"I feel like it's very different how women think about marriage here versus where I come from."

When your kids have questions, do you have the answers? Here are some tips from GeekDad to help you along.

How to Confidently Introduce Yourself! What's the first thing you need to do when you meet someone new? Below is a list of useful phrases to help you introduce yourself in English.

In Paul Griffiths’ 2008 novel let me tell you, Ophelia tells her story using only the 481-word vocabulary given to her in Hamlet: So: now I come to speak. At last. I will tell you all I know. I was deceived to think I could not do this. I have the powers; I take them here. I have the right. I have the means. My words may be poor, but they will have to do. What words do I have? Where do they come from? How is it that I speak? There will be a time for me to think...

The students in Mrs. Thompson’s fifth-grade class buzzed with excitement as she announced the upcoming field trip to the local animal shelter. It was a highly anticipated event, especially since the shelter had just welcomed a new litter of puppies and kittens. Paul Einen, a quiet boy with a mop of unruly hair, listened intently, […]

Unless you have persistence, constancy and discipline, the chances of your dreams eventuating into reality fall to almost zero. It takes time to learn the lessons, develop a practice and hone the skills necessary for success in any area. In this episode I share my journey both in my writing and pe

I'm a financial advisor in Los Angeles, where making a mistake with your inherited IRA could take the taxes due from near zero percent to above 50% (counting both state and federal taxes).

Have you ever used a common phrase, one you've heard a thousand times before, and suddenly wondered, "Where did that expression even come from, anyway?" I know I have. But what I didn't know until recently is that in the U.S., a lot of our most…

glamorous. fabulous. charming. fun. flirty. elegant. exciting. delicate. whimsical. wonderful. dramatic. cute. dreamy. alluring. magnificent. daring. enticing. enchanting. charming. sassy. sexy. sweet. artistic. creative. exquisite. stunning. daring....

We look back on the many chapters of Leonard Cohen's long, remarkable life, from teenage poet to midlife monk and beyond.

One of music's most innovative thinkers gives RS a rare tour of his studio and creative process

It is well known: men are from Mars, women are from Venus. Hence the misunderstandings and disputes. While waiting to find a common ground, Here […] Read More

After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, writer TERRY PRATCHETT reveals how his soul-searching led to an amazing epiphany.

It's been pouring rain since the wee hours of the morning. I headed into my sewing room to make the fall table runner that has been on my to-do list for a while now. The pattern is from the fall 2013 Fons & Porter's Quilting Quickly. I really enjoyed putting together the little 6 1/2" maple leaf blocks. The stem uses a neat technique where you sew down one side and top stitch the other. I used a blanket stitch and some variegated thread for the stems. I got this far in the project and realized that it will be a big table runner, Finished it will measure 21 1/2" x 51 1/2". In the top picture I haven't even put the borders on yet and it's almost too big for my table. So now the question becomes whether I keep going and make this a quilt. I will need to do three or four more rows like this one to get a good throw size. I don't need to add another project to the list right now but it sure would be a cute quilt, wouldn't it? Xoxo,

Most classroom disruptions can be traced back to some form of talking. Here are some tried and true tips for reducing disruption in the classroom.

Tim Lusher: The small screen takes a trip back to the 1980s this month, with dramas about Boy George, the day of Charles and Diana's wedding, an adaptation of Martin Amis's Money and the finale of Ashes to Ashes. But which are the most memorable shows of that decade?

Can you tell by my hair or my skin color or my eye color? Do I look like what you think of as an African? As with any race, nationality or ethnicity, many of the

A couple of years ago I learned the value of online videos. Yes, I had reached my limit of funny cat and dog videos long before (though Cassie and the kids just can't get enough of Patty-cake cats - an entertaining yet somehow annoying video that we can't stop watching): But I digress... Yes...

