The Importance of Reading to Your Child

According to Mem Fox, author of Reading Magic, "If parents understood the huge educational benefit and intense happiness brought about by reading aloud to their children, and if every parent—and every adult caring for a child—read aloud a minimum of three stories a day to the children in their lives, we could probably wipe out illiteracy within one generation." This is a pretty bold statement, but one that many Early Childhood professionals firmly believe in. Reading to a child can and should begin as soon after birth as possible, as it will help with brain development, speech skills, as well as simply bonding with the child, which will help in other developmental areas as well.

It may seem to some, that infants will not benefit from being read aloud to. Many experts on the subject will disagree. Most people don’t realize that when a child is born, only twenty-five percent of the brain in developed, and the rest develops within the first year of life. This is an extremely crucial time in a child’s life where reading aloud and simply talking to the child will help tremendously with brain development along with their speaking skills. "The sense of dislocation and confusion that occurs when kids and parents don’t connect disturbs children long after childhood is over," (Reading Magic pg. 21).

In his book The Read-Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease gives several examples to emphasis the belief that there is a literacy problem in the United States. One such example follows:

"Every workday afternoon a courier shows up at the door of the fifth largest insurance company in America, New York Life. There he is handed a satchel of insurance claims, which he drives to JFK Airport. The satchel is then loaded aboard an Aer Lingus jet and flown to Dublin, Ireland, where American insurance claims will be processed by other people in another county. Why? Because New York Life cannot find enough young people in the metropolitan area, between the ages of twenty and thirty, who know how to read, write, and think clearly and critically enough to process insurance claims. Ireland has them."

There is a simple solution to this problem, read aloud to your children every day, even when they are old enough to read to themselves. "The more you read, the better you get at it; the better you get at it, the more you like it; and the more you like it, the more you do it." (The Read Aloud Handbook, pg. 4). Reading aloud should be fun, exciting and pleasurable for both the person reading and the child being read to, if it’s not, the child will not want to be read to and consequently not like to read later in life.

There are several do’s and don’ts when reading aloud to children, but he most important thing to do is to begin reading to infants, as soon as they are born!! Use rhyming book, such as Mother Goose rhymes and songs to help with language development. "Rhymers will be readers." (Reading Magic, pg. 85) There are many more do's than don't, the biggest "do" is do read to your children.

A few don’ts to follow when reading to your children include, don’t read books you don’t enjoy yourself. Have fun reading and make it a special time for both of you. Use books that are age appropriate for the child and make sure you have read the book prior to reading it aloud to be sure of it’s contents. Using books that the child doesn’t understand can turn them off of books for good.

Most parents begin working with their children by teaching them their letters first, then they move onto words and then the stories. According to Mem Fox this is exactly opposite of they way it should be done. If a parent reads aloud to their child early and often then the letters and words will naturally come into the child’s world.

One very important aspect of reading aloud to children is to discuss what’s being read to them. This helps the child to not only learn to read the words on the page, but to understand what they are reading, or being read to. A child can learn the words and read them from a book, but if they don’t understand what they are reading, then they are not reading.

According to Mem Fox there are three secrets of reading: being able to make the print mean something; understanding the language; and our knowledge. The more a person knows about life, the easier it will be to learn to read. One thing to keep in mind when working with older children; if the child is having trouble pronouncing a word, don’t have them try to sound it out, just tell them what it is and move on with the story. If the child worries too much about what certain words are they will forget about what they are reading. If they aren't comprehending the story, they really aren't reading.

If an older child is having trouble reading a particular book, it may be that it’s just too difficult for them. Suggesting nicely that maybe you could read some of it aloud to them might be a good idea. If the child is struggling with reading a book that is a bit out of their reading level, it very well might turn them off of reading forever. That is not what we want to happen!

Some simple things that parents can do to ensure their children become readers are to first and foremost, read to them. Second have books readily available around the house and take them to the library as often as possible. Make reading fun and make sure it’s done often. "Whatever happens in the world of school, continuing to read aloud to our children at home should solve most reading problems and will always be a lifeline to their happiness, their literacy, and their future." (Reading Magic, pg. 152).

Being the Parent of a Student-Athlete

From my 25 years in education, most of it spent as a teacher/coach, I have come to understand an unspoken language with coaches when they uttered one word: "Parents."
It speaks volumes. I know what the coach was thinking. We share an identical image from my years on the high school coaching scene: wackos in the stands screaming at officials or stalking outside locker-room doors ready to confront the coach.

