Having Fun with Organizing to Improve Comprehension

With the start of a new year, I always feel the urge to organize the clutter around my house.  If you are looking for another reason to get organized, chew on this: categorizing everyday objects is a great way to improve your child's comprehension.  In fact, before teaching kids to determine the main idea and details of text, teachers often start with categorizing words and objects.  

Try This at Home!

Does your child have a huge mess of Legos?  Try categorizing the Legos in more than one way: by color, shape, size, use etc. How about doll clothes?  These could be organized by color, season, skirts, pants, etc. The kitchen is also full of items that can be categorized from types of food, to utensils, and beyond!  

Things Organized Neatly

Below I have featured a few photographs from a website created by Austin Radcliffe titled, Things Organized Neatly.  The photographs featured on this website feature aesthetically pleasing arrangements of everyday objects.  In some of the photos, everyday objects are categorized in unique ways.  I hope that enjoy browsing these images with your family- they may even inspire you to organize your clutter in a new, beautiful way!

How to Buzz About Books as a Family

In school we buzz about books to give students an opportunity to talk about what they are reading.  It's a great way to build excitement about reading and to develop speaking and listening skills.  The phrase "buzz about books" came from the audible buzz you hear in a classroom when many students are eagerly chatting about books.

At home, buzzing about books is an opportunity to share enthusiasm for reading as a family.  Your child may talk about book that they are reading in school or at home.  It's also a chance for parents and caregivers to chat about something that you've read recently.  What's that you say... you don't read?  Don't fret!  You can talk about a magazine or newspaper article, an email or letter from a friend, a recipe, or even a comic strip.  Reading is a part of our everyday lives.

Here are our useful tips for buzzing about books as a family:

• pick a time
• ask questions 
• have your book with you so you can refer to it if needed
• take turns talking
• have fun!

Here's a video clip of two Fourth Grade students buzzing about books. Our apologies- the audio is tough to hear.  Thanks Addison and Anastasiia for letting me listen in!