Psyched About School

With school finally over, this last link is for everyone at home with kids this summer. I think kids do best when there is some predictability in their lives, even during the summer months. I know, I know, summer is supposed to be all about sleeping in, relaxing, and having fun. I agree, it is! However, a little routine will probably lead to less stress for everyone, parents and kids alike. The author of this blog has some great ideas for keeping your summer running smoothly and teaching kids how to get a few things done around the house. I hope everyone has a wonderful summer! See you in August! http://www.landeeseelandeedo.com/2015/04/creating-summer-routines-and-chore-charts.html

Here is a great resource for teaching mindfulness to kids. The ideas are practical and easy to do at home or school. http://leftbrainbuddha.com/10-ways-teach-mindfulness-to-kids/

Childhood obesity is one of the biggest problems facing our youth, a problem many contribute to their sedimentary lifestyles.  One school in California is taking a unique approach to addressing this concern.  What do you think about using standing desks in classrooms?  New research is suggesting these desks increase student engagement and attention in addition to leading to a more active lifestyle.  Read this article and share your opinion. Do you think standing desks would work in your classroom or with your child? http://www.fastcoexist.com/3045201/should-your-kids-school-have-standing-desks-these-crossfitters-think-so

If your house is anything like mine, limiting screen time is a constant battle. My kids are pretty active so I don't worry too much, but chores and homework often take a backseat to that ever moving screen. With summer coming, I am looking for fresh ideas that will take the "battle" out of it. I encourage you to read this article from the author of narrowbackslacker.com.  Her strategy leaves it completely in the hands of her children. Share your thoughts about her Momentum Optimization Project as well as your own ways of managing screen time. We would love to hear from you! http://narrowbackslacker.com/2014/05/13/how-i-limited-screen-time-by-offering-my-kids-unlimited-screen-time/

by Gretchen Troutman, Ph.D. Lezlie Pierce, who has been a school psychologist in the Psychological Services Department since August of 1985, retired at the end of May.  No one currently on staff was here when Lezlie started 30 years ago.  At that time there were a total of 14 psychologists on staff, there are now 23 psychologists in the department.  During Lezlie’s first year with the school system she served Bolton Elementary, Old Town Elementary, Independence (an alternative school for middle and high school students), and South Park High School.  At that time South Park served all of the high school students in the school system with mental disabilities.  During Lezlie’s first year she had 110 re-evaluations just at that one school!  Of course there were no computers being used in the department in 1985 so all of the psychological reports were either dictated or handwritten and then typed by the secretaries on a typewriter.  Lezlie has serv...

By Alison Sharp, School Psychologist     According to the 2013-2014 Winston-Salem/FCS demographic information, approximately 22 percentile of our school population is Hispanic, a number which is slowly but steadily growing.  As an educator, you have likely either worked with students who are English Language Learners (ELLs) or will be working with an ELL in the near future.  As educators, we are always looking for ways to reach our students and help them attain their potential, despite whatever barriers they might face.   Colorin’ Colorado   http://www.colorincolorado.org/  is a fully bilingual, easily usable website for families and educators of English Language Learners (ELL).   This website is appealing to a variety of audiences, such as educators, administrators, librarians and families.  According to the website “ Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-bui...

It is so important to keep children learning during the long summer days. While they can easily find good books to read, it is equally important for them practice math skills. Parents may struggle to locate math activities that will not meet with resistance. This website has lots of ideas for hands-on math activities that will reinforce math skills and be so much fun that children  may not realize they are learning! http://creeksidelearning.com/math-activities-for-kids/#_a5y_p=1872151

　 by Carolyn Roe, WS/FCS Preschool Psychologist  If you ask parents of a preschooler with autistic characteristics what is their major concern, at least 95% of them will tell you communica tion . They want to be able to know what their children want and need. So, if there was an affordable device that could assist in this communication, would you be interested in learning more? The iPad is such a device providing applications (apps) that give children the verbal output they are unable to provide themselves. 　 The first iPad hit the market on April 3, 2010, and it was not initially perceived as an educational tool. Its usefulness has proven itself in almost every market, including education. The iPad goes beyond the picture-only format of other interventions, allowing words to be spoken along with the pictures, rein-forcing language in a child-friendly way. The cost of iPads ranges from $400 to $700, and this is much more affordable than technology-based devices (which can r...