1.       It is always helpful to go to your school’s website and search for the curriculum used in the various subjects. Conferences provide the perfect opportunity for your child’s teacher to share examples of how your child is progressing in their understanding of concepts within a given math, reading, science, social studies, or SEL (social/emotional learning) curriculum.

2.       Asking teachers ways you can help your child at home to support what they are doing in class is a GREAT way to maintain home/school partnerships. Your child’s teacher has tons of ideas on how to support their efforts at home. Most schools have a list of approved websites and/or resources including parent/child programs to extend your child’s learning at home.

3.       If you have concerns about anything share them with your teacher during conferences. Your 15-30 minute conference time is your time to confidentially discuss with your teacher(s) all concerns related to your child’s academic, social/emotional or physical success in a given school year. Anything you feel might help your child’s teacher understand your child better is ALWAYS appreciated by a teacher.

4.       Conferences are the perfect time to alert your teacher(s) of any changes in family dynamics which could influence your child such as new additions, separations or losses. Children manifest family changes in different ways inside the classroom than they might at home. Teachers who have the necessary family history can better support a child during the school day. Open parent/teacher communication is always kept confidential by school staff.

5.       Thank your teachers for all that they do and let them know you are there to help them in any way that you can. Our children are with their teachers  varying amount of hours depending on their school dynamics. However, the role they play is extremely significant in shaping how our children feel as a learner.

6.       Let your child’s teacher know you appreciate all their efforts. Teachers need your praise and acknowledgment of support as much as our children need it from them.

We’d love to hear how your conferences went. Send us a line either responding to our blog post or to info@steppingstonestogether.com with CONFERENCES as a subject heading.

Happy Conferencing!

The question on everyone’s mind is when do you get involved and when do you stand back?

I love the line from Ferris Bueller’s day off and I quote, “Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once and a while you could miss it.” I usually wonder what happened to the summer and can’t believe my kids are closer to the middle of their school year than not around this time of year.

Does anyone else feel life with children is like running a relay race, passing off one baton only to wait for the next one? I love the roller coaster and wouldn’t change it for anything but thank goodness for pictures! They capture the moments of triumph, milestones, and the passing of time.

Children vividly remember each experience from their first memories to present. Adults have a much broader memory file to account for, and for better or worse, may condense less important memories. Is this a good excuse for not remembering every detail of our past?

What memories of your own parents’ involvement are most vivid and important to you as an adult?

Personally, my parents’ involvement in academics was more impressionable on me than anything else. It wasn’t easy as a teenager having my mom wear a visor to my school graduation party. However, knowing that she was the PTO president made a lasting impression on me of the importance of parent involvement in schools. Watching my mom read on a daily basis to this day is something that has made me value the joy of reading. Having my mom check over my homework, leaving comments on my papers such as, ‘This did not make sense,’ or circling errors for me to correct might have enraged me at the time, but it showed me she cared about the quality of work I turned into teachers.

What are your most impressionable and vivid memories of your parents’ involvement throughout childhood?

Do you remember specific dinner table conversations?

Did your family prioritize homework over extracurricular commitments and play dates? How did this have an effect on your parenting choices?

Parent involvement is never easy. Making meaningful parent involvement choices is something we all have to do.

Stepping Stones Together sat down with president of Little One Books and we share a similar sentiment about the power of literacy and reading books.

We are happy to share her recent thoughts on the power of picture books.

When was the last time you spent $15 for a children’s product that was used over and over again? For parents and grandparents of children five and under, the answer would likely be the last time they purchased a picture book. A quality picture book has the potential to stimulate a child’s imagination and create a foundation for future learning.

Research continues to share the number one predictor of a child’s academic achievement is parental involvement. All parents want what is best for their child and early literacy is part of that process.

How do parents take the first steps?

1.Start the early literacy process today! Once you begin working with your child on early literacy the key to advancement is daily practice.

2. Children thrive off of beginning literacy program consistency in as little as 15 minutes a day. This will not become a daunting task. Parents and caregivers can do this with an an easy to use program.

3. It should not cost a fortune – Most programs require parents/caregivers to invest considerable amounts of money to help their child learn to love the beginning literacy process. This should not be the case.

• You need to obtain basic beginning literacy tools and use them daily with your child.
• Materials should consist of a choice of reading material for your child at their level and daily opportunities to write, discuss and interact through games with literacy.

4. Parents should NOT be taken out of beginning literacy programs.

• Parents, the number one predictor of academic success, are often taken out of the beginning literacy process for expensive one on one tutoring which ends with each tutoring session.
• Weekly tutoring instruction will not help a child make significant literacy gains unless daily practice is a part of this regiment.