Then I became one.

A parent that is.

The guy in the stands with a child in uniform. It didn't happen overnight, of course. There were countless youth games played, thousands of miles driven and untold drive-thrus visited from the time my children were 5 years old through my son's senior year. T-Ball, baseball, softball, volleyball, football, track, golf, wrestling, cheerleading, at some point in their growing up years, they did it all.

They learned a lot, and of course, so did I.

Here are the 10 biggest lessons I learned from being the parent of a student-athlete

No. 1. Have no expectations, for your child or the coach. If you go into the season thinking "This kid is going to be a star," you have just set your child, the coaches and yourself up for failure.

Trophies won from ages 5 to 15 don't mean a thing. What he or she did in middle school or on the freshman and junior varsity teams is almost as unimportant. So many kids who are young all-stars will fade away. Even among the seemingly "sure bets", some will lose interest, quit, peak early, become ineligible, the list goes on.

Conversely, for the little ones, puberty is like a magic bean. It takes them to unexpected places. I'm 6' 1'.  My wife is 5'9".  My son grew to be 6'2" and my daughter is 5 foot nothing.  Both found their niche. They found what they liked, what they excelled at, and they worked hard at those activities. Interestingly, neither picked what I probably would have predicted for them when they were first starting out.  It was astonishing to watch the transformation, and you will be amazed at the kids who weren't stars at early ages who stick with it and become valuable varsity performers.

No. 2. Give your child some space. Let her enjoy her successful moments and figure out how to deal with defeat, failure and disappointment. Don't get too wrapped up in the wins and losses. Your job is to make sure your child does not get too high after a win or too low after a loss.

No. 3. Try to have an objective view of your child's ability and build on his or her strengths. Don't tear him down by telling him what he did wrong unless the child comes looking for constructive criticism. Most of the time, the kid knows it better than you.

No. 4. Let your child make decisions that matter, with one caveat. When he or she considers quitting -- and most athletes have that moment -- make the child understand quitting is not the first option, especially once the season has begun. Dealing with adversity and persevering are important lessons.

No. 5. Grades really are the most important thing. The chances that he or she will get a college sports scholarship are almost nil, and even if the stars align and that happens, the kid still has to have good grades.

No. 6. Don't ignore injuries or signs of extreme mental and physical fatigue. If he or she is hurting, find out what it is. Playing injured can hurt the team and your child's long-term health.

No. 7. Let your child fight his or her own battles with the coach, especially with regard to the No. 1 complaint: playing time. Your kid has to learn how to deal with adults. It's part of growing up. He or she will have to confront professors and bosses, and this is a good place to learn. If it's another issue and you find it necessary to get involved, always wait a day to talk to the coach. Let your emotions subside and think clearly about the point you want to make. If you suspect there is hazing or abuse taking place, report it to the athletic director or principal immediately.

No. 8. Support the team and be a good fan. Volunteer, and don't wait to be asked. Attend booster club meetings. Get to know the other parents. Make your own positive experience in the stands, no matter what is going on below.

When you're at the game or event, cheer for everyone on your kid's team, not just your own. Don't be the jerk in the stands, the one yelling at the coach, your team, the other team, and mostly the officials. You are embarrassing your school, your child and yourself. If you don't have anything good to say, sit down and shut up. If you're not enjoying yourself, stay home. You won't be missed.

No. 9. Understand these are competitive sports. Once they are in high school, it's no longer Little League where every kid gets to play. There's going to be disappointment, heartache, unfairness and injuries. Unless it ends in a state championship, it will end in defeat. Your child is going to make mistakes. The coach will yell at him or her. That's what they do. Let it happen. He or she is not a baby anymore.

No. 10. Enjoy the ride. It will go by fast. Hug your child when it's over.

Iowa Blueprint for Reform in Education

Link to a description of the reform:  http://www.iowasenaterepublicans.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=entry&category=blogs&id=36%3Aiowas-education-reform-blueprint&Itemid=18#bookmarks

Link to a replay of this morning's chat (this is in text form):  http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/10/03/9-a-m-live-coverage-gov-branstad-unveils-iowa-education-reform-plan/


Here is my synopsis from this morning's press conference unveiling the blueprint for education reform in Iowa:

1.  Increase teacher salaries
2.  Change the structure of how teachers are paid to a four-tiered career ladder system.
3.  High stakes literacy tests at 3rd grade
4.  End-of-course exams and graduation testing for high school.
5.  Create competition through charter schools and competitive innovation grants.
6.  Create a system where teachers can work and learn together.

