Mix some work in holiday play
By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Education Writer
Before your children click into winter vacation mode, you might want to take a peek into their backpacks and school planners.
You think your kids will plan ahead for school projects, but who hasn't frantically searched for a shoe box at the last minute? Next time, be prepared. Consider gathering some or all of these supplies in a homework/craft emergency kit: • Poster board, foam core or cardboard • Magazines, catalogs and/or greeting cards (for collages) • Paper of various kinds, sizes and colors (construction paper, tissue paper, wallpaper) • Glitter or sequins • Glue • Stickers • Empty paper-towel and toilet-paper rolls • Ribbon, string and fabric • Magnets • Playing pieces from old board games • Pipe cleaners • Ice-pop sticks or straws • Empty containers (plastic bottles, cans, egg cartons, shoe boxes) • Pine cones, twigs, shells and stones • Crayons, colored pencils, markers and paint • Stencils Source: Knight Ridder News Service
If you don't, you might be spending the first days of the new year searching desperately for shoe boxes, posterboard, colored pebbles, scraps of wallpaper or colored feathers your child will need to complete the diorama, poster or model he or she has put off until the last minute.
AVOID A CRAFT EMERGENCY — HAVE A KIT READY
Or you might find your child trying to cram two weeks' worth of reading, writing or arithmetic into the last day of vacation, or rummaging through the house for supplies to cobble together a science project.
"As a whole, I think it's extremely important to read the school planner books," said retired teacher Peggy Ching, a substitute at the Kahala Elementary School Parent Community Networking Center.
The other thing that can help is a little preparation.
"Have on hand a lot of construction paper and glue and colored pencils," Ching advises. "It also wouldn't hurt to have one to two big (project display) boards in case you can't run to the store in time."
Pat Nakanishi, a sixth-grade teacher at Waimalu Elementary, adds both lined and unlined paper to the list, as well as Crayons, markers and scissors.
Providing supplies is one thing, but "parents shouldn't be doing the project for the kids," Nakanishi warns.
Parents can limit their assistance to providing the right resources and environment, helping with brainstorming, offering praise and constructive criticism and doing a final edit.
Assuming the project is age-appropriate, children should otherwise be able to do the work on their own, including revisions.
If children do not have "projects" to do over the break, Nakanishi says parents could still make sure their children continue practicing real-life reading, math and writing skills to help drive home their value. Otherwise, your kids might see these skills as strictly part of "school culture."
To facilitate this, parents should make sure their children have books to read and a half-hour each day allotted for reading aloud, shared reading or independent reading, depending on the child's skill level. It would be ideal if parents can make the time to model reading themselves, she said.
To keep up with math, children can practice the concepts they learned in school while shopping, cooking or helping a parent fix things around the house. Basic math facts can also be reinforced through flashcards and other aids.
Similarly, writing can be practiced by writing lists, journals, letters or any other everyday functional writing, Nakanishi said.
Reach Treena Shapiro at 525-8014 or tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.
