Botanical Gardens

The Best Teachers...

"The best teachers and parents are the ones who are able to think outside the box and put themselves in the mind-set of the children they teach. They are able to find what works and are willing to try many different techniques until they discover the best solution to helping their children learn."

excerpt from The Excellent 11, Ron Clark

What My Kids Teach Me

I realise that I'm being a tad negligent of my blogging duties. Life as a busy mom seems to have gotten even busier of late! Well, here's a little something to keep things going.

Things I've learned from my kids over the past week:

1. Kids learn better through play; especially when they play outdoors.--When they get to have more outside time, they are happier during school time, their creativity increases, and their understanding of the world around them deepens.

2. I'm the best, most beautiful mommy in the whole wide world. ;-)

3. Guiding my kids lovingly up the path of life is made a whole lot easier by setting clear boundaries and following through and what I tell them.

4. Some of the things that I have corrected my kids for (specifically my oldest boy) are things that I also do. The best way to help them learn and change is by changing myself.

5. Stories, cuddles, and talk times at bedtime are worth so so much!

I'm quite sure that I could keep adding to this list. But for now, I'll sign off with a smile...how thankful I am that I can learn something new each day and that I live such an exciting life! It's great to be a mom!

More of My Stuff

Check out these pages of mine from time to time:

African Adventures--Here you'll find all of the stories I've written about our time in Africa (as soon as I can find them all). Eventually I will have all my Gambia Logs linked to this page too!

Quotes for Parents and Teachers--I'll add quotes and anecdotes, poems, etc. as I find them.

XO

A Day in Our Lives...

I’ve never been good at keeping a diary and my journals were limited to two or three entries a year. But I really would like to try to say a little something about our family antics at least a few days each week. Hopefully that “little something” could be useful to someone!

With all that said, I will start with the highlight of today:

Making whole wheat biscuits for breakfast with my kids. YES, I’m quite sure that along with many other small miracles throughout the day, our science class, math class, and home economics class cleverly disguised as a baking project, was tops. I was filled with such a sense of fulfillment and joy as I baked with my kids early this morning.

First of all, I prayed for direction and got that I shouldn’t worry too much about the schedule. I knew that getting involved in a family baking project first thing in the morning would push our schedule back a bit. But, the kids do really learn best by doing things so enhancing their school time with a hands-on activity like baking was well worth the time! Of course, it took us twice as long to finish cooking than if I had done it all by myself. As we measured, sifted, poured, stirred, kneaded, and molded, I discussed measurements, fractions, ratios, multiplying, chemical changes, digestion, etc. I also discussed health and hygiene a bit after catching the kids sneaking bites of the raw dough! The biscuits turned out great and we had a nice bonding experience that got us off to a good start for the day!

Making Connections: Helping Children Build Their Brains

by Janice Fletcher, Associate Professor Child, Family, and Consumer Studies
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho

The first years of life hold the most critical periods for brain development. A hundred billion brain cells develop in the nine months that a mother's womb nurtures a developing person. When the child is born, these billions of brain cells, called neurons, begin to connect to help a child build a useful brain. These connections are called synapses. The number of synapses multiplies to make trillions of connections that form a "map" with increasingly more complex connections. The network of connections influences intellectual capacity, memory, problem solving, and language. Most of these connections are made in early childhood with the first year being remarkably busy!

There is no longer a question of "if" it is helpful to provide a stimulating environment for children. Research tells us that it is not only helpful if you do, but that a child is robbed of optimal brain development, if you do not. The development of the brain cells is human physiology, but development of many of the synapses is influenced by experiences. The brain cells form the framework, but the connections made in childhood determine what happens to that framework.

These first years are the period when the brain has the greatest hope for growth and construction. The synapses are strengthened by exposure to experiences. Experience provides stimulation that kick starts development of the synapses. Expanding from that base then develops more complex connections. Research tells us that synapses that are not stimulated are eliminated. They are pruned. They die. They wither. They are no longer there for use by the child.

When children are stimulated, neurotransmitters fire in the brain, creating synapses. When children relax, brain cells work with great efficiency. When children are stressed, cortisol, a "stress" hormone, washes over the brain. This "stress" hormone causes death of brain cells.

Children who receive loving care and strong attachments to others have low levels of cortisol. The implication of this information is that caregivers must give attention to providing relaxed environments and warm and loving attachments between children and adults. Key points are to hold children often, make soft places for them, and to be liberal with stroking and caressing to decrease stress hormones. Smile, hold, and caress them to give their brains a chance to be bathed in the comfort of warm and supportive adults.

