Here are some important notes about '20/'21 testing.
SAT
From the College Board:
“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may even close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.
Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure we have your contact details.
Our top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”
ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.
SSAT
Beginning Summer 2020, the SSAT at Home will provide students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about this option here.
ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.
All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there hasn’t been a closing.
Maintaining a Good Parent-Teacher Relationship During COVID-19
The ’20/’21 school experience is going to be very different, with distance learning, various scheduling changes, social distancing, and a host of other changes. It will be different not only for the students, but also for parents and teachers as well. It’s still important though, to build and maintain a good working relationship.
To begin with, we need to realize that the "new normal" conditions of 2020 give us a bit of a clean slate. Everything has changed, so we get to decide if we are going to complain and buck the changes, or if we can work together to figure out how to make the school year the best it can be during these weird times.
We have to recognize that these new challenges are going to be frustrating for everyone. Frustrations about “how things ought to be” can lead to unnecessarily irritating interactions, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Maybe we need to look for those things that are familiar. We need to look for and focus on the things that are going well, and we need to make sure to root the parent-teacher relationship on communicating with each other about care for our student’s experience.
We can support each other, ask how we can help, and ask how we can meet the shared goals for our student in the best way. When there is confusion, we can speak up. If we see a problem, we can talk about it rather than letting things fester. And importantly, we can resist assuming that the other, parent or teacher, isn’t doing their job properly. After all, this situation is new to everyone.
Most teachers were not trained to teach remotely and are probably also struggling to deal with the new technology to do so. Parents are facing the tough situation of working from home while dealing with their child’s schooling at the same time, and many teachers are in the same situation with children of their own. And all of this, on top of dealing with the stresses of this really confusing and worrisome era of COVID-19, and helping our student to personally navigate through these times as well. So, let’s remember to come from this place: our goal of giving the student what he needs to be a success this school year. Both parent and teacher place a high importance on this shared goal and we need to remember that all of this is new, to everyone. We need to work together to figure out what works, what doesn’t, and we need to be flexible enough to adjust as needed.
If we can all work together during this extraordinary year, express a willingness to help and support, and patiently assume that everyone is doing the very best that they can, the parent-teacher relationship can be stronger than ever.
Did You Know? Halloween Blue Moon
The year 2020 has been full of surprises, and here’s another: a blue moon will be appearing in the night sky on Halloween! What’s a blue moon? Well, full moons usually rise once a month, but October 2020 will grace us with two. Normally, we only see two full moons in a single month once every three years or so. A full moon on Halloween night? Well, that only happens once every 18-19 years.
Will it actually be blue? No, it will still be the pale grey and white that we’re used to seeing, but it did indeed have a lovely blue tint in 1883 when the volcano Krakatoa erupted and filled the atmosphere with dust and smoke.
So enjoy the particularly spooky sky this Halloween night. It only happens “once in a blue moon!” And yes, this rare event did lead to the coining of this popular phrase, all the way back in 1821.
Letter from Betty for September 2020
Hello Friends,
An overlooked challenge of this "new normal" era of remote learning is the lack of in-person socializing. How do children continue to improve their social skills in this new environment? We have some helpful answers in our feature article for September, "Helping Your Children Practice Social Skills During the Pandemic."
If we must spend more time at home, we might as well make the best of it! You can help your family develop a green thumb, while providing hours and days and weeks of educational fun. Bring the outdoors inside with our September bonus article, "You Can Do It: Build a Terrarium!"
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Helping Your Children Practice Social Skills During the Pandemic
Our children take away a lot of new information and life skills during the normal school year and through their after school activities. During these times when social distancing, remote learning, and other safety restrictions are in place, how do we help our children learn and practice the social skills they need?
1 - While Zoom and other apps are great for large group “visits,” more personal one-on-one play-dates will be more enjoyable and beneficial. Relationships with others are important to our children’s mental health, and the more personal the virtual visit can be, the more gratifying and enriching the experience. That’s not to say that larger Zoom visits aren’t helpful. Just make sure to schedule one-on-one dates as well. And to add more umph to those visits, plan an activity for the two friends to share while on-line together. Perhaps knitting, painting, or baking. Parents can provide materials or if needed, serve as project tutor during these daily or weekly activities. Your child will be getting good social skills practice during these virtual visits.
