Groovy Educator

It has taken me longer to write this post for some reason.  I have been under the weather with bronchitis and a double ear infection.  That may have something to do with the delay. (grin) There are many ways in which silverware or dining utensils can be used to teach children.   Before getting started, it is important to discuss safety with your child.  Knives are sharp tools.  For these lessons I recommend using butter knives, not steak knives.  I would also bring up how to safely hold the utensils when walking.  If they are vertical and pointing up, what would happen if your child tripped?  What would happen if the utensils were horizontal with the floor?  Discuss this with your child.  Model and demonstrate what would happen if you fell on a pointy object versus a flat object.  Now this may seem obvious to you but one thing I have learned in education is ASSUME NOTHING.  Never assume a child knows how to do something....

Socks?  Teaching with socks ? Yes!  Socks can be a valuable teaching tool.  Here are some ways you can use socks to teach your child(ren) at home or in your classroom. Math Estimation -Fill a sock with several objects. Have your child look at the the sock and estimate how many items are in the sock without feeling it.  Spend time discussing what you observe about the sock.  Is it full?  Is it bumpy?  Does it lay flat?  Ask how these observations affect your child's estimate.  Dump out the objects from the sock and decide whether or not your child wants to change his/her estimate based on the new visual knowledge.   Check by counting the objects. Grouping -When counting the objects group them into 2s, 5s, or 10s.  Discuss why?  Come up with some reasons together as to why this might be helpful.  You can repeat these activities with items in the other sock. Skip Counting -Empty out the sock drawer and count t...