Full day learning in junior kindergarten

by Amanda My son J is turning 5 this month.  This past September brought about a huge change in his life.  He started junior kindergarten (JK).  His school was one of the first to introduce Full Day Learning in JK.  I was concerned at first that this would be too much for such a little person.  I was worried that the afternoon might essentially be a waste because he would be too tired to learn anything since he was used to napping for at least 2 hours in the PMs.  I have been pleasantly surprised.  Maybe for the first month this was the case.  Most of the kids seemed to be falling asleep on the floor during quiet time and so was he, until about mid-October.  Around this time, he stopped napping altogether.  Instead, he was falling asleep in his dinner!  This lasted maybe for a couple of weeks and then it was done.  The nap was gone and he was fully adjusted to going to school full time.

He has come a long way in his learning since starting school.  It has been a really good experience for him.  He had good skills going in, he could identify most of the letters, could count at least to 15, and had no issues with speech and language as a preschooler.  His language developed, in my opinion, normally, once he started talking, there was no way to make him stop!

The curriculum has been very appropriate for him.

They have covered the different seasons:

They have learned the days of the week, months of the year and all major holidays.

They learned about animals and hibernation, migration, and adaptation.

His class learned about a foreign country - Guyana, and students were asked to bring in socks and shoes to donate since those items are not easily accessed in that country.

He is also really enjoying French time.  His articulation is really good and he has an amazing memory, so he is retaining many of the words he has learned.  We have two cats so he is quite fond of the words "chat et lion".

Mon gars, il adore les chansons en français ie."Tête, épaules, genoux, orteilles", et aussi il a bien aimé l'histoire "Petit poulet" que l'éducatrice a racontée.  Their most recent unit was all about fairy tales.  They watched the movie Rapunzel and J particularly enjoyed The Three Little Pigs.  From a science perspective, the kids had a presentation from "Scientists in Schools".  They did their own dinosaur dig, and got to see some experiments done in their classroom.  They watched things change colour and change states of matter.  J was super excited to tell me all about it when he came home that day.

On the social side of things, he has made some friends, loves to play Transformers with his two buddies during recess, he attended one birthday party and will soon be having one of his own.  At this point in time he is an only child, so I am thrilled that he is getting the hang of being around lots of kids and learning to communicate with them and problem-solve their day to day issues.  They have learned about Kelso's Choices, a problem-solving strategy for kids to use.  His teachers are telling me that he is using these strategies when a conflict arises, so I am quite happy about that.

As the end of the school year approaches he is now able to read Level 1 books with only some minor difficulties.  He can write his name not too badly, and is interested now more than ever in making crafts.  Before starting school he definitely did not have the attention span for those kinds of things.

Overall, as a parent, I really think the full day learning has been really good for my son. He was ready to go to school.  He is a like a little sponge and he just takes things and runs with them.  And he remembers what he has learned.  Like any other kid he needs some help and some prompts, but I am really glad to see that he has progressed this far and am very hopeful that SK will bring a similar experience.

*****

Amanda was born and raised in Ottawa where she continues to live with her husband and son “J”. Amanda is bilingual and interests include reading, blogging, socializing, and advocacy on children and teen issues.

The Swedish touch

by Amy A little while ago I posted on my own blog about the dos and don'ts for servers in family restaurants and Lara asked me about doing reviews of how kid friendly restaurants around Ottawa are.

Now, I have my own criteria, but I've discovered that one of my favourite places to take the kid for a meal right now is Ikea. Yes, Ikea.

There are a number of complaints about shopping at the actual store, but the Ikea restaurants is great for kids. There are a lot of reasons we've eaten at Ikea twice in the past two weeks. One is cost - who can resist a dollar breakfast when you're buying a $600 piece of furniture? But the other things that I liked surprised me.

Variety: The restaurant has a pretty good number of choices for on the children's menu and it all seems fairly good. Some places your choice is between something fried or white pasta, but my daughter had meatballs with mashed potatoes and a milk to drink. She was a big fan of the lingonberry jam, which is a bit weird.

Serving size: The servings are absolutely reasonable for a child.

Utensils: Ikea uses their own stuff to stock the restaurant and for the children's meals that means plastic plates, kid sized utensils, plastic cups. This is the only place I remember eating that a fork she looked comfortable using.

And the best part? After spending more than two hours walking around the store, kid actually napped.

Amy is mom to two year old Maggie and a 6 year old schnauzer named Henry. You can read her blog at amyboughner.ca where she writes about motherhood and anything else that’s on her mind. She also shares a blog with her husband at boughner.ca where they talk together about parenting a daughter.

Learning through gaming

by Lara Kiernan loves to play video games. On the computer, on the iPad, on the Wii - wherever we'll let him. I try to make sure that he gets a variety of games to play. Sure he can play angry birds and where's the water, but sometimes I want him to play something that challenges him to think a bit more.

Scribblenauts is a game that gets the player to figure out how  to get through the levels by typing in words for items they need or actions they need to do. It takes a lot of thought to figure out what tools are needed and then how to spell the word.

I loved that Kiernan loved this game but the thing is, he can't spell, at all.  So playing this game became "Mommy, how do you spell tree?" "Mommy, how do you spell magic box?" "Mommy, how do you spell green potion?"

So I came up with a plan!  He had to TRY to spell each word three times.  If he couldn't do it, then he would draw a picture in his newly created Pictionary and I would then print the name of the word underneath the photo for future reference.

