Little Sprouts Tutoring Blog

Preschool Journal Ideas

2010-01-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

Hi Little Sprouts! I just wanted to share a quick idea for all of my parents of preschoolers. I've noticed that the majority of my little sprout students love to write, which is a great thing! Exploring letter shapes can be tons of fun, as long as we don't force writing on our little three and four year olds. One idea that is super effective is Journal Writing. This is simple and fun for both parents and kids. All you need is a notebook, some writing tools, a gluestick and food/snack labels. Any notebook works, but my favorite are the ones from Lakeshore Learning that have space for pictures and then a few lines for writing. Have your little sprout help you collect favorite food labels and keep them in a baggie. Sitting at the table, allow your little sprout to choose a favorite food label and glue it to the notebook. Then ask them to tell you about the picture. For example, one of my students chose a Skippy peanut butter label. She glued it to her page and said, "I love peanut butter!" I asked her to write exactly what she told me. Granted- she was unsure how to spell each word, but she made letters that she knew and wrote a "p" for peanut and a "b" for butter. Then she read her sentence to me and I wrote it correctly below hers. This type of writing is known as Inventive Spelling and should be praised and encouraged always! She was able to take ownership for her work and felt proud! Food labels are just one example of how you can utilize journals. Some of my little sprouts have drawn pictures of their favorite toys or games and then "wrote" about them, while others fill the spaces with stickers and tell about the colors, shapes, and designs....the options are endless!

Happy journaling! :)

Fall is here and so is Little Sprouts!

2009-10-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins, spiderwebs, skeletons...oh my! I can't believe it's October already! Summer flew by and after an exciting break- (I got married, moved and found out my husband and I are expecting) Little Sprouts Tutoring is, once again, busy helping kids learn and grow. I am so amazed with all of my current students and how much they have grown in the past few months! I have little sprouts in pre-k who are reading now, first graders who have become master rhymers, and fifth grade geniuses who are breezing through a tough math curriculum. I still have a few afternoon slots open during the week, as well as morning times available, so spread the word! Remember that tutoring is not just for little sprouts who struggle in certain subjects, but also for those children that need an extra challenge and want to keep growing in all subject areas. So there is my little "plug" for the fall...oh..and also remember that when you refer a friend you receive a free tutoring session! :)

Miss Britt's Favorites- As I was pulling out my bin of Fall books, I came across two Halloween favorites that I HIGHLY recommend!

The Hallo-wiener- written by Dav Pilkey- a super cute story with an exceptional message. "Oscar is a little dog with a big problem- the other dogs tease him all the time. Now it's up to Oscar to prove that a little wiener can be a real winner." Ages 3-8 (Skip on over to Borders to buy it in paperback for only $5.99)

and....

Boris and Bella- written by Carolyn Crimi- If the storyline doesn't pull you in, the creepy, kooky illustrations surely will! "Bella Legrossi is the messiest monster in all of Booville. Her slime is the slimiest and her grime is the grimiest. Boris Kleanitoff is the tidiest. He vacuums his vampire bats and dusts his cobwebs. Boris and Bella are neighbors. They do not get along. What could ever bring these two together?" Ages 4-7 (Creep on over to Borders to buy this Halloween delight in paperback for $6.00)

Preschool Classrooms Should Look and Sound Like.....

2009-04-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago one of my student's parents were getting ready to tour one of their top 3 preschool choices for their daughter. When the mom asked me what she should look for, I gave her my honest answer, pulling from my own experiences as a preschool teacher. Here are some of the things every parent should keep their eyes and ears open to: a classroom that has stations or centers set up where the children can independently explore, a library made of simple shelves with age-appropriate books, colorful, stimulating posters and pictures on the walls to encourage playful attitudes, art or sensory tables, equipment such as blocks or tricycles to develop large motor skills, tables where children sit and learn in groups, and a routine/schedule set that the students follow each day. I also mentioned the importance of a state curriculum in place that requires all preschool teachers and aids to implement. The environment that your little sprout will be in on a daily basis has a huge effect on their social, emotional and academic development...so it's important to do your homework before heading off to tour the ins and outs of the center. Of course, one should always trust their gut...you will know after watching the children in the classroom and how the teachers interact with them if that particular preschool is the one for your little sprout. Check out this fabulous article from thesavvysource.com, a website for parents written by parents, on what to look for in a preschool classroom. http://www.savvysource.com/articles/13p_great_preschools:_what_to_look_for_in_the_classroom

Kooky Kidz Spring Fling Fundraiser

2009-03-20T04:48:00.000-07:00

Come help us bring in Spring and do a little shopping, too!

