Saturday, January 22, 2011

My Childhood Web


Tamakio’s Childhood Web

I have a very lovable family.  I was the first grandchild and I had so much support from my mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles.  I was the only child in the family for four years.  Each family member provided moral support and love to me as a child and as an adult.

My mother (Mary) was a single parent and provided the love and support for a father and a mother.  She was a strong determine woman who inspired me to have faith and to know that all things are possible as long as you put your heart, mind and soul to it.

 My grandmother (Lilla) taught me how to pray and to always put GOD first in my life.  She provided support to me to ensure that I had everything I needed. I remember as a child pretending to be like her.  I would put on her high heel shoes and get one of her purse and pretend to be my grandmother.

 My aunt (Venia) was like a mother to me.  She would be my caregiver while my mother and grandmother were working.  She would cook me meals and play games with me.  My first game was “hide and seek “and it was so entertaining.  She would help me with my homework and ensured that I had a complete understanding of it.  I thought she was very mean but as I grew older I realized that it was out of love that she wanted me to be successful.

My aunt (Essie) was also like a mother to me.  She went into the military and I didn’t get to see her as often.  I would talk with her over the phone and maybe once or twice out of the year she would come home to visit.  She would send me items such as dolls, coats and a pair of brown boots that I fell completely in love with.  I loved the boots so much that I would go to sleep with them on.

My uncle (Fred) was like a father to me.  He would spend lots of time with me.  He introduced me to music and his favorite artist was Michael Jackson.  We would ride in his car and listen to Michael Jackson over and over again.  He would ensure that my hair was groomed by braiding my hair neatly.

Today, as an adult my family continues to provide support to me.  My family has grown since my childhood but the love did not change for me.  We are very close and have contact with each other all the time by phone, email, family gathering or just because.

"My Family"

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Montessori Education: "The Pink Tower"




Purpose: Build blocks of graduated 3 dimensional sizes in order to understand sequence and order.

Presentation: Spread a mat or rug on the floor,Dr. Montessori used a green carpet in her first school. Carefully scatter the cubes over the mat. Build a tower starting with the largest cube. Choose slowly and with deliberation.

Grasp each cube with one hand to get the muscular impression of the size. Build the tower from largest to smallest. The child will probably not be able to do this with the largest cube with one hand, it is fine to use both hands.However,  the other cubes should be able to be grasped this way.
(Again the connection- the hand is visually measuring the cubes for the mind to process)
Exercise: The child builds the tower after the demonstration.
Using the 3 period lesson introduce the concept of large and small, large, larger, largest, small, smaller, smallest. Also, if your child is ready, you can count the numbers 1 through 10 starting with the smallest cube (1) to the largest cube (10). The concrete difference between 1 and 10 is the first step in understanding addition. Later, when you teach your child to count backwards, use the tower again. Count backwards from 10 as the largest cube down to the smallest cube (1). This visual aid is invaluable to understanding subtraction.

FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
By Eric Carle



Friday, January 7, 2011

Children Learn What They Live

Children Learn What They LiveBy Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
Copyright © 1972 by Dorothy Law Nolte