Just like at Within Reach Learning Center, we believe practicing spelling lists in a fun will make it more enjoyable for everyone! Try one of these great ideas! It will be a great way to reinforce your normal practice.

Here are some great ideas:

FUN Spelling Practice

 Rainbow Words – Write your words in three colors

Backwards Words- Write your words forwards, then backwards.

Silly sentences -Use all your words in ten sentences

Math Game:  Math War

Math concepts: greater-than/less-than, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, negative numbers, absolute value, and multi-step problem solving.

The game of Math War is worth more than a thousand math drill worksheets, letting you build your children’s calculating speed in a no-stress, no-test way.
• Materials needed:
You will need several decks of math cards (regular cards with the jack, queen, king, and jokers removed.)To give a greater challenge to older children, I make each player a double deck of math cards. This gives each player a 56-card deck full of the toughest problems to calculate.

War Variations: For most variations, the basic 3-down-1-up battle pattern becomes 2-down-2-up. For advanced games, however, the battle pattern is different: in case of a tie, the cards are placed in a center pile. The next hand is played normally, with no cards turned down, and the winner takes the center pile as well.

Addition War—Players turn up two cards. The highest sum wins.

Advanced Addition War—Turn up three (or four) cards and add them together.

Subtraction War—Players turn up two cards and subtract the smaller number from the larger. This time, the greatest difference wins.

Product War—Turn up two cards and multiply.

Advanced Product War—Turn up three (or four) cards and multiply.

Fraction War—Players turn up two cards and make a fraction, using the smaller card as the numerator. Greatest fraction wins.

Improper Fraction War—Turn up two cards and make a fraction, using the larger card as the numerator. Greatest fraction wins.

Integer Addition War—Black cards are positive numbers; red cards are negative. The greatest sum wins. Remember that -2 is greater than -7.

Integer Product War—Black cards are positive numbers; red cards are negative. The greatest product wins. Remember that two negative numbers make a positive product.

Multi-Digit War—Turn up two or three cards and create a 2-digit or 3-digit number.

Now grab your child, and go play Math Games! You can spend as little as 5 minutes a day and it will make a big difference!

What other math games do you play at home that you would recommend?

Homework should not be a battle. Here are some steps you can take to encourage your elementary-age child to take responsibility for his own homework assignments. Although lots there are lots of tutoring places in Orange County, it still does not solve the homework problem. Within Reach Learning Center has some helpful tips for you:

Remove distractions – Do homework in a quiet place that does not have distractions. Turn off the TV; don’t expect your child to do homework in a room where siblings are playing.

Establish a routine – Set a specific “homework time” such as right after supper. Require that homework be complete before your child can watch TV, use the phone, etc.

Prioritize – Encourage your child to work first on those assignments that are due tomorrow. Then tackle the tasks that are due later. Help your child plan his studying so that projects are not left until the last minute. An assignment book can be a big help with this.

Check understanding – Be sure your child understands new assignments before he or she starts working on them. This one can save lots of late-evening tears!

Guide, but don’t correct – If your child needs help, offer ideas that can help her sort out the problem, but don’t give her the answers.

Get organized for tomorrow – Remind your child to pack the backpack before going to bed. Even the best homework effort doesn’t do much good if it’s left on the kitchen table!

What are your best tips for homework help? Comment on this blog post and let me know what works best for your family.

Who was chosen this month????

Reading

I have noticed that students have been having trouble with their comprehension, so I decided to make a comprehension challenge for the Student of the Month. All month we worked on techniques and new stories to focus on comprehnsion. We played lots of comprension games and did lots of book reports.

At the end of the month, we had two students that did a super job!

Taree

Taree did such a great job this month on comprehension! She was so excited and motivated throughout the whole month. She did a great job reading all the stories and answering my comprehension questions. She answered my questions with great ease and accuracy. In the end, she answered 66 out of 70 questions correctly. I am so proud of Taree. She is a true pleasure to teach. When she comes to class, the teachers cannot help but smile because she brings a level of excitement to the class that is really appreciated!

Arav

Arav also did an awesome job with his comprehension this month! He also got 66 questions correct out of 70! He has been at Within Reach Learning Center for quite some time! He is reading really well and quickly, and the amazing thing is that his comprehension is just as strong! He was very motivated throughout the whole month, and ended up tying with Taree on the last day of the competition. He was super excited! Arav is such a wonderful child. He is always thoughtful and helpful in class, and he always tries his best. I have loved being his teacher for so long, and I am so proud of him for being Student of the Month!