Here’s this week’s instalment of Blogger Behind the Blog where I interview a blogger all about their reasons for blogging and what it means to them. This week I’m joined by Nyomi from Nomipalony. Here’s Nyomi with more about her blogging life:...Read More

As an ESL teacher, I often hear from classroom teachers that they don't always know where to start when it comes to working with beginning English language learners (ELLs), or newcomers, in small group instruction. In this post I'll share a typical "guided reading" lesson that I would give to my beginning ELLs, as well as a glance of at what a typical week would look like. Let me start by saying, the very first thing I do before I start instructing my newcomers is, I assess what they already know. First, I see if they have literacy skills in their native language...can they read and write? Then, I see if they know alphabet letter names and sounds. Next, I assess their reading level. Since they don't have English literacy skills yet, their reading level typically starts at level "A" (emergent). I can say that most students do have some literacy skills in their home language, and often times, many know some letter names and sounds. So now I've got my starting point! When I first begin working with my newcomers, the main components of reading that I typically focus on are building vocabulary, phonological awareness/phonics and sight words. So a typical week would encompass all three of these skills. Down the road I add comprehension skills, but they are not ready for that yet. Step 1 - Choose an appropriate book. I carefully select books that have relevant vocabulary. For the most part, my main focus is to build their vocabulary. The literacy skills in their native language will transfer to their new language, however, they have an extremely limited vocabulary, so... vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary! I chose this book because I wanted to teach my students the word "big." It's also about animals, and I know that most kids are interested in reading about animals! I used gestures to SHOW them what "big" means. It's important to be mindful of your students' age when picking out books. You don't want to give 4th-6th graders books about bunnies or teddy bears. Try picking age appropriate books; which I know can be a challenge if the selection is limited, but you don't want your students feeling embarrassed. Step 2 - Preview the book. Point to and say each animal's name and have the students repeat the names back to you, keeping in mind to speak clearly and to enunciate the sounds in each word. It's important for them to hear how to pronounce the names. A side thought...Think about "A" level books... they are not created with English language learners in mind. "A" level books have repeated sentences, which are GREAT, but they also have very specific vocabulary that students are expected to decode using picture cues. In the book my students read last week, the repeated sentence was, "We go to the _____." The pictures show the family in different locations like the pool, park, library, soccer game, etc. In one picture the family is standing in front of a large fish tank. If I asked English only students where the family is, some might say a fish store or they might even guess aquarium, depending on their background knowledge. Then they'd cross check their thinking with the word and see that it begins with the letter "a" and hopefully they'd say, "It's an aquarium!" But our newcomers don't know what a big fish tank place is called in English, so it's important for us to support our students by saying the names of each vocabulary word. Step 3 - Choral reading! Newcomers feel more comfortable in a choral reading setting. They need help pronouncing the words. They need to hear YOU pronounce the words. Choral reading helps to keep anxiety levels low. (In a few weeks, the choral reading decreases and I will start focusing on decoding.) Step 4 - After reading, review the animal names. Point to an animal and see if they can remember the name. Perhaps make a matching activity with animal pictures and names. Support as needed. Encourage a LOT! Step 5 - I always provide a guided writing activity based off of the book we just read. I use sentence frames to support their thinking and writing. Sometimes I create my own, like the picture below, and other times I'll use a graphic organizer as a follow up activity. On this day I wanted them to understand the meaning of "big," so their writing supported this goal. As they finish their writing activity, I'll ask each student to read some of their writing to me. Then they'll draw a quick picture, which I always ask them to label. I know that my newcomers don't understand every word in the book, and that's OK! They are being exposed to new words and ideas in a repeating format. I want them to get used to the structure of our lessons so that they know what's expected. So, here is what a typical week of small group work entails for my newcomers. Knowing what the focus is each day helps me to zone in on their learning goals. The variety keeps it fun and interesting, yet it's consistent so they know what's expected. As you can see, on Tuesdays I include direct vocabulary instruction, either using the vocabulary