The end of the summer is drawing near. Stores are stocked with school supplies and parents are scrambling to get new shoes and outfits for their children. It's both an exciting time, and a sad time. A new school year looms ahead, full of wonder and anticipation--anything can happen! But, the lazy summer days are passing quickly, forcing us to once again set schedules and alarm clocks. As we get closer to that first day of school, many parents wonder what, if anything, they should do to prepare their child for the upcoming school year. YES!!! READ!!! Please, take time every day to read to your child, have them read to you, and allow them time to read to themselves. Even young children who cannot read yet can look through books, enjoy the pictures, and retell the story. Let your children see you reading too; reading books, newspapers, and magazines are fun ways for you to spend your time, also. Your children will see you reading and look up to you. Enjoy the last few hazy days of summer. Head out to your backyard with a good book, relax, and READ! I'll see you in September! When I talk with other teachers, this is one of the main complaints that I hear, "My students don't know their facts!" Many students have trouble learning their basic math facts. Even my own children have struggled with facts at some point. Daily practice, which is needed, is usually not very exciting. Repetition is boring. So, what can we do? Children like to talk. They are very social beings and should be allowed to socialize with their peers during the school day. Today, however, showed me a new side to "talking". It was very similar to "yelling"! I was amazed to see (hear!) my littles working, on task, with partners, but instead of talking softly to one another, they were YELLING at one another! I was definitely a bit shocked! They weren't angry yells. It was just the volume my littles used to communicate with one another today. So, I did a little research. I think I will try to quiet my class down a little by using an idea from Miss Giraffe ( missgiraffesclass.blogspot.com ), called "Blurt Beans". The class will work together to fill-up a jar with beans, while earning prizes along the way. I'm pretty sure my littles will have fun with this. Now if I could just get them to whisper...