Math

We have been noticing for quite some time that the kids are makes lots of careless mistakes with their math problems, and lots of them are based on just messy writing. So, we came up with a challenge for all the math students this month: write neatly. We bought new white boards that have grids on them, so the kids will work harder to write neater and to line up their numbers and problems. It really seemed to help.

Matthew did an awesome job this month, and he was awarded Student of the Month. Every time the kids wrote neatly throughout the month, they received a point. Matthew received almost triple the amount of points than any of the other kids! He was so motivated the whole month. He has been coming to Within Reach Learning Center for over a year to build on his math skills, and I am so impressed that he is always happy in class, and he is motivated to improve on his writing and skills. I am proud that he always puts forth 100% in class.

Our Within Reach parent said, “he loved it and requested that we buy ALL the other books. They are perfect for boys and he can read it on his own. I even enjoyed reading it (I read it so I can quiz him to make sure he was reading it )”

Ready Freddy

Meet Freddy Thresher, a fun-loving first grader with a nose for trouble. He’s determined to get through school with the help of his best friends, parents, teachers, and maybe even a shark or two.

Written by Abby Klein, a teacher and parent, the READY, FREDDY! chapter book series captures all of the humor, drama, and excitement that kids will recognize from their own lives.

Ready, Freddy Activities

In addition to the main story, each book includes puzzle pages and shark tips (since his last name is just like the thresher shark’s, Freddy is an expert). Freddy’s adventures will have kids laughing, learning, and talking about their own experiences in and out of the classroom.

Ready…
Freddy…
READ!

What is your favorite Ready, Freddy book? Let us know by commenting below.

Junie B. Jones is a children’s book series written by Barbara Park and illustrated by Denise Brunkus. The story is written in Junie B.’s perspective.

Remember when it was scary to go to school because it was your first day and you didn’t know anything. Meet Junie B. Jones, kindergartner. She’sso scared of the school bus and the meanies on it that when it’s time to go home, she doesn’t. In her own words, a young girl describes her feelings about starting kindergarten and what she does when she decides not to ride the bus home.

Junie B. Jones books are great for readers who are just starting to enjoy chapter books.They are great for 6-9 year olds. There are 29 books, so your child will be interested for quite some time.

Characters

Junie Beatrice “Junie B.” Jones The series’ title character and main protagonist. Junie B. lives with her parents, and her baby brother, Ollie. She also has a dog named Tickle. She is 5 years old in the first kindergarten adventures, and six in the second. Junie B. is friendly and has a bright personality.^[1] In Kindergarten, her two best friends are Lucille and Grace. In the first grade, her best friends are Herb, Jose, and Lennie. Junie B. has two rivals: Jim in kindergarten and a May in first grade. In kindergarten, her classroom is Room Nine, and in First Grade, Room One. Junie B.’s favorite foods are spaghetti and meatballs, lemon pie, and ice cream. She has many catchphrases, such as “Wowie wow wow!”, “Yeah, only”, and “Hello! How are you today?”. She is afraid of roosters because she thinks “they can peck your head into a nub”, ponies because she thinks “they can stomple you to the ground and kill you”, and clowns because she thinks “they are not normal people”. She is shown to have brown hair and blue-green eyes. In the kindergarten series she was shown with short hair and a bow, yet in the first grade series she had longer, messier hair and the bow was dropped, being replaced by her purple glasses. In Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy, she is shown that she wants to be a “beauty shop guy” herself.

Robert “Bob” Jones Junie B.’s and Ollie’s lovable father, whom Junie B. calls “Daddy.” He takes Junie B. to the beauty shop with him in Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy, where she causes a disaster. In Junie B., First Grader: One Man Band, he teaches Junie B. to juggle. Robert is said to be playful and silly around his daughter. In Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy, Junie B. says “he has other names too. Some people call him Bob, and other people call him Bobby. Plus today my mother called him Ace.”

Susan Jones Junie B.’s and Ollie’s protective mother, whom Junie B. calls “Mother.” Since Junie B. loves ice cream, Susan made a rule at the grocery store that Junie B. can’t shout “I WANT ICE CREAM!” and not to call her a “big meanie” when she won’t buy it. It’s possible that Susan’s maiden name was Susan B. Miller, and that Frank and Helen Miller are Susan’s parents. She is shown to have short, blonde hair and wears make-up. In Top Secret Personal Beeswax, Junie B. says “sometimes Daddy calls her Buttercup. That is ridiculous, I think.” In Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School she is said to have been at a school called Brainerd Elementary in 1st grade between 1983 and 1984 on her old report card, which she did not do so well on. Junie B. sees the report card and says “Mother was a bad kid.”

