SPECIAL POWER

Jan 152010
 
Cinderella -Fairy Godmother -Maris Anderson -1893

Cinderella -Fairy Godmother -Maris Anderson -1893 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

by Esther Jantzen, guest poster

Often fairytale, book, or film characters have special powers A fairy godmother can turn pumpkins into coaches and mice into horses, and Superman can fly. Kids enjoy imagining they too might have a special power that could help them solve problems and help others. It gives them a chance to think about how they’d like the world to be. This activity can lead to talking about what kids really can do through their strengths and abilities, which are their real ‘special powers.’ Here are several ways to do this:

First read a story or book that has a character with a special power  like Cinderella, The Cat in the Hat , Harry Potter , The Phantom Toll Booth , or any such story. Then choose one or more of the ideas below.

1) Ask your child how having that special power helped the character. Then ask, “If you had a special power what would it be?” Let them tell you what they would do with that special power. What would be fun and what would be hard about having it? Encourage the child to make up or write a story about having a special power.    OR

2) Invite your child to imagine the character with special power was his or her friend. Then ask, “What would happen in our house if ___ walked in?”   OR

3) Ask your child to tell you what special power they would like YOU, the grown-up, to have. This could lead to a lively discussion. Let them talk about why they’d want you to have that power and what they would want you to do with it. Then you and your children can make a list of the real strengths and powers they have such as friendliness, courage, curiosity, humor, honesty, perseverance, cooperativeness, and imagination. Hearing these words helps kids develop a rich vocabulary and a strong sense of their abilities.

Special Power supports the English-Language Arts Content Standards related to reading comprehension, narrative analysis, oral explanation, and inferential thinking.

##

Esther Jantzen, Ed.D, is a mother, an educator and the author of Plus It! How to Easily Turn Everyday Activities into Learning Adventures for Kids available at www.plusitbook.com and the Way to Go! Family Learning Journal available through www.jantzenbooks.com

Story Circle: Read And Re-Tell

Jan 012010
 

By Esther Jantzen, guest poster

 In the days before television and radio, families often sat together in the evening and retold stories from books they had read or from adventures they had. Retelling stories develops one’s memory and the ability to speak in groups. It can build feelings of self-confidence. This activity encourages kids to pay attention to details and to the order of events in a story. It provides them a chance to show off their dramatic skills. And it’s fun to do this! Here is one way to do it:

1) This activity works best when you pick a book that your child really enjoys. First, tell the child that he or she will have the opportunity to retell the story in his or her own personal style. Then read the book aloud together.

2) Let the child retell the story to you soon after reading it. If you want to then re-read the story to remind yourselves of the details, that’s fine.

3) At some event perhaps a family meal or a gathering of friends invite (but don’t force) the child to retell the story. OR let him or her act out the story. Allow the child’s inventive mind to add new details, even if they are different from the original book. Applaud their efforts!

4) You may wish to make Story Circle a family tradition and do it now and then. Adults can join in this, too. It can be done anywhere, for instance, on a long car ride or on a long walk.

5) Start a list of stories that your family members like to tell.

Story Circle: Read and Retell supports the English-Language Arts Content Standards related to reading comprehension, delivering oral communication, and narrative writing.

 Esther Jantzen, Ed.D, is a mother, an educator and the author of Plus It! How to Easily Turn Everyday Activities into Learning Adventures for Kids available at www.plusitbook.com and the Way to Go! Family Learning Journal available through www.jantzenbooks.com

REMEMBER WHEN

Dec 182009
 

 by Esther Jantzen, guest poster

Children love to hear stories about what they did as babies or young children. It helps them know how they are unique. It helps them to see that their own lives are interesting and noteworthy. They learn that not all of the good stories come from books; many stories can come from their own experiences. This easy activity can be done any time, anywhere.

Here are some ways to do it:

1) Recall something specific about your child – something he or she did when quite young – and tell him or her about it. For example, tell them about when they learned to walk, or something funny that they said, or what they liked to eat or not eat, or their favorite toy or pet, or about the time they rode a tricycle or two-wheeler for the first time. Start with, “I remember when you…” 

2) Tell your children about times when they got through problems successfully or mastered something — like when they stopped sucking their thumb or using a pacifier, healed from an injury, or helped care for a new brother or sister in a kind way. (If you have a hard time recalling such things, looking at photographs may help jog your memory.) 

3) Ask your child, “Do you remember when you did such-and-such?” If they do have a memory of that, say, “Tell me about it.” If they don’t have a memory, then you tell them the story. 

4) Ask your children if they’d like their stories written down. Write them in simple language. Don’t be surprised if they want to read those stories over and over again!

5) As you recall more childhood stories, tell them to the children. Do it often. It’s a great car game. It’s an easy way to share love with your child. Feel free to tell stories of your own childhood, too.

 

Esther Jantzen, Ed.D, is a mother, an educator and the author of Plus It! How to Easily Turn Everyday Activities into Learning Adventures for Kids available at www.plusitbook.com and the Way to Go! Family Learning Journal available through www.jantzenbooks.com

 Older Entries  Newer Entries