TeaCHiNG ReaDiNG

 

Teaching reading is a challenging career. For educators from elementary all the way through the high school level, there are always difficult situations to face for those that are teaching reading. Reading is different from many other subject areas because it is not quite as intuitive. Unlike math, where a child can see that one apple plus one apple makes two apples, learning to read requires more effort initially. Teaching strategies for reading must be methodical and orderly. This is why great reading teachers are so important.

For those teaching reading - any kind of reading class: elementary through high school - it is important to have a solid foundation for teaching reading strategies. One resource that can help with this effort is a Teaching Reading Strategies class. This kind of class should cover various different strategies to understand how to approach fiction and non-fiction, narratives, and international texts. Another area to cover when teaching strategies for reading might be to emphasize strategies students can employ before they begin reading a piece, as well as during and after. Learning before, during, and after strategies can help with content retention and help students become more efficient readers. When a student knows how to get the most out of a piece of literature, he or she will likely enjoy reading more and maybe be encouraged to read outside the classroom as well.

Another method that might be covered while learning teaching strategies for reading is reciprocal teaching. Reciprocal teaching is essentially a dialogue between the students and the teacher. The role of teacher alternates between the students and the teacher as they each pose questions to summarize, clarify, and make predictions about the text. This kind of exercise is a great way to deep-dive into a piece of literature while keeping class interactive. Reflective strategies may also be covered in a teaching reading strategies course. These strategies fall upon the teacher - he or she must analyze his or her efforts for teaching reading. Recognizing which teaching models are working and which are not is key to benefitting the students.

In addition to teaching reading, reading teachers must also help their students develop effective writing strategies to analyze the texts they have read. Writing is often neglected in reading classes; both teachers and students may push this priority to the side in favor of focusing on reading only. However, it is critical to understand the importance of effective writing so that students can eloquently state what they have read about. In order to fully appreciate good writing, students must also learn to write well.

Lastly, a comprehensive teaching reading strategies class should examine some of the current research with respect to teaching reading so that teachers can learn the most effective strategies when it comes to teaching reading. There are many different approaches to teaching reading, and it is helpful to explore them all when trying to develop your own curriculum. A class for teaching reading strategies will cover ways to integrate these strategies into your lesson plans and give good skills for application in the classroom.

Below are the tips on making reading interesting...

TeaCHiNG WRiTiNG

Writing is something that every one of us indulges in to some degree during our lives. We write at school and at college, at home and at work, and while we may not be putting pen to paper writing on a computer is still writing. 

Teaching writing takes patience and common sense, yet you do not have to be a classics master to teach people the basics of writing. Most of what is to be taught combines common sense with getting the best out of an individual technique and, as such, follows a pattern.

If you are intending to teach creative writing then the important factor to remember is that everyone is different; what one person writes will bear no relation to what another produces, and that is why writing – creatively and originally – is such an important aspect of our lives.

If we all wrote in the same way, with the same style, nothing would progress; we would be stuck in a rut and all reading the very same thing. This is why the major aspect of teaching creative writing is in helping the writers to engage with and develop their own style.

Everyone has a style, a preference in the way they use words, and reading a selection of contemporary short stories is a good indication of this. It is nurturing this style that is part and parcel of the teaching process.

Of course, there needs to be great attention to grammar and spelling; while computer spell checkers can be used to some extent in the respect they should not be relied upon as they cannot be completely accurate.

Grammar is one of the English languages most difficult aspects, for it is a language with many strange nuances; teach your pupils the correct use of the apostrophe, comma’s, the capital letter and the full stop and you will be half way to getting them on the right track. In particular, apostrophes can be very troublesome indeed.

Once they have the basics of grammar mastered the trick is to bring out the inner self; set them a task that involves describing something very ordinary – a picture, a scene, an incident – and tell them to write about it in their own manner. This will enable them to nurture their style and keep on the right track.

An important thing to remember is that, grammar aside, there is no right and wrong with writing. You may not like the way a pupil writes, but others will – do not stifle creativity, encourage individuality and bring forth the original.

One of the ways to teach writing...

eNGLiSH GRaMMaR

We cannot deny the fact that learning proper English grammar is important. Do you want to feel embarrassed each time you speak English with a lot of grammar mistakes?  Do people have trouble understanding when you speak English or confused with what you have said? Being able to speak and write in proper English is a main criterion to be successful and broaden your options in job and career advancement. Many people who would otherwise be successful are being held back by their bad command of English grammar.

There are many methods one could learn to master the English grammar but I would like to recommend the best 5 effective ways.

1. Learn the rules of English grammar by heart and memories them. As you know, grammar is the rules of a language which describe how sentences are formed. We need to know those rules in the same way as in Mathematics where the rules of computation and formula are required in order to get the correct figures. One of the best way to memories the rule is to write them down in a notebook and refer to it continuously until you could memories them all. However, mere memories the rule is not enough, you need to do as many English grammar worksheets and exercises as possible. Preferably doing objective form of English grammar test worksheet, and repeat the exercises until you got all the answers correct.

