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Tips for teaching executive function skills in the classroom: Managing Student Work

2/27/2014

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I love to consult with teachers to help them learn how to build and strengthen executive function skills for their students {learn more about executive function skills right now} Often, it's just a matter of tweaking things they may already have attempted or have in place. Today, I'd like to focus on classroom procedures, in particular managing student work.. This is especially helpful for primary grades however, it also continues to be very beneficial on up through high school! The key is to have consistent, replicable SYSTEMS in place that the child can learn at the beginning of the year that will carry them through the school year. 

Why systems? Because kids with executive functioning deficits need consistency in order to learn how to manage themselves and their things both in the present and for the future. Having consistent systems in place from the beginning allow a child to not only be successful right away but also to then explore their own systems which will help them self regulate and strengthen their metacognition skills. In addition, having replicable classroom systems lessens YOUR frustration too! Here are three easy to implement systems, using a scaffolding approach, to help you manage student work. 
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  1. Assigning Work: There must be a permanent place where students can go to find their assignments. This not only alleviates them having to ask you if they forget or miss it, but allows them to become independent in that they will know exactly where to look to find the answer on their own. Post assignments on a specific area of the chalkboard each day. Begin with direct instruction to write down assignments until students show mastery of the task as you personally monitor them. After mastery at this level, begin to simply give a reminder to write down assignments. Finally, simply continue to write the assignments on the board without giving any verbal reminder to write them down.   
  2. Monitoring Work: In order to increase on task behavior {sustained attention} you must have a system in place for monitoring student work. One way to accomplish this is to have a period of direct instruction first, followed by a period of having students complete a short amount of the same work {one or two problems} with your initial guide to get started.  Then, if they seem to grasp the concept, have them complete more problems independently. 
  3. Collecting Work:  In order to provide students with support with being accountable for their assignments {classwork and homework} you must first have a more direct system of collecting completed work. For example, personally collecting student work by gathering assignments while you walk past each desk. After students demonstrate success at this level, you can then move to a student collection system or assignment tray followed by an independent system like a check off system. 
Do you want even more ideas on how to implement systems in your classroom to lessen frustration for YOU and your students? Get more information here. 

Until next time, keep growing and blooming!

Jen
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Zip Your Lip {Part Two}: 5 Things you can say to your picky eater

2/24/2014

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When I consult with a family of a picky eater, one of the first things they say to me, after talking about what they shouldn't say{find out here}, is "Well what CAN I say then?"  Luckily, I'm ready with several suggestions for them when they're ready to throw in the towel as it can, at first, seem overwhelming!


Here are five things you CAN say to your child at the table: 
  • "There are things on the table you enjoy" 
  • "Ice cream is something we don't eat everyday. We can have some after lunch or dinner sometime this week."
  • "Make sure you eat enough because we won't be eating again until ___________" {snack, lunch, dinner}
  • "It's ok not to like something after just one taste. Sometimes, you need to taste something many, many times before you'll learn to like it. I know you'll learn to like many new foods." 
  • "Mmm. I really like this ________. It tastes like the _________ that you like/ate yesterday/had last week."


Words are powerful, powerful things. As much as possible, we need to keep the family table and mealtimes full of positivity in words and actions. The words we speak will eventually translate into more positive interactions, behaviors and a better relationship with food for your picky eater.  Learn more about how our actions and words at the table affect eating. 

 If you're looking to bring positivity back to the table, check out this fun idea for a family game night that can also be a tool for helping your picky eater. Stay tuned to the blog in March as we have a special guest post coming from Skye at Mealtime Hostage on things you can talk about at the table that don't involve food. 

Get immediate access to three more tips for positive mealtimes!

Do you have any other positive words or phrases you say at the table? 



Until next time, keep growing and blooming. 


Jen



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Teens and Time Management

2/19/2014

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Teens, my own two included, are some of the busiest people I know. Between schoolwork, jobs, sports, hobbies and social lives it's no wonder many of them struggle with time management. 


There is simply not enough time in the day  for them to fit in what they have to do., or is there? Can busy teens learn how to manage their increasingly busy schedules? 


You can find out the answers on Thursday's episode of my BlogTalkRadio Show. Be sure to tune in live OR download the archive. 


Do your teens have trouble managing their time? 


Until next time, keep growing and blooming...


