Dual-Language Instruction (1)

Este es mi video resumen sobre la instruccion del modelo dual en Houston ISD.

En futuros posts hablare sobre otros puntos sobre "dual language instruction"

Si tienen preguntas, por favor me pueden dejar comentarios.

Reading 1 - What is reading?

What is reading?

"In order to wish to read, the child has to know that reading will be useful to him, he/she must be convinced that the whole world will have wonderful experiences, he/she will dissipate his/her ignorance, help him/her understand the world and direct his/her destiny" 

(Quintanal Díaz, 1999)

As a teacher reading is a very important activity that involves school and family, so I´ll write some posts about this importance of this activity. This first article is about the definition of reading and the fundamental ideas that complement this definition.

Many authors define reading, José Quintanal Díaz (1999) defines Reading as "an activity of the first order that should be strengthened and, above all, it is necessary to learn." (free translation from the original quote)

Bernal Pinilla defines reading as "the action of deciphering the symbols of a message; understand their meanings; relate them to known meanings, appropriate some new element and develop them through the process of creativity. " (Bernal, 2011: 6-8). And he explains it to us in the following way:

1. Action to decipher the symbols of a message.

Image of a child deciphering symbols

The act of reading is free, and in that sense the reader exercises his will, fulfilling a wish. On the other hand, reading implies the action of recognizing the signs of the message, and in the first term, the fact of knowing them. Knowledge of linguistic symbols is usually acquired in the early stages of schooling. That is, according to Quintanal Diaz reading requires an effort on the part of the subject who intends to read. 

Children tend to instinctively reject what is expensive, so it is the teacher's job to sweeten that effort and that the task of reading for the student is interesting, stimulating, natural, free, playful and enjoyable. At home, his/her family can help with the same features (we´ll dedicate another post about the importance of reading at home and tools and resources to use at home)

2. Action to understand the meanings of the message.

The action of reading goes beyond the simple decoding of symbols, which is useless without a true understanding. The reading process has a second, important stage, which consists in interpreting, assimilating, and comprehension of the written message. A process that is only achieved when the reader learns as a child to correctly decipher the signs. That is why it is the teacher's task to deliver the student in his/her infancy varied, attractive, meaningful and pleasant materials. And, of course, encourage them to deepen, to imagine, to fantasize and to relate what they read with what they know, that is helping them make connections. Making connections with their reality will active their background knowledge to build the new contents. This idea is called "scaffolding", we´ve posted an article about this. By reading and its daily practice, children will have the ability to be immerse naturally, easily and without trauma, into ever more complex texts. And more importantly, to take advantage of them and enjoy them in depth.

3. Getting familiar with known meanings. 
We can affirm that reading is learned by reading, that is, with practice.
Reading is a process that feedbacks; the more reading, the better the reader gets more familiar with the new meanings to those he/she already knew. This creates the possibility of interpreting with greater clarity, ease, depth and enjoyment of the new readings.

4. Taking some new element. 
Reading has a great virtue from the point of view of information. Reading gives to readers new ideas and knowledge that become part of them: each text gives us the opportunity of integrating to our cultural background new knowledge and new possibilities to analyze aspects of life that begins to know through what is read.

5. Developing creativity.
During the first years of life, for children it is fundamental  the contact with nature, with peers, etc... But there is no greater stimulus for the development of our creativity than reading. That puts the human being in contact with a thousand and some realities that would otherwise be impossible to meet at such a young age. Reading, in addition, allows us to unlimitedly develop imagination and fantasy, fundamental ideas of all creativity.

Visual Stimulation

Visual Stimulation

How to teach your child to see better

Infant visual stimulation help children see better. The more vision is used, the greater the likelihood of better visual functioning. The driving thrust of visual stimulation is to help the child develop all of his physical and emotional abilities.

From birth, children use visual skills to progressively conquer their environment. The eye gives them the necessary information about the size, shapes and colors of the objects and people around them and the movements they perform. The visual stimuli they receive invite them to explore space, to move the toy and to smile at their mother as she approaches.

Good vision also helps them improve their eye-hand coordination by picking up objects within their reach or by looking at them. His first steps are facilitated by the vision, and the conquest of space and the exit to the unfamiliar environment demand a visual capacity running at full capacity.

Early visual stimulation in infants

The child with visual difficulties should learn all this as well, but he needs guidance in the way of this learning. With an early stimulation of the visual learning processes this goal can be achieved and avoided that this visual deficiency can lead to alterations in his/her personality because the visual disability is also multifunctional. With the early stimulation of visual-motor skills the ability to think and with it the opportunity to deal with people also varies. This facilitates social behavior and the ability to assert oneself in a group.