Oliver “Ollie” Jones Junie B.’s baby brother. He is born in the book Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. In Junie B., First Grader: BOO! And I Mean It, he is said to be ten months old in the month of October, so he is probably born in December. Junie B. dislikes her brother, and they have somewhat of a sibling rivalry. However, she does show that she cares for him sometimes, like in Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder where Junie B. concludes that Ollie’s first tooth was the baby tooth Junie B. lost, and she smiles at him. Ollie’s first word was “moo” which was revealed in Junie B., First Grader: BOO…and I MEAN It! which was the reason he was dressed up in a cow suit. In Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim’s Birthday he is shown to have a hard time to get to sleep .

Frank Miller Junie B.’s grandfather, or as she calls him, Grampa Miller. Grampa Miller, along with his wife, Helen Miller, babysits for her and her brother while their parents are at work. Junie B. calls Grampa Miller her “favoritest babysitter ’cause he doesn’t even follow the ‘structions!” In Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, he is shown to be a smoker and smokes a cigar indoors. Junie B. enjoys helping him fix the upstairs toilet and “touching the big ball that floats on top.”

Helen Miller Junie B.’s grandmother, Grandma Miller. Grandma Miller also babysits for Junie B. and her brother on occasion. Junie B. often calls her grandmother by her first name, Helen, much to the woman’s annoyance. Grandma Miller has a pet canary bird named Twitter.

Phillip Johnny Bob Junie B.’s beloved stuffed elephant. She brings him on trips with her, as seen in Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal and Aloha-ha-ha!. Junie B. seems to feel a lot safer when he is around, as shown in Junie B. Jones has a Monster Under her Bed and BOO! And I MEAN It!. In “Aloha-ha-ha!”, Junie B.’s mother brings her a new Hawaiian Barbie doll which Junie B. names Delores. Phillip Johnny Bob is shown to dislike Delores because of her “pointy, hard hands” poking him in the backpack while on the trip to Hawaii. Delores is only mentioned in this book.

Friends

Lucille Junie B.’s rich and somewhat spoiled best friend in kindergarten. She has a Nanna who pampers her and always gives her what she wants. Although Lucille is in Junie B.’s first grade class, she deserts Junie B. in the beginning of the first grade and befriends the African-American twins, Camille and Chenille. Junie B. says that she doesn’t like Lucille very much in the first grade series. She is considered the queen bee or the school diva of the book series. In Junie B. Jones and her Big Fat Mouth, she is shown to have brown hair, although in Junie B. Jones sticker books, she is shown to have blond hair. She also has an older brother.

Grace Junie B.’s athletic, African-American best friend in Kindergarten. Like Junie B., she has a baby brother. Grace is a very fast runner and wears pink high-top sneakers. In contrast with Junie B., Grace is very well-behaved, and she speaks with proper grammar. She sits with Junie B. every day on the school bus in Kindergarten. In first grade she makes a new friend named Bobbi Jean Piper, whom Junie B. shares a rivalry with. Junie B. says she likes Grace better than Lucille and refers to her as “That Grace”. Grace is known to be competitive and a bit of a show-off. She sometimes fights with Lucille. She also has a younger brother.

Ricardo -Junie B.’s “boyfriend” in kindergarten until Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl where Junie B. confronts him about chasing “New” Thelma and says that only boyfriends and girlfriends should chase each other. In which Ricardo tells her that they should start “chasing other people” and leaves, much to Junie B’s dismay. Ricardo also wants to be a construction worker when he grows up. In Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal it is shown that Junie B knows Ricardo’s father.

Paulie Allen Puffer A boy in Junie B.’s kindergarten class that often tells her scary or funny stories which she always believes are true. In Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed, he tells her about the monster that lives under the bed which rekindles her fear of monsters. In Junie B. Jones is a Graduation Girl he tells her that being in the first grade is really fun because they are the boss of the kindergarteners. He is friends with Jim and seems to be one of the oldest students in the class. In Junie B., First Grader: BOO…and I MEAN It! he tells Junie B. “five scary secrets”. Paulie also has an older brother.

William A very shy and soft spoken boy who Junie B. says would be easy for her to beat up. She refers to him as “Crybaby William”. He can be upset very easily as seen in Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim’s Birthday when she runs past him stealing his invitation. He also has stage fright as seen in Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy when he became nervous after the teacher asked him if he’d like to take out his pet frog and also in Junie B. Jones is a Graduation Girl when he tries to run away during graduation rehearsal.