2. Read as many English books, magazines and newspapers as you can. Although it is said that reading might not appeared to be an effective grammar-learning activity, the truth is that the more you read, the more you are able to observe sentences that are grammatically correct. When reading books, you should focus on how the passages and sentences are constructed. You should look out for the grammar rules used for that particular sentence that you are not sure. You then need to remember, mark them and think about why it is used the way it is. You may need to refer to a good grammar reference book or dictionary to confirm its grammar usage. This will eventually help your grammar in a long run when you realized the patterns of the sentences encountered as you read.

3. Study one specific grammar rule and focus on it one at the time until you are fully aware and able to use it successfully. For example, if you are focusing on usage of verbs in the past tense, then you should study in detail its usage throughout the day. If you are not sure how to put a specific verb into past tense, you should resolve it by finding the correct answer during the day until you got it right. As time go, you will be able to know the correct verbs into past tense and thereafter you could move on to the next challenge with other grammar problems that you may be having.

4. Find out and learn by heart the common English mistakes most often committed by people. Just like the grammar rules, you need to memories them as well so as to avoid making the same mistakes. You could just make a search in the internet and find out the list of the most frequently committed English grammar mistakes and memories them by heart.

5. The final step on learning English grammar is to learn with fun. There are many types of educational games, English grammar worksheets, video games and even board games that are fun to learn available online. It is true that we will do our best if we enjoy doing. If you aren't having fun learning English, you will get bored very soon and reluctant to continue. When it is fun, there will be a motivation force behind to keep you stay on the task of learning.

In conclusion, there is no short cut to master the English language. Learning the proper usage of English grammar is just one of the requirements to master the English language.It is estimated that one out of every five people in the world can speak English. You might be amazed to learn that there are more English speaking people in China alone than in the United States of America! It is therefore very important to be able to speak and write in proper English if you want to broaden your options in job and career advancement.

This is one example of the component of English Grammar...

PRoS & CoNS oF HoMe SCHooLiNG

Home schooling is a popular way to educate children all around the globe for a variety of reasons. Main home schooling pros and cons follow.

Cons

Level of Learning - Too many people think that those children who are home schooled will not receive appropriate levels of education compared to students learning in public and private schools. On the contrary, parents of home scholars work with their local boards of education, principals and / or other educational consultants to ensure they are meeting the requirements set forth.

Socialization - Another negative viewpoint is that those students who are studying at home do not get to mingle enough with their peer groups and other instructors, administration and school personnel and teachers. And that's just hogwash. Students at home meet with others in home school groups to tour all types of local and far away places that coordinate with their study plans. And equally if not more important, home school students are introduced to real life people throughout their days: bankers, grocers, and other professionals introduced through their program studies and real life as they go around on errands with parents.

Lack of Routine / Regimented Days - Some view a lack of disciplined hours Monday through Friday with home schooled students as negative. However, many home school parents establish routines at home, too. Children are not left haphazardly running around the streets unattended.

Lack of Real World Environment & Prep- And still others believe that home schooled children will lack environmental and other preparation for real life that public and private school supposedly teach their students. Again, more hogwash. Home schooled children learn science, technology, music, gym, any and all subjects - only more thoroughly, because they are focusing on what they are learning, not being bored with subjects taught over and over to help slower paced learners so that everyone is up to speed.

Pros

Private for Less Money - A home school education is like enjoying private education without the cost. Students get more one-on-one help, targeted lessons and advanced learning opportunities as their teachers do not have to teach to all levels, often covering lower-learning levels that bore more average and advanced learners.

Improved Targeted Subjects - lessons in the home school environment are also to be customized much more easily than those in public and private school. Results include much higher levels of education with targeted useful knowledge to help students after graduation.

Higher Grades - Home schooled students are known to average much higher grades than their peers in public and private schools. Many get accepted to top colleges and universities on scholarships.

Boredom Busters - Home schooling allows students to move ahead to better topics.

A homeshcooled family...

oNLiNe eDuCaTioN - WHaT iS iT?

As per definition on the web, it is basically credit-granting courses or education training delivered primarily via the Internet to students at remote locations, including their homes. 

The Online courses may or may not be delivered synchronously. An online course may need that students and teachers meet once or periodically in a physical setting for lectures, labs, or exams, so long as the time spent in the physical setting does not exceed 25 percent of the total course time. Online education encompasses various degrees and courses.

This kind of interactive premium educational service has one aim: To help students excel in exams. In India there is a huge demand for suitable teaching aids, this is where Online Tuition comes into play.

• Students can test their knowledge and track their performance.

• These curriculum-based educational systems will use modern technological innovations in the ICT space, such as Interactive TV, e-learning and mobile learning, to create an interactive ecosystem where students can thrive.

• A lot of reference material is provided in the ‘Study Online’ section for self study on the site itself. Students can interact with other students as well as experts and solve their queries.

• This kind of Online Tuition gives the students the right kind of guidance which they deserve.

• Online Tuitions also students grasp concept that are difficult to teach in theory.

Online Education is most effective when there is interactivity and exposure to multiple sources. The biggest inequity in our education system is that it predominantly focuses on the urban population. But with such kind of Online Education, it becomes much easier to penetrate into the rural areas and help children get the best out of their educational years.

