or seemingly inaccurate comments, rather than dismiss the young one why not dig deeper and find out the reasoning behind the view? You may realize that you actually have a bright spark on your hands!

Creativity and Education

You must check out a YouTube video of Sir Ken Robinson - "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" Then think about it in line with our Mathematical/Linguistic approach to education at the expense of the development of the human as an entire being.

Children's Artwork

Necessary for the Library

A few months ago my seven year old son stayed at home from school feeling quite ill. Unfortunately I had a small errand to run and had to drag him along with me. As we headed back to the car we passed by the small public library.

"Mummy," he said although quite sick, "can we go in?"

"Just for a couple of minutes," I responded wanting to get back home quickly.

As I observed my son's eyes light up upon seeing so many new storybooks I decided now is a good a time as any to make him join the library. I mean, we have many storybooks at home for the children but when children really get the reading-bug it is financially daunting to keep up with book purchases. After all isn't that one of the purposes of a public library?

Well, while my son sat peering through the colourful storybooks, eagerly anticipating which one he would want me to read for them that night at bedtime, I approached the librarian. "I would like my three children to join this library," I requested, pulling out my driver's permit. I figured that they might request some form of ID.

"Well," she responded in a monotone, "you need their original, computer-generated birth certificates, your ID and a recent utility bill."

"Wow," I said to her, "don't you think that's a lot to request to join the library?"

She looked at me quizzically.

"I mean," I continued, "some children don't have the computer-generated birth certificates. A number of families are squatters and have no utility bills and some children might want to join but have no parents supporting them and wouldn't have a utility bill. And I mean it's children like these who need the library more since they can't buy any books."

"Well you can always raise the issue with head-office. I can't do anything about it. Those are the necessary requirements," then off she went to tend to more important things.

The disappointment on my son's face was painfully evident when he had to return his selected books back on the shelf.

Needless to say I'm yet to return with the necessary documents.

A Parent's View

Yesterday, while browsing through a bookstore I came across a book written by a parent of a boy who had taken the Secondary Entrance Examination. From what I could tell, based on his and his wife's personal experiences he decided to share advice to other parents of students who have to face this 'daunting' exam.

I certainly agree that the facts show that generally speaking it is the children whose parents are actively involved in their learning who tend to flourish academically. Therefore, whilst I applaud such interest in helping his fellow parents I do have a few concerns about the content presented in this book.

Granted, I just gave the book only a cursory glance but I came across a statement that disturbed me more than little. It was under the chapter "Lessons, Lessons, Lessons". The author told the reading parent that as parents that we should not expect teachers to find our children's weak areas but it is up to the parent to do so and then remedy it.

- What? Uh? Really?!!! -

Someone better inform our universities, UWI and UTT so that they can stop pressuring university students of education. Let them relax. It's the parent's responsibility anyway.

I wish that I had been told about this when I was in Teachers' College. Life would have been so much easier!!!

Colour By Numbers

In life there's lots of little things in life that when we think about them reveal quite a lot.

That was the case of my children using a simple, little thing called "Colour By Numbers". Over the past few years I have gotten my children a great many colouring books. Many themes, different styles of drawings and some even contained a couple of colour-by-number activities. However, this book was purely colour-by-numbers... page after page after page.

Telling my children exactly what colours to use where.

My children dutifully colour according to instructions. Morning, noon and night. Day after day after day. My children have become avid colourers. As soon as they wake up they're colouring. As soon as they arrive home from school they're colouring. When it's bedtime you literally have to beg them to stop colouring even for their favorite story time.

Yes, they have always loved colouring but I have NEVER seen my children quite so absorbed in colouring. It's even reached a point where they have graduated from displaying their pieces just in their bedroom to now all over my fridge and if you know me I don't ever have anything stuck on my fridge!

However, what's the point of such a simple thing as this?

Well as I said it's the small things in life that actually reveal quite a lot. My theory regarding colour-by-numbers is this...

• It's simple. The child is guided as to what colours to use.
• The results are positive. The pictures that are produced look more realistic than the ones produced when the child has to choose the colours themselves. It's exciting to the child that their pieces can look so GREAT!

Can a teacher learn from this? I believe so. I don't advocate spoon-feeding the child. Brain-power must be employed by the child for development to occur. However, what's the harm in making the progress as painless as possible? It might be that we want the child to jump a tall wall that is currently beyond his physical abilities when we will get more progress by providing steps for the child to climb gradually.

