Fan Favorites - September 2017

National Book Day September 6

7 Key phrases Montessori teachers use and why we should use them, too

Montessori teachers use language that respects the child and provides consistent expectations. Words are chosen carefully to encourage children to be independent, intrinsically motivated critical thinkers.

Here are seven common phrases you’d probably hear in any Montessori classroom, and how to incorporate them into your home life.

https://www.mother.ly/child/7-key-phrases-montessori-teachers-use-and-why-we-should-use-them-too-

This Dad is Obssessed with Bubbles

The Art of Saying No

"We should feel confident that our kids are self-aware and know what they want, or don’t want, in that moment — and that they know just how to say it."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/on-parenting/the-art-of-saying-no-how-to-raise-kids-to-be-polite-not-pushovers/2016/08/30/9537e5d0-696c-11e6-ba32-5a4bf5aad4fa_story.html?utm_term=.d746c3bc0adb

Build Anything with This



The real reason why the US is falling behind in math

We are pretty much the only country on the planet that teaches math this way, where students are forced to memorize formulas and procedures. And so kids miss the more organic experience of playing with mathematical puzzles, experimenting and searching for patterns, finding delight in their own discoveries.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/02/12/why-falling-behind-math/WQ34ITFotp30EPF9knjqnJ/story.html?event=event25


Watch Ludacris, a dad of 3, rap "Llama Llama Red Pajama" on Power 106 Los Angeles!




Stop Gaslighting Your Kids

Gaslighting is when you try and convince someone that their experience isn’t true. When we try and force children to keep eating after they say they are full, or convince them they aren’t hurt when they are, or tell them that what they are crying about isn’t worth crying about, we are telling them that their experiences aren’t reality. When we gaslight our children, they begin to question their own judgment. They stop listening to their intuition. They lose their sense of security and self-confidence.

http://www.ravishly.com/stop-gaslighting-your-kids

Man accidentally starts Twitter war between Natural History and Science Museums

"Who would win in a staff battle between @sciencemuseum and @NHM_London, what exhibits/items would help you be victorious? #askacurator

"We have dinosaurs. No contest."

https://www.indy100.com/article/twitter-war-natural-history-science-museum-funny-social-media-7949936

#PrincessEngineering

Baby Yoga

Instead of saying "Stop Crying"

Why sensory processing disorder makes everything so hard and a phrase that will make things easier

"Asking for help falls under Executive Function. A child will have to have Working Memory to recognize that they are struggling with something; he or she will have to have enough Mental Flexibility to imagine that someone else might be able to help, and then enough Self-Control to pause what they are doing, find someone how might help, and ask.

That seems like a tall order for a young child, made even taller by SPD. If their brains are not processing physical stimuli, then how can they properly assess the situation and their needs, let alone Working Memory, Mental Flexibility and Self-Control?"

https://sites.google.com/view/free-learning/why-sensory-processing-disorder-makes-everything-so-hard

How Classic Cartoons Created a Culturally Literate Generation

Even if they never learned these elements in school, they at least had some frame of reference upon which they could build their understanding of the books and music and even ideas which have impacted culture and the world we live in today.

http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/secret-behind-baby-boomers-cultural-literacy

The Difference between Free Play and Smart Play

It is called "scaffolding."

"I understand that there is a difference between the kids dragging out the blocks and building something and me saying “I bet we could build a pyramid with these!” and watching them go to town. It’s a subtle distinction. And to be perfectly honest, BOTH kinds of play are incredibly important for the kids: for learning, for social interactions, for problem solving … the list goes on."

http://www.homeschooling2e.com/the-difference-between-free-play-smart-play/