Roger A blonde boy in of Junie B.’s kindergarten and first grade class. He sometimes isn’t known, but in Junie B. Jones is Captain Field Day, he tried to win the field day race. Also in Junie B., First Grader: Shipwrecked, he threw up Cheerios on the floor and is sent back home.

Herbert “Herb” Junie B.’s best friend in first grade. He seems to dislike May as much as Junie B. does. In Junie B. Top Secret Personal Beeswax, he and Junie B. seem to have a crush on each other.

Jose Another one of Junie B.’s best friends in first grade. He is Hispanic and speaks Spanish. Sometimes, he greets Junie B. in Spanish. Jose won the bouquet of flowers for his mother in Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny.

Lennie Another one of Junie B.’s best friends in first grade. He is quiet and almost always agrees with Junie B., Herb, and Jose. Lennie often brags about his spiky hair.

Sheldon Potts A good friend of Junie B. in first grade. He is one of a handful of characters whose first and last names are known. Sheldon is known for showing his bare feet in class when taking off his shoes and socks. He can be awfully shy in front of a crowd as revealed in Junie B., First Grader: One Man Band. In Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny, he and Lucille are shown to have a crush on each other. He is shown to have blonde hair.

Shirley Another good friend of Junie B. in first grade. Although there is not much is known about her, she sometimes chats with Junie B. She is shown to have short black hair.

Zachary Not shown in the Junie B. Jones collection. Except for Junie B. Jones is a Second Grader.

Rivals

Jim Junie B.’s Kindergarten rival. He teases her early on in the series, like in “Junie B. Jones and that Meanie Jim’s Birthday”, he didn’t invite her to his party, even though his mom told him to give out invitations to the whole class. But in Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine, he admits he has a crush on her through the valentine and become friends. In “Junie B. Jones is a Graduation Girl”, after he heard about Junie B.’s grape juice accident, he makes the class color their white gowns and caps too with their own colors.

May Junie B.’s first grade rival. She sits beside Junie B. in the back of the classroom in the first grade adventures. May often calls to Junie B. “Junie Jones”, which really upsets her. They frequently disrupt the class with their arguing. The only time they are ever nice to each other is at the end of Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells (P.S. So Does May). May doesn’t like to admit that she is a little jealous of Junie B. Also, she is a notorious tattletale.

Teachers

Mrs. Junie B.’s kindergarten teacher, and head of Room Nine. In all of the Kindergarten adventures, Junie B. says: “Her name is Mrs. She has another name too but I just like Mrs. and that’s all.” In the first book, Junie B. says that she does not remember the teacher’s last name. In Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying, Junie B. caught Mrs. stealing grapes while at a grocery store.

Mr. Scary Junie B.’s first grade teacher and current teacher. She believes that he made up his name because he is actually very nice and “doesn’t scare her, hardly.” He makes his class keep journals, where they write about whatever subjects they want. Mr. Scary often has to break up Junie B. and May’s arguments. He can also be very firm when Junie B. and May tattle on each other.

Principal The principal at Junie B.’s school, whom she believes lives in his office and is “the king of the school, only he doesn’t actually wear a crown.” She refers to him only as “Principal.” They get to know each other pretty well during the kindergarten series since Junie B’s antics often wind up getting her sent to the office. Junie B. does not like to go to his office because there is a “scary typing lady” in there that is somewhat mean, never smiles, and always “forces” her to sit in a blue chair which she says is “where bad kids have to sit.” Her mom eventually made a rule at home that getting herself sent to the office would get her “grounded, young lady.”

Gus Vallony The janitor. He helps Junie B. when she is accidentally locked in the school in Stupid, Smelly Bus. She dresses up as a janitor for career day in Big Fat Mouth. He cleans up “splat-o” (vomit) in Shipwrecked.

Mrs. Gladys Gutzman The school cafeteria lady. She brings cookies to the kindergarten students. In Boss of Lunch, Junie B. helps her out in the cafeteria after she complains about how the first graders don’t get cookies.

Mrs. Weller The school nurse. In Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying she puts a band-aid on Junie B.’s head after Lucille tells her “it’s not a good idea to keep secrets inside your head”, after which Junie B. runs into the office yelling “my head’s gonna blow!” In First Grader At Last! she tells Junie B. that she needs glasses after Mr. Scary finds out she has issues reading from the board. Minor Characters Bonnie Bonnie is Joe’s niece in Junie B Jones is Almost a flower Girl.

Mrs. Stichnot Junie B’s second grade teacher.