2 – Along those same lines, make connections with a study buddy – virtually. Yes, some parents will be forming in-person “pandemic pods”, and while this arrangement has its advantages, it also comes with potential health risks. Consider identifying a parent with a child in the same class and set up a time each day for the two children to practice their spelling, math facts, vocabulary words, study for tests, and anything else that may be assigned? Skype, FaceTime, Google Duo, there are all kinds of free and easy apps that can be used to make these virtual connections so that the two partners can easily “meet up”.
3 – Make video calls to loved ones. Not only will everyone benefit from the emotional connection made while virtually visiting with family and friends, but it will also be a great time to help your child practice picking up on social cues. Yes, it’s more challenging to pick up on tone of voice or subtle nuances in facial expressions or gestures while gazing at someone on a screen, but it’s still a great way for your young one to tune in to other people’s emotions or signs that they might be tired, etc. This is a valuable way for your child to learn how to recognize cues and respond appropriately.
Ideas for in-person opportunities:
1 – It’s always a good time for family game nights, and even more so now that many youth sports and recreation department and other programs are on-hold. Playing games as a family can help a child learn good sportsmanship and enhance rule-following skills. And a note to parents: make sure you model important behaviors while you play, and show your child how to both win and lose gracefully, to avoid criticizing, complaining, quitting, and to play to the end of the game when you then congratulate the winner.
2 - Learning to work together is an important skill and one that is fairly easy to develop at home. Working together on various household tasks or projects encourages both collaboration and cooperation, so clean out the toy closet and donate the offerings to needy kids, plan a meal and cook it up together, or plant a garden! There are many things you can do around the house that will help your child to work with and support others.
And finally, two quick tips for parents:
1 – Make time to have a good chat with your child. Ask open-ended questions which will allow the conversation to flow and may very well lead to any anxious thoughts that your child may be having during this unusual pandemic life. Let him see you make good eye-contact, listen to what he has to say, model respectful disagreement and other aspects of conversation skills.
2 – Give honest and immediate feedback that will help your child to navigate social pitfalls, allowing him to build better social behavior. For example, if your child is wanting your attention but keeps interrupting a conversation that you are having with another person, stop and turn your attention to your child. Explain that he needs to wait his turn to speak and help him to understand different strategies to get your attention that would be more appropriate and polite.
These are extraordinary times we’re having during this pandemic. The world has turned upside down and social life as we know it has changed in many ways. Take comfort, knowing that children are generally resilient and able to adapt well in challenging circumstances. As parents, we can help them to learn and practice good social skills that they will need in life, even during this time of social distancing and distance learning.
You Can Do It: Build a Terrarium!
You and your child can have your very own self-sustaining ecosystem and maintain a lovely science experiment/work of art too!
1 – Choose a good container. Kitchen canisters or jars, empty bottles with lids, anything interesting looking, as long as it’s clear glass and can be closed to allow humidity to help your plants thrive.
2 – Choose a few plant varieties that thrive in high humidity and enjoy diffused light. This can include ferns, mosses, air plants, orchids, friendship plants, strawberry begonia, and more. Just be sure to avoid succulents and cactus.
3 – Place a 1” layer of pebbles on the bottom of your jar to allow for drainage, followed by a thin layer of horticultural charcoal, then a layer of potting soil.
4 – Nestle your plants into the soil so that the roots are covered, making sure that any leaves, petals, and stems do not touch the interior glass.
5 – Very lightly spritz the plants with water (twice is all that’s needed), and place the lid onto the jar. Keep an eye on your little garden because you never want to have water pooling at the bottom of the jar. An occasional spritz or two will do!
How to keep your garden tidy:
Terrariums are tiny greenhouses and condensation will build inside. If you find that too much moisture forms, move your terrarium to a spot with a little less light, or remove the top for an hour or two.
