I'm over here talking about school wounds.
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Showing posts with label Yup-Another Review Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yup-Another Review Blog. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
More Books!
I really wasn't kidding when I said I had been busy reading books since my grad classes ended. Or rather switched from assigned chapters to leisure reading.
Here's some more:
20 Boy Summer
and
Surviving High Society
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Your Child's Strengths
The kind folks over at FSB Associates have once again asked me to review a book for them. Your Child's Strengths - A Guide for Parents and Teachers is writen by Jenifer Fox.
I'll admit, at first my motives were selfish - I'd read the book, write a review and apply the strategies with my son. And I do plan on doing so.
However, I wasn't expecting to agree so much with Ms. Fox! Her focus is that schools are negative - focusing on the weakness of its students. We put labels on kids. We focus on their errors. And, as an educator, I've got to agree with her!
Instead, she focus on identifying children's stengths based on 3 areas (activity, relationship and learning) and nurting them. In her book she shares with the readers how to identify those strengths, and then how to make them even stronger. She include a practical workbook to practice these skills. Ending the book is an outline for the Affinities curriculum (Ms. Fox has implemented this in her school with positive results).
Her approach is easy. Her writing is simple. Her method is built on positive strategies. What more could you ask for?
See for yourself, here is an excerpt from her book:
The Strengths Code
by Jenifer Fox,
Author of Your Child's Strengths: A Guide for Parents and Teachers
In the early years, parents can do four things to set the stage for a child's self-discovery:
-Record observations of preferences, quirks, and choices
-Stimulate imagination through creative play
-Create rich memories with tradition and ritual
-Model positive attitudes and positive approaches to life
-Record observations of preferences, quirks, and choices
-Stimulate imagination through creative play
-Create rich memories with tradition and ritual
-Model positive attitudes and positive approaches to life
It's never too early for you to begin molding your child's memories and his imaginations. A positive environment will give your child a sense of security and confidence, and your child will appreciate your observations -- even if he disagrees with them.
Remember, strengths are not talents or skills, or what your children are good at. All those things are open to evaluation and criticism. Strengths are far more personal -- they are the activities that make someone feel strong. Your child may be good at doing math problems, but unless she feels energized by that activity, a course of study or a career choice that has a heavy focus on solving mathematical problems will probably not yield a passion for the work or a happy life. Children begin life with a strong desire to please, but they don't go through adolescence that way. Beware: a child may abandon the pursuit of a true strength if he believes you chose it for him or it is something you are attempting to impose. When I was in fifth grade, my mother dragged me to an acting class, insisting I would love acting. At that time in my life, I was reluctant to do or try anything she suggested. The more she insisted acting was my true calling in life, the more I resisted. Years later, after I interviewed for my first teaching job, the principal called, offering me the position of high school drama teacher. I told him he must have made a mistake, I had interviewed for the English teaching job. He said he thought I would make a great drama teacher and asked if I would give it a try, which I did. I loved teaching acting, which led to my own acting with a community theater. Later on in this chapter I will give you suggestions about how to encourage without pushing so you don't accidentally steer a child away from a strength.
Your role in the development of your young child's strengths should be more like a personal assistant than a boss. You can think of this relationship in the same way Michelangelo thought of his sculptures. He saw a slab of stone and knew that a masterpiece was inside it, begging to come out. His job was to see it and release it. The strengths are already in your child. Your job is to help your child see and release them.
The above is an excerpt from the book Your Child's Strengths: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by Jenifer Fox. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
Reprinted by arrangement with Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., from Your Child's StrengthsCopyright © Jenifer Fox, 2009
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Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Lists, lists and more lists
Yea, it's me again. I know, this might be a record - three posts in one day. But this one isn't political. It's about getting stuff done.
Come over here and see what I mean.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Now that the kids are in school
and you might have some more free time on your hands, here's 2 more books to add to your reading list:
Sweet Mandarin
Walking the Rainbow
Both memoirs, but 2 completely different stories with the common theme of strength and courage.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Crayola Product Review
My co-writer at the SVMom's Group asked if any of us wanted to try out some new Crayola products. Crayola? You're never to old for Crayola!! So I said yes.
