Reading and math are absolutely essential elements of education. They are the foundation for learning and the standards for each must be mastered at each grade level. Below are Tips for Parents, Reading Websites for Students, Math Websites for Students, and Test Taking Tips and Study Tips, Test Anxiety:Helpful Strategies
Tips for Parents:
Make sure you child is doing his/her homework every night
Practice, practice, practice! Use the sites below for additional help
Have a consistent schedule for your child each night. Ex. from 4pm-5pm is homework time, 5pm-6pm is dinner, 7pm-8pm is family time, etc...
Set aside a quiet space for your child to do homework
Collect your child's phone, tablet, or any other electronic before bed each night
Be sure your child is getting 10-11 hours of sleep each night
Talk to your child each day about what they learned in school
If your child is having any issues with school, behavior, mental health, etc. make sure to contact the school counselor for a meeting
This site offers study tips and organization tips to improve students' grades. http://www.how-to-study.com/
Reading Websites for Students:
Storyline Online
http://www.storylineonline.net
Developed by The Screen Actors Guild Foundation, Storyline Online features accomplished actors and actresses reading some of their favorite children’s books. Each story comes with a free Activity Guide and can be viewed on YouTube or SchoolTube. Rainbow Fish, Wilfrid Gordon Macdonald Partridge, and To Be a Drum are just a few of the books available.
Read to Me
Similar to Storyline Online, Read to Me features popular children’s books being read by famous performers. There are activity guides with hands-on ideas, discussion questions, and lesson plans that can easily be adapted to the Common Core State Standards. Entirely free, the site is colorful and engaging.
We Give Books
A Pearson Foundation Initiative, We Give Books offers students a unique opportunity to read for social good. Each book that is read results in a book that is donated to a charity for children. While the books are not read aloud, they allow students to practice “Read to Self” with a good fit book during center time. There are books for children in preschool through fourth grade.
Starfall
While some areas of Starfall are part of their premium service, they have many early reader stories available for free. Students can follow along as the story is read to them and can, in some instances, help create their own story. The website is highly engaging and a favorite of young readers.
Online Storytime by Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/online-storytime-books-toys/379003588/
From The Kissing Hand read by author Audrey Wood to Pinkalicious read by Victoria Kann, Barnes and Noble’s Online Storytime has popular children’s books read out loud. While there are no supplemental materials to accompany the stories, this free site is perfect for “Listen to Reading” stations.
Note: The first story begins right away when the page opens so be sure that your volume is adjusted accordingly before clicking the link.
International Children’s Digital Library
http://en.childrenslibrary.org/
Discover books from around the world at the International Children’s Digital Library. The free site does not read the books aloud, but students can read them independently during Read to Self or free time. This is a great site for extension activities when learning about different regions of the world and can be used effectively into the middle school grades.
ABCya!
Children can listen to short stories read aloud to them as they follow along with the highlighted text. ABCya! has a variety of educational games in addition to the featured stories. Free resources and materials are available for grades K through 5.
Math Websites for Students:
Fun Brain
Find math games by topic or by grade at FunBrain. Students will enjoy playing a variety of math games that reinforce concepts and engage young learners.
Math Blaster
The message to Math Blaster’s is clear: “Your success depends on your ability to use your brain and logic skills.” With a space/alien theme, Math Blaster’s lets your students become intergalactic heros based on their math operation and critical thinking skills. Registration is required, but the game itself is free. Be sure to check out the Teacher Section to find Math Blaster for the Classroom.
Multiplication.com
From the Multiplication Grand Prix to the Knight and the Princess, students can practice their basic math skills in a fun and engaging way. There are additional resources available for parents and teachers to help reinforce and teach skills. Check out the Classroom Games section for off-line fun.
Learn Zillion
Find lessons that complement what you are studying in the classroom based on the Common Core Standards for grades 3-9. While less of a “math game” site than some of the others on the list, Learn Zillion provides a strong, comprehensive approach to online math education. Take time to explore the free resources available to teachers and parents.
Hooda Math
Logic and reasoning, math fact practice, and more make up the free educational games at Hooda Math. There are quite a few games that call for higher order thinking and ask students to problem solve to complete the activities.
Math Game Time
Designed for students from Pre-K through 7th Grade, Math Game Time offers fun, educational games. From games like Integer War, Ratio Martian, and Jet Ski Addition, students quickly engage with games that are on-target for their grade and the Common Core Standards.