Once a week or so, clean the inside of your terrarium of water spots or algae buildup using a long- handled fork or other implement with a piece of cloth secured at the end for wiping. Use long-handled tweezers or scissors to prune dead leaves or any plant material from the edge of the glass. Chopsticks work very well when debris needs to be removed from the top of the soil. Give your plants a spritz and then replace the lid so the humidity can build up again.
It's easy!
Letter from Betty for August 2020
Hello Friends,
"Field Trip!" Those are magical words for most children and adults. For schools and teachers the new normal across the country and the world is becoming virtual education, so virtual field trips are the order of the day. We have a great roundup of inspiring trips in our feature article for August, "Amazing Virtual Field Trips." Enjoy your adventures!
But don't give up on the joys of book reading either. There is nothing like snuggling up with a good book on a summer day in the shade (or the air conditioning). We have a quick list of both Young Adult and chapter books for readers of many ages in our bonus article for this month, "You Can Do It! More Reading Suggestions." Happy reading!
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Amazing Virtual Field Trips
We know you’ve spent months coming up with activities for your children during the pandemic, and as we move through the summer, the temperatures are getting hotter and indoor activities are definitely needed. We have ideas for fun, educational experiences! From the safety and comfort of your own homes, you and your children can enjoy incredible virtual field trips, offered by museums, aquariums, zoos, and other institutions around the world. Enjoy!
Zoos & Aquariums
San Diego Zoo, California
The San Diego Zoo’s website is kid-friendly and easy to navigate. Visitors can click on an animal to learn more about it and even watch live cams of some of the zoo’s most popular residents, including the pandas. Also found on their site are videos that teach easy crafts and also fascinating tours with zookeepers.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
The Monterey Bay Aquarium website has activities for all age groups, loads of online resources, and cute live cams. Who doesn’t love live cams?
Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio
Zookeepers host daily “home safaris” on Facebook at 3:00 p.m. ET, and previous home safaris are available to watch on the zoo’s own website.
Science
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
On their Facebook page, educators at the Kennedy Space Center host periodic live videos about all things space. Perfect for your budding astronaut or space fanatic.
California Science Center, Los Angeles, California
While they are closed during the pandemic, the California Science Center releases its Stuck at Home Science! videos every weekday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Each week has a theme like “All Cooked Up!” and “1, 2, 3, Blastoff!” Visitors can follow along with science experiments that use household items that you likely already have on hand.
National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC
The Air and Space Museum is one of the most visited museums in the world — and now you can visit it without leaving your house. Tour the halls of the museum thanks to Google Arts & Culture. You can enjoy interactive exhibits and games too!
American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
The American Museum of Natural History has Ology, an entire website for children to explore. Each section lets children choose an “ology” to learn about, like paleontology or archaeology, and includes related games, videos from resident scientists and fun activities.
KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Bellevue, Washington
KidsQuest offers daily YouTube streams featuring at-home activities and storytime. Activities are centered around art, math and science.
Mars (Yes, Mars!)
This is another opportunity for budding astronauts and space fanatics of all ages. It enables kids of all ages to visit Mars. Yes, the actual Mars. The Curiosity Rover allows us to join for a virtual ride-along thanks to a partnership with Google, Access Mars and NASA.
Art
The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
Mo Willems, the current Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence, is hosting Lunch Doodles every weekday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Budding artisits can learn how to draw some of Willems’ popular characters, like Elephant and Piggie. They can also create their own art work.
The International Museum of Children’s Art, Oslo, Norway
If your children need even more inspiration, they can take a virtual tour of the first museum dedicated to art made by children from over 180 different countries. Google Arts & Culture has made a selection of works available that range from sweet to silly to downright profound.
History
Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg is allowing visitors to travel back in time from wherever they are with videos and educational resources. The “Explore from Home” series on YouTube includes videos with some of the historical interpreters, including the people who portray Martha Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
National Museum of American History, Washington, DC
Civil War buffs will love the chance to solve their very own mystery — and explore the archives of the Smithsonian — with Ripped Apart, an iPad app from the Smithsonian. Could there be ghosts trapped in the basement of the National Museum of American History? Play this educational game and find out!