There are windows of opportunity for "wiring" the brain. If the connections are not made during these windows, the child will have fewer connections or no connections for developing strength in that area. As children progress through these periods of whirlwind synapses building, adults should provide stimulation that connects experiences to everyday routines, then expand a bit. The brain works from simple connections to develop complex synapses networks. For example, synapses for developing language are connecting in the one to three year period. This means the child needs stimulation that provides interesting and varied listening and speaking experiences. Basic to this is for the caregiver to talk and listen. Children need face to face talk as their synapses network. Engage the child, and be engaged by the child in a dance of conversation. When a child coos or utters a syllable, repeat it. Then elaborate on it. When children hear your words and make sounds, brain connections are made. Talk slowly. Pause. Wait for a response. Give time to respond. Note where you accent words. Change the tone and inflections of your voice. Sing. Play music and sing along. Children need to make sounds and feel the delight and results that making sounds brings. Sound helps develop brain connections that help a child respond to others. Synapses are strongest when the learning has a function. Words that get results are stimulating. The thrill that accompanies asking why, what, and when questions may come from a synapse connecting.

Choose activities that give children opportunities to make choices using memory. Toddlers and preschoolers respond to sorting, matching, and classifying games. Examples are sorting, naming, and assigning colors or numbers to common items such as socks, silverware, blocks, and pictures. Games that stimulate memory give the brain exercise in planning. Classics such as peekaboo, go find it, and who is missing give children chances to remember. Lotto games stimulate children to "plan backwards." Decision- making builds connections of thought. Music learning stimulates problem solving. When music training is begun between the ages of three and ten years, the brain develops connections for spatial orientation and classification. Fill the environment with toys and activities that have a cause and effect of sound and action. Show children how to listen to the sounds when they tap on a bowl with spoons and or on pot lids with wooden spoons. Present the sounds of the xylophone as individual notes or as trills. Fill film canisters with different items. Tape the lids shut and shake, shake, shake.

Development of social skills is dependent on synapses that help a child understand social references. As children engage each other and interact with adults, they develop references for what to expect from other people and how to treat others. Pat a cake, for example, is a game that helps to build brain connections for turn taking. Pointing out that a child can look at another child's face to see whether the child is happy or sad helps build social referents in the child's synapses. The impact of the research on brain development suggests that we educate ourselves about the windows of opportunity for brain development. We must provide warm, responsive individual caregiving. A stimulating environment with many and varied things to do is essential to keep those synapses healthy and alive.

Parents and care providers must be aware of and responsive to the characteristics of child development. Early childhood professionals must keep up with the research. Take a child development course. Read current books and journals. Learn about the mounting scientific support for nurturing children's brain development. Take advantage of the opportunities to teach others about how to stimulate children's brains.

Hold parent information sessions to talk about brain development. Help parents know what to expect from their children and ways to stimulate their brains. Encourage parents to receive early and comprehensive prenatal care. Distribute information about prenatal nutrition and the effects of alcohol and drug use on the developing brain of the child.

Recent brain research is remarkable information for those who care for and educate children. It tells us that the things we do or DO NOT DO affect the potential of our children.

Additional Reading
Begley, S. 1997 How to build a baby's brain. Newsweek, Special Edition, Spring-Summer, 28-32.
Shore, R. 1997 Rethinking the brain: New insights into early development. Families and Work Institute, New York, New York.
Jabs. C. 1996 Working Mother, 19, 24-28.
Newberger, J 1997 New brain development research-a wonderful window of opportunity to build public support for early childhood education!, Young Children, 52:4, 4-9.

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Janice Fletcher. (2004). Making Connections: Helping Children Build Their Brains. Storrs, CT: National Network for Child Care at the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System.

To All Mothers...

Your masterpiece

Raising a child is like painting a masterpiece. As the painter applies layer upon layer to her canvas, day by day you shape the life of your little one.
The artist doesn’t begin with the smallest details, but uses broad strokes to map the basic shapes of her painting. Then, with patience and great care, she adds new tones and a little more detail each day, until finally she can step back and admire her handiwork-a finished product she can be proud of.
So it is for mothers: Patiently and with tender loving care, mothers help transform little children into mature men and women.
One day you will step back and admire your work of art. Others will never fully understand or appreciate the years of hard work and loving care it took to produce your masterpiece, but you and I will-and we will know that it was worth it all!

(excerpt from the Aurora Productions book, From Jesus With Love - For Women)

On Being a Mom

Author unknown

Before I was a mom…

I made and ate hot meals.

I had unstained clothing.

I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a mom…

I slept as late as I wanted on weekends

And never worried about how late I got into bed.

Before I was a mom…

I cleaned the house each day.