Make learning simple.

And as the child climbs each step that positive result would make him want to climb more and more and more until he finally gets over the wall.

Do you think that I'm reading too much into a simple colour-by-numbers book? But don't under-estimate the fact that it really is through the little things in life that we make sense of the big picture. Let me know your thoughts on the matter.

"Yah know how it is!"

During one of my many visits to our local primary schools I met a principal. He explained that he was greatly concerned about the poor reading levels of many students and was very eager for me to meet with teachers of his infant level.

Before speaking with his staff I was naturally interested in finding out just how his school was performing in that regard.

"Well," he responded quite proudly, " our school is recognized as one of the best in this area so we are doing quite well."

"But..." he added, "in every class you know you will get a couple who don't learn to read. Yah know how it is!"

A hearty laughter ensued.

I remained silent... oh yes, I know how it is.

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Just one thought.

You have twenty eager five year olds staring at you with wide-eyed anticipation on the first day of school. Now pick out the two who will never learn to read.

Go ahead, it's okay. It's just the reality of life right?

"Yah know how it is!"

A Fy in the Pavilion

Yesterday I was like a fly on the wall... well, more like a fly in the pavilion.

I was sitting in a pavilion during my children's swimming class busily getting work done on my laptop. But I guess I wasn't as absorbed in my work as I thought I was since I overheard a small portion of a conversation between two waiting mothers.

"... she (nodding towards her daughter) has reached book three in her reading books. But I don't understand her teacher. She is keeping her back from reading!"

"Uh huh," the other mother responded knowingly.

"But every evening she reads three pages easily for me. I just don't understand."

"I know what you mean because..."

Their conversation trailed off and my focus had returned to my work, as I glanced up at regular intervals to observe my children in the pool with their classmates and swimming instructors.

But the discussion between the two mothers was not the least bit unusual. Why do we promote mediocrity in reading by 'keeping back' individual children's desire to progress?

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"Oh no dear, WE haven't reached that page yet. We'll get there eventually. Have patience."

'C' Stream of Tears

There was a young girl in Trinidad,
She had just turned six and was so glad.
Soon she would be in second year,
And with friends by her side she would have no fear.

But suddenly out of the blue one day,
Her teacher told her family, "We have to say,
her work could be better
so to 'C' stream we'll send her."
Now with tears her face is much wetter.

Subconscious Behaviour

I visited a school about a year ago to show the teacher my Hop Along Reading Programme, however she was in the process of listening to one of her second year infant students read for her.

She directed me to a chair next to her desk and asked me if I could kindly wait until she was finished. I obliged but couldn't help but notice the reading activity that ensued. It went something like this...

TEACHER: Go ahead and read the page.
STUDENT: (Tentatively reading) The boy and the dog ...(silence)
TEACHER: went...
STUDENT: went up the...(silence)
TEACHER: tree...
STUDENT: tree and they....(silence)
TEACHER: saw...
STUDENT: saw a very big...(silence)
TEACHER: river...
STUDENT: river. Then they...(silence)
TEACHER: climbed...
STUDENT: climbed...(silence)
TEACHER: down...
STUDENT: down and got in a...(silence)
TEACHER: boat...
STUDENT: boat on the...(silence)
TEACHER: river...
STUDENT: river.
TEACHER: Good. Now learn the next page to read for me tomorrow.

Evidently the teacher behaved subconsciously. I wonder if she has ever thought about what she is actually doing?!

Write Out Loud

Yesterday afternoon I picked up my children from school, "How was your day?" I asked them.

"Great!" my seven year old son unhesitatingly blurted out happily.

"Not good," was his younger sister's response. This was unusual for her since she often enjoys her time in school.

She explained that she had a substitute teacher for the day and was told off quite strongly for having such BIG (and I assume) messy handwriting. Now don't get me wrong, I have only my daughter's words regarding what happened but I cannot ignore the impression that the event left on my child's mind...Big writing is bad; small writing is good; neatness is the only thing that matters.

"But mummy," my five year old continued, "I can't write small!"

Do we as teachers put too much emphasis on penmanship and not enough on the content being written?

Well think of this, I began helping my husband's young cousin with his school work when he was about ten years old. I couldn't help admiring the level of neatness in his books and the beauty of his penmanship. But admiration turned to concern when I began giving him work to do. It seemed to be a monumental task to get him to complete anything that was given, even when he fully understood the work or when I lessened the amount.