The British Museum, London, England
Middle and high school teens will enjoy exploring The Museum of the World, an interactive timeline that gives them a look at some of the museum’s 8 million works. The timeline is elegantly organized by date, geographical area and theme. Click on an object to learn more and even get a mini lecture from a curator. Parents will love this too!
You Can Do It! More Reading Suggestions
8 Great Read-Aloud Chapter Books
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, by Rachel Field (ages 8 to 12)
James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl (ages 8 to 12)
Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White (ages 8 to 12)
Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery (ages 8 to 12)
The Search for Delicious, by Natalie Babbitt (ages 8 to 12)
Stuart Little, by E. B. White (ages 8 to 12)
Uncle Wiggily series, by Howard R. Garis (ages 8 to 12)
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien (ages 12+)
11 Great Young Adult Books
Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen (ages 10+)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (ages 12+)
Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt (ages 10+)
Black Boy, by Richard Wright (ages 14+)
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson (ages 12+)
Jamaica Inn, by Daphne du Maurier (ages 12+)
The Greatest: My Own Story, by Muhammad Ali (ages 12+)
Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie (ages 12+)
Behold Your Queen!, by Gladys Malvern (ages 14+)
The Halloween Tree, by Ray Bradbury (ages 12+)
Nine Stories, by J. D. Salinger (ages 14+)
Letter from Betty for July 2020
Hello Friends,
This summer, like all those that have come before, is a great time to continue sparking students' interest in learning with fun, educational activities. For some much-needed inspiration, please take a look at our feature article for July, "Fun STEM Activities and Good Reads Too."
Happy 4th of July! Do you know how many signers of the Declaration of Independence actually signed that document on July 4th, 1776? Find the answer and much more in our bonus article for this month, "Did You Know? Fun Facts About Independence Day." Enjoy!
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Fun STEM Activities and Good Reads Too
Your children have been out of school for a while now, and at this point, officials are trying to make a decision about the best way to reopen the schools in the fall. Until then, you can keep your children learning with fun activities and with some really good books. We’ve come up with a list for you that you and your family are sure to enjoy. Below you will also find some recommendations for some really good reads. Stay safe and healthy everyone!
Pom-Pom Catapult
This simple machine uses stored energy (the tension in the rubber bands) to release a projectile (also called the payload). Play around with the position of the stopper to get the maximum angle and distance for your launch—and have fun with colors and decorations too.
What You'll Need:
Hole punch, rectangular box, three unsharpened pencils, a few strong rubber bands, masking tape or glue, jar lid, paper clip, and pom poms.
What To Do:
Punch a hole in a long side of the box, 3 inches from a short side. Punch a matching hole on the other side. The holes should be large enough for a pencil to rotate easily. Punch a third hole on the opposite short side; it should be centered and near the bottom.
To assemble the catapult arm: join 2 pencils together perpendicularly to make an inverted lowercase "t" and secure them with rubber bands.
Tape or glue a small jar lid to the longer end of the arm.
Wrap another rubber band around the shorter end of the arm using a slipknot.
Place the ends of the horizontal pencil in the side holes. Thread the tail of the slipknot through the remaining hole and knot a paper clip around the end to hold it in place.
Create a “stopper” for the catapult arm with the third pencil. Place it across the top of the box just in front of the arm and secure it in place by wrapping a large rubber band around one end of the pencil, under the box, and up and around the other end.
Load up a pom pom...and let it fly!
Bath Bombs
Add some science to the tub with these pretty and very simple bath bombs.
What You'll Need:
One-half cup citric acid, 1 cup baking soda, ½ cup corn starch, ½ cup Epsom salt, essential oil of your choice, 1 tsp. water, 1 tsp. olive oil, sphere-shaped mold (such as a clear plastic ornament, available at craft supply stores)
What To Do:
1. Combine citric acid, baking soda, corn starch, and Epsom salt in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together one or two drops of essential oil, water, and olive oil.
2. Very slowly, add the wet mixture to the dry. Mix it together quickly and thoroughly so it doesn’t begin to bubble. Once it’s all combined, let the mixture sit for a few minutes. It should look and feel like wet sand. If it’s still too dry, add a drop of olive oil, but don’t over-saturate.