5. Online programs cannot replace the necessary human interaction necessary for beginning literacy.

• Online reading games and programs serve as a great way to practice skills.
• Reading comprehension and higher order critical thinking skills that beginning literacy learners  need to develop are often missed with online beginning reading program.
• The goal of reading is to understand. Beginning literacy skills requires human interaction to assist with application, analysis, and reformulation of content understanding in a meaningful way.

What frustrations, successes or experiences have you had with your child and beginning literacy? Do you have beginning literacy questions? We got answers!

1. Make  a schedule for: daily lunches, clothing choices, activities which your children can review each day either in their rooms or in a common area such as your kitchen or mud room. If you have younger kids replace words with pictures. For more tips on beginning learning check out our blog.

This is also a great way to incorporate early literacy skills into your daily routine!

2. Get to bed early!- I am guilty of burning the midnight oil too, but starting the school year out by getting your kids and yourself into bed early will help you keep healthy and alert especially at the beginning of flu season!

3. Have children do their homework when they get home from school if possible. – Schedules rule our lives but establishing a routine for homework is the best way to help children complete homework diligently daily. They do crave routine even with the hemming and hawing!

4. Read daily- Everyone should be reading daily. Have a drop everything and read time in your schedule for the entire family. Even young children can pretend to read during this time with pride. Daily reading practice is the number one predictor of academic success and lifelong commitment to learning.

5. Eat dinner together whenever possible. – Asking my children their favorite part of their day around the dinner table is my favorite 5 minutes of the day. I secretly think they feel the same way .

Is routine your secret to success with getting the school year off to a great start? I’d love to hear your routines. Sharing is caring. Please let us know what you do to get the school year off to a great start.

We are approaching July 4^th! We all feel summer pass by too quickly! Camp monopolizes the weekdays and family vacations, outings, and water takes over our weekends. I am living this reality and sometimes feel like schedules are more crammed now than during the school year.

Making time for reading is a challenge but is worth the effort. Summer learning loss is a reality. 40% of literacy skills can be lost over the summer months but parents have the power to prevent it.

Here are my top 10 ways to avoid summer learning loss. You won’t regret your efforts.

1. Establish a daily reading routine with your child.

• Fill out this interest inventory and go to the library.
• Ask the librarian for help selecting books for you to read to your child.
• Put it on the schedule if necessary to ensure daily time to read.
• Read to your child in bed.
• Read to your child during breakfast.
• Read to your child during dinner.
• Read to your child at the park.
• Read to your child in a favorite summer spot outside.

2. Have your child read to you or with you daily.

• Take your child or take their inventory list to the library to choose a varied group of books for your child to read.
• Focus on daily reading not finishing books or the level your child chooses to read.
• Focus on summer reading maintenance.
• Model daily reading beside your child.

3. Set a 60 day goal. There are approximately 60 days left before school begins.

• Intrinsic -How many minutes can you commit to as a family to read in the next 60 days?
• Extrinsic- Determine a family reward for meeting your goal.

4. Join a library book club.

• It is never too late to join the 8 week book club available at most public libraries.

5. Determine something your family wants to learn more about and read about it.

• Every family has different interests.
• Learn a new style of cooking.
• Learn about another culture.
• Research a family vacation.

6.       Read daily

7.       Read daily

8.       Read daily

9.       Read daily

10.   Read daily- Practice makes you a stronger reader.

What do you do to infuse your family’s summer with reading?

Not only do children lose 3 months of reading skills out of 12 during the summer but without some guidance reading alone will not slow this decline.

10 ways to help your child improve their reading skill over the summer

1.       Go to your local library- Most libraries have summer reading programs which provide both intrinsic rewards and incentive programs to reading all summer long!

2.       Help your child with reading comprehension. Most children under 9 do not self-check for reading understanding. Children under the age of 10 need a parent, friend, or adult to help them stop, review, and re-read if necessary for understanding.

3.       Have your child read books to you.  Have them stop when they encounter difficult vocabulary, passages, and pronunciation of words.  Create new sentences with new vocabulary words or explain concepts in context for your child.

4.       Read a book together. Take turns reading modeling appropriate reading comprehension when it’s your turn to read!

5.       Make reading a daily routine. Brushing your teeth isn’t an option. Why is reading?

6.       Read regularly in front of your child. Reading is contagious. The more others see you read the more they will think it’s a good idea too!

7.       Have those they look up to suggest good books to read. Have a sibling, friend, or adult that your child looks up to and could recommend a great book? Get them over to your house!

8.       Go to a book store, yard sale, estate sale, grandma’s house. The great thing about books is everyone has them. Many will part with a good book to pass it on!

9.       Trade in your old for new. There are bookstores around the country paying patrons for their used books. Why not trade in books you have outgrown, or read to exhaustion for some new books which will inspire you and your child?

