http://www.411learn.com http://www.411learn.com en http://www.411learn.com/images/rss_logo.gif http://www.411learn.com 60 60 School and Homeschool Resources - 411 Learn K-12 Education Marketplace http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=42 (Concrete vs. Abstract) Johnnie W. Lewis Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:00:01 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=41 A Better Way to Add Peter Waycik Sun, 25 Jun 2006 23:58:00 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=38 A lot of teaching your child to read is first instilling in your child a desire to read. It’s so very important for the child to know that reading activities and learning to read is fun. Early on, for instance, if you haven’t yet, set aside an area of your home where your child can have their very own reading area and little person library. This will get most all your reading activities off to a great start. Having their own special place for reading activities will encourage the child to spend time reading. Encourage them to begin to find their favorite spot within their area for their reading activities. Grab yourself a comfy chair and join them and you’ll be amazed how much your child will want go into their reading area and have you with them for a reading session. And an added bonus to the reading area is a great place and time for you to spend with your child reading to them and vise versa. Reading is nothing more than a practiced skill. Practicing being the operative word. Instilling good reading habits in your child early on with consistent and daily reading and practice sessions is laying the bricks to a solid learning foundation no matter what the subject matter. Books from bookstores, garage sales, flea markets and such are a great way to begin building your child’s reading library content. Grab a cardboard box, and old milk crate or two and decorate them with your child so they can have their own library and take pride in how it looks and help them organize their reading materials. If you already have bookcases, then clear of one of the shelves and make that special place for your child’s books. It’s fun to do and your kids will have fun too. Build momentum early with how much fun reading and exploring books can be. Also make good use of your public library. Teaching reading skills begins with developing in your child an interest and love for reading. As your child’s library grows along with their reading skill they will understand that books are important, enjoyable, and always filled with new things to learn. A good reading activity can involve very little actual reading. Use picture books with very few or no words and ask your child to describe the picture or tell a story about what the picture is about. This will allow you to monitor the child’s vocabulary and the use of the words they have been learning. Don’t overlook the importance of vocabulary building along with building reading skills. A strong vocabulary goes well with understanding what you’re reading which, in turn, keeps the frustration level down, and the fun factor up. Encouraging your child to verbalize to you a story or even a couple pages of something they have read about gives them great pride (while you listen for accuracy) and makes them feel like a reader! And when kids feel good about their reading skills they naturally strive to learn more. About The Author Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and the primary contributor to the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit tje website for a complete list of Mary's articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information. Also tips guides and how-to's to help you successfully teach your child at home. Mary Joyce Sun, 21 May 2006 06:06:00 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=37 Along about third grade, children reach a level of reading competency which allows them to read independently for the purpose of gathering information and learning new skills. At this point, a whole world opens up to them. They are developing the tools to pursue interests of their own, and wise teachers and parents will take advantage of this phenomenon to build on their children’s educational success. Poetry and fiction are always favorites among children: case in point, the unprecedented success of the “Harry Potter” novels. But kids are thirsty for knowledge about people and places around the world, as well as history, science, math, and art. A varied collection of books and magazines in the classroom will keep exciting information at students’ fingertips. A scheduled weekly trip to the school library, with lessons on how to find books and research specific topics, offers skills that children will use throughout their school career and beyond. Kid-friendly online search engines provide more opportunities for students to research their favorite interests. Targeted book reports and a plan for integrating the curriculum can help expand learning for every member of a class. For instance, say the kids in a classroom are studying Greek mythology; providing a variety of books and magazines on the topic, as well as on the history, social structure, scientific and mathematical concepts, and literature of ancient Greece can be the basis for an exciting group learning experience. Children can choose a book or magazine article and write a report to present to the class; other children can write poems or short stories based on what they’ve read, or paint or draw pictures. These creations can be presented to the class during a sharing time, and then, using a computer and printer, copied and distributed to every member of the class so each student can create a book or notebook of the work of the entire class. Students may want to expand on their work by illustrating another child’s report or poem, or by writing a story based on someone else’s drawing. Additional topics can be chosen for independent research, and the end product can be put on display for other students’ use in the classroom, and even for inclusion in the school library. Learning on display: a great motivation for lifelong learning Displaying students’ work in the classroom and the school library helps create an environment where learning is valued and the learner recognized; looking beyond the school environment can bring an entire community into the process. Consider creating a place in the local public library where children’s work can be displayed, and work with the librarians to create student readings. A local for-profit or public access TV station may also find it valuable to cover school events which incorporate student works; by middle school, children may even be in a position, properly supervised, to help produce public access programs about their school. Particularly in areas where schools have trouble motivating students to learn, this kind of public exposure can only help excite children (and their parents) about their school and their own learning process. It’s important in any project involving student learning that kids of all ability levels are included; books and magazines need to reflect the varying abilities of the children in a class, and if a class is going to focus on public display of student work, then all levels of work need to be respected and presented in a dignified manner. Students involved in the production end of creating a classroom book on a particular topic can be credited in the book; children who contribute to a public access program can receive an on-screen credit. The idea is to praise both the work process and the creative end product of learning activities, and to give kids the idea that their learning, and their effort, matter. About The Author Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire, who has written numerous articles for local and regional publications. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com. Aldene Fredenburg Sun, 21 May 2006 06:00:00 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=36 When most parents hear the word online tutoring, they can't quite envision it, but when students hear the word online tutoring, they are intrigued. Online tutoring allows a tutor and student to communicate from computer to computer. Most online tutoring sessions take place inside an online classroom. Many online tutoring services offer a whiteboard so words can be written or drawn with the mouse and keyboard. Only the best online tutoring classrooms offer voice over ip. This means both the student and tutor can speak through the computer as long as both have a microphone and speakers. Once the parent understands the concept of online tutoring, they are often times amazed. Their child can ask any question and the tutor is able to walk the student through the entire problem solving process and help the student to solve each problem. This one on one communication is what most students need to overcome learning obstacles. In the classroom, most students are left behind if they don't ask specific questions to help them understand what they are learning. Once a student starts falling behind, tutoring must be provided to prevent failing grades. Often times a personal face to face tutor intimidates students and still might not help. Online tutoring allows any student to get the one on one attention they need without the intimidation factor. Students feel comfortable learning online and the fact that each lesson can be printed is a wonderful study tool. If you never tried online tutoring, I suggest you give it a try and allow your child to learn online. The cost is usually less than a private tutor and you won't have to drive and worry about scheduling issues. Your child can learn from any computer as long as there is an internet connection. Go to www.live-etutor.com to learn more about online tutoring and watch a virtual tour inside of our online classroom. All tutors are screened, qualified and ready to help your child get better grades! Scott Palat Sun, 21 May 2006 05:53:00 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=34 What is the best sequence for reading skill acquisition? John Edelson Wed, 26 Apr 2006 02:00:01 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=33 A national anthem in general, is a patriotic musical composition that is recognized formally by a country's government as their country's official national song. This idea of identy came about during the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, with the rise of the national states. It was at this time when most countries adopted a national anthem, which often times coexisted with other commonly sung patriotic songs. For example, Although Canada's official national anthem is "Oh Canada", another widely recognized national song is "The Hockey Song", due to Canada's strong history in the sport of hockey. Typically, anthems will try to acomplish the goal of reflecting the unity of a nation by galvanizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people within the song. In the nineteenth century as anthems first rose to prominence in Europe the style of music common then has continued to be used in almost every <a href="http://www.national-spot.com" target="_blank">national anthem</a>. Even where western orchestral music was a foreign notion, like in nations of Africa and Asia, the national anthem is still usually in European style. Some countries have challenged the dominance of dated orchestral music, like Australia for example. "Advance Australia Fair" has been the national anthem of Australia since 1984, but there is much support for the folk ballad "Waltzing Matilda" as a national song. Some even considerate a candidate for the national anthem. This is much like the example I mentioned above with Canada and "The Hockey Song" National anthems have in the past and will continue in the future to be an important part of the history of the countries of the world. About the author: Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of National Spot, which is one of the best site on the internet for all national related information. Ryan Fyfe Sun, 12 Mar 2006 06:58:00 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=32 A few years ago we thought typing was passé. We would no longer have to struggle with typing. And our children may not have to learn how to type anymore. My aged mother was thrilled because she never learned to type and thought this was the answer to her prayers. Typing, at last, was on the trash heap of technology, because of this "new and improved" invention ... Voice Recognition Software. Did voice recognition come to pass? Well not exactly! In fact, voice recognition technology has been a great disappointment. If you have ever used voice recognition software on cell phones, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Not only do you have to train the cell phone to recognize your voice but you have to interface with the name in your address book as you say it. It hasn't been very dependable. The success rate of this feature has been less than steller and for the most part very frustrating. Often you have to repeat (or yell) the name over and over to initiate the call (most times resorting to dialing it yourself). Similarly, voice recognition software for the computer promised to be a panacea to those who were "keyboard challenged" but it too has fallen short of the promises. Most doctors thought that voice recognition would eliminate the need to outsource medical transcription. Not so! Most don't have the time nor the patience to "train" the voice recognition software. If you are tempted to try it, expect a long learning curve. If you would only use your computer in a closed silent room, never have a cold or other voice altering condition, and don't have an accent, voice recognition software would work and be fabulous most of the time. But how often are you in that situation? The conditions in my life are never perfect for voice recognition. I am either talking on the phone with my children or husband, or in the room with the radio or TV. Thunder, lighting, hail and petulance, there is always something disturbing my silence. When working at my laptop I maybe at Starbucks, the airport or a restaurant, all very noisy places affecting voice recognition software. The ability to type quickly and accurately is crucial for everyday life. Typing speed will affect how fast you can do research, surf the Web, write papers, and save time in school and the rest of their life! Every job requires typing skills. Typing is important for school work starting as early as elementary grade level. Life will be a lot easier for your children if they learn correct typing techniques at a young age. Did you now that typing has been shown to improve spelling, writing, language skills, and grades. Maybe in the future someone will perfect a voice recognition system that can be used in our noisy lives...but now... Happy Typing! About the author: Pam Connolly is a professional educator with the San Diego School District. She has been teaching kids how to type for over 11 years. To teach your child typing, visit http://www.1stoplearntotype.com. To improve your child's memory, visit http://www.1stopezmemory.com. Pam Connolly Sun, 12 Mar 2006 06:52:00 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=31 The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.  