The goal to put a high quality teacher in every classroom, and a high quality principal in each building. Also, restrict those who go into to teaching to only the best and brightest.

My interpretation is not overly favorable right now.

Paying teacher more will make them better teachers?  I'm not opposed to paying teachers more.  I think in general, they should get a higher starting salary, but paying more without other changes will have little impact on the classroom.  I also know that part of the purpose is to attract quality candidates to become teachers.  Might work, but look at the states that have higher salaries than Iowa. Most of them also have a GREATER TEACHER SHORTAGE!

Pay teachers differently.  I agree that the 4X4 salary schedule, as it exists now, is archaic at best.  Teachers advance because we take a class and/or we advance because we lived to see another year. What Dr. Glass and Gov. Brandstad fail to acknowledge is that under current bargaining laws (i.e. Chapter 20) salary is a MANDATORY topic of bargaining.  The salary schedule has to be bargained locally during negotiations, so really it is within the power of each district to set up any salary schedule they want. Which begs the question that if there is something better out there, why hasn't it surfaced through the negotiation process? If you recall, the current 4X4 schedule actually originated from the Des Moines school district a number of years ago. Doesn't mention how this is supposed to directly impact instructional practices.

High-stakes testing.  If a third grade student doesn't test proficient on the literacy tests, they don't move on automatically.  They have to go through remediation (i.e. summer school).  This makes the assumption that all children acquire literacy skills at the same time, when we know through research that this is not true. That's not to say that we need to improve our practice of teaching reading in the primary grades.  We do, and we should. No mention of instructional practices.

More high-stakes testing.  End-of-course exams is not new reform, it's part of the Iowa Core (now know as the Common Core). Hey, but if they want to take credit.... The graduation exam is actually a re-hashed notion as well. Look to other states that have put this in place.  Cheating is an issue (by students and teachers). There have been lawsuits filed.  There are examples of errors in grading the tests and students being retained unnecessarily.  There is no indication in the blueprint on how special education falls into the plan for exit exams.  This one is going to require a great deal of thought and planning. Still no mention of instructional practices.

Competition for funding.  Charter schools. Charter schools in Iowa are public schools that operate outside of Chapter 12 requirements with permission from the DE.  Believe it or not, you can do this now in Iowa without being a charter school through the waiver laws that are in place. So really, in Iowa, we have the ability to establish alternative educational tracts for students if we so choose. If this is so, why don't we see more of it? Because the current philosophy behind a comprehensive K-12 system is one people buy into, in practice it works when the correct instructional practices are implemented.  The other part of the competition piece is having school compete for innovation funds through a grant process.  So, innovation is going to be in the sole hands of grant readers, rather than experts in educational practices.   I guarantee that this will lead to shallow innovations like interactive whiteboards, one-to-one laptop initiatives, and the like.  Again, never directly addressing instructional practices.

The question came up in the chat on how these reforms will be funded?  The response from the Governor was that more resources will have to go to education in the state budget.  Currently, 58% of the State of Iowa's budget is currently going to education. Again, I doubt throwing money at the problem is the correct course of action.  I would gladly accept more, but I think we need to cut back on some of the categorical funding and allow local control on how the funding is used. As with the salary issue, look at the states simply spending more on education and you will see two things. Most of them perform at a level below Iowa, and most of them have or had severe budget crisis. Requiring research-based instructional practices would cost the state no more money.  There would be some professional development required and that funding stream is already in place.

Both the Governor and Dr. Glass talked about creating a system where teachers can work together and learn together.  In this current day, professional learning communities are more the norm. These are groups of teachers learning and working together, reviewing student achievement data, and working to improve teaching and learning.  This exists already in many, if not most, schools. This leads me to a question, "Have the people working on this reform spent any significant time observing schools prior to addressing the so-called problems?"

It was also mentioned that teachers should have a voice in curriculum development and hiring.  Curriculum development has been, almost soley in the hands of the teachers since we started writing standards and benchmarks back in the late 80's early 90's and this practice hasn't changed much.  Currently, teachers are working hard on curriculum alignment with the Common Core.  I guess I don't know who Dr. Glass or Gov. Brandstad thinks has been doing this work.  As far as hiring goes, Although it was never directly stated, I take this to mean the hiring of teachers and administrators.  It is common practice for teachers to serve on interview teams for hiring administrators. In many schools, teachers sit on interview teams when hiring teachers as well, Again, this is a local decision, but this would be far from major reform.