For the school-aged child, family dinners are a time to share and talk.  This is where they practice telling you about school, their friends, the picture they drew that day, the insect they found in the backyard or what books they are reading.  This is a time to practice manners. Many families have a regular way of sharing the day’s experiences: “What was the best and worst thing that happened today?,” “Highs and Lows,” or “What are you thankful for?”

As kids get older, family dinners are even more important.  Teens are going through a developmental stage where they are separating from their parents and joining a peer group.  Keeping tabs on them while they make this transition is important, and family meals give you a regular time to sit and talk about what’s up.  If family dinners are a regular occurrence, you’ll notice when something is bothering your teen.

Take the time to sit down and eat with your kids, even if it’s not convenient.  It doesn’t have to be every night, and it doesn’t have to be both parents.

Recently, one of my clients told me that they have a jar of questions, and the kids love to answer them. Here is one site that releases 30 new questions a month.

Each night at dinner time pull out one question and read it to the family. Some are silly and some are serious.   Get to know each other better and smile as you create memories with your loved ones!

http://www.howdoesshe.com/christmas-present-to-our-readers

It seems like a lot of behavior issues and bad grades are related to eye sight or hearing. Here is great article I found:

Poor Eyesight Can Lead To Bad Grades

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=20974

More than 10 million children (one in four) in the United States will go back to school this fall with an undetected vision problem that can interfere with learning. Despite this disturbing figure, a survey released today by the Vision Council of America (VCA) found that only 6% of parents recognize that vision problems can lead to difficulties in school.

Nearly 80% of what a child learns is obtained visually. Research indicates that 70% of the 2 million school-age children who have difficulty in reading have some form of visual impairment, such as ocular motor, perceptual or binocular dysfunction.

“If a child is struggling in school, it is important that a parent consider his or her vision,” said Dr. Joel Zaba, Virginia Beach optometrist and researcher. “While there are several reasons why a child may not perform well academically, it’s clear that vision has a great impact on how much and/or how quickly a child learns. Children should not be sent to school without having all the proper tools ? paper, pencils, books and good vision.”

Despite the compelling statistics, less than half of the parents surveyed by VCA had taken their child for a comprehensive eye exam in the past year. Forty-one percent of those polled believed that a simple vision screening was sufficient in detecting vision problems. Research shows, however, that the simple vision screening, commonly used by a pediatrician or a school nurse, detects only 5% of all vision problems. Simple vision screenings can offer early indications of problems relating to distance vision, but often screenings miss other critical vision deficiencies that can impact eye health and a child’s performance in the classroom.

“We recommend that all students have a regular comprehensive eye exam,” said Professor Sally L. Smith, founder and director of The Lab School of Washington. “A child may not realize that there is a problem and that everyone doesn’t see the same way he or she does. School can be difficult enough. As parents and educators, we owe it to our children to address vision problems before they negatively impact academic performance.”

A comprehensive eye exam given by an eyecare professional is considered the most reliable and accurate method of diagnosing and treating vision problems. It evaluates eye health and key visual skills essential to learning, such as using both the eyes as a team, the ability for the eyes to focus properly when reading a book or viewing a computer screen and the ability for the eyes to move properly when reading across the page of print.

Ten signs that might be seen in a child with vision difficulties are:

1. Squinting, closing or covering one eye
2. Holding a book close to the face
3. Losing his/her place while reading
4. Headache, nausea or dizziness
5. Excessive clumsiness
6. Tilting the head to one side
7. Frequent daydreaming
8. Using a finger as a place mark while reading
9. Performing below potential
10. Rubbing eyes repeatedly

Here is a great, free app to help kids learn to be safe online. http://playbeseen.com/

BeSeen is provided by Carnegie Mellon University and Web Wise Kids to teach youth how to be responsible in social networks by securing their private and personal information, protecting their online reputation and defending their peers. This online safety mobile application is a single-player game that simulates a social networking website. The player creates a profile and starts earning “friend” characters and interacting with them. They learn about others through their posts and help them through challenges in order to win awards and make new friends.

In BeSeen, the ultimate quest is to make friends. At first, that is a matter of getting involved in school activities, but as more friends join a social circle, they bring their problems with them. To keep friends and make more, it’s important not only to be involved but to be a good friend. Who is up for the challenge?

Check out a demo here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SQsQgDXR1XU

Recent Facts and Statistics:

93% of teens ages 12-17 go online

27% of teens use their phone to get online

As many as 7.5 million Facebook users in the U.S. are under age 13 — a
violation of Facebook’s user policies.