3. Separate the mixture into smaller bowls and add food coloring, mixing in the color by hand.
4. Layer the different colors in both halves of a sphere-shaped mold and pack them down. When each side is completely filled with a slight mound, press them together and gently rotate until the sides lock.
5. Let the bomb dry in the mold for a few minutes, then carefully remove the top half. Leave it for another hour or two, then carefully turn the bottom half out of the mold. Let it dry completely.
How does it work?
When you toss a bomb into the filled tub at bathtime, the water acts as a catalyst, allowing the ions in each ingredient to collide. They react and dissolve, producing tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The fizzing helps the bombs break down, and it releases the scent.
Balancing Buddy
When completing this STEM activity, your child will be delighted to see this silly pal teeter on his tiny toothpick point!
What You'll Need:
Wine cork, two 12-inch bamboo skewers, toothpick, modeling clay, decorations (like paper, googly eyes, and paint)
What To Do:
1. Place the cork upright on your work surface. Press the pointy end of a skewer into one side of the cork at a 45-degree angle (the ends should point up); repeat on the opposite side. Press the toothpick into the top center of the cork.
2. Roll two equal-size balls of modeling clay and press them onto the ends of the skewers. Decorate the cork as desired.
3. Place the tip of the toothpick on your finger to see if the toy balances. If it leans to one side, adjust the angles of the skewers until it stands up straight.
How Does It Work?
Every object has a center of gravity—the point where its mass is evenly distributed. Because the clay balls are heavier than the cork, they bring the center of gravity to the bottom of the toothpick. In order for the toy to "stand," the weight of the balls must also be in balance. Adjusting the skewers helps to compensate for any difference in size and allows Buddy to stay centered.
_________________________
And now here are some book recommendations for your middle and high school aged readers:
The Ascendance Trilogy #1: The False Prince
By Jennifer Nielsen
In this first book in a remarkable trilogy, an orphan is forced into a twisted game with deadly stakes.
In a discontented kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats. This is a 2012 Fantasy and Science Fiction CYBILS Award winner.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
By Oscar Wilde
In the wealthy and vain hedonist Dorian Gray, London painter Basil Hallward has found his muse. Only when the portrait of Dorian begins to age, while the man himself remains untouched by time, do they realize they may have made a deal with the devil.
Oscar Wilde’s only novel takes a witty, philosophical, and harrowing look at our obsession with youth and the price we pay for it.
Fahrenheit 451
By Ray Bradbury
Sixty-seven years after its originally publication, Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 stands as a classic of world literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Today its message has grown more relevant than ever before.
Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.
Franny and Zooey
By J.D. Salinger
"Perhaps the best book by the foremost stylist of his generation" (New York Times), J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey collects two works of fiction about the Glass family originally published in The New Yorker.
A novel in two halves, Franny and Zooey brilliantly captures the emotional strains and traumas of entering adulthood. It is a gleaming example of the wit, precision, and poignancy that have made J. D. Salinger one of America's most beloved writers.
Did You Know? Fun Facts About Independence Day
1. Only John Hancock actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. All of the others signed later.
2. The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men from 13 colonies.
3. The average age of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was 45. The youngest was Thomas Lynch, Jr (27) of South Carolina. The oldest delegate was Benjamin Franklin (70) of Pennsylvania. The lead author of The Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, was 33.
4. The only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who later served as President of the United States were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
5. The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all the Colonies would appear equal.
6. The first Independence Day celebration took place in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. This was also the day that the Declaration of Independence was first read in public after people were summoned by the ringing of the Liberty Bell.
7. The White House held its first 4th of July party in 1801.
8. President John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on the Fourth of July. Adams and Jefferson (both signed the Declaration) died on the same day within hours of each other in 1826.
9. Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who recommended the bald eagle.
10. In 1776, there were 2.5 million people living in the new nation. Today the population of the U.S.A. is over 328 million.
11. Fifty-nine places in the U.S. contain the word “liberty” in the name. Pennsylvania, with 11, has more of these places than any other state.
12. The most common patriotic-sounding word used within place names is “union” with 136. Pennsylvania, with 33, has more of these places than any other state. Other words most commonly used in place names are Washington (127), Franklin (118), Jackson (96) and Lincoln (95).