And he says...

MuSiC eDuCaTioN

Music education is an important part of every child's learning experience and is older than high schools sports, yet high school sports are increasing while music education may be soon demised.

Education, and particularly mandatory education, is an effective agent in the formation of an individual's tastes, preferences and value systems. Schools try to focus on the more important academic classes because of the high testing standards they must now meet.

However, music education is an important aspect of student growth and is not a luxury, but a necessity to all children. Music education is a broad-based discipline, using words and phrases from many areas of study, including psychology, sociology, physics, anatomy, philosophy, research, technology, and general education.

Music education is vital to a well-rounded education and is an investment of time, effort, and money, which can result in a lifetime of enjoying music. Music has the ability to facilitate language acquisition, reading readiness, and general intellectual development; to foster positive attitudes and to lower truancy in middle and high school; to enhance creativity; and to promote social development, personality adjustment, and self-worth.

Music also helps with math and science and also brings higher thinking to our children. Music and education have always gone hand in hand. Music influences all areas of our lives, and as each student masters the skills and discipline used in music he/she will also build greater confidence, poise, and sense of accomplishment that will pervade all aspects of life.

This education reinforces all other curricula by connecting concepts and processes to everyday life. Music, we say, provides so many benefits that are applicable to the more traditional academic subjects, that it is a basic.

Music study teaches the value of sustained effort and it's positive impact on learning is becoming well known, and one of the groups trumpeting that message is NAMM, the International Music Products Association. NAMM can help provide support for your school's music cirriculum.

Music Education is vital to a well-rounded education. It develps the intellect and music education has long been anecdotally linked to increased intellectual ability. Students, particularly high-risk students, do well in arts education classes yet suffer when confined to learning through a more traditional curriculum.

Students learn to count, keep a steady rhythm, and how to multiply and divide (to figure out how long each note is). Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't.

They also need science to understand something called the "overtone series," which Pythagorus came up with around Medieval times. Students learn to understand a little bit of Italian in order to interpret the markings in their music.

They also learn an incredible amount of coordination through music -- it isn't unlike being an athlete. Students that study the arts learn to think creatively. Learning to play an instrument may also keep children out of trouble by giving them something to do after school.

An opinion from an expert...

aTTeNTioN DeFiCiT HYPeRaCTiViTY DiSoRDeR

The letters ADHD, used by those stuck in the 1990s culture of mental health, strike fear the hearts and minds of most parents, and for good reason. After all children with ADHD are much likely to be underachievers in school, have disciplinary issues, and be social outcasts. If left untreated they are twice as likely to end up in the slammer, get divorced, and be chronically unemployed later in life. Not exactly the vision most parents are looking for.

This scenario has lead to a near panic as thousands of parents of suspected ADHD children seek answers as to why little Johnny or Sara can't seem to remember where they left their homework assignment or why they forced the family cat to eat the whole tub of buttery spread.

But while these two behavioral incidences may have some basis for ADHD they certainly don't confirm its existence. Furthermore, maybe the dog ate the homework or the cat needed a little extra cholesterol to make his coat shine.

The three primary symptoms of ADHD are inattention/distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Spun off of these primary symptoms are worry, boredom, loss of motivation, frustration, low self esteem, sleep disturbances, hopelessness, and the anticipation of failure.

It is also important to point out that about half of ADHD children do have aggression issues. And finally, and perhaps the most important factor is that ADHD children have co-existing conditions such as manic episodes, learn disabilities, tic disorders, depression, and anxiety a whopping 70 percent of the time.

The curious parent would rightfully want to know why co-existing conditions are so prevalent in ADHD children. The truth is no one really knows for sure, but the best guess scenario is that the chemicals in the brain thought to be the primary drivers for behavior and self regulation are present in varying degrees in each one of these conditions, including ADHD. They are dopamine and norepinephrine.

Another factor lies in heredity with just about 50 percent of all cases of attention deficit disorder being passed down for generation to generation. So in the case of ADHD the apple certainly doesn't seem to fall far from the tree.

What can be done?

Most cases if these unique individuals are allowed to use their creativity and high energy levels in to do something they enjoy they will likely become extremely motivated, most likely work hard, and eventually overachieve.

On the other hand if they are stuck in a very structured environment that requires no imagination, a set of rules that must be follow exactly, and a lot of memory on topics they despise they almost certainly will fail, and may fail miserably.

There are many different approaches to helping ADHD children succeed both in their academic endeavors and their social interactions. This list would include suggestions like helping them stay organized, better teacher parent communication, providing a designated homework areas free from distraction and clutter, using positive reinforcement to offset low self esteem, and allowing these children to engage in outdoor activities whenever possible.

Additionally, many parents have found that by adding a natural ADHD supplement to the mix they have been able to improve and manage problematic attention deficit disorder symptoms even better.

In conclusion, ADHD doesn't have to be a recipe for failure, and can turn out to be a recipe for success, if you are able to determine what ingredients work well together. This is no easy task, and will require a team effort from family members, teachers, friends, and possibly specialists. But when the right formula is found these children can, and often do, achieve great things.

Let's get into deep about ADHD...