We got to try the No Drip Paint Brush Pens and Pip-Squeaks Mix'ems Markers.
Adam, although nearly 10 and not too much of an art fan was immediately interested after seeing the big Crayola crayon box the items were shipped in.
After checking out the 2 new items he called his friend over from next door and headed outside to the porch with some paper. The kids had a blast!
They both liked the No Drip Paint Brush Pens, because they weren't messy and drippy, however, they had a tendency to treat it like a marker which you can't, you still have to use brush strokes.
The Pip-Squeak Mix 'Em Markers were by far the favorite of the 2. Each marker is actually 2. You snap them together, push the button on the end and the colors match. You can even see this happening in the clear window! Then color away. Depending on what angle you hold the marker depends on how much or little of both colors you get. And you can mix and match the color - since I'm not a math person I can't tell you how many combinations there are, but let's just say it's lots and lots!
Adam's response when asked if he liked them "Well, I still won't like doing school projects, but they'll look a lot cooler with these markers and paintbrushes to add in special effects."
Thanks to Crayola for allowing us to try these!!
Be sure to check out the other new items when you're shopping for back-to-school supplies!
Cross-posted at Yup - Another Review Blog.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Books, Books and More Books
Here's another reason I've been quiet lately. I've been busy reading:
The Septembers of Shiraz
The Longest Journey
The Gatherer
Understanding Your Moods When You're Expecting
Memoirs of an Immigrant
Knife on Skin at 7:30
And Adam and I have been reading:
In Search of Molly Pitcher
the rabbit and the snowman
The Most Valuable Treasure
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
Go ahead, check them out!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
pssst
Besides being over at MotherTalk talking about the Dangerous Days of Daniel X, I'm also over at DCMetroMoms venting about drivers who don't slow down.
Read more!The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
MotherTalk has once again allowed me to review one of their promotions: The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson.
I think most of us are familiar with books by Mr. Patterson for adults, but this one is also for kids. Specifically boys. Of which I have one. He and I will be reviewing this one together.
Adam:
"I love that Daniel hunts aliens down. And I really really like the plot in the story that he wants to get revenge on an alien that killed his parents who were also alien hunters. I think Daniel's parents would be very proud of Daniel for continuing his battle.
I like Daniel and I think its really cool that he can recreate the energy in the universe and can make it into things. I wish I could do that. If I could met Daniel I'd ask him if I could help him on his next adventure.
I'm also actually glad my Mom reviewed this book with me because now I can go read some of his other books before school starts back up and I have homework to do again."
Mom:
I can not say enough about this book. Any book that captures Adam's interest is a good book for me. There was a time when Adam would pour through books. We couldn't get enough for him. And in the past year he's slowed down in his reading. Not his love for reading, but the amount. Because he's finding it harder and harder to find fiction books that he enjoys. And after searching through the bookstores I can see why. Most young adult books do tend to be more marketed towards girls. Which is fine. But there just doesn't seem to be as much out there for boys Adam's age.
Adam was hooked by the end of the first page. Mr. Patterson does a great job of telling a mature story for older kids/young adults at an appropriate reading level. The structures is simple, yet descriptive. You can not help but root for Daniel in his quest to fight the aliens. Even if you're not a 10 year old boy!
I'm not generally a fan of this genre, but this book at me hooked too. I plan on reading some other books by Mr. Patterson now too. And, after seeing this book on our kitchen table, my two high school sitters have also started reading this book and are also enjoying it.
Head over to MotherTalk to see what other's are saying about The Dangerous Days of Daniel X.
Read more!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Book Tour: The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book
MotherTalk has a new book tour out The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book.
No, I'm not pregnant. But my sister is. So she is my 1st ever guest blogger (thanks sis!):
Toss out your copy of "What to Expect..." because this is the best pregnancy book! This even beats out all the websites that cater to the reproductive-ites. I'm in my second pregnancy and I wish I'd had this book for my first. In "The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book", Marjorie Greenfield, M.D., incorporates factual medical information, practical advice and first-hand accounts - and has managed to glue it all together by focusing on being a pregnant employee. This book is so well organized. It functions like a resource guide yet it also reads like a story from cover to cover.