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a mom…

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about childhood diseases.

Before I was a mom…

I had never been puked on-
Pooped on-
Spit on-
Chewed on-
Peed on-

Or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a mom…

I had complete control of my mind,

My thoughts,

My body.

I slept all night.

Before I was a mom…

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a mom…

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a mom.

Before I was a mom…

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a mom…

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known,

The warmth-
The joy-
The love-
The heartache-
The wonderment-
Or the satisfaction of being a mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a mom.

Excellent Articles About Teaching Kids to Work

I'm on a push right now to continue to motivate my kids to become professional happy helpers. The goal is that they will eventually be self-motivated to work and help out around the house. This means tuning into their work habits and putting in the time to teach and train them. I was just realizing that though they are usually enthusiastic helpers, there is so much more they could be doing and their initiative has a lot of room to grow. As the kids were growing up I made the mistake of cleaning up after them a lot because it was the quickest thing to do. Ok, so it's never too late and I have decided that I will take the time to teach my kiddos the right way to work no matter how long it takes! Teaching a kid the correct way to clean is often quite time consuming--but it is well worth the effort! Tonight, as I was tucking my kids in bed, I asked Kyle, my five year-old, what the highlight of his day was. He smiled really big and then told me, "when I was working in the yard with daddy."

I found a BLOG yesterday which I thought was interesting. I didn't have time to do much more than skim over the posts and I liked what I saw. The BLOG's called "The Lazy Organizer" but this full-time mom is definitely not lazy! Anway, she wrote some good articles about teaching kids to work. I read the first two and was able to glean some tips. Here are the links to the series of articles for you to check out:

Part I, Whose Job is It?
Part II, Getting Rid of the Clutter
Part III, Let Them Help
Part IV, It Takes Time
Part V, Work Together
Part VI, Learn to Practice
Part VII, Make it Easy

Learning Styles and Work Habits

I'm learning to take the time to meditate and pray about my kids' personalities and individual needs. I see that I can't compare them to each other or other kids. A method that works for one might not work for the other. Each is unique and has their own way of learning from life and it's imperative that I understand this! When it comes to the kids' work habits I sometimes run a bit short of patience. Well, when I stop and pray, I'm shown the way. Often the key to keeping myself from feeling like a nag is to stop talking (more like yelling in some cases) so much and pointing out every little thing the kids missed doing. Instead, when I quietly try to find a way to teach the kids how to do better or encourage them for what they did do, clean up times go more smoothly.

I found these notes recently:

Research has helped educators identify numerous distinct learning preferences in people. At home you can also identify some of your child's preferred ways of gathering information by asking the following questions.

"Would you rather work by yourself, with a friend, or with Mom or Dad?"
Style: Individual, Group, or Family

"Should we use a chart to show your responsibilities, or can I just tell you what you should do?"
Style: Reader or Listener

"Do you want me to explain carefully how to wash the car or would you rather read & follow the directions on the can of car wash yourself?"
Style: Detailed Instruction or Discovery

Consider the example of Erica, an eight-year-old, who spends every free minute with her nose in a book. Her mother's words seem to go in one ear & out the other. Erica's style is the written word. A note that lists her job assignments will have more impact than will constantly telling her what must be done. (Most of my kids are like Erica!) In the same family, John likes to talk, & to listen intently as his father reads to him. John can be told what needs to be done & does it--he is a listener! Some children like to work with a group of people. For them a "family clean-up hour" will produce more help than an assignment to work alone. Other children enjoy private time & do an excellent job working independently.

Motivation for Little Workers

Positive statements that encourage

What a worker!
Fantastic effort!
That looks like it's going to be a great job!
You must be pleased with the work you are doing!
I appreciate your helpfulness!
Now you've got the hang of it!
This is much better!
Keep up the good work!
You are learning so much!
Wow, you really stick to your job!
You catch on real fast!
You've just about got it!
You're getting better at _____ every day!
You must have been practicing!

(--And there are many more you can use with just a little thought!)

Success!

Guess what? Ever since I tried the visual spelling activity (see the April 25th post in case you missed it) with my son Ryan (7), he's gotten 100% on the two spelling tests he took. This is really exciting because before I decided to try a new method of learning words with him, we was averaging between 70 and 80 % on his tests. I think he's really excited about using his ability to visualize things as a way of remembering his words. :-)

High Park

Masquerade Ball

Our most recent area kids activity was a Masquerade Ball which included lots of dancing games and other fun stuff. This doubled up as a birthday party for Laura, 8 (of Reuben and Sarai).

Before starting the party, the kids had a word class focused on fighting the good fight (John Paul Jones), and taking time with Jesus.