The problem? His efforts to maintain the all important level of masterful penmanship that was treasured by his various teachers over the years almost crippled any efforts in speed and efficiency.

I always remember a fellow teacher made an astute comment during a staff meeting one afternoon. At the time she taught a class of 'post-primary' students who were so weak in their academics that they had 'failed' their high school entrance exam (Common Entrance) and had to remain in primary school to try to bring them up to scratch. Some of her students couldn't even read although averaging 13 years of age.

"These students have the BEST handwriting of students that I have ever taught and most can barely read what they write (or copy)."

In fact it is near lunacy when a neighbour of mine comes to me with concern on her face upon learning that her young, barely five year old daughter who had just started a private primary school has been given homework to practice her cursive writing!!!!!

(Fortunately she was smart enough to take her child out of that school.)

So what do I tell my disappointed five year old? Get your thoughts on paper honey, the neatness will follow with practice one day.

Write out loud, write out big, write out loud!

To Learn or Not To Learn - That Is the Question

How often has your child come home and you looked in their reading books only to see that the teacher has marked the word 'learn'. Now have you ever wondered what 'learn' actually means? Here are some possibilities...

1. Try to read the story, including words that you don't know (assuming that there's someone at home who is able or even willing to help you with the new words).

2. Read the story again and again so that you practically know it off by heart (a weekly recital perhaps?).

3. Get someone to read it to you until you can recite it from memory (again assuming that there's someone at home who is able or even willing to help you with the new words).

I'm not trying to be cynical but truly, can anyone explain to me what 'learn' on the page of a reading book really means?

And while we're on this topic...what does it really mean when an infant child is given a Social Studies note and also told to 'learn' it. I personally have found it quite a difficult task to get a five or six year old to actually learn a note! What's the real value of it any way?

To learn or not to learn - that is the question. Any teacher cares to explain?

The Driven Subjects

On Friday I said that Science (including Mathematics) and Social Studies are actually the leading subjects or the drivers. These subjects drive or inspire reading and writing. But they also inspire the arts such as music, dance and fine art.

We respond to the world around us. Language and the arts are different means of communicating that response.

Think about it.

Science and Social Studies - Subjects of a Lesser God

Have you ever heard people make the argument that it makes no sense to teach Science and Social Studies to infant level students since we have to focus on teaching them to read and write first?

Indeed I've heard a few infant teachers passionately make that argument and often they are very dedicated towards teaching their young charges the fundamentals of reading.

Very early on in my teaching career I met such a teacher and every day, for most of the day you could hear her drilling her students in phonics. I never did check since I was only at that school for one term but I'm certain that many of her students became readers. (She later left teaching to promote her own phonics programme.)

As a young teacher I often thought about the notion of the need for Science and Social Studies when teaching five and six year olds. Surely it made sense to dedicate ones time to reading and when that has been mastered time can then be spent on 'less important' subjects. However, if that were the case why would the Ministry of Education insist that Science and Social Studies be on the schools' curriculum for infant students. Could curriculum developers be on such a wrong track?

Then I thought about it...if students are going to learn to read and write the question is just what are they going to read and write about? Naturally it would be about what interests or intrigues them. And what interests a child?

- games, family, animals, friends, funny stories -

Basically, the world around them. And what subjects naturally explore the world around us? Science and Social Studies of course!

Furthermore, how would you describe an educated person? If one were to say a fluent reader then that response is undoubtedly one-dimensional. A truly educated person goes beyond, to include an articulate individual who is able to function well in society by analyzing, evaluating and positively responding to the world around. And to delay the child's opportunities to reason and explore life is to delay or hinder their mental development and consequently their ability to function at a higher level intellectually. Particularly at a stage in their lives when their brains are like sponges.

So is it really fair to exclude those subjects?

I argue that the subjects of Science (including Mathematics) and Social Studies are actually the fundamental subjects that indeed drive reading and writing. So rather than being subjects of a lesser god I propose that Science and Social Studies are the core subjects that allow genuine learning to flourish.

The REAL Neverending Story

A number of years ago I was assigned to teach some 'weak' students who had definite difficulties with reading. One girl specifically stands out in my mind. Out of her school bag she pulled a tattered, well-worn reading book. It was a locally produced book that was meant for introductory reading. This was a book that most of her peers had completed up to a year and a half before.