So now I'm four months along and wondering how the heck am I going to organize and deal with a newborn, a sprite of a two-year-old, a growing career and, oh yeah, did I mention I'm going back for my masters'? But right now I have to handle being pregnant at work and being a pregnant employee - no such easy feat, even in a supportive work environment like I have.
Easy or tough as your experience is, Dr. Greenfield provides great tips, advice and facts - like qualifying FMLA requirements and negotiating your maternity leave plan to tips on treating first trimester nausea at work (I've been there...it works). I recommend this book to any working mom-to-be, even the ones with current mommy experience!
Cross-posted to Yup - Another Reveiw Blog.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
This Way and That Way
Head this way for a review of an absolutely wonderful children's book I had an opportunity to review for MotherTalk.
And head that way for a post I put up on DC Metro Moms (we can no longer cross-post directly).
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
STill Alice
Now that my eyes have dried up from crying I can tell you to head over here to read my thoughts on STill Alice. You can also
read an excerpt below (posted with permission of course):
STILL ALICE - A Woman's Struggle Against Alzheimer's
BOSTON, Feb 19, 2008 - Lisa Genova, PhD, has written an amazingly accurate portrayal
of one woman's descent into the darkness of Alzheimer's Disease in her novel STILL
ALICE.
"Powerful, insightful, tragic, inspirational.and all too true." Dr. Alireza Atri,
Massachusetts General Hospital Neurologist
Of the 5 million Americans with Alzheimer's, over 600,000 of them are under the age of
65. In her riveting debut novel, STILL ALICE, Lisa Genova explores one woman's
descent into Alzheimer's during the prime of her life. Written with an extensive
knowledge of the subject, Genova articulately demonstrates the struggle to maintain
balance when your life is spiraling out of control and your biggest enemy is your own
mind. Genova has the esteemed background to support all of the claims made in her book
and the National Alzheimer's Association has officially endorsed the novel.
Alzheimer's is a disease that is being covered more frequently in the mainstream media
and just recently actress Julie Christie was nominated for an Oscar for her role in
"AWAY FROM HER". In the film she portrays a woman suffering from Alzheimer's
disease and brings to the screen the prevalence and attention that this often
misunderstood disease needs.
Praise for STILL ALICE:
"An intensely intimate portrait of Alzheimer's seasoned with highly accurate and useful
information about this insidious and devastating disease." Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, co-
author, Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
"A work of pure genius. This is the book that I and many of my colleagues have
anxiously awaited. The reader will journey down Dementia Road in a way that only those
of us with Dementia have experienced. Until now." Charley Schneider, author of Don't
Bury Me, It Ain't Over Yet
"With grace and compassion, Lisa Genova writes about the enormous white emptiness
created by Alzheimer's in the mind of the still-too-young and active Alice. A kind of
ominous suspense attends her gathering forgetfulness, and Genova puts us,
sympathetically, right inside her plight. Somehow, too, she portrays the family's response
as a loving one, and hints at the other hopeful response that science will eventually
provide." Mopsy Kennedy, Improper Bostonian
About the book:
STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova
ISBN: 978-0-595-44009-2
Publisher: iUniverse
Date of publish: July 2007
Pages: 300
S.R.P.: $18.95
About the author:
Lisa Genova graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a BS in biopsychology and
has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia
Advocacy and Support Network International, DementiaUSA, and Grub Street Writers.
She writes the blog for the National Alzheimer's Association's VOICE OPEN MOVE
website. She is currently writing her next books, LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER'S and
LEFT NEGLECTED
Monday, February 25, 2008
Book Review
Yea, as you can tell by now I've been doing a lot of reading. But hey, that's what winter is for, right? Hanging on the couch under a cozy blanket with a great book, right?!
So, go check this one out!
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