Roots of Learning » music and learning

US History Lessons in the Age of New Media

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:45:57 +0000

Engaging the student, utilizing knowledge of various senses, taking advantage of free online tools, my son’s fourth grade social studies teacher did all these things when she showed the kids the following in class today:

A Peaceful Place to Learn

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:10:40 +0000

As we quickly approach the upcoming school year, think about creating a space in your home that is a designated “quiet space” conducive to studying and reading. In these days of pervasive media, it is difficult sometimes to ‘turn it all off’ and focus.

Your child should have an area that is dedicated to his/her academic work, away from the family comings and goings - a place to keep supplies handy, a good surface for writing (and perhaps access to a computer). A few resources that you’ll want to have available are:

a dictionary and a thesaurus
a pencil sharpener, extra pencils, highlighters, pens, erasers, etc.
math supplies such as a ruler, counters (for younger kids), and a calculator if appropriate

The area needs to be well-lit, and might include a radio or cd player so that your child can study with music on in the background (while that could distract some kids, it actually helps others focus – if you are not sure, test it out). Also, be sure that the chair your child is using is comfortable and supports good posture for writing and reading. Additionally, you may consider adding a beanbag chair or comfy pillow in the area for when your child is curled up with a good book.

The study area is also a good place to have organization tools such as a homework calendar, a list of montly goals, a corkboard with pushpins or a whiteboard for jotting down deadlines and reminders, and cues such as the one I’ve provided here, which reminds kids to check their writing to ensure it has met various criteria. Feel free to download this resource and print it for your own use. Or, make your own study resources according to your child’s changing needs.

If your house is like mine, it is a flurry of activity, often bordering on chaos. It is important to think about your child’s academic needs at home, whether he or she is home schooled or leaves the house for school. A love of learning is nurtured in the home, and a snug place for a child to explore books, maps, and ideas will encourage that learning – even through the din of family life.

Heather

Musical Rhymes

admin — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:29:32 +0000

Do you happen to have an auditory / musically inclined learner who is learning to read? (I do.) If so, try using books with a lot of rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration in them. Auditory learners are ‘tuned in’ (literally) to sounds and patterns in sound. Plugging into this strength in their learning style can enhance their learning experiences when books are read to them, and when they are beginning to read books on their own. In addition to the auditory learner, tactile learners are going to be attunded to the way words ‘feel’ in their mouths, so using books that ‘play’ with language in this way can also help your tactile learners plug in to reading!

- Heather

Learning Styles Quiz

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:09:52 +0000

I just stumbled upon a learning styles quiz at Edutopia. It is interesting because it classifies intelligence according to the categories naturalistic, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, visual-spatial, logical-mathematical, and verbal-linguistic. I found the results surprising because I have always ‘seen myself’ as a visual learner – and have read that, overwhelmingly, people are visual learners. However, in this particular quiz, I scored very low in that area. Instead, my strongest score came in the area of “intrapersonal,” which describes a person who is “…connected to who you are and how you feel, and you know your own limits and abilities. You often set goals for yourself, self-manage, and reflect on results.” This is an excellent description of me, but is it my intelligence? That may be open to debate. I think that if you want to measure your learning style or that of your child, do so periodically and do so using a variety of evaluation tools. In my opinion, this is not a science, but it can shed light into the way we think and learn, and on what learning activities would be most beneficial for us. I am now going to give the quiz to my eldest child – I’ll report back later! I’d love to hear others’ insights!

- Heather

Music and Learning, and the “Opportunity Gap”

admin — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:17:11 +0000

Scientists have shown what we all intuitively know, as parents, that enrichment such as musical instruction helps kids’ learning in other areas (such as math and reading) as well. This is great news for those of us who can give our children those experiences. But in a time when schools are going ‘back to basics’ and enrichment such as this many times comes outside of the school day, it also makes me think – what about families who cannot afford such ‘luxuries?’ I’d love to hear from parents who have found creative ways to help their kids without breaking the bank! Can we give ‘opportunity’ without going into debt?