13. In 2012, the vast majority of imported U.S. flags (3.6 million) was made in China.
14. Approximately 150 million hot dogs and 700 million pounds of chicken are consumed on this holiday.
15. Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped (not actually rung) thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies.
16. Traditions place the origins of “Yankee Doodle” as a pre-Revolutionary War song originally sung by British military officers to mock the disheveled, disorganized colonial “Yankees” with whom they served in the French and Indian War. It is believed that the tune comes from the nursery rhyme Lucy Locket.
17. The tune of the National Anthem was originally an English drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The words have nothing to do with consumption of alcohol but the melody that Francis Key had in mind when he wrote those words did originate decades earlier as the melody for a song in praise of wine.
Letter from Betty for June 2020
Hello Friends,
Hopefully, you and your family are settling into the new routines and lifestyles that have developed due to the coronavirus. However, because we’ve been going through these changes for some time now, you may find that stress and anxiety is on the rise. We offer you some great coping strategies in our feature article for the month of June, "Helping Your Child Cope With Anxiety During the Pandemic."
Summer arrives this month, with the 4th of July hot on its heels, so it's time to think about summer activities for the whole family. We have a fresh flower basket full of warm-weather ideas in our bonus article for June, "You Can Do It: Fun Summer Activities for 2020."
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Helping Your Child Cope With Anxiety During the Pandemic
Stress and anxiety can affect your family in this time of the coronavirus. Just like adults, children may have a difficult time adjusting and additionally may be picking up on the stress they sense in their parents. The following signs suggest that your children may need additional support:
Changes in sleep patterns - difficulty falling asleep, waking in the middle of the night, sleeping more or perhaps less.
Changes in eating routines - eating more or less, not feeling hungry, or feeling hungry much more frequently.
Increases in bodily aches and pains - upset stomach, headaches, increased concern about physical sensations.
Changes in behavior or mood - frequent tearfulness, irritability, anger, fearfulness, and decreased interest in favorite activities.
Increased clinginess - difficulty separating and sleeping alone in their own room or disengaging, spending more time alone, not joining in on family activities.
Difficulty concentrating - becoming easily distracted, increased worries.
It’s completely natural to feel some level of fear and anxiety during this time, especially since no one really knows when it will end, and when life can return to normal.
So what is a parent to do?
Reassure them: One of the best things parents can do right now is to reassure their children that they are safe, while providing them with information that is appropriate for their age level.
Spend time together: Watch TV with your children, keeping the amount of exposure to a reasonable level and talking to them about anything they find concerning.
Set limits: Monitor time on screens (laptops, smart phones, and gaming systems). Keep an eye on social media and make sure it’s a healthy activity.
Provide structure: Keep to a daily routine to reduce anxiety, celebrate family events such as birthdays and holidays, even if extended family and friends can’t join in.
Ask for help: It’s natural to feel some amount of anxiety, but if your child shows prolonged stress or has other symptoms that are concerning, seek help from your child’s pediatrician.
Here are a few more ideas for you:
Teach them to practice good self-care. Encourage your children to get off of social media and go walk the dog, get outside and do something physical, take a nap, call a friend, read something – just for fun, get up and stretch, listen to music. This is practical advice for the entire family, adults included.
Help them to beat back their worries. Learn the art of productive self-talk. We’ve all experienced the phenomenon of worrying about something and automatically jumping to the worst possible outcome. We also know that the reality is that the worst possible outcome rarely comes to fruition. Talk to your children, help them to think logically about this worst-case scenario, have them listen to their inner-voice and talk back to it.
Check yourself! Are you modeling reasonable behavior and good stress coping skills? Your children will learn from you in many areas of their life and that includes how you handle stressful situations. If you lose your cool, take a breath, calm down and begin again. Be a model of good stress management.
We hope that this information is useful to you and wish you and your family well during these difficult times. Stay safe, friends!
You Can Do It: Fun Summer Activities for 2020
Bike rides. Take your kids out for a fun bike ride, either near your house, or if the kids are older, take them on a bike trail.