It made me feel better about letting him play games too much because he was alternating between being creative on paper and being analytical on the iPad.  Seemed like a great mix to me.

What creative ways have you come up with to turn the every day into something educational?

Lara is mom to five year old Kiernan and three year old boy/girl twins Quinn and Juliette. Between the kids and her social media consulting business, she spends most of her time running frazzled.

Sun Safety Tips

by Gwen

the forecasted promise of hot sunny days upon us, it is important to be reminded about sun safety. Being in the sun after being cooped up all winter is exciting, but it is imperative to take precautions when enjoying the outdoors. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Use A Natural or Organic Sunscreen - When choosing a sunscreen, be sure that you are choosing a natural or organic broad spectrum mineral sun block that does not contain nanoparticles, parabens, vitamin A, oxybenzone, fragrance or any other nasty ingredients. And don't forget your lips! They are extra sensitive to the sun's rays. Also remember that your skin is not only vulnerable in the summer months. The sun may not be as strong during the winter, but it can still be damaging. If you will be in the sun for extended periods during the winter months, be sure to apply a sun block. For children 6-months of age and under, keep them out of direct sunlight and keep them shaded as much as possible. Consult a doctor before deciding to use sunscreen for a child under 6-months old. 

2. Wear A Hat - I am a hat kinda girl, whether it is sunny or cloudy, it has become a bit of a habit, both for sun protection and because I just like them! A hat with a brim shades and protects the face, scalp and ears. If you are wearing a baseball style cap, be sure to cover up tops of your ears with sunscreen since they are usually overlooked but can burn very easily. For the kids, the best kind of hat for them is one with a wide brim so everything is protected.

3. Sunglasses - The eyes are especially sensitive to UV rays, so aim to always wear sunglasses when out and about in the sun. When buying, make sure the label says that they provide 100% UV protection.

4. Remember That Dark Skin Is Also Vulnerable - It is a big misconception that those with dark skin do not need to wear sunscreen. It is true that dark skin rarely burns, but it can still happen depending on skin tone. Because dark skin contains more melanin than those with lighter skin, the melanin naturally provides some protection from the sun's rays...BUT, it is important to remember that sunscreen protects the skin from harmful UV rays, and that it doesn't only protect it from burning. Long term exposure to UV rays will damage the skin, cause premature wrinkling and even cause skin cancer. Dark skin is not immune to these things.

5. Hang Out In The Shade - Take a break from the rays and heat every now and then and relax in the shade.

6. UV Protective Clothing - This is a good option for those who will be outdoors for long periods of time or for children who just won't sit still to have sunscreen applied and then re-applied. UV protective clothing works by using tight stitching so the rays cannot get through. There are also a few other things that are done to the fabric such as using dyes that will deflect rays. If you are going to invest in UV clothing, be sure to read up on the brand you are buying to be sure that chemical treatments are not used to enhance the UV protection (the chemicals most likely will not be very healthy for you).

7. Pay attention to your city’s daily UV index reports. - If possible, try to stay out of the sun between the hours of 10am and 2pm. During this time, the UV index is at its strongest with the peak being at 12 noon.

By following some, or hopefully all of the suggestions above, you will be taking big steps towards keeping yourself safe from the sun. A big part of summer fun is being in the sun, and it definitely can still be done, just be more mindful about it. Doing these things will make your future self grateful :)

How do you stay safe during the sunny summer months? 

Gwen is a mom of 2 and owns/operates Nayla Natural Care, an online store that specializes in carrying the best organic, natural and eco-friendly products.

E-books are not just for adults

by Karen I can't remember quite how I found them, but about a year and a half ago I ran across some iPod/iPad apps that are nothing short of brilliant. While I'm okay with Brandon playing games sometimes, I don't want these tools to become primarily a mode of entertainment. So, it made my day to see Sandra Boynton books listed in the iTunes App store. The first one I bought was Moo, Baa, La La La!

The book was so cute and interactive that I bought two other Boynton books practically right away. It was a no-brainer. The apps are less expensive than buying the books at Chapters.

The Going to Bed Book is the cutest of the three Boynton books, in my humble opinion. My favourite part is when the bathroom steams up as the animals are running water to get ready for bed. Brandon wipes the "steam" off the iPad. It's brilliant, I tell you!

Last Christmas, I stumbled upon Harold and the Purple Crayon. I had to add it to our e-book collection for Brandon. The app really brings the drawing part of the book alive.

Another favourite is the Monster at the end of this Book. That brick wall that Grover builds to keep you from turning the page? Brandon gets to knock it down with his finger. How fun is that!? Grover tells the story himself, getting more and more agitated with every turn of the page. It pulls you right in.

By far, Brandon's favourite of all (for now), is The Very Cranky Bear. He was introduced to it at daycare recently and this book has single-handedly changed his whole outlook on going to daycare. It's adorable. If you haven't read it to your child, you should. The app is not quite as interactive as some of the others, but adding any more would likely distract from the story which is too fun to miss. Brandon walks around the house roaring all the time now. :)

I think it's fantastic that book publishers are creating e-books for children like this. It gets them even more engaged with the story and it hasn't taken away from Brandon's enjoyment of a good, old-fashioned bound book either.

Have you ever bought e-books for your children? Does it enhance their reading experience like you expected?

*****

Karen Wilson is a wife to Matt and mom to Brandon (4), who blogs about her life at Karen’s Chronicles. She can be found at Wellman Wilson, helping business use social media more effectively. Lately, she's also busy planning a little conference.