EVENTS FOR THE END OF 2012!

Look into this site for family friendly events this week:

http://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids?cmpid=TOK+Sat+122912

NYC CULTURE

These are some parental resources to look into when thinking about what to do with your kids in NYC. There are documents around how to prepare for art museums and a list of venues that are low cost.  Enjoy!


http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/ParentResources.html

Recommended Books for Boys

Here is a list of book recommendations for boys http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/recommended-books-for-boys/

Sensory Activities

Here is a site of many activities that will help your child as they develop their 5 senses!
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/other-activities/sensory-activities

Books for STRONG GIRLS!

Follow this link for a list of books featuring strong girls

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/09/picture-books-about-strong-girls.html

Teach you child to read at home!

Look into how AMERICAN READING AT HOME teaches children their sight words. Visit www.americanreadingathome.com. Use code SEARS10 code expires OCTOBER 31.

Visit the short video below as well!

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=zUmfXgXSEhU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DzUmfXgXSEhU

Engineering and Math!

There are opportunities to expose our children to the wonders of engineering and math. Some places that do this well are Robofun!

NYC Fall 2012 Kids Classes Guide

http://www.newyorkfamily.com/class-distinction/?fb_action_ids=10151204191690890&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

The 15 Greatest Things To Do In New York City By Age 15

Look into these things: http://www.newyorkfamily.com/best-things-to-do-kids-ny/

Falling behind before kindergarten: The 30 million word gap

Falling behind before kindergarten: The 30 million word gap

ESSAY MUST HAVES FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

If you are applying to private schools here is a list of things that your essay should contain:

-a clear understanding of why you like the school (try to express a stand out characteristic do not select 'typical' features like lunch, afterschool, etc)

-make the connection on how your family values are aligned to the schools

-express all the activities that your child has engaged in and place close attention to those that you have shown strong commitment to (ex: gymnastics for 2 years vs. listing a bunch of activities you did for one term)

-sign off in an optimistic manner not to pushy (ex. look forward to sharing more about our family with your school community)

Good luck!

OFFICIAL GIFTED AND TALENTED TIMELINE!

Recently released the NYC Gifted and Talented calendar dates. Click here.

KINDERGARTEN GIFTED AND TALENTED UPDATE IN NYC

Testing can be stressful for ANY 4 year old!!!

Go to the website for a Gifted and Talented Update for NYC! If you child was born in 2008 he/she is up for the kindergarten test this January 2013.  Please remember that the test consists of the the OLSAT and the NNAT. Go to Testingmom.com for sample questions and also look at Aristole circle here. How are you preparing for the big day??

The power of home environment

The power of home environment

Developing kids Memory

Developing your child's memory is essential to high order thinking. There are three types of memory: short term, long term and working memory. Short term memory is the ability to follow immediate instructions/directions. Long term is the ability to recall information learned in the past. Working memory is necessary to manipulate information.  Here are some ways you can develop your child's memory using games:


GOING ON A PICNIC (or going to the park, the store etc)
This game goes like this:

Parent: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing apples
Child: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing apples and pears
Parent: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing apples, pears and a dog
Child: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing apples, pears, a dog and a sweater
And so on...

 TOTAL RECALL
Give your child a short phrase from a book or if older a long phrase or a series of numbers or letters and have them recall the information after a couple of minutes or hours depending on their age. One thing I do is give my daughter a license plate number at the beginning of a car ride and ask her what it was when we arrive at our destination.

SIMON SAYS APP 
You can either download the app and have your child play it or you can create a pattern with clapping or tapping on a table with a pencil on a variety of objects. For instance, lay out a paper, a book,  a cup, a mug and a toy (or any variety of things). Take a pencil and tap out a pattern using these objects: paper, book, cup, cup. Give your child the pencil and have her/him copy the pattern. Make them harder: paper, paper, book,cup,cup, mug etc.


Books
Some books that have activities around what's missing or finding things that are wrong : 
What's missing baby Daisy?:A book about missing part
Big Bird Beep Book: What's Missing
Highlights Magazine
What's wrong with this picture around town by Lipman
What's wrong by Ellen Booth Church
What's wrong with this picture by Anna Pomaska's 

Healthy minds healthy foods

Check out this website for some great nutritious ideas for all ages: www.weelicious.com.

Developing conversation: how many ways can you describe the same thing!

How many ways can you describe something? is a great game that Karen Quinn describes in her book as appropriate for ages 2.5+.


How to play:

1. Pick an object.
2. Take turns describing it one descriptor at a time until you run out of descriptors
3. The last one to say something WINS

Example:

Tennis Ball

You: round
Child: green
You: light weight 
Child: bounces
 You: no more to say you WIN!

Try it with anything!

Kids Know It All Website!

Check out this cool website!! http://www.kidsknowit.com/

NEA - Teacher's Top 100 Books for Children

NEA - Teacher's Top 100 Books for Children

Dialogic Reading Example!

Dialogic Reading example published in Testing for Kindergarten by Karen Quinn:


Parent: What is that doggy doing? (prompt)

Child: Barking

Parent: That's right. (evaluates response) The doggie is barking at the moon. (expansion) What is he barking at? (repeat

Child: Doggies barking at the moon.

Dialogic Reading: An Effective Way to Read to Preschoolers | Reading Topics A-Z | Reading Rockets

Dialogic Reading: An Effective Way to Read to Preschoolers | Reading Topics A-Z | Reading Rockets

Great Games for kids (and families too)!