Jen

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Building an Adventurous Eater: A food literacy for the PIcky Eater Activity

2/17/2014

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Food should be fun and there is no better way to put this into action than building with food. Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting complicated food art that looks like a professional has spent hours building. I’m talking about simple structures that children can build themselves or with very little help from a parent.

Kids should play with their food.

 Did you know that when a child manipulates foods through things like cooking or messy play, they are actually becoming “literate” with that food. As they manipulate the food with tools or their fingers, they are seeing how the food behaves. What it does. How it smells. What it does when it is squeezed a bit. Maybe even how it tastes if a little juice spurts out and lands on a lip or finger.  

Are you excited to learn more? Well, let's get started then...

How to build a food structure:

*Decide on food materials {brainstorm with your child}

* Brainstorm a theme for the building {shapes, letters, numbers, free- form}

*Gather tools {toothpicks, blunt knives}

*Demonstrate for your child

While you’re building, talk about what you’re doing to help your child learn about the food and how to build a structure. "Oh the pretzel is hard but the cheese cube is soft so I can stab it with the pretzel. Yum, the melon sure smells sweet. I'm going to try building with the cheese cubes!" 

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Take it even further for more FUN: 


*Take pictures of everyone’s structures for a food book

*Have a presentation time where each participant describes their structure

*Have the child teach another how to make their structure

*Talk about other foods that might work for the same structure-try to talk about the properties of the food and why it would be a good choice 

An important thing to keep in mind is to adjust the activity for the age of the child and their level of comfort around certain foods. Remember to allow the child to explore within their own comfort zone. Do not force or pressure them to do certain things with the foods. If they choose to simply sit and watch, allow them to as much can be learned by simply watching others do the activity. 

Get THREE more tips here for how to help your picky eater at the table without pressuring them.

What foods and structures will you choose to try with your children? Need more ideas? Check out our Pinterest board of Fun Food or check out our blog sidebar for our favorite picky eating resources. 

Until next time, keep growing and blooming. 

Jen

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Game Guides are HEre!

2/15/2014

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I am so excited to announce that our FIRST {of several} Game Guides for Executive Function is ready to go and listed in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. 


New to the concept of games and how they help strengthen and teach executive function skills? Read this post and this post for 10 popular games and how they strengthen executive functioning skills. Then, head on over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store and purchase your Sorry! Game Guide for Executive Function. 


Be the FIRST to find out when the next Game Guides will be released!


In the meantime, have FUN using the game guides to help you and yours keep growing and blooming!

Jen
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Zip Your Lip {part one}: Have you said any of these things at the table?

2/12/2014

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"I'm so proud of the way you ate tonight!" 
"You're eating THAT?!"
"Great job cleaning your plate." 
"There are starving children in....."


We all do it yet we may not even realize that we do it. We comment on others' behavior around food-positive or negative. . We don't realize that even when we think we're being positive, it's actually being received as negative. Did I blow your mind with that one? It's true. Studies shown that whether we praise good eating or nag poor eating, it's ALL taken negatively. 

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...I EVEN DO IT once in a while and I'm the person helping others to NOT do it. It's a hard, hard habit to break because we've experienced it, likely, our entire lives. We think nothing of commenting on another's food choices {or lack thereof} but we wouldn't dream of commenting, so easily, on clothing choices or behavior.  We also have read different schools of thought on the subject and one minute we're told to do this and another that. I promise you that, when it comes to picky eaters we really need to zip our lips.


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Why do we need to zip our lips at mealtimes? 
  • Whatever we say can be taken as the opposite {"eat this"puts up a stop sign for that food; "don't eat this" gives the green light to that food}
  • Whatever we say can be taken as pressure to eat/not eat
  • Whatever we say can reinforce picky eating
  • Whatever we say can make the mealtime focus on the food 


What does positive "pressure" look like?
  • "Good eating tonight"
  • "Don't forget to have some carrots"
  • "If you eat all of your hamburger, you can have TWO glasses of chocolate milk"
  • "If you get 3 stickers on your chart this week for good eating, you can download a new iPad app"
  • "It's important to eat healthy foods to grow up big and strong"
  • Making separate foods for your picky eater than for the rest of the family
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What does negative pressure look like?
  • "You have had plenty of bread now-no more bread."
  • "No junk food except on Saturdays"
  • "Come on, don't you want to make mommy happy and take a bite?"
  • "Fine. Don't eat. Go to your room then."
  • "You're going to be tiny and not strong like daddy if you don't eat"
  • "Give me that spoon, I'll get him/her to eat it!"
Eye opening, right? 
Feeling like you don't know what you CAN say at the table? 
Never fear as I have another post scheduled for next week {part two of today's post}, to help you with that. Until then, focus on becoming AWARE of the positive and negative pressure you may be putting on your kiddos. 