The evolutionary visual acuity of infants

The development of visual acuity is necessary for the evolution of the accommodation. Visual acuity improves by three months and approaches the adult's own values ​​at six months. When two years later, the child uses his vision in increasingly complex tasks, it is usually discovered that there is a problem.

Learning to see better in childhood

Visual stimulation is a technique that requires the preparation of an individualized program of activities that follows a sequence of visual experiences aimed at seeking an improvement in visual functioning. 

How to stimulate the child's vision

The more vision is used, the greater and better visual functioning. Therefore, visual stimulation will be more likely to succeed, if you take these recommendations into account:

- Short age. The smaller the child, the greater the likelihood of rapid progress in the use of vision.

- Motivation. Girls and boys need to be encouraged to use their vision in all tasks and activities so that they can progress.

- Keep in touch. Teach the low vision child to work by keeping eye contact with objects and especially with people.

- Explore. Stimulate outdoor exploration in the playground or in physical education classes allowing normal falls caused by the mis-calculation of distances. Overprotection should be avoided.

- Promote reading. Even when you read very slowly, moving your head or book instead of your eyes. If you get tired and skip lines or lose the thread you can switch from task to one less visually demanding.

- Contrasts. White paper and black ink provide the highest visibility and contrast.

- Glasses and magnifying glasses. They favor the use of a person's vision, but can not return normal vision.

Visual Discrimination implies the ability to determine the exact characteristics of a form compared to others of similar characteristics. In the process of learning to read, it is important to have developed visual discrimination, otherwise they would encounter the following difficulties: Confusion of similar words. They confuse similarities and differences. Errors in words with similar beginnings or endings We propose to practice Visual Discrimination in children with these illustrative and entertaining exercises.

Mis 5 super poderes, mis 5 sentidos

Nuestros super poderes se aprenden mejor con una cancion, y si no diselo a ellos. En clase, aprendemos los cinco sentidos (en espanol) con este divertido video de La Payasa Agapita.

Explorando y usando los cinco sentidos podemos ayudar a nuestros mas pequenos en su desarrollo cognitivo. Durante la etapa de la infancia sus cerebros estan en desarrollo, por lo que es el momento oportuno para ayudarles. De hecho, los estimulos que provienen del exterior, a través de sus experiencias con sus sentidos (vista, oído, olfato, tacto y gusto) les ayudan en todo este proceso. Estas experiencias les ayudan a construir conexiones permanentes y fuertes en el cerebro.

Desde el principio, a medida que las comunicaciones neuronales en el cerebro del infante se fortalecen a través de experiencias repetidas, se forman conexiones permanentes que estructuran la forma en que un niño aprende. Si no se utiliza un camino, se elimina basándose en el principio de "usarlo o perderlo". Las cosas que usted hace una sola vez, bien o mal, son algo menos probables tener un efecto en el desarrollo del cerebro.

A continuación proponemos algunas actividades para cada uno de los sentidos:

Gusto

Su hijo desarrollará sus preferencias de gusto basado en lo que se alimenta temprano en la vida. No es genético, se ha aprendido. La investigación concluye que los adolescentes y los adultos eligen alimentos y bebidas basándose en lo que fueron alimentados como infantes.

• Ensalada de frutas

Hacer una ensalada de frutas. Pregunte: ¿Ves diferentes tipos de fruta en el tazón? Elija diferentes tipos de fruta y permita que su hijo tome un bocado de cada uno. ¿Qué sabor tienen? ¿Has tenido esa fruta antes? ¿Sabe bien?

Papilas gustativas

Hay 4 papilas gustativas principales situadas en nuestras lenguas amargas, amargas, saladas, dulces. Permita que su hijo pruebe diferentes tipos de comida para ver qué gustos prefieren. ¿A qué sabe esto? (amargo, amargo, salado o dulce)

Oído

Su hijo usa sus oídos para recibir información sobre el mundo que les rodea. Desarrollar la capacidad de escucha con atención les ayuda a obtener información importante de usted, de sus maestros y todas las personas a su alrededor. Al igual que otras habilidades, aprender a escuchar requiere práctica. Proponemos las siguientes actividades para reforzar este sentido.

• Juegos de Escuchar

Puedes jugar con un tablero o  cartas con tu hijo para ver lo bien que escucha. Escuchar es una habilidad importante cuando juegas. Otra actividad eficaz sería ocultar un reloj con sonido en una habitación y ver si su hijo puede encontrarlo.