Here are some board games that help kids develop their language, knowledge, comprehension, memory, cognitive, mathematical, fine motor and visual spatial skills. 

Candy land
Connect Four
Memory Games
Chess
Kids on Stage
Hedbandz
UNO
Checkers
puzzles
Block buddies
Tangos Jr
Mighty Minds

Enjoy and maybe think about these for the upcoming holiday season!

SIgn up for daily testing questions for kindergarten testing!!

If you are looking for sample free daily practice test questions to do with your child go here and subscribe.

APPs I recommend

Look for these great APPs that are bound to help your children arrive to kindergarten ready to learn (and a bit more prepared for those kindergarten entry tests):

1. What does not belong? (analogies and critical thinking skills)
2. fashion math (math fluency)
3. Team Umizoomi Math (numeracy)
4. Spelling Bug (phonics)
5. Feed Me! pencilbot preschool (an array of skills in math and literacy)
6. Smart Kids fun educational learning game for kids (analogies/associations)
7. Simon says (ultimate memory game)

7 Abilities of Highly Successful Kindergarteners

According to Karen Quinn's book Testing for Kindergarten, there are 7 abilities of highly successful kindergarteners:

1. Language
2. Knowledge/Comprehension
3. Memory
4. Mathematics
5. Visual-Spatial Reasoning
6. Cognitive Skills
7. Motor Skills

Can your child speak?

If he can say it then don't say it for them it might take longer but they will be articulate and confident beings!

A trip to the zoo!

It doesn't matter how old they are 0-adult a trip to the zoo is ALWAYS a treat. Early on, read all the exhibit description. Describe to your child what the animals are doing. They ACTUALLY will use all those words later on! But if they are older, describe their activities and help your child use those same words to describe his own activities. For instance, look at the penguins swimming briskly in the water. On another day at the park you can tell your child lets run briskly to that tree.

KINDERGARTEN ADMISSIONS

With a new school year comes the kindergarten admissions saga. If you are in NYC you may have realized ALL the options that you have and once you know of them you can not help but evaluate/consider them all. Here are some of your basic options. I have attached some dates and recommendations for starting the process if you want more details (whats on the test, examples, how to prepare) by all means respond here and I can get back to you with info. It is important to note that you are thinking about Kindergarten for next Sept 2013 so that you don't get confused with dates as you get information.


Local Public School: your local public school enrollment does not start until January and goes on until March. Look on this site for last year's calendar of events.  Most elementary schools are zoned and this website helps you understand how priorities are assigned when you apply to a school outside your zone.

G&T Programs: They require one test. The test is free. The test is composed of OLSAT and the NNAT(new used to be the BRACKEN). It would be good to sign up for updates at the bottom of this website.


Charter Schools: There are many charter schools popping up all around us. There are organizations like KIPP and SUCCESS ACADEMY that have started a couple of schools. Look at this website to find all options in the charter world.


Hunter College Elementary School: This is a free Gifted and Talented program that provides its own test different from the public school because it is not governed by NYC Public School system. Use this website for more info.


Private Schools: This website  will give you a list of schools in NYC . These schools are very popular even in a recession and have STRICT deadlines/requirements and limited number of applications that they will consider. These applications started right after labor day. Please note they also have open houses you can attend.  A great book I used when applying were those by Victoria Goldman.

 ***All websites may not be updated and should just be used as guideposts as they are generally around the same times year after year***

What are you thinking of today ????

I'm thinking of an animals that lives in the ocean. It's a mammal. It has a blow hole. It is considered the largest mammal in the ocean. Who am I?

This game can be played just about anytime. One line at the grocery store, while waiting for the subway, in the car etc. This helps children not only in being aware of their surroundings, retaining information but also helps them pay more attention to details and be more descriptive which is essential when taking kindergarten admissions tests.

What's so great about nursery rhymes?

http://www.dannyandkim.com/WhyNurseryRhymes.html

Reinventing the same books

Tired of reading the same book to your baby (ages newborn -2***)

Families know just how important reading to their child is and so we spend our time reading and reading and reading sometimes the same books to our infants. Then we run out of books and think its time to buy more... well we could do that or go to the library but we can also EXTEND the reading. We can take same Goodnight Moon b Margaret Wise Brown.

1. Take the book and show it to your baby (if still pregnant just speak to your belly)
2. Describe all that they see in the cover and point to it. Pay special attention to colors, shapes, animals, letters etc.
3. Open the book. Read the first page.
4. Describe the activities taking place. For instance, here is the room. It looks like a big room. The walls are painted green. The floor is red. There is a light pink round rug in the center of the room etc.
5. Continue to read and follow the above steps.

This should extend the book and make it more of a conversation about observations with your infant. This assists infants in making synapses that they will later draw upon as they continue to build their on their language skills.


*** This can work with ALL age groups (0-5) as well.

Sorting

SORT AWAY

Having your children sort through a variety of objects helps them develop their ability to focus on details. One good way to do this is with a jar of buttons or loose change you may have (making sure there is an adult around to ensure no swallowing) and have them sort by shape, size, color etc. Families should put out about 10 objects to start and then they can build on those. Ask your child what would be the best to organize these objects. You will be surprised what similarities and differences they see that offer some insight as to how keen their senses are. One example of sorting is to take the change and sort the coins by value for instance: all pennies together, quarters together etc . A more sophisticated sorting activity would be for kids to take the same bunch of coins and sort them by year or diameter.