parenting

Guide Your Teens as They Learn Art of Conversation

A+ Advice for Parents by by Leanna Landsmann
by Leanna Landsmann
A+ Advice for Parents | January 30th, 2012

Q: My two teen girls chatter with their peers, but they haven't learned the art of adult conversation. They never ask good questions or push a topic along. Do schools cover this? Are there any tricks I can use to teach them?

A: Schools do teach this, but not nearly enough, say two California educators, Marie Crawford and Jeff Zwiers. They train teachers to help students learn the skills essential for dialogue -- conversations in which we share different perspectives, build ideas and solve problems. They outline many strategies in their useful book, "Academic Conversations" (Stenhouse Publishers, 2011).

Crawford and Zwiers say students should develop five core skills to hold more complex conversations: (BEGIN ITALS)elaborating and clarifying, supporting ideas with evidence, building on or challenging ideas, paraphrasing and synthesizing.(END ITALS)

You can model these with your teens using topics they raise. For example, your daughter says, "Using hashtags on Facebook is so annoying. I mean, who does that?" You might say, "That's such an interesting observation. Please tell me why you think that." And a dialogue begins.

Do this consistently and your teens will reap academic benefits way beyond becoming interesting conversationalists. Academic conversation builds vocabulary and grammar; critical thinking such as persuasion, interpretation and evaluation; literacy skills such as predicting, summarizing and understanding abstract concepts, such as irony; and respect for each other's ideas and voices.

Learning to ask useful questions is important. "Questions linger, push and energize thinking; they open up the mind rather than shut it down," say Crawford and Zwiers. Questions help kids become "creative, empathic, hypothetical and humble." These are all qualities we want teens to develop.

Crawford teaches students how to ask several kinds of questions. You'll find them easy to model.

-- Questions that sustain conversations: These clarify and focus. Some examples are: (BEGIN ITALS)"What do you mean by ...?" "What is that important?" "What do others think?"(END ITALS)

-- Questions that explore meaning: We ask students to memorize meanings, says Crawford, but rarely to come up with their own definitions for concepts they're studying, such as democracy and freedom. For example, if discussing Occupy Wall Street, you might probe, "What does being 'middle class' mean? What has it meant for people at other times in our history?"

-- Questions that linger: Pondering leads to more focused problem-solving, says Zwiers. Encourage students to write down questions of interest. For example, "Is college worth the cost?" Suggest people they can talk with. Encourage them to research answers on their own. Come back to the question over time as their understanding deepens.

-- Questions that inspire "higher order" thinking: These ask for answers that go beyond recall and memorization. For example, if your daughters are into the "Twilight" series, ask questions such as, "Is Bella right or wrong in her decision?" "What did the author do to get readers to feel a certain way?" "How are the books and movies the same? Different?" and so on.

If you apply these techniques to topics your girls care about, and you are genuinely interested in what they think, they'll walk the walk as conversationalists!

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

parenting

Look for Materials That Nourish Kids' Interest in Science

A+ Advice for Parents by by Leanna Landsmann
by Leanna Landsmann
A+ Advice for Parents | January 23rd, 2012

Q: My two boys, 6 and 8, aren't into fantasy books. They love science and I'm trying to find books for our nightly reading. Those in our school library are very textbooky. Can you recommend a science series that we can all enjoy?

A: Your boys are a step ahead of an important trend -- more nonfiction reading in the early grades, so students develop "academic vocabulary" and background knowledge to help them understand math and science concepts in the middle grades and beyond.

Ask your librarian to gather a collection of books by Sandra Markle, an award-winning children's science writer of more than 200 books. Sandra uses the tools of science to research and write the books, traveling the world to observe her subjects. She even trekked to the South Pole for her book on penguins. Her probing prose, keen eye for delight, and ability to impart a sense of wonder grabs readers of any age. (Her series "Arachnid World," featuring spectacularly photographed spiders, helped a girl I tutored overcome her fear of these fascinating eight-legged predators.) Check out her "Outside and Inside" series and "Growing Up Wild" series. Sandra, who lives in New Zealand, invites young readers to share her sense of discovery on her blog: sandra-markle.blogspot.com.

Another author who does his own research is conservationist Michael Patrick O'Neill. His marine life books are packed with his spellbinding photography of sharks, sea turtles, fish and ocean reef dwellers. Go to batfishbooks.com.