Kooky Kidz Spring Fling Benefit

When:
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Time:
Two sessions from 9:00am - 1:00pm and 5pm-9pm ish

Where:
Kooky Kidz Headquarters- 4203 W. Jetton Ave, South Tampa, FL

Who/Host:
Staci Brum
kookykidz@verizon.net

What's It All About??
Kooky Kidz will be holding its Spring Fling on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 in 2 sessions from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. and in the evening from 5 p.m. through 9 p.m. (or whenever). Look for Kooky Kidz new Spring fashions! 10% of the proceeds from vendors @ the show will be donated to the Beau Hobbie trust fund or Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation (www.tnbcfoundation.com) going to the fight against triple negative breast cancer. As some of you may know already, Beau's mom, Allyson, lost her fight to triple negative breast cancer in January, leaving Beau alone with no parents. Since then, many have been raising money for Beau's continued education and well being. Please come help support these causes!Confirmed vendors at this time are: Kooky Kidz, Gold Canyon Candles, Shirts by Hadley, Nicole Geller Photography, Arbonne, Little Sprouts Tutoring, artist April Paige. More to come.....

South Tampa Preschool Fair this Monday, 3/16!!

2009-03-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hello little sprouts of all ages! Come to the 3rd Annual Preschool Fair.

South Tampa Preschool Fair
Sponsored by the
MOMS Clubs of Palma Ceia and Tampa-South

When:
Monday, March 16, 2009
from 10AM – 12PM

Where:
Kate Jackson Center
821 South Rome Avenue
Hyde Park, South Tampa 33606
FREE! Bring your kids!
No RSVP required
Door Prizes!

Come visit with area preschool representatives to help find the right school for your little one.

The Hillsborough County Voluntary Pre-K Program Manager, the Tampa-Hillsborough Library Early Literacy Program, Tampa Bay Parenting, animals from Lowry Park Zoo, Berry Merry and other wonderful kid-friendly organizations will also be there! (Littles Sprouts Tutoring will be there!!) :)

Motivating Little Sprouts with Beginner's Homework

2009-01-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

If your little sprout is in preschool they may be coming home with "homework." This can be an exciting time for some sprouts, but can also pose a challenge in the motivation department! Depending on what school your little sprout attends, they've probably been assigned reading and writing readiness activities that include letter work, numbers, identifying shapes, etc. As many of you know from experience, the attention spans of a 3 or 4 year old can be short-lived.

That being said, what's a parent to do when their little one just won't cooperate or get their work done? First and foremost, remember that they are only 3 or 4 years old. This should be a time when they get to show mom or dad how "smart" they are! Praise them and praise them often! When I sit down with my students I approach the activity with enthusiasm and excitement. I always give little sprouts a few choices..not 5 or 6...but 1 or 2, which makes them feel important, promotes independence, and allows them to "own" their work. I often reverse roles with preschoolers, acting as the student and giving them the job as "teacher." This strategy has been successful 99% of the time! Say something like, "Wow, I can't believe I forgot how to write the letter M, do you think you can help me?" Children live to please at this age, and most of them love to help out. Persistence is something these little sprouts are beginning to learn at this stage in life and most of them, if they are receiving consistent praise and support, will work diligently for 15 to 20 minutes, and sometimes longer, during my one hour tutoring sessions!

I also use a reward system to help motivate, however I keep these rewards to a minimum. i.e. a sticker chart. We want children to eventually be motivated because they want to do a good job, not because they want a prize. No matter what, it is always important to remember never to push your little one to "do their work." This could lead to a negative outlook toward school in general and we want little sprouts to develop a love for life-long learning!

Below is an excellent article from the National Association of School Psychologists on motivating young children in school, as well as at home.

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/earlychildmotiv_ho.aspx

2009-01-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome little sprouts of all ages!!! My New Year's Resolution....must become a blogger! Little Sprouts Tutoring in Tampa, FL is now officially ready to blog. So, let's blog. I am absolutely, without a doubt, very blessed in this new year! Since May 2008 I have had the amazing opportunity to work with children in Tampa Bay, helping them learn and grow in all subject areas. One of many great joys this past year has been teaching my littlest sprouts, ages 3 and 4, in the areas of reading and writing readiness. It's not unusual for me to come home with playdoh in my hair and dry erase marker on my clothes. :) There is never a dull moment and their little spirits continue to help me learn and grow each day! Then there's my upper elementary students whose sense of humor help remind me how precious life's little moments are and to never take myself too seriously. It's with these 4th and 5th graders that makes teaching an incredibly rewarding experience. I hope over the course of this new year that Little Sprouts Tutoring continues to grow and that I am given many more opportunities to share my knowledge of teaching and enthusiasm for learning with little sprouts everywhere!