Make ice cream.
Have a picnic at a local or state park.
Sidewalk chalk murals.
Backyard camping.
Backyard stargazing. Put out a few blankets and lie down in your backyard, and gaze upon the stars.
Make a kaleidoscope. Here is a fun guide to show you how to make one!
Water balloon baseball. Just take a whiffleball bat and fill up some water balloons. Splash!
DIY bird feeder. Cover a pine cone with peanut butter, roll it in birdseed, and hang from a tree. Make sure to have your bird ID guide handy!
Build a fort or tent. Take an afternoon and push your couches close together. Drape them with blankets or sheets and eat a snack or play a game under your fort or tent!
Play hide and seek in the dark. Bring on the flashlights!
Do a puzzle together.
Paint rocks. Place them around your garden, use as paperweights, leave nice messages along trails for hikers to find.
Balloon tennis. Make racquets using paper plates and paint stirrers, then blow up those balloons. This is both indoor AND outdoor fun!
Plant flowers or vegetables. Plant flowers or vegetables in your flower bed or in a pot by your home. They can water it every day and watch them bloom!
Plant a butterfly garden.
Go hiking. Look up your local parks or trails to see what your area has to offer.
Run in the sprinkler. This is a cool, easy way to beat the heat.
Take an early morning/late night walk. You could also do a pajama walk right before bed.
Have a bean bag toss. Using a sewing machine, you can sew fabric and buy beans to make the bags. Kids will feel accomplished and appreciate the game more when they create it themselves. Toss the bags in your backyard or in buckets.
Blow bubbles. Bubbles lighten the mood and do wonders for entertainment.
Fly a kite. Pick a clear area to run and fly a kite. Flying a kite teaches kids patience and coordination. A plus is that they are pretty to watch high in the sky, with a bright sun, on a fun summer day!
Make a video. Using the family video camera or a smart phone, have your kids video the summer-y nature with commentary, conduct talk shows, or play the part of actors and actresses. It can be an amusing memory to look back on one day.
Make color-changing flowers. Put a white flower in a glass that is half full of water. Put a couple drops of dye in the glass and watch as the change slowly occurs. For more fun, use several flowers and different dye colors, but make sure you only put one flower in each glass.
Letter from Betty for May 2020
Hello Friends,
Please stay safe and healthy. We are all in this together!
Piecing together a series of still images, also known as stop motion animation, is a passion of children and adults alike, ranging from amateur Lego animations to professional features films from major studios. You and your children can find educational value and enjoyment from this hobby at home and produce amazing results. Learn how in our feature article, "Lights, Camera, Stop Motion."
And for more fun with photography, check out our May bonus article, "You Can Do It: Play Around With Perspective!" Welcome to the wacky world of forced perspective. These are not PhotoShop tricks, but practical effects with real-life objects and people that you can recreate with your family in your own backyard. Have fun!
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Lights, Camera, Stop Motion
Your children have been at home for many weeks now, and you may be running short on ideas to keep them engaged in learning. Here’s an idea for you: have them take a stab at movie making! We have digital cameras or smart phones with cameras, so this is a fun and doable project. By taking a series of photographs and stringing them together, your child can create a stop motion animated film. If you’ve ever made or played with flip books when you were younger, then you know how this works. Using photography as the main tool and creating the storyline, sets, and characters, your child has a hands-on way of creating the animation.
Here’s what you need to do:
1 – Determine the camera, tripod or stand to use. A tripod or stand will make shooting easier.
2 – Determine if your computer already has a video editing software program. If it does, make a slideshow and set it to advance every 0.002 seconds. This will give you smooth transitions through the pictures. If you don’t have these available, there are software options online that will help to turn the photos into an animation.
For Windows, you can string the photos together using downloads from these sites:
https://handyavi.en.lo4d.com/windows or
https://www.nimisis.com/projects/flix.php
If you are using a Mac:
http://gawker.sourceforge.net/Download.html
Stop motion software for tablets is also very popular. Here are 3 popular apps available through Apple's App Store or Google's Play Store:
Stop Motion Studio
Stop Motion Builder
Lapse It
3 – Write the story. Who are the characters? What kind of adventure are they going to have? While working this out, add as much detail as possible because planning it out ahead of time will make the creation part of this project go smoothly.