10.   READ- The best way to become a better reader is to read.

GoGo Kabongo is a new online learning game for kids ages four to seven.

Not just another learning game, Kabongo’s unique approach combines casual digital gameplay with the latest research in contemporary cognitive psychology. Designed and tested by learning experts and award winning game designers, Kabongo’s online reading games keep children entertained while cultivating the thinking and problem solving skills that underlie reading.

In fact, each of GoGo Kabongo’s learning games develop specific cognitive skills essential to reading, such as attention and focus, planning, processing and memory.

Children can play challenging learning games, solve mini-missions, and discover hidden surprises. Along the way, they will meet friendly characters to help them. The games adapt to the child’s level, so they are never too easy or too hard, inspiring self-confidence and independent play.

Throughout the adventure, kids have room to explore GoGo Kabongo’s animated world of brain-boosting fun at their own pace. With games like Scuba Dude, which builds memory and sequencing skills, or Going Buggy, designed to improve listening comprehension, kids are continually motivated as they earn interactive online rewards, such as stickers for their Comic Book Maker and ramps for their custom Skate Park. Plus, they’ll get to make their own avatar and collect items for their virtual tree house.

“We know that kids learn best by learning to think. And they learn even better when they’re doing something they love!” said chief marketing officer, Teri Rousseau. “We wanted to create a safe, animated play environment where young children could play online independently while building cognitive skills essential to reading.”

Rousseau has worked for such companies as Scholastic, EA Games and LucasArts, among other well-known brands. She and CEO Terrell Anderson are the driving forces behind Kabongo, Inc., and they are planning more great digital learning games for GoGo Kabongo in the coming year.

GoGo Kabongo’s first habitat, Laughter Lake, is available for free. Additional habitats are offered at an introductory price of $4.95 each – no subscription fees ever! “Parents told us they love that Kabongo doesn’t come with a pricey monthly subscription. And they also love that it’s accessible everywhere,” Rousseau said.

To ensure that the games never lose their fun factor, Kabongo play-tests their online learning games with kids and parents.

Rousseau also said that an additional habitat is in the works now, and that some of the new games take their inspiration directly from feedback from their kid play-testers.

GoGo Kabongo has already accumulated thousands of registered users and an impressive list of industry awards (including the Dr. Toy, iParenting and Mom’s Choice awards, among others) since its Beta release last fall.

For more information about GoGo Kabongo’s online kids games for cognitive reading development, and to start your child on a playing and learning adventure, visit the official website at www.kabongo.com.

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This is ridiculous right? Would you ever allow your child the option to choose if they wanted to brush their teeth instead of helping them with this hygienic necessity twice or more daily? Your local dentist might appreciate your frequent visits !

Similarly, many children spend 2 months out of 12 breaking from a necessity just as important as brushing their teeth. Our brains, just like our teeth, need attention to thrive. Reading is left behind as summer begins for many children. While some children join book clubs many children spend their summers without books.

What can you do to encourage reading over the summer and beyond?

1. Have books around and visible over the summer.

• Go to the local library and select a variety of books which offer choice, challenge, control, and collaboration for your child. These are all important variables to motivate and encourage your child to be lifelong readers.
• Have books in your home. According to 20 years of research, just having books in one‘s home leads to children reading more and being more academically successful.

2. Make reading a daily routine.

• We eat fruits and vegetables to be healthy. Make reading a daily routine/expectation in your home. Habits stick!
• Parent involvement in reading leads to academic success. The number one indicator of academic achievement is parent involvement. Your reading influence will make a difference.

3. Read

• Share what you read with your family both through daily/weekly discussion and reading aloud time.
• Model what you preach. No child is too old to love you reading to them.

4. Find a book fair

• Summer book fairs offer a wide selection of new and old books as well as provide literary entertainment.
• Chicago’s Printer Row Book fair is always a treat if in the area.

How are you helping your child or students avoid summer learning loss? We want to hear! Together we can change summer learning loss.

Before I was a Mom,

I made and ate hot meals.

I had unstained clothing.

I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom,

I slept late as I wanted

And never worried about how late I got into bed.

I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom,

I cleaned my house each day.

I never tripped over toys or

forgot words of lullabies.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom

I had never been puked on

Pooped on

Spit on

Chewed on

Peed on

Or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom,

I had complete control of:

My thoughts

My body

And my mind.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put it down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces

when I couldn’t stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn’t know the feeling of having  my heart outside my body.

I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn’t know that bond between a Mother and her child.

I didn’t know that something so small

Could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night

Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay

I had never known the warmth

The joy

The love

The heartache

The wonder

Or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

author unknown

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone out there.