My interpretation? What they are purposing is "change" not "reform."   To truly reform education, you need to implement research-based instructional practices consistently and with fidelity. Teachers need to be trained in what those effective strategies look like and how to develop lessons using them.  Principals need to be trained to look DOWN at the student tasks, what the students are actually doing in the classroom.  These are the things that will improve instruction, improve student learning, and ultimately, student achievement.  My suggestion to Dr. Glass and Governor Branstad will be to stop just rearranging the deck chairs and start building a better boat. Focus on training teachers and principals in the most effective instructional strategies and expecting some accountability on how they are being used consistently.  The other stuff is all window dressing and won't get us to where we truly need to be.

Why Integrate Technology into the Classrooms?

Technology is ubiquitous, touching almost every part of our lives, our communities, our homes. Yet most schools lag far behind when it comes to integrating technology into classroom learning. Many are just beginning to explore the true potential tech offers for teaching and learning. Properly used, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological knowledge-based economy.

Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.

Many people believe that technology-enabled project learning is the ultimate in classroom instruction. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.

The myriad resources of the online world also provide each classroom with more interesting, diverse, and current learning materials. The Web connects students to experts in the real world and provides numerous opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and text.

New tech tools for visualizing and modeling, especially in the sciences, offer students ways to experiment and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in understanding. And, as an added benefit, with technology tools and a project-learning approach, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral problems in the classroom.

Technology  changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun.

Changing the System

"Twenty years of schoolin' and they put you on the day shift" - Bob Dylan

This is not a post that professes to have the solution to changing our current education system. It's actually quite the contrary.  I'm looking for answers and clarity.

Up to now, the current education change speak pushes more academic rigor (which I tend to agree with to a point).  It also speaks to preparing each child for college. Sometimes the change agents come right out and says it, sometimes it's inferred.  This part, I am not in agreement with, at all.

I think that this is the exact type of thinking that is, in part, responsible for our economic problems and I am not speaking of the problems over the past 10 years. I am talking about the imbalance in trade and the gradual gap that has been widening between the haves and the have-nots over the past 5 decades. The disappearing traditional middle class.

A college degree is not the answer, and certainly not preparing each child for a four year college education. We continue to hear that kids can't find decent paying jobs, a living wage, benefits, etc...with a high school diploma.  I don't know that this is always the case. Now, I do believe that training or education beyond high school is a great thing.  I also think that the ability to continue to learn throughout one's life is critical.  I also know that there are more entry level jobs that need some form of post secondary training.  I just feel that for the masses, a liberal arts bachelor degree is counter productive.

So what do we need?  We need to focus our secondary schools more toward technical reading, giving students opportunities to problem-solve, create, synthesize, write creatively, express themselves. Yes, math, science, reading, history, economics, foreign languages are all still important, but we need to be delivering them in context not in isolation.  I also firmly believe that for the majority of students community college, junior college, technical schools are not only adequate, but a much better choice.  We need to be preparing the majority of our student for that type of a post-secondary experience, not a liberal arts education.

What we have been creating is a labor force looking for supervisory, managerial, white collar jobs.  This is being pushed by, primarily well educated, white collars or university system.  The reality is that you can get a bachelor degree in subject areas that have no real world career track. This sets not only our children up for eventual failure and disappointment but it creates an economic structure where the labor force refuses to be true laborers. An imbalance occurs. People refuse to accept certain living wage jobs because the job is below them.  A void is created and in nature there are no voids, the void gets filled. In this case the void gets filled by a foreign labor force, and/or an immigrant labor force.  Eventually, the United States won't be known for "making" or manufacturing anything.....wait....we're there now!

This Is Not Your Father's Education...

The title is a play on the old car commercial "this is not your father's Oldsmobile" but the same can be said for education today.  Even though most schools look pretty much the same on the outside as they have for many years, the teaching and learning are quickly changing....and it should.

The world we need to prepare students for is vastly different than the one I stepped into as a young man.  The need to know "The Three R's" is still important, but today's students need much more than rote learning.  In a 21st century world, we need to know how to access information, analyze and apply information, collaborate with others, communicate through a variety of mediums and create.

I invite you to view a YouTube video produced in June of 2007 by Dr. Scott McLeod on our students changing needs and the world they need to be prepared to enter.  Dr. McLeod is currently a professor at Iowa State University. You can view the video by clicking the link below.  Enjoy
Scott McLeod - Did You Know (Shift Happens) 4.0