Now keep in mind this student was classed as weak but upon speaking with her it was clear that she was quite intelligent. However she was definitely left to her own devises at home.

Upon noticing her reading book I asked her whether the book was hers.

"Yes," she responded quietly.

'Wow!' I thought, 'This little girl has been stuck on this one book for almost two years!'

It didn't take very long to realize that there were students even higher up in the other standards who were still unable to read the introductory book...years in the SAME book!!!

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Just last week I asked a group of teachers this...

I just read a fantastic novel. You've got to read it! An exciting ending! Do you want to take a look?
Oh by the way before you answer, it'll take you TWO years to finish. Now anyone still interested?

What are we doing to our children?

Individuals Among Many

That's another great benefit that I noticed when my students began making decisions about their own work. They suddenly began to become individuals among many.

I got to better understand each child's...

likes and dislikes
strengths and weaknesses.

I even found myself better able to give students individual attention.

Yes, which teacher doesn't long for smaller classes? "Then I can really give my students individual attention!"

Well just imagine, with the right teaching approach you can actually give each student individual attention. Uhhh! Individuals in a class of many! Just imagine.

Are You Crazy? - Negotiate With a Child?!

When I first heard about the concept of negotiating with a student as to what work they wanted to cover in the classroom it seemed like an almost insane idea! What?! Negotiate with a child? This seemed to be another liberal, impractical idea. Surely as the teacher I knew what was best for the students to learn and when it had to be done.

But then was my current approach really that great?

At that point I decided..."you know what, why not give it a chance?" And that's exactly what I did. I began to negotiate. I created a chart in the form of a table displaying a few subject areas that I wanted them to complete on a daily basis. Their decision? They got to choose when they wanted to do each subject and what aspect of the subject they felt like doing. Of course this was a negotiation process so at times I needed to discuss with the individuals as to what was better suited for them at the time.

The results were genuinely amazing! My nine and ten year olds suddenly took a greater interest and even pride in their work.

Friendly competitions developed as peers tried to keep abreast of each other. "I did three activities already." "I'm on my third."

Confidence grew. "I like having control of my own work. I like not having to wait on Miss."

Collaborations flourished. "I did that activity last week, let me explain to you how to do it."

Class control became easier. "Miss Powell, if you stepped out no one will ever know. Your students seem to always know what work to do and just get on with it!" It felt good to hear those words from a fellow teacher.

Well after a few years at University and then being reassigned to a class of five year olds surely the negotiation concept would have to be shelved. But you know what?...I just couldn't shelve it. It had worked before, surely it will work again. And lo-and-behold it seemed even easier to implement. Maybe because they knew no other approach in the classroom.

Negotiate with a child? Go ahead, you just might like it. After all... 'child is people too!'

Reading? Stop!!!

Almost three years ago I visited one of our havens of enlightenment called a government primary school. It was a boy's school and when I met with the school principal to show him my Hop Along Reading Programme he excitedly told me to share the information with his infant teachers.

The librarian/remedial reading teacher called the infant teachers together. They looked through the books, flashcards and other material. "Nice books." "Love the phonics and sight words together." "My kids would love the stories." "Creative writing in the workbooks - good idea."

My anticipation grew. Was this going to be the first group of teachers that would encourage their principal to try using my reading programme in their classrooms?

Anticipation - premature.

"Well...we love your programme but you know that the Ministry of Education has sent a phonics programme." The remedial reading teacher was one of the privileged few to get to meet with the promoters of the phonics programme and was instructed to return to various schools to implement it. I was too late. I was speaking to converts who rather than blending the two methods of look-and-say with phonics had been sold into the notion of total phonics. Indeed, they happily explained to me that absolutely NO reading must be done by the students until they master every single 40 plus sound.

"In fact," one male teacher proudly announced, "we have even gone back to teaching our second year infant students all their phonics!"

"So you're teaching phonics while they continue reading their books?" I asked...the idea seemed fair.

"Oh no!" he responded confidently, "We've taken away the books that they were reading."

I paused to drink this in. "Were they actually reading already?"

"Yes," confidence waning?

"And you've stopped them from reading to teach phonics?"

"Yes," confidence definitely waning. A few wrinkled brows.

"Uh huh...interesting..." I scanned the now perplexed group. "So you stopped them from reading to teach them reading?"

The government primary school...a haven of enlightenment indeed.