ELA & Social Studies Articles - Page 5

Whether we realize it or not, literacy learning takes place before babies can even talk! Before kids ever step foot into school, they are absorbing communication skills and forming the foundations for reading and writing. That’s why it’s so important to start early to reinforce the skills your child is already taking in. This article hones in on the literacy skills to work on in each age or stage and offers you 15 fabulous alphabet games for kids! 

Teaching kids is a huge job, since reading is one of the most critical skills students must learn in the early elementary years. Though the idea of such a big task might seem daunting, a guided reading program can be the ticket to literacy success in your school or at-home classroom. This article takes an in-depth look at guided reading and gives any teacher or parent ways to implement and support such a system effectively. 

Does your early learner seem to have sharp language and thinking skills that far outpace their age? With such advanced skills, you might be wondering to yourself exactly when do kids learn to read? If so, you might have a gifted reader on your hands! Even if you suspect your child is gifted, it’s important to keep these young minds engaged and stimulated to foster a healthy love for reading and learning. This article will help you identify whether your child is a gifted reader, and what strategies to use to enrich your child’s reading and language skills!

If your kids are like most people, they probably find sitting and labeling a map quite a tedious activity. Let’s be honest: memorizing states and capitals can be downright boring for kids! But what if learning geography doesn’t have to be boring? In fact, a USA geography game for kids should be upbeat and engaging, encouraging kids to learn even more about the country and our culture. 

As parents, it’s easy to get lost in the daily routine, helping kids with homework and pushing them to achieve their potential every day. But learning all the math and science available won’t make kids productive and contributing members of society. That’s why it’s critically important to instill within our kids a sense of civics and community. This article takes a look at teaching citizenship to elementary students, and will give you 6 great ideas to use with your child. 

Once there was a sweet little girl. She was very pretty, and everyone loved her. She lived with her mother. Her mother gave her a lot of presents all the time. Once she made a little red riding hood from a piece of velvet. It was a very pretty hood and the little girl looked very pretty when she wore it. She loved the hood so much that she wore it all the time and did not wear anything else. As she always wore the red riding hood she was given the name of Little Red Riding Hood.

Like any other developmental milestone, kids have to be ready to begin learning to read. Just like you wouldn’t want to wean your child before he or she is ready to start solid foods, you wouldn’t want to introduce reading if your child is unable to recognize the letters of the alphabet. Though it might be tricky to recognize the signs of reading readiness, we should look for definite cues that kids are ready to begin reading. 

If you think about the people in your life you probably know someone who calls themselves a “bad speller”. While everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, some people grow up accepting the notion that they just can’t spell or write well. Even so, you probably also know that spelling and writing properly are ingredients for a successful career and professional life. Luckily, your child doesn’t have to grow up believing they are bad at spelling.

Think about the last article, blog post, or book you read. Did you ask yourself questions while you read? Like most skilled readers and critical thinkers, you probably were continuously asking questions, even if you didn’t realize it. Asking questions helps us to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate a piece of text, and challenges us to expand our thinking.

When it comes to teaching our kids to read, it may seem like a daunting and impossible task for someone who isn’t already an early education teacher. While sight word flashcards and worksheets are no doubt important, the first step to teaching kids how to read is simply to pick up a book and start reading. This article explores ways to read with your child to maximize early literacy and language learning.