Test Taking Tips and Study Tips:
Test Taking Tips
More Test Taking Tips
Tips for Remembering
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills-articles/tips-for-remembering.asp
How to Memorize Important Facts
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/study-skills/listening/2025.html?detoured=1
Using Acronyms to Remember Information
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/using-acronymic-sentences.asp
Preparing A Good Place To Study
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/preparing-to-study.asp
The Ten Study Habits of Successful Students
Improving Concentration While Studying
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/improving-concentration.asp
Motivating Yourself to Study
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/motivating-yourself-to-study.asp
Time Management Tips, Grade 3-4 (PDF to download)
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/study-skills/printable/44726.html
Time Management Tips, Grades K-2 (PDF to download)
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/study-skills/printable/44667.html
Improving Reading Fluency
http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills-articles/improving-reading-fluency.asp
Test Anxiety: Helpful Strategies
7 Ways to Help Students Who Struggle with Anxiety. (We are Teachers), Karen Nelson, July 5th, 2016
1. Get Kids Breathing Deep
When people slow down their breathing, they slow down their brain. When I notice that one of my kids is struggling with anxiety, I’ll often lead the whole class in a breathing exercise. It helps the child who is overwhelmed, and usually a few other kids too. Sometimes, I’ll do it just because the whole class is squirrely and we need to focus. Slow, deep breaths are the key.
2. Get Outside
Being out in nature can also calm an anxious brain. Sometimes just a change of scenery is what makes the difference. Breathing the cool air, or making time to notice chirping birds can also calm an over-active worrier. Asking students to carefully observe their environment can help them turn the focus away from their worries, and on to something more tangible. “How many different kinds of trees do you see?” “How many different bird songs do you hear?” “How many different shades of green are in the grass?”
3. Get Kids Moving: Walk and Talk
Exercise helps anyone who is feeling anxious. All of the endorphins that come with exercise are calming to the anxious brain. I use this strategy on the playground a lot. Kids who are feeling anxious can “boil over” pretty quickly. Anxiety can end up looking like anger. One of my students who struggled with anxiety would often find conflict in the playhouse at recess. I tended to use the “walk and talk” method to calm her down. She’d come to me upset and I’d ask her to walk with me as I supervised the rest of the kids. After a couple of loops around the playground, everything would feel a little better.
Our walk served three purposes. 1. It removed her from the situation. 2. It gave her a chance to explain the issue to me. 3. It got her blood pumping which clears out the anxiety producing energy and brings in the positive exercise endorphins. I’ve also been known to take my kids for a run, just to change the mood in my classroom.
4. Think Positive: Gratitude Journals
The brain is incapable of producing anxious thoughts while it is producing positive thoughts stemming from gratitude. If you can trigger a positive train of thought, you can sometimes derail the anxiety. A fifth grade teacher in my building asks kids to keep gratitude journals. They are responsible for recording at least one thing they are thankful for every day. When his students seem overwhelmed by negativity or mired in anxiety, he encourages them to re-read their journals.
5. Help Kids Eat Healthy and Stay Well
For the most part, teachers don’t really have a lot of control over what students eat and how much they sleep, but these things do matter when it comes to managing anxiety. Not surprisingly, a healthy diet and plenty of sleep makes a difference in how well a student is able to handle situations that could be overwhelming. It’s one of the reasons that snack and rest time were an essential part of the day when I was teaching preschool. (It probably would have benefited my older students too, even if they might not have admitted it!)
If you can find a way to work these things into your school day, they could make the difference for your kids who tend to worry. Even if you can’t control what they eat or how much sleep they get you can educate them. If you eat meals with your class, use the time to talk about healthy food choices, or wrap it into the curriculum when you can.
6. Share a Story
Often, when one of my kids is struggling, the school counselor will come and share a picture book about managing anxiety with the entire class. Some kids may not be receptive to direct, one-on-one, intervention but will respond beautifully if they know the whole class is receiving the same information. This article from Living the Fantastic Life shares some of the books we used most frequently in our classroom.
7. Consider Accommodations
For older students, accommodations can make all the difference. Many students struggle with performance anxiety, especially when it comes to tests. When a student is feeling anxious, their brain simply can’t function as effectively. When we can set up our tests and assignments so anxious kids are less stressed, they’ll likely perform better. Extended time and cue sheets could help kids who suffer from test anxiety. For other accommodations for kids who struggle with anxiety, check out this list from Worry Wise Kids.
The good news about anxiety is that it is one of the most manageable mental health struggles that children face in the classroom. With the right support and strategies, most children are able to develop strategies that help them manage their anxiety. In addition to the recommendations above, consider exploring the following list of resources: