![]() Read aloud with your child. Find a comfortable spot where the two of you can read together every day for about 30 minutes. Take turns reading chapters from a book for pleasure, or read books that are above her reading level but are about things that interest her.
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![]() The escalating price of print textbooks, the poor economy, and advances in electonic reading devices have all combined to foster a textbook revolution. Textbooks have been made available in electronic form for some time now. A significant limitation has been the inability of e-book devices to display the color illustrations, videos, and Web-linked supplements that publishers increasingly provide with their print textbooks. This limitation may soon be a thing of the past. Coming soon is a two-screen device called the eDGe, scheduled to be released in February. The two screens open like a book. The left screen is a standard e-book screen, while the right screen is an LCD screen that contains a virtual keyboard, an audio recorder, and a video camera. The dual screens are linked by a central processor. A black and white illustration on the standard left screen display can be moved in full color to the right screen. A link on the left screen can be opened in color on the right screen. There will certainly be a rash of new and improved electronic readers to follow. Textbook publishers will have to keep in step. The future of print textbooks is unknown. For now, we have to admit that we like our textbooks in print form and our music on CDs. The astounding recent success of Susan Boyle’s CD tells us we are not alone. Are there any other dinosaurs out there? ![]() Math is a unique subject. It involves symbols, formulas, specific procedures, textbooks that look different, and many unique words and terms. Consequently, it is important to use study skills that apply particularly well to math. Here are some you should use.
![]() Good Listening In Class It is important for you to be a good listener in class. Much of what you will have to learn will be presented verbally by your teachers. Just hearing what your teachers say is not the same as listening to what they say. Listening is a cognitive act that requires you to pay attention and think about and mentally process what you hear.
Here are some things you should do to be a good listener in class: Be Cognitively Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Make sure you complete all assigned work andreadings. Review your notes from previous class sessions. Think about what you know about the topic that will be covered in class that day. Be Emotionally Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Your attitude is important. Make a conscious choice to find the topic useful and interesting. Be committed to learning all that you can. Listen with a Purpose. Identify what you expect and hope to learn from the class session. Listen for these things as your teacher talks. Listen with an Open Mind. Be receptive to what your teacher says. It is good to question what is said as long as you remain open to points of view other than your own. Be Attentive. Focus on what your teacher is saying. Try not to daydream and let your mind wander to other things. It helps to sit in the front and center of the class, and to maintain eye contact with your teacher. Be an Active Listener. You can think faster than your teacher can speak. Use this to your advantage by evaluating what is being said and trying to anticipate what will be said next. Take good written notes about what your teacher says. While you can think faster than your teacher can speak, you cannot write faster than your teacher can speak. Taking notes requires you to make decisions about what to write, and you have to be an active listener to do this. Meet the Challenge. Don't give up and stop listening when you find the information being presented difficult to understand. Listen even more carefully at these times and work hard to understand what is being said. Don't be reluctant to ask questions. Triumph Over the Environment. The classroom may too noisy, too hot, too cold, too bright, or too dark. Don't give in to these inconveniences. Stay focused on the big picture - LEARNING. ![]() Writing Techniques Writing is an important form of communication. Good writers use different writing techniques to fit their purpose for writing. To be a good writer, you must master each of the following writing techniques.
1. Description Through description, a writer helps the reader use the senses of feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting to experience what the writer experiences. Description helps the reader more clearly understand the people, places, and things about which the writer is writing. It is the most common form of writing. You will find descriptive writing in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication. 2. Exposition Through exposition , a writer informs, explains, and clarifies his/her ideas and thoughts. Exposition goes beyond description to help the reader understand with greater clarity and depth the ideas and thoughts of the writer. Expository writing, like descriptive writing, is commonly found in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication. 3. Narration Through narration, a writer tells a story. A story has characters, a setting, a time, a problem, attempts at solving the problem, and a solution to the problem. Bedtime stories are examples of short stories while novels are examples of long stories. The scripts written for movies and plays are further examples of narrative writing. 4. Persuasion Through persuasion , a writer tries to change a reader's point of view on a topic, subject, or position. The writer presents facts and opinions to get the reader to understand why something is right, wrong, or in between. Editorials, letters to the editor in newspapers and magazines, and the text for a political speech are examples of persuasive writing. 5. Comparison and Contrast Through comparison and contrast , a writer points out the similarities and differences about a topic. Comparison is used to show what is alike or in common. Contrast is used to show what is not alike or not in common. Describing living conditions in 1900 and living conditions today would allow for much comparison and contrast. By using the writing technique that fits your purpose, you will be able to communicate your ideas effectively. |
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Author Charlene Morris Archives
November 2017
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