STOP the pressure and find peace at the table with these video tips!
Until next time, keep growing and blooming!

Jen
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{Plural Publishing Guest Post} The Frontal Lobe : Front and Center

2/10/2014

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Today, I was honored to do a guest blog post for one of our February BlogTalk Radio Sponsors, Plural Publishing.  I chose to write about one of my favorite subjects, the brain and executive functions. 

How often have you touched your forehead and told yourself to “pay attention” or “think, think, think?”

Also known as the cerebral cortex, the frontal lobe consists of a right and left lobe, located directly behind the forehead, that have the ability to solve problems by allowing us to think flexibly and express language....


Head over to Plural Publishing Blog to read the rest of the article. 

Jen
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EDible Valentines

2/5/2014

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Valentine's Day is just around the corner and what better time to experiment with food while also learning valuable thinking skills by making edible Valentines?! The bonus is that this activity also serves as a wonderful way to bring some peace back to the table for families that are dealing with picky eaters. No pressure, just a fun activity that has some food in the vicinity or for craft purposes {much can be learned about food by using it in other ways!}.

Planning your Valentine Activity
  • Have regular Valentine cards to fill out or make just in case anyone isn't comfortable with the edible Valentine activity. This will allow the child to still participate without feeling "left out" or pressured to do something with food that they're not comfortable with
  • Pick an easy to assemble Valentine food craft. It could be as simple as making strawberry milk or as elaborate as decorating a heart shaped cookie or making a heart shaped sandwich. Check here , here and here for some fantastic ideas for easy Valentine food crafts
  • Serve a few of your picky eater's safe snack foods for them to munch on as they are working-the edible Valentine supplies will serve as a "new" food for them to get comfortable with


 Fun Valentine Food Tools:
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For more back to the table activities, check out this post from December.   Be sure to share your edible Valentine ideas or pictures in the comments here on the blog.  I can't wait to see what fun you have and the creations you make. 

Until next time, keep growing and blooming!

Jen
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Food Literacy February!

2/3/2014

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If you're looking for ideas on how to expand your picky/selective eater's core food list, February is a great time to do it!  February is National Snack Food Month and what better time to indulge in some Food Literacy for the Picky Eater{tm} activities than during a month focused on snack foods?! Now, before you get all worried that I'm promoting snacking over meals and junk over real food, just hang on. 

Top Reasons Snack Time and Snack Foods are AWESOME!
  • Snacks are served in smaller portions typically so kiddos aren't overwhelmed
  • Snack time is, generally, more relaxed than meal time 
  • Snack foods are FUN!
  • Many picky eaters LOVE snack food because they are usually simple and deemed "safe"
  • Snack foods can pretty much be anything!
  • The very word SNACK doesn't cause anxiety for picky eaters like saying "dinner, lunch or mealtime"

Make it your mission this month to explore new snack foods. Try to find new foods, to serve for snacks, that are similar in taste, texture and appearance to your child's core/safe foods. Continue to serve their tried and trues but serve a new choice along side with NO pressure to try or take a bite of the new food.  

Try This Food Literacy for the Picky Eater{tm} Activity
 
Tell your child that February is National Snack Food Month. Talk about what a snack is and how it differs from a meal. Look up the word origin for snack-find out why it's even called a snack. Invite your child to come to the store with you to pick out a new snack, keeping in mind that they may not eat what they choose. That is ok. Your child may decide that they don't want to choose a food and that is ok too. Do not tell your child that they "have to" pick a new food. If they say they don't want to then pick a new snack food for yourself and make it a point of using "self talk" while you do. "Hmm, this looks good. I'm going to try this flavor of granola this week. I already like this kind of granola but haven't tried this flavor." Remember that the goal of the activity is, ultimately, to have your child explore new foods in a safe way with NO PRESSURE. For some picky eaters, it may just be that they went to the store with you, learned what a snack is and saw you choose a new snack food. For others, it may be that they chose a new flavor of cracker. 

I can't wait to hear how it goes. If you're wanting instant access to even more Food Literacy Activities for the Picky Eater{tm} check out our Webinar. 


Until next time, keep growing and blooming. 


Jen





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