Animal Planet and Kingfisher partnered to launch two series -- "Weird and Wonderful" (ages 6 to 10) and "My Life in the Wild" (ages 4 to 8). The first titles in "Weird and Wonderful" are "Show-Offs" and "Attack and Defense," focusing on adaptive behaviors for mating and defense, such as camouflage. Cheetahs and penguins are featured in the first two "My Life in the Wild" titles.

This month, Scholastic launches its "Discover More" series of nonfiction titles in print and online for three reading levels: Emergent, ages 4 to 6; Confident, ages 7 to 9; and Expert, ages 8 to 12. The photos and trendy graphics have great kid appeal. I gave my 12-year-old neighbor "The Elements: The Building Blocks of the Universe," the first title in the Expert series, and "she just pores over it," reports her mom. Each book comes with a code that allows online access to a free digital companion book with charts, videos, quizzes and articles that encourage readers to join scientists on their explorations. Go to www.scholastic.com/discovermore.

Peachtree publishes two well-illustrated nature series. The "A Place For" series explores ways to protect species such as butterflies, birds, fish and bats. The "About Habitats" series explores mountains, grasslands, deserts, wetlands and oceans. Go to peachtree-online.com.

The award-winning magazine Kids Discover explores a different subject each month, from the brain and cells, to earthquakes and space. It's edited for grades three to seven, but your 8-year-old will do just fine with your guidance. Back issues are available on 140 topics. It carries no advertising. Go to kidsdiscover.com.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

parenting

Follow These Websites to Know What's Happening in Education

A+ Advice for Parents by by Leanna Landsmann
by Leanna Landsmann
A+ Advice for Parents | January 16th, 2012

Q: There seem to be a lot of changes in education, and I want to get "smart" about what's going on, especially in technology. Can you recommend some reliable e-newsletters and websites for news and trends that parents might find useful?

A: This is a dynamic period for K-12 schooling and you're wise to keep up. Let this list guide you to those resources useful enough to invite to your inbox on a regular basis.

-- ASCD SmartBrief: News on the future of K-12 education. This free daily e-newsletter provides links with easy-to-scan annotations to articles and podcasts that cover curriculum, parental involvement, technology integration, research and the best education practices and projects from around the country.

-- ASCD SmartBrief on EdTech: If you want a heavier dose of education technology, sign up to receive this free daily e-newsletter. A recent issue offered links to topics ranging from web-based money lessons for teens to families who share their experiences with virtual schools.

-- EdSurge.com: This geeky, cheeky e-newsletter offers a weekly rundown of the latest in education technology. Described as a "TechCrunch for education," it charts trends, looks at which districts are trying what in ed-tech, and identifies new companies entering the school market.

-- Edutopia.org: This thought-provoking and inspiring site, which offers a free weekly e-newsletter, spares readers policy fights. Founded by The George Lucas Educational Foundation 20 years ago, its mission is to "empower and connect teachers, administrators, and parents with innovative solutions and resources to better education." Editors offer an astounding menu of resources -- from the benefits of project-based education to a guided tour through the evolution of gaming and how it can help students customize their own educational experience. Material is organized by grade level. Bloggers deliver high-quality insight and practical advice.

-- Education Week: "American education's newspaper and news site of record" is to schooling what the Hollywood Reporter is to the entertainment field. Many educators, administrators, media folks and policymakers find it indispensable for its cogent and timely reporting on curriculum, policy, funding and technology trends. Look for provocative op-eds in each issue. Test-drive the site's free areas before deciding to purchase premium access. Go to edweek.org for pricing. If you subscribe, call customer service to get the best deal, which is often less than what is posted.

-- GreatSchools.org: The resources listed above are geared to a range of audiences and are of most use to educators. This site's rich range of videos, tips, resources, free grade-by-grade newsletters and school rankings is targeted to parents. Advice comes jargon-free, and editors don't shy away from tough topics and parenting dilemmas. The site has deep resources on learning problems, free worksheets and activities, and homework help. An active parent community freely shares "been there!" advice.

-- Education.com: Also targeted to parents, this site is organized by topic and grade level. You won't find policy trends or opinion pieces to inform you for the next school board discussion of No Child Left Behind, but you'll find a science project the night your son says, "I have to have one by tomorrow!"

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

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