Great website for Math Skills K-8th grade!!

This is a great website that includes free math skills practice for children ages K-8th grade! You can use the "Math Practice" area to practice math skills with your kiddos or students at anytime for FREE. The website provides state standards as well! This comes in very handy...especially since school districts are very vocal about aligning all content taught with state standards, for all teachers, even special education teachers. If you know your child or student needs to work on a specific area in math, it is easy to navigate through the practice section to find the perfect fit.

The practice section allows the children to complete the math problems on the computer which increases motivation and makes learning fun! We know how our kids in the 21st century adore technology!

Parents---You can join the website for $79 per year and receive more benefits and access to more activities and updates on your child's progress. 

Teachers---there is also a membership available for $199 that gives all your students access to the comprehensive math activities, keeps track of student progress and allows you as a teacher to set goals according to the areas that your student needs more remediation in. 

I am going to use this website as a resource during my first year of teaching!
 
I'll keep you updated as to how useful the site proves itself to be. If it is, I may think about signing up for a teacher membership!! 

Check it out....

http://www.ixl.com/math/grades

I can't get enough of......OLIVIA!

From the first moment I caught a glimpse of the cover of the "Olivia" series by Ian Falconer....(a small diva pig with big dreams and personality)... I fell in love instantly! This series not only encompasses humor for children, but also makes us step back as adults to remember the creativity and HUGE dreams of our little ones. 

I totally recommend having these books in your lower elementary classrooms as I believe they are fun for all children and will motivate your students to read, read, read!! These books are very entertaining and great read-aloud stories. You'll never guess what Olivia will get into next....and her confidence is contagious!

Olivia's Website--Click here to check her out!

Relaxation Centers in the Classroom

Our students with special needs, along with students within the general education population, deal with multiple stresses that impact their daily performance in an academic setting. With this said, often when a teacher sees a student who is not working to their potential, the first response is to criticize the student and tell them if they do not perform, there will be a consequence of some sort that follows. 

Instead of denying the stress our students deal with in the 21st century, let's try to incorporate activities into our classroom that decrease this stress. I know I would have benefited from these practices throughout my entire public school career. I was a high anxiety child and often had stomachaches that sent me to the office, and eventually home. If a child is sent home, they are missing out on social and academic learning opportunities that are so critical for a child!

In an attempt to find some easy resources for teachers to turn to for ideas on relaxation centers, I came across a great article:

Reading Rockets

Here are a few ideas that one could incorporate into their relaxation center, which by the way, should not be confused with a sensory area.The relaxation center is meant for the student to come to and be calm.The student will take part in some activities that allow the mind to release the thoughts that are causing anxiety at that particular time.

Relaxation centers

To assure that stress management will not be shelved and simply discussed once a year, a relaxation center can be set up, to which students can be assigned regularly (two to three times per week). A chart indicating the time each student spends at the center may be useful. Designate a small area, relatively free from sound and noise distractions. A study carrel with a comfortable chair should be provided. Decorate the immediate area with calm colors and soothing pictures or wallpaper designs. A cassette player with earphones will be needed. A collection of relaxation audio cassettes should be housed, as should biofeedback equipment if possible.

The special education classroom may be the only place where these children will be equipped with stress management skills which will become increasingly more important as the pressures to achieve academically increase.

(Some information from article "Stress Management for the Learning Disabled" by Ronald L. Rubenzer 1988).