• Modelado

Usa tus manos y haz patrones de palmas juntos. Lleve la secuencia de aplausos y aliente a su hijo a repetirla. Una vez que cada uno ha tenido un turno en la dirección de las secuencias de aplauso, intente hacer lo mismo usando las campanas. ¿Es más difícil repetir la secuencia de la campana? ¿Te gusta escuchar las campanas? ¿Qué sonido es más fuerte?

Ejemplo de una secuencia de aplausos: Aplauso lento, lento-rápido, rápido.

Tacto

Nos sentimos principalmente a través de nuestras manos y pies. ¿Sabías que los pies tienen miles de nervios que van directamente al cerebro? Deje que su niño se sienta con los pies; es tan importante como sus manos. Su niño aprende sobre su ambiente a través del tacto. Aprenden sobre su cuerpo y cómo comunicarse con otros. La participación en este tipo de actividades mejora sus habilidades motoras finas. Estas habilidades le ayudarán a su hijo a sujetar un lápiz, atar sus zapatos, abotonar su ropa y usar tijeras.

• Dominó con textura

A todo el mundo, o al menos a la mayoría, le encanta el dominó. Anime a su hijo/a a usar sus dedos para tocar y sentir los bloques y combinarlos de acuerdo a cómo se sienten.

• Pintura con los pies

Remangue el pantalón de su niño/a, y pídales que pasen en una cacerola o bandeja con up poco de pintura de su color favorito, para experimentar la sensación de la pintura entre sus dedos del pie. Pregúntele a su hijo cómo se siente. ¿Es suave o áspera? ¿Es frío o caliente? ¿Es pegajoso o suave?

Olfato

Después del nacimiento, el sentido del olfato es una de las primeras cosas que le une a su hijo. Con el tiempo, ciertos aromas se vuelven reconfortantes porque son familiares, y esto puede ser la razón por la cual su hijo puede preferir que sus objetos de seguridad permanezcan sin lavar. Están unidos al olor de su manta o oso.

• Ojos vendados

Encuentre algunos perfumes familiares como café, extractos usados ​​para hornear, etc. Haga los ojos a los ojos a su niño y coloque el olor debajo de su nariz. ¿Qué huele? ¿Conocen el olor?

Vista

Los ojos de su recién nacido son físicamente capaces de ver al nacer, pero su cerebro no está listo para procesar la información visual, por lo que las cosas permanecen borrosas por un tiempo. A través de sus experiencias, empezarán a conectar el significado con las señales visuales que se encuentran en su entorno. Cuando su hijo juega juegos que implican la vista que están desarrollando las habilidades de alfabetización temprana. Los juegos visuales les ayudan a reconocer objetos, palabras, patrones y consecuencias, así como desarrollar su memoria.

• Veo, veo, ¿qué ves?

Con este divertido juego usamos nuestra vista para intentar descubrir, a modo de adivinanza, lo que esta en nuestro entorno. 

• Veo, veo con los libros

Con los libros podemos juegar al "veo, veo..." de una manera muy divertida. Hable sobre las diferentes cosas que ve en las diferentes páginas. 

• Juegos de Parejas

Juegue un juego que empareje con su niño. Ellos están usando sus ojos para jugar estos juegos y mejorar sus habilidades de discriminación visual.

Biblioteca Online para leer en casa juntos

Actualmente con la tecnologia podemos tener acceso a muchos recursos, por este motivo les ofrezco este articulo.

Segun la informacion obtenida por la web oficial de HoustonISD, Frogstreet nos ofrece una gran variedad de recursos. El plan de estudios del distrito para prekindergarten está alineado con las pautas de pre-kindergarten establecidas por el estado de Texas. Los estudiantes de Prekindergarten reciben instrucción en todas las áreas de lectoescritura, matemáticas, ciencias, estudios sociales, desarrollo social y emocional, habilidades motoras gruesas y finas, salud, artes visuales, música y educación física.

Para acceder a las bibliotecas temáticas así como a las bibliotecas de matemáticas y ciencias en inglés y español, los padres pueden visitar http://portal.frogstreet.com/

Correo electrónico: parent

Contraseña: parent

El programa de Frogstreet:

• Proporciona una instrucción completa e integrada en todos los dominios.

• Equilibra la instrucción intencional con el aprendizaje centrado en el niño.

• Proporciona equidad-inglés y español-de materiales e instrucción.

• Ofrece una rutina diaria fuerte que desarrolla habilidades sociales y control emocional.

• Apuesta por el poder de una fuerte interacción maestro-niño para desarrollar un rico lenguaje oral y un amplio vocabulario.

