Learning Games

When my foster daughter was still living with my husband and I, she was in her second semester of Kindergarten and struggling with reading. She had a hard time sounding out words and was frustrated with the idea of trying to read at all. I think she could only read the words, dog, cat and her own first name. Her teacher at the time, gave us "star words" to work on with her. These were words the children were supposed to know in order to pass on to the first grade, and she was way behind. So, I went to my favorite resource, the public library to see if I could find any resources to help her feel more confident in reading, and some way to help her learn her 'star words.'

We tried many different reading games, in many different books, but here I want to write you about the one that she liked the best. She actually would ask me repeatedly to play this game! :-) I do not remember the book it came from anymore, I will post it later if I am able to find it again.
Materials & Preparation:

* 2 pieces of paper
* crayons/ or markers (or dry erase markers, optional)
* index cards or similar (one for each word the child is learning)
* 2 clear plastic page protectors (optional)


Draw a pyramid on each piece of paper, similar to the one shown in my picture here. Then take the index cards, and on each one, write a word you want your child to be able to recognize/ read on sight. Start with words s/he already knows and add only one or two new words at a time. This keeps the game easy and fun for the child. If you choose to use the clear page protectors, place these over each of the pieces of paper, and use the dry erase markers (rather than crayons or other markers) for the game. The plastic proctors make your game boards reusable rather than repeatedly creating new pyramids for each new game.

How to play:

This is a two player game, your child and you. In order to win the game you must color in all of the squares in your pyramid before the other player. To start you give your child 10 seconds to look at each card you hold up. In that 10 second time frame they try to tell you what word is on the card. Count silently so your child can think, and not feel pressured. If the child is able to tell you the word in 10 seconds or less s/he wins a square on his/her pyramid to color in. If s/he does not tell you the word in 10 seconds or less, you get to fill in a square on your pyramid. Whoever colors in all their squares first wins the game! Make sure to tell your child the correct answer whenever s/he misses a word, or fails to tell you the word in 10 seconds. They might just recognize it the next time around!

My foster daughter loved this game, and would often say "I'm beating you!" with a huge smile on her face. I found it best to only add one or two new words at a time to keep her challenged. I also made sure there were enough words in the stack of cards she already knew so that she always beat me. ;-) When she learned the new words well enough that she recognized them most of the time I would add another new word. This made it fun and she did not get bored. By the time she went back with her mom she had learned to read about 27 new words! I am so proud of her for the progress she made!

Oh, one other thought, I noticed my foster daughter still had trouble recognizing her 'star words' in books. To help with this, whenever I read a book to her, if I saw one of her 'star words' on the page, I would point to it and ask her figure out what it was. This way she did not just learn to read words in just my handwriting but also on the typewritten page.

Do you have any learning games that your kids really enjoy? What are they? Thanks for leaving your thoughts!

Updated 1/29/08

If you would like more tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer for more great works for me Wednesday tips. :-)

What to "do with" Snow?! Part 2

The picture at right is ice, on the the inside of my bedroom window. Ice! Can you believe it?! If you live in Minnesota, or someplace as cold, I'm sure you can. ;-) However, if you just moved to a cold climate, or have had unusually cold weather this year, this type of thing may have surprised you. As well as many other aspects of snow and ice, and how to deal with them. Last time, I talked a little about what fun things to do in the snow. This time I'd like to talk about snow, and your car.

Car issues and extreme cold and or snow:

1. How to make sure the car will start.
One way to make sure your car will start, is park it in the garage! The colder your car is the less likely it is to start. If this is not an option for you, as it is not for me, there a few other options to help make sure your car will start in the morning. One of those ways is to park the engine end of your car, usually the front but not always, as near to a building as possible, and if possible use the building to help block you car from the wind. You want to park close to a building because even the best insulated buildings give off heat so the area close to the building will be warmer. You also try to park out of the wind, because wind chills can affect not just people, but cars and your car battery. In the winter months never let you gas tank get below three quarters to half a tank of gas, this will help it start more easily. Also, Make sure you have a relatively new battery, according to this article getting a load test by a qualified automotive technician will help you determine if your battery is strong enough to last the winter. They also said that your car battery is only performing at 60% strength when it is zero degrees Fahrenheit outside! For more info visit this article, it has more tips then I will mention here.

Besides these, if your apartment will let you, or you live in a house, consider investing in a block warmer or a battery warmer. The block warmer sits next to your engine and the battery warmer goes around your car battery. These then have a cord which you can thread though your car's grill, or through the edge of the hood. To use them you run an extension cord from the warmer and plug it into either an outdoor outlet or run it through a window into your house, and plug it into an outlet. These are especially good to use on nights when the temperatures are supposed to dip below zero Fahrenheit.

If all else fails when trying to start your car, make sure you keep a set of jumper cables in your car for winter. Don't expect the nice stranger you ask to help you jump you car will have a set, make sure you have your own, and know how to use them.

2. What to do with snow covering my car:
Okay I know, the answer to this question may seem obvious, but there may be some things you have not considered.

First the basics. Always keep an ice scraper and a snow removal brush in you car in the winter. The stiffer the brush, the better. The snow will get heavy! Now what to do with the brush? I recommend cleaning off as much of your car as humanly possible. I personally think this helps the car engine warm up better and faster. Also, it is a good idea to turn on you car and get it warming up while you are cleaning the snow off. Be careful not to lock yourself out though (believe me, I've done it)! If it is not humanly possible, (i.e. you are short and drive a huge SUV and your not going to reach the roof without a stepladder) you will need to clean off at least the most needed areas. These areas are: All the windows, headlights/tail lights and license plates. The windows and headlights/ tail lights are for safety, of course, so you can see and the other drivers can see you. Make sure to clean off your license plates, because it may be illegal in your state to have the view of your license plates obstructed in any way. I know in Minnesota you can get a ticket for having snow covering you license plate number!

