Why Children Can't Always Do Two Things at Once

Can children:
Pour milk and answer a question?
Do homework while watching TV? 
Text and talk to you at the same time? 

Can adults:
Watch TV and check their email at the same time?
Browse FB and talk to others? 
Lull a baby back to sleep and write this blog post? (My current situation.)

The brain can only do one task that requires thinking at a time (Connell & McCarthy, 2014). Television requires thinking. If you are asking a question and your child is watching television, she is going to have these responses:

1. She stops watching and listens to you.
2. She ignores you and keeps watching.
3. She tries to go back and forth between listening to you and watching, so she really doesn't understand what you are asking and is probably annoyed.

Only tasks that are automatic can be done with a thinking task. Walking and talking can happen only if you have fully learned to walk. Until then walking is a thinking activity (2014).

Some adults say they can text and watch television at the same time, but they really can't because both require thinking. What they are doing is rapidly switching back and forth between the two. Children cannot do this (2014). That's why reading with the television on is not a good idea. One cannot be fully involved in their reading.

So...

Can children:
Pour milk and answer a question? If they are still learning how to pour and it requires concentration, children cannot pour milk and answer a question at the same time. They will either stop pouring, ignore you, or spill the milk (2014).

Do homework while watching TV? No. Both require thinking. Consider switching it off.

Text and talk to you at the same time? No. Both require thinking. You'll want them to put down the phone before the conversation begins.

Can adults:
Watch TV and check their email at the same time? No. Both require thinking. They can rapidly switch back and forth between the TV and computer.

Browse FB and talk to others? No. Both require thinking. Consider logging off when you are around others.

Lull a baby back to sleep and write this blog post?  No. Both required thinking and two hands. One needed rhythmic swaying. This post waited.

Works Cited

Connell, G., & McCarthy, C. (2014). A moving child is a learning child: how the body teaches the brain to think (birth to age 7). Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

Junk Mail & Other Tools for Writing

How do kids get better at a sport? They have a coach. They practice. They play. They try out different strategies. They make mistakes and get messy. They enjoy it. Writing is no different. If you want your children to write and enjoy it, they need the tools to make it engaging. 

Free supplies:

• Return envelopes from junk mail 
• Hooray for reusing! Open those credit card offers and other envelopes you generally don't keep to find this golden tool. Your kids will LOVE stuffing their notes inside, licking it up, and even drawing stamps. 
• Notepads from charities like St. Jude's Children's Hospital
• It's fun to have different types of paper. 
• Return address labels that come from charities too
• They'll enjoy making their envelope "official."
• Advertisements with pictures and letters that can be cut 
• Decorations and embellishments can be found in unlikely places.

Low cost supplies:

• Plain white computer paper (It's possible to get rebates from stores like Staples, so you can get this paper free.)
• Construction paper
• Pencils
• Pens
• Crayons/Markers
• Stickers
• Glue sticks
• Scissors
• Plain envelopes for letters they'd like to mail

Here is our set up: 

The kids don't need their own table. All they really need is a basket or caddy to keep the supplies in, a place to go, and time with you to get them started.

One of the best things you can do is make the writing center/caddy/box with your children. They can decide with you where the envelopes, paper, glue, magazines, etc. will go. You can sit down and create a letter side by side. They can use the junk mail envelopes to write immediate family and friends they see notes. You may want to have some plain envelopes available, so they can mail a letter.  They may also want to draw pictures, write a story, or simply glue pictures. Let them decide. The materials are their supplies to use as they please.

How do kids get better at writing? They have a teacher. They practice. They play. They try out different strategies. They make mistakes and get messy. They enjoy it. Just like a sport. 

Thank You, Teachers

Thank you, Mrs. Eberly, for the book you gave me when I was in first grade. My daughters love it.

Thank you, teachers, for giving your students books. You are supporting a growing reader.

Thank you, parents, for finding books, magazines, and other printed materials for your children at the library, bookstores, thrift shops, and yard sales. You understand reading leads to understanding and opportunity.

The Power of Song

My daughter came home from nursery school and informed me her friend knows all the letters in her name, so she wants to know her letters too. How could I say no to that request? We made up a song to the tune of Bingo.

There was a mommy who had a girl, and Gabby was her name.
G-A-B-B-Y
G-A-B-B-Y
G-A-B-B-Y

Gabby, Gabby, Gabby

(or we could have finished with "And Gabby was her name!")

Making up songs to the tune of songs they already know (or you already know) is a fun learning tool. It can help children of all ages learn their spelling words, social studies content, science content, and math facts. It also helps them be creative. The girls have been making up their own songs now and cracking themselves up.

If your children need help remembering something or are learning something for the first time, sing it.

When Should I Start Reading to My Baby?

