Education the real Homeland Security – Part II

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In the previous article we discussed the importance of developing literacy skills as soon as possible, and we specifically focused on reading to our children. We could devote the entire three-part series to early childhood literacy skill development, and we would not overstate the importance of this component, but let’s move on.

Public television and public radio have been strong advocates for many educational initiatives. Jennifer Montoya, literacy coach at Maricopa Elementary School, states, “There’s a website that I love for coming up with fun activities to do at home. This site gives all sorts of ideas to parents to help support their child’s learning.” The drop-down windows on the left side of the page offer a wide variety of activities, and the site even helps tailor certain activities to the development of specific skills.

The PBS home site also provides resources for parents on issues like: child development, education, TV programming and even parties. The PBS site is just one of the web links that the District website lists under Parent Information – Parent Web Resources and Student Information. Over fifty sites are available for free viewing, and these sites cover a broad range of topics for all ages.

I would like to preview just a few of the sites to “whet your appetites” and also to encourage each parent to spend time reviewing all of these valuable web-based resources.

· Kaboose – Ideas for recipes, vacations, seasonal activities, parties, games, entertainment, ways to keep you and your kids healthy and fit, and even a Just for Mom page.
· Scholastic – Interactive pages where kids can play with their favorite book characters, read about new books, and more.
· Make Meal Time Family Time – Make Meal Time Family Time exists to encourage families with children, including teenagers, to make mealtime a family time priority whether at home or out for a meal.
· Aim 4 College – A multimedia approach to arm parents and students with the information and tools needed to succeed in school.
· Activity TV – Fun activities for kids to follow online. Add pizzazz to your room, make your own jewelry, do an awesome science experiment, or learn some cool magic tricks. Free printables are also available.

The Internet has certainly exponentially increased our access to the “brain pools” of available ideas, but parents and teachers have used some really fun activities for many years.

Tina Leach, academic coach at Saddleback Elementary, offers this timeless activity for writing. “This is a small one (activity) for kindergarten or even older ones for practicing spelling words. Use some cheap shaving cream, spread it out on the kitchen table and use it as a slate to practice letter formation, writing their names, writing their spelling words and then just smooth over with their hand and start again.”

Every opportunity we have with our children is chance for us to teach or reinforce. I love the TV commercial where the mom is walking with her daughter through the produce aisle at the grocery store, creating an imaginative world using vegetables and the store’s sprinkler system. Every experience is an opportunity. My 14-month old granddaughter has already begun her reading “lap time,” and I encourage you to begin today to look for those teachable moments with your children.

Tom Beckett is the Director of Public Relations for Maricopa Unified School District. He holds a BME degree from Grace College and an MFA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, as well as an Arizona Superintendent’s Certificate, and has served in various educational roles in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Arizona. He can be reached at (520) 568-8100, ext. 1003.

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