3. Keep your car free of carbon monoxide!

Also make sure to know where the air vents are on your car, and that they are free of snow. These vents bring air to your car's engine and in fresh air for you to breathe. Oh, and also to keep fresh air in your car, make sure the tail pipe(s) of your car are clear and free of snow. These keep the air you breathe clean and free of carbon monoxide.

Okay, that is enough tips for today. I think in part three I will wright about how to prepare for becoming stranded in the winter.

Do you have any more tips about safety or fun activities in the snow? Any questions about what I have written? Please send your thoughts to me! Just click on "thought(s)" below and leave me a message! Thanks!

Works for Me Wednesday

For this "Works for Me Wednesday" I thought I would share a trick that my sister-in-law taught me. This is a way to store plastic grocery bags. By folding them up, like the picture at left, you can fit a lot more in those grocery bag holders that everyone seems to have now. Also, I have found out it is easier just to pull out the number of bags you need to use, rather than pulling out a whole wad of crumpled up bags.
Directions for folding bags:

1. Lay your bag out on a flat surface.
2. Fold the back lengthwise down the middle.
3. Fold as in step 2, once more.
4. Starting at the bottom of the bag, fold the bag in triangles. The first triangle is made by folding one of the bottom corners upward so the bottom edge of the bag is aligned with the opisite edge of the bag.
5. Continue folding the bag into a triangle till all you have left sticking out is the bag handles.
6. Look for a folded edge of this triangle, that has pocket in it, made by the layer of the bag. Wrap the remaining bag handles around the triangle, and tuck the ends in this pocket.


Now you are finished and have a nicely folded bag ready for storage. After folding a few bags, and you get used to the steps, folding the bags goes pretty fast, and I think folding them when i first get them, saves me time untangling them later! :-D

What ways do you store plastic grocery bags? How do you use the bags you've collected? I'd love to here from you!

Oh, I forgot to mention, if you would like more tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer for more great works for me Wednesday tips. :-)

What to "do with" Snow?! Part 1

I have met many people lately that have moved to Minnesota, from other warmer states, and as I was clearing snow off my car this morning, I was wondering how many of them know much about "what to do with" snow. So I thought I would share with my readers, a few tips what to do with snow. This is part one, fun things.

Today, fun things to do:

1. Sledding of course! When sledding, make sure the area you are sledding is clear at the bottom of the hill, at least 50 feet farther than you think you will need. You will be surprised how far you keep sliding before you come to a stop! Also, the warmer it is, the more slippery the snow. Hard packed snow is also more slippery.

2. Cross country skiing. This takes a bit of practice, but once you get it used to it, it is a great way to see the winter wonderland around you. There are lots of ski trails offered in snowy areas, such as MN. I have usually found them in state and county parks. But there are also groomed trails (this means the snow is packed for skiers) at golf courses and college campuses in the winter. These trails can be free, or cost a few dollars per person to use. Also, many sport shops will have rental skis and boots available. They can even wax the skis for you before you leave the shop.

3. Broomball! This is probably one of the more dangerous fun actives utilizing the ice. You might want to wear you knee pads for this one. It is a sport sort of like hockey, accept you use a broom balls stick, or a broom with its bristles cut off, or rapped tightly in duct tape, a ball instead of a puck, and you were street shoes or broom ball shoes instead of ice skates. You can find more information on this sport here.

There are other activities to do in snowy weather, but these are the 3 that came to mind for me today.

Do you have any favorite actives in the winter, inside or outside? I would love to hear from you, please send me your thoughts below. Thanks! :-)

Remembering Last Winter

Today I was just remembering last winter in MN, the day after Valentine's day, we became legal guardians of Katie. I usually refer to her as our foster daughter, because it is easier for people to understand that, that understand legal guardianship, also what would you call her then, a "guardian daughter"? That just sounds silly.

Anyway, she came to live with us in February, 2007, while her mom was getting her life together. She was just five at the time, in kindergarten. I was scared at first to take her in, because I don't have any kids of my own, and was not that comfortable around kids. But I am so glad my husband and I went through that whole experience.

I found there is a big difference dealing with a kid in Sunday school, compared to one living with you. I didn't, for those couple of months have to worry what the "mom's rules" in her house were, because Katie was in our house and so on. I also figured out that I can be a mom, someday when that opportunity arises. It was so much fun having Katie around, teaching her things, loving her. Now that she is back with her mom, the only thing I can't stand is missing her and not knowing what is going on with her. Her mom cut off all contact the minute she came and picked her up. I just pray that God keeps her safe and that someday we will be able to see her and have contact with her again.

Thanks for reading my post, if you would like to comment click the word, "thought(s)" below this post. -Dawn

Added 01/27/08
I wish we could've adopted Katie, but it was not meant to be. I guess God has another plan. Now, since that experience, my husband and I are thinking of possibly trying to adopt a child.

My New Blog

Hello to everyone reading my blog. I decided to start this blog mainly so I would be able to communicate with those others out there who's blogs I have found helpful over the past few months. Some of these include Proverbs 31 Living, The Centurion Papers, and Comfort Food. Also, I would like to share my ideas/ramblings with those interested. I do not know if anyone will read my blog or not, but I guess I can also have a record of my life, for myself in these pages. If you do like what I have to say, feel free to read away, and leave me your thoughts. Have a great day!