4 – Determine what type of animation method you will be using. A 2D animation using a series of drawings? A 3D version using clay models, Lego bricks, or other figures? Either way will work fine. Here is a fun example:
https://youtu.be/8vq6wIFbi5g
5 – Design the set and make the background. You and your child can paint, draw, make something from clay, or use the setting around you in the home or backyard.
6 – Position the characters and ACTION! After taking the first shot, move the models very slightly and take another photo. Repeat this action, slowly moving through the story and taking a photo of each small movement. The smaller the movement the smoother the final motion in the movie will be. Expect to take several hundred photos or more. More is better!
7 – Use the software you picked to upload the photos and finalize the movie, and enjoy!
Need another fun idea for how your children can learn while at home? Here’s a link to our past article on Using Cooking To Teach Math And Science. It’s a yummy lesson too!
You Can Do It: Play Around With Perspective!
Challenge your child to find a small figure or sculpture and take a photo that makes it look like a giant! Place the figure in front of different backgrounds and position the camera lens in such a way that the object looks very large against it. Shooting from below or down low will usually accomplish this view, so move around and experiment.
Other perspective tricks to try include capturing a large building between 2 fingers, creating a photo that looks like the setting sun or rising moon is sitting in a wine glass or flying into a basketball net (caution: don’t shoot directly into full daylight sun as it could damage the sensor on the camera and/or hurt your eyes). There are endless opportunities for really fun perspective photos!
For more inspiration, do an image search for "forced perspective photography".
Letter from Betty for April 2020
Hello Friends,
During these troubling times, I wish you and all your family and friends good health. Please stay safe as we all weather the coronavirus. We are all in this together!
It's vital that we are ready and able to talk to our children about the coronavirus. Please read our feature article for some tips and strategies, "How to Talk to Your Children About the Coronavirus."
For a pleasant distraction, please enjoy our bonus article for the month, "Did You Know: The Origins of the Easter Bunny."
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
How to Talk to Your Children About the Coronavirus
You’ve probably noticed that news of the novel coronavirus is everywhere, impossible to escape, it’s spreading across all social media, and community precautions are becoming more and more a part of our daily living. It’s worrisome for us adults and no matter how much we think we’re shielding our children, they’re aware of our societal anxiety as well. It’s important that we talk to our children, address their worries, and answer any questions they may have. But what is the right way to do this?
Provide just enough information. Work to find the balance by answering questions without creating even more anxiety. Ask what your child knows so far, in case you need to correct any misinformation that they may have. Listen to the questions that they’re asking and make sure to avoid providing too much information. Children and elaborate imaginations and will create alarming stories in their minds if we don’t talk to them or enough. Help them to understand what the virus is and what you as a family can do about it. Need more information yourself? Look to reliable sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Both have very useful websites fill of answers.
Talk to them about practicing healthy behaviors such as sneezing or coughing into tissues or into their elbow. Washing their hands after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing their noses. Keeping their hands away from their mouth, eyes, and nose. Basic hygiene at all times, but even more important right now. It’s also important to encourage them to keep doing what they love to do and not let worries about the virus get the better of them.
Do your best to limit their exposure to news about the virus and its impact on the community, state, and world. Although staying informed is helpful, news stories, the wording, and repetition can be really scary, so do your news gathering independently so that your children do not hear the stories.
Set a good example and model calmness. Even though you’re concerned, your children will look to you and if they see that you’re anxious and afraid then they will be too. Additionally, keep an eye out for reassurance seeking behavior. It’s natural for children to ask questions, and they should. Sometimes though, when a child is struggling with anxiety, they may repeatedly ask the same or similar questions. If you see this, then try to find ways to reassure them and work to find distracting, familiar activities for them to focus on instead. But always be there for them and pay attention when your attention is needed.
It’s good to remember and to reassure your child, that everyone is working hard to manage the virus and keep everyone safe. By modeling the behavior that you want to see in your own family, you all can continue to do what you love while practicing healthy behaviors.