1 Year Olds Write?

At my twin girls' well check ups I generally ask the doctor if there is something I should be doing developmentally with the girls that I haven't been. At my girls' one year when I asked, our doctor told me to have them start writing. She told me to buy crayons that were in the shape of eggs. It was a great investment. The girls and I would draw (make tiny marks, bang the crayons to make dots, and eventually scribble) while they sat in their highchair a few minutes a day. They'd drop them or start to try and chew on them when they were done . One of my daughters was much more interested than the other. I still kept it up, but would stop as soon as she would show signs she was done.

These are the crayons my doctor suggested for my 1 year olds. The screenshot is from Amazon. I bought them from Toys R Us. 

Gradually, we added water color. I'd give them a brush with paint on it, and they would swoosh the brush around. They were still sitting at their high chairs. It was definitely messier, but they loved it. 

We moved onto the larger crayons when they stopped putting things into their mouths. Now that they are 3 years old, they use a mix of the larger crayons and regular crayons. 

I'm grateful our doctor suggested our early crayons. The girls love to go and color on their own now. Also, when things get chaotic I can say let's go color together. Usually when we sit down to color (I color too), the mood changes and everyone calms down. 

Ways to Use Shutterfly's Free Magnet Deal

Wahoo! Free magnets! I love these. They are fantastic learning tools, and they are so much fun!

Select the set of four 2"x2" magnets. This way you can get 40 magnets! (Code was only for 2/11/18. I'll post when it comes around again.)

1. Put a picture of each of your family members on the magnets. Type their name directly on the magnet. I like the Avant Garde font because the letter a is written like they learn to write it. My girls group family members together, play guessing games, pray for the person, notice the letters in their name, and talk about each family member as they play.

2. Put a picture of a favorite animal and type the name of the animal.

3. Put a picture of a favorite place on the magnet and type the name of it. My daughters pretend to take the family members to that location when they play with the magnets.

4. Select from their Art Library (Click "Get More Photos" on the bottom and "Art Library" on the left side). Click on kids. Choose the letters from your child's name. Place one on each magnet. They can practice mixing up their name, putting it back together, or finding new words inside their name. The only downfall is they are all uppercase letters.

 Have fun!

Valentine's Day Gifts

I have a rule for Valentine's Day: If it takes longer to make than the amount of time the kids will enjoy it, don't make it. I had to remind myself of this as I scrolled through Pinterest ideas. I know my kids will enjoy these small things, and they didn't take me long to put together. This year we are staying away from chocolate because we still have some left over from Christmas. Plus (confession time), I some how end up eating it. Here are their reading specialist/mommy approved gifts:

My 9 month old is getting Cheerios and a sweet book. Each page has a little animal and the noise it makes. Simple.

My 3 year olds are getting a sticker book, Goldfish, construction paper, and a glue stick.

The sticker books only cost $1.00 at AC Moore. I love how they have facts and designated places for the stickers. I gave them the sea and wildlife versions of these books a year ago. They loved matching up the stickers and talking about the animals. They wanted to reread the books with me once all of the stickers were put in. Now, that they are older they'll have a little bit more independence while working on those fine motor skills.

Here's a peek inside Animal Friends Sticker Book.

I gave them a few sheets of construction paper from the pack. Once they have their hands on it, they tend to go through it quickly. A few sheets at a time slows them down.

One thing my girls love to do with construction paper and glue sticks is glue cutouts from magazines and draw around them. Every now and then I cut out pictures and letters for them. Usually they'll find a letter, glue it on, say something like "Look! This one is for Katie," and point to the letter K.

The girls are at the very beginning of using scissors. I'm excited for when I can just give them the magazines. It's worth the extra two minutes of cutting though.


What gifts are you giving this year ?

Favorite Books for My 9 Month Old

Reading with my nine month old isn't very glamorous. It  involves lots of slobber, grabbing, and crawling away when she's done. Here are some of our favorite books and reasons why:

 Usborne's Baby's First Black and White Tray has stood up to all of my daughters' slobber. My twins loved it before my youngest got her mouth on it. We love the high contrast pictures. My nine month old, N, recognizes most of the pictures especially in Faces and Babies.  It's very simple, so my 3 year olds can "read" it to her and enjoy it. 

 Usborne's That's Not My series is adorable. Each page has a new texture for my daughter to explore. She flips through and searches with her fingers for the fabric. The simple repeated text is perfect to keep her interest. It also stands up to slobber.  

N also loves Kane Miller's Hush-a-Bye Bunny. I love the sweet rhyme the bunny says to her baby.  N loves the ears and soft pages. She crinkles them in her hands. I touch her little nose and tickle her toes when I read the lines, "With your tiny shiny nose, and your wiggly tickle toes, we will never be apart, as you're always in my heart."

