Here at Focused Ed we are always interested in and looking for the latest and greatest apps that can help students learn!  Whether it is an app best utilized in a classroom setting, tutoring situation, or homework help we are interested and you better believe we will try it, use it, and let you know what we think!
The first app we are reviewing for you is One Minute Reader!  Below you will hear our thoughts on cost, usability, effectiveness, special features, and a few other tid-bits! 

Application: One Minute Reader...where do I even begin?  I cannot put into words, or rather...there is no real word great enough to describe this app, so we will go with FANTABULOUSERIFIC! 
Cost:  $-$$  You can download a free version or a low-cost version.  However, once you begin to use this app, you will discover that in order to have access to multiple stories within a given book level, you will need to purchase individual books for a small fee.  Another option is downloading an entire level of books for$19.99 which would be best for someone working with multiple children in order to get the most use for the price.
Purpose:  The focus of this application is Fluency.  Being a fluent reader is a struggle for many kids of all ages and stages of reading development.  In order to gain deeper comprehension of a text, a reader must be able to read that text fluently.  This app is 100% focused on allowing children to practice fluency in a fun and entertaining way while also providing feedback to be shared with anyone that has a vested interest in the child's progress.  Results can be emailed, messaged, downloaded, etc. 
Usability:  We have used this application during tutoring sessions with multiple children in a variety of grade levels and ages.  This application is easy to navigate and has written as well as oral directives to guide the user.  There are a few pages located at the beginning of the app that offer help, a table of contents, and placement information.  The placement information guides the instructor/educator as to how to determine the best starting place for a child using this program.  This app walks the user through every function and option in an easy-to-understand format.
Features:  The main features in this app are listed below:
Placement:  This feature allows the instructor/educator to determine how to go about finding the best starting point for a child needing fluency practice.
Levels:  This feature is where you will find a variety of reading levels to use with the student(s).  Each book within a level contains multiple short stories, however only 1-2 in each book are included with the application, but the rest are available to download for a  small fee.  
Within each book you will find the following functions, all of which the application keeps track of in order to include in the feedback/results:
    -Cold Read-This function gives the student a 1-minute time limit to read the 
    selection without any background or preview time.  This will give you a more 
    exact idea of the child's ability to read a new text fluently. 
    -Read Along-This function reads the story aloud to the student.  The student has
    the option of clicking on highlighted vocabulary words in order to gain a better
    understanding of difficult words in the text.
    -Read Alone-This function gives the child 5 chances to read the text aloud while
    a one-minute timer counts down.  When the child is done reading, they are shown
    how many wpm (words per minute) they read.  They are then given the option of
    saving that "read" as their top attempt or trying again (up to 5 times).  It saves 
    the child's score on each read.  
    -Quick Quiz-This function allows students to answer comprehension questions 
    about the text in order to gauge their level of understanding of what they've 
    read.  My favorite part is that it allows the students to go back into the text
    to review their answers and ensure they can find text evidence to support the
    answer choice they select...a teacher's dream! 
    -Word Scramble/Game/Joke:  At the end of each quiz question, hints are given to
    the child to use towards a joke, game, or word scramble associated with the 
    text.
    -Results:  The results are given to the children instantly1  A thermometer tells 
    them how "hot" they were and what their best attempt at fluent reading of the 
    text was.  These results are a great visual and can be emailed, messaged, down-
    loaded, etc.

Overall, this application is an app that is worth the cost and should be a MUST on any parent or teacher's phone or device!  Children of all ages can benefit from this application and the skill-practice it provides!
-Brenna Newman

Congratulations,

November’s Featured Teacher,