One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education.  He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Susan. Be honest.  What do you make?" Susan, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? "I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.  I make a C+ feel like the winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor.  I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence. "You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math and perfect their final drafts in English. I make them understand that if you have the brains, and follow your heart, and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you must pay no attention because they just didn't learn." Susan paused and then continued.  "You want to know what I make?  'I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.'  What do you make?" THERE IS MUCH TRUTH IN THAT STATEMENT: "Teachers make every other profession possible" Unknown Sun, 5 Feb 2006 14:31:00 GMT http://www.411learn.com/article.php?n=30 Learning a language is akin to acquiring some kind of code with tangled ciphers and intricate symbols, which seems to be beyond perception and comprehension of a learner. Indeed, language is a well-arranged system, which needs a deep scrutiny and a thorough deciphering. Starting a journey into the world of language learning involves plunging into a new language environment. English learning implies to get into a diversity of new activities, it is adapting of an ear to a plethora of unfamiliar sounds, foreign pronunciation and mastering of huge amounts of new vocabulary. One who learns English will confront with a great variety of grammar rules and exceptions, difficult to imitate pronunciation, a problem of understanding the theory of grammar, training and polishing of acquired theory in practice. In a word, English learning is a complicated and multistage process, which requires much efforts, long periods of time, inexhaustible patience and perseverance. I don't intend to nip in the bud an eager desire of a neophyte to master a language by starting with a complexity of English learning. Though, every learner should be aware that there is no magic powder, which will make him know English as a native speaker does. A person who is going to master English should forget about short-cuts to success, making vain endeavor to cram this language into his brain in several months. English learning is an assiduous and laborious process. Heaps of hard work stands behind its mastering and results which a learner attains in studying English is a direct repercussion of his diligence and work. A common difficulty which awaits every English language learner is applying of four different types of activities: listening, speaking, writing and reading into the patterns of a new language practically simultaneously. Undoubtedly, a way to perfect English mastery is a thorny path, where a learner can confront with an abundance of challenges. The main thing is not to give in, soothing yourself with the idea that you are not a language learning type. Every person can master a language up to his specific standard and attain his definite results in language learning. What is English learning all about? When you start learning English you acquire a new mode of life. You start doing crazy things, like speaking to yourself aloud, spending your evening reading a dictionary, hunting for interesting phrases with the purpose of accumulating your vocabulary, trying to recollect them all at once or jotting them down in your diary not to forget. It is an exciting feeling of a new start and of future perspectives a good command of English opens before you. By setting out on a journey to new and exciting achievements a learner has to distinguish what ways will be better to choose for reaching his goal relatively quickly and efficiently. Linguists and methodologists described many efficient strategies of English language learning. Many of them proved to be highly efficient and brought really amazing results in testing. * A starting point which will push you up in all the course of your English studying is your motivation to learn. You should be specific with the goal of your studying and reflect on benefits a good command of English can bring you. You are aimed at getting smarter, assimilating new culture and meeting new people or your primary goal of English learning is to earn more money and succeed in your career. * A sure-fire way to master English is to go to America or England and commute with native speakers. It means to penetrate into English environment and practice both speaking and listening. Going to English - speaking country is a great opportunity to perfect your listening skills, enrich your vocabulary with new words. And what is the most important is that you are forced to speak on a daily basis and perceive colloquial speech, the samples of it you are not likely to find in any dictionaries. * A good, safe and cheap way to master English is to stimulate a foreign language environment in your home. It means to bring English - speaking country to your house, surrounding yourself with everything that is connected with English. Try all which will come in hand. Read English books, see movies in English, you can hear English in radio or TV. These methods will help you learn faster and have a sense of achievement, because each time you'll understand more and more. * Speak English as much as possible. Speaking is exciting and motivates you to keep learning. It helps you to uncover the gaps in your vocabulary and grammar. Though, if you don't have an opportunity to go to English - speaking country it doesn't mean that you won't be able to speak English fluently and naturally. It only means that you'll have to exert more efforts to find English language environment in your surrounding. In any case, you can look for good English language courses or apply to British council for help. Perhaps, my article "How to find the best foreign language courses" can be helpful to you if you choose to attend language courses. English learning is a great opportunity for you to unleash your inner genius. Knowing what you really want to get from your learning will zap your cherished dream to develop good English skills in a flash. The main thing is to find a set of effective learning ways and tools which will help you boost your results and have a motivation to study. Once you are armed with a desire and winning techniques, be sure to sort out the methods that suit you and you can consider that the first step to your success in English learning has been already made. Starting on this merry note continue your way in the same spirit and yield to temptation of giving in to difficulties. About the author: Linda Correli is a staff writer of http://www.CustomResearchPapers.us/ and an author of the popular online tutorial for students "What Teachers Want: Master the Art of Essay Writing in 10 Days", available at http://www.Go2Essay.com/ Linda Correli Sun, 22 Jan 2006 04:59:00 GMT