• Proporciona una secuencia continua y sistemático para la construcción de habilidades y conceptos.

• Usa los principios de aprendizaje basados ​​en la investigación como piedra angular de la instrucción.

Otras plataformas digitales que ofrecen lecturas online son:

- Myon.com

- ReadyRosie

- AmazonRapids

- LittleFox

Todas ellas con una gran variedad de historias, no todas ofrecen sus cuentos en ambos idiomas, pero igualmente es una oportunidad para pasar un rato divertido y leer en familia.

¿Cual fue tu historia favorita? ¿Por qué? 

Caracteristicas del estudiante que le gusta leer:

Como se ve en la imagen, los beneficios son muchos y se reflejan tambien en los resultados academicos, ya que la lectura amplia el vocabulario facilitando la comprension de la materia a estudiar. Otro aspecto muy importante en los estudiantes que le gustan leer -y su relacion con las buenos resultados- es su capacidad de explorar y descubrir cosas nuevas, ya que al comenzar la lectura de nuevas historias, nuestra curiosidad nos empuja a saber mas. Por consiguiente, nuestras ganas por saber se extenderan a otros campos de nuestra vida: la escuela.

Como resumen compartimos este video que habla sobre la lectura en familia.

Why do you pee in the first days of school?

Why do you pee in the first days of school?

English translation of my article: ¿Por que se hace pipi en los primeros dias de escuela?

The first days of school for Child Education students are filled with many new developments in their lives that can affect their emotions and behavior.

Source: http://www.mycutegraphics.com/graphics/school/classroom/owl-bathroom-monitor.html

I do not know if they have verified that when in our adult lives there are periods of changes our character changes as well as our rest time, ... This same happens to the children, but with the difference that they do not yet have the tools sufficient to be able to manage them effectively.

Normally when it is normal for daycare students or Early Childhood Educators (or Primary Education if they never attended Infant Education) to express their restlessness, nervousness, and stresses of change with having a bath. We as adults must understand that they are situations not common to them, and therefore, we must talk to them and see what happens to them, explain that it is normal and that as such an accident will have the attention it should. It is obvious that we should not make a spectacle, or drama about the subject, much less ridicule them.

Occasionally, other situations can also affect the toilet: excitement in the game when you are in the playground, nightmares, presence of unpleasant situations like fights, separations and divorces, illness, ...

Many times we think of more students of Childhood Education as mini adults. It is true that more and more are asked for more responsibilities and, at the same time, they are still children and children with very early ages. Their personalities are still forming, in addition, not all have the same process and time of maturation, so we can not create great challenges, nor have high expectations of them, remember are children and girls in the process of growth and learning.

The problem, as explained on the site www.bebesano.com, usually disappears spontaneously after a period of weeks or months, the time depends on the support given to find the cause or how quickly the child adapt to the new situation that caused the discomfort.

"When these things happen, parents should stay calm, as they may also not be enough for children, and they do so as a wake-up call. They are generally thought to be spoiled and challenged, beaten, punished, when it is advisable to speak to them, ask them, listen to them, "advises Astudillo, who warns that neither should the child be blamed. Much less comment on what happened with the whole neighborhood, that creates a feeling of guilt and shame in the minor that in no way contributes to improve the situation" points out Astudillo.

When there are "changes" in their lives, please inform your teachers as soon as possible so that you can start working on possible solutions. Remember that the teacher of your child is an ally of you, is one of the most important pillars of their lives, and with who often your child spends a lot of time - almost as a member of the family. For this reason, we recommend to take away misconceptions about being judged, discuss the changes, and ask the counselor of your school so that you can be offered solutions and/or alternatives.

Fears and phobias in children

FEARS AND PHOBIAS IN CHILDREN

Free and non-commercial translation of the article in Spanish: Miedos y fobias en la infancia. Fears and phobias in childhood

Fears are very common in certain periods of the child's age. Usually they are passengers and of little intensity.

Fears are emotions characterized by an intense, usually unpleasant sensation, triggered by the perception of a danger, real or supposed, present, future, or even past. They derive from natural aversion to risk or threat, and are manifested in all animals, which includes man.

Fears are very common phenomena throughout the development of the child. They usually appear coinciding with certain age periods, these fears are generally passive and of low intensity, spontaneously regressing as the child matures and develops. They are known as "evolutionary fears".

Phobias and anxiety are fears of great intensity, irrational and especially disproportionate to the risk of the situation or feared object that generally do not pose a real threat (darkness, small animals, etc.). They can cause an anxiety reaction and have negative repercussions on a personal and family level.