from the book, like the animals, monthly themed vocabulary, or content area vocabulary. October Themed Vocabulary (along with sight words and phonics review) One vocabulary activity I have my students do is called the K.I.M. Strategy. In their notebook they write the key word (K), important information (I), sketch a memory clue (M) and write a sentence (S). For my newcomers, I leave out the (I) portion. They are not ready for adding "information." Right now the goal is for them to learn the names of things and simple sentence structure. My higher ELLS definitely include all components of the K.I.M. Strategy in their notebooks. This is what the K.I.M. Strategy looks like. And this is how it looks modified for my newcomers... On Thursdays, I focus on building sight words. When teaching sight words, it's important to teach them in context. Your beginning ELs need context in order to make meaning of the words. I pull a sight word from our books and I include an extension activity with that word. (A link to this resource is provided at the bottom of this post.) I do teach sight words throughout the week, but on Thursdays we always have an extension activity for one of them. As an "exit ticket" I have them orally use the sight word. Today, I asked each student, "What can you do?" And they responded with "I can _____." Then they get a high five, a sticker (big kids like stickers too!), or some encouraging praise. I also include Word Study activities in my small group work. I like using the sorts from Words Their Way. Each Monday they receive a new spelling pattern. Remember, I assessed my students to see what they already knew. Most already knew initial sounds, so I started them with word families. If they did not know initial sounds, I would've started there. I do have one student in this group who does not know many initials sounds, so I spend a little extra focus with him on initial sounds. This resource is from "Words Their Way." My newcomers use this activity to learn spelling patterns AND vocabulary. They are introduced to their new word list on Mondays, then they have independent activities to do with their word list throughout the week in their gen ed classrooms. (It's so important to set newcomers up with meaningful activities that they can work on independently during Reader's Workshop.) Below is their Word Study Activities list. It gets glued into their Reading Notebook. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays they work on their independent activities. Friday is Word Study Quiz day! FREEBIE - Click Here And that's what small group instruction looks like with my newcomers. To recap, assess what students can do to evaluate your starting point. Focus on building vocabulary, sight words in context, word spelling patterns and choral reading to start. My guided reading lessons usually looks like... preview the book, front load main vocabulary, choral read, and end with a guided writing activity with sentence frames. Here's a TIP: Many times I make my own guided writing activity based on what I want the students to learn from the book. I'll write the activity in my notebook, make copies, cut them to size, then have students glue it into their notebook. Keep this notebook! You may get a newcomer next year, and when you do, many of your guided writing activities will already be made. You'll just need to find the book that goes with the activity. My notebook where I write out the guided writing activities. I know that many school districts lack ESL resources and often times the classroom teacher is the only one providing instruction. Knowing where to start with beginning English learners is probably the biggest challenge. I hope that this post gives you some ideas about where to start and what to focus on with your new students. To read more about the K.I.M. Strategy, click here. Affiliate links below for Sight Words and Word Study.

Also, was Art in the middle of explaining something when they snapped the photo?

Adelaide Parade is a song featured in "Lullaby in Frogland", as well as "Schooltown Follies." It is sung by Gregory, and by Wirt (in Lullaby in Frogland). Oh, we're going to the pasture to meet Adelaide and ask her if she has a way to send us back where we came from! I don't know who she is or how she is or when what why she is, but as for where she is, she is where we will go! To Adelaide! Adelaide! Come on and join the Adelaide Parade! Adelaide! To Adelaide! We're going to Adelaide's house tod

What is Operation Yellow Ribbon? I have a confession to make. Even though I witnessed 9/11 on television when it occurred, I never knew about the wonderful Canadians who stepped up on 9/12. Did you? Here's the story: "Operation Yellow Ribbon was commenced by Canada to handle the diversion of civilian airline flights in response

First the quark then the particleFirst atom then the moleculeFirst the sun then the solar systemFirst the earth then the lifeFirst the love then the child...Little scientists will discover what came first in this new picture book from the #1 science author for kids, Chris Ferrie! The “first/then” pattern provides a deceptively simple introduction to the beginning of life, evolution, scientific inquiry, and more! It’s the perfect love letter for science-loving families.