Another cute book series are these finger puppet books. N loves to grab my finger as I read the simple  rhyme. We are big fans of Little Fish, Little Crab, and Little Turtle too. I try to avoid her slobbering on his book because it doesn't have as much protection over the cardboard as the above books.  

We inherited Playskool's Baby Faces. N loves looking at all of the photographs. I make the face and act like the baby while we read. My 3 year olds act it out too. This book is out of print, but there are copies available on Amazon. If you search "baby faces" board book, I'm sure you can find more like it if you want to use Prime. 

Movement, Homework, & Learning

Sometimes our plans just don't line up with our children's movement needs. 

Connell, Gill, and Cheryl McCarthy. A moving child is a learning child: how the body teaches the brain to think (Birth to age 7). Free Spirit Publishing, 2014.

Elementary & Middle School: A homework fight may mean they need more time to move. To help, they could: 

• Run and play first. 
• Try to stand up with a clipboard and do it.
• Sit on an exercise ball and bounce while they do it. 
• Lay on a yoga mat or blanket and do it. 
• Build a fort first and then do the work inside. 
• Bounce a basketball or throw a ball back and forth while practicing their spelling words or studying for a quiz.  
• Chunk the work. Do 1/2 of it before play and 1/2 of it after. 
• Do a math problem, do a physical activity, do another math problem, do another physical activity. 

Preschool: Learning should involve movement. If sitting still is necessary, make sure they get up and move before the activity and give movement breaks.

Here are some movement activities: 

• Explore and run around the back yard.
• Have a box full of magazines, toilet paper rolls, crayons, glue sticks, and paper they can use to make anything they want. 
• Jump the ABCs.
• Throw a ball when saying rhyming words. 
• Count while you hop. 
• Pretend you are characters from a story you read. 
• Just let them play independently.
• Join in their play. Only do what your child is doing. Don't try to improve upon their game or make any suggestions. 

Ultimately, movement helps our kids learn.

Making Video Streaming/TV Your Literacy Friend

While there is a strong correlation between underachieving in school and watching too much television, there are ways to make videos and TV more literacy friendly for your kids (Trealease, Ten Facts Parents Should Know About Reading 5). Note: Books, social interaction, chores, and play are still better than TV.

1. Turn on closed captioning. Your children will see the subtitles and make connections between the spoken and written words (6) .
2. Watch the show together. Make it a social time. Discussion of any topic, story, or lesson leads to a deeper understanding. Examples of questions to lead a discussion if you aren't sure what to say:  Why do you think ______ did that? What did you think of that episode? I don't know if what ______ did was the best thing to do, what do you think?
3. Limit their video time. This may mean a time period. You could also limit it by only allowing them to watch in one room of the house. For example, they can only watch in the living room.

For the facts about TV and children's school success, check out Jim Trelease's pamphlet.



Works Cited
Trelease, Jim. Ten Facts Parents Should Know About Reading. Ten Facts Parents Should Know About Reading, 2009.

Super Bowl: Defend Your Team

Who's going to win the Super Bowl: Eagles or Patriots? Even if you know who your child is rooting for (even if it is the same team you are), make them defend their choice today. Ask them, why are you cheering for the Eagles? Don't let them say they are better. Make them provide specific examples. They could talk about the players, stats, or any other conditions that they feel make the team more likely to win. You could give them a few examples if they don't know how to respond. "I think the _____ will win because..."  This could turn into a great debate or two minute conversation. Both are great. Explaining why and defending their decisions are necessary life (and comprehension) skills, so why not start with the Super Bowl?

Which Book Character Are You?

I love online quizzes that tell you which character you are the most like. There is something fun about  making choices and being compared. I recently checked out A Beatrix Potter Treasury from the library. We've read The Tale of Peter Rabbit about 15 times over the past two weeks. My girls love mean old Mr. McGregor and naughty Peter Rabbit. They even worry about Peter through the story (Will Mrs. McGregor cook him in a pie?).

Today after we read the book I simply asked them if they were in the story who would they be. They looked at me funny. I never asked them a question like that before. I then told them that I would be the bunny, Cotton-tail. She followed the rules and picked blackberries like a good little bunny. My husband jumped in saying he would be Mr. McGregor. He doesn't like it when groundhogs come into his garden and chases them out (note: my husband does not make groundhog pie haha). G then decided she'd be Mopsy or Flopsy because she would go pick blackberries like mama said to. H said she'd be Peter Rabbit and go into the garden. They now love the story even more.

Next time you are caught up in a book together or you know your child is reading a book in school, talk about what character they most identify with. If they aren't sure, talk about yourself first. Your older kids will like this too. It will help them have a deeper understanding of the book, have empathy, and enjoy it more.  Plus, it'll give you a window inside their mind. It's better than an online quiz.

Screenshot taken from Amazon