Most common fears in children are:

1) Fear of the dark: appears in one of every three children by 2 years and decreases to 8-9. It may include ingredients of other fears, such as fear of separation, imaginary and dangerous beings, thieves, noise, and abandonment.

It can be helped by accompanying him until he can fall asleep, keeping some light on that gradually reduces the intensity or leaving a small pilot. Try to make the sleeping environment as pleasant as possible. It is important to establish previous routines at bedtime, as these rituals will reassure you, helping you achieve a healthy sleep. It is recommended to avoid excessive activation before going to sleep. He can be kept company for a few minutes, talking about what happened in the day, reading a story or singing a song in a voice as monotonous as possible to induce sleep. Then he is clothed and always fired in the same way. If you need it, the maneuver can be repeated until you understand that it will remain in your bed and that nothing will happen to you.

2) Fear of separation: Fear of separating the persons with whom the child is affectively united is one of the most consolidated fears in the human species. It appears when you are away from the reference people to which you are linked, especially from the mother. It is normal for this fear to be transmitted from the age of 6, although in a small percentage it is maintained, evolving towards a disorder called "separation anxiety".

In order to avoid this problem, it is essential to promote from the outset the child's autonomy behaviors (avoiding overprotection, reinforcing the child's independence ...). Brief separations can be made at the beginning and made longer, congratulating and rewarding the achievements achieved by the child. Delegate care to other family members and ensure that other people closely relate to them (such as letting them sleep at a friend's house, etc.).

3) School fears: specific fears are included as specific elements or situations of the school environment (specific subjects, repeat course, dining room, etc.), being separated from parents or social activities that take place in school ( speaking in class, conflicting relationships with peers, etc.). This type of fears, unlike the others that diminish with the passage of the years, increase with the age. They need a strong attitude of parents and the collaboration of teachers. Prolonged school absences must be avoided, since every day that passes without going to school complicates returning to class.

4) Medical fears: include fears of physical pain, medical procedures and the health context (medications, injections and vaccines, blood, gowns and professionals, especially dentists).

Positive experiences in consultations function as a cushion that cushions the effect of subsequent damages. The calm attitude of the parents and the positive relationship with the health personnel are also protective factors.

General advice

Most child fears and fears disappear on their own without treatment, as the child matures and learns strategies to cope with feared situations. It is advisable to help him overcome his fears, avoid over protection and encourage the child to solve difficulties with help, but not always solved problems.

It must be borne in mind that sometimes fear is perpetuated by the advantages which, unintentionally, are gained by it. On the one hand, parents often adopt a sympathetic and tolerant attitude, providing the child with more whims or advantages and, on the other hand, can discharge obligations, duties or responsibilities. It should be really assessed whether it is desirable to make certain concessions (letting it pass into the parents' bed when there are night fears, leaving them at home without going to school, etc.) 

The use of fear to control child behavior is an inadequate educational practice. The "if you're not good, call the ..." or "if you do not take the syrup, we'll take you to the hospital to get punctured" solve the situations momentarily, but can generate problems in the long term. It is better to educate positively, using praise and encouragement, instead of threats and coercion. 

The fearful child can employ strategies to escape or avoid feared situations (such as pretending to have a stomachache to avoid going to school, crying when alone). If this happens you should avoid getting into quarrels or arguments. It is preferable to indifference, to have patience and to pretend that no complaints or tantrums are heard, celebrating on the contrary any positive action of the child, however insignificant, aimed at overcoming the fear. 

It is advisable to train the child in courage, encouraging him to gradually face up to situations that cause fear, highlighting their courageous behaviors with verbal aids (well !, super!, etc.) that are more powerful if accompanied by physical contact (clashing palms, slapping the back , etc.) 

Imitation has much to do with the acquisition of childish fears, so it is important to maintain composure and disguise one's fears in the presence of the child. The feelings of security aroused by the parent company counteract fear. It is advised to minimize the normal manifestations of fear of the child and try to remain calm in times of stress, otherwise the opposite result will be obtained and the child will be altered more. In new situations, changes can be added gradually, both in times as in intensity, so that it becomes accustomed (for example: to visit with the nursery before the first day of the school year). 

Other recommendations

Please, try to avoid the exposure to frightening experiences. You would be recommended to select films, readings, stories and shows appropriate for their age, not  horror movies or indiscriminate violence. It is useful at times to play  in fearful circumstances (sense of humor). 

If these general advice is not enough and the fear is intense, persistent and has negative repercussions on the child and his environment, it will be appropriate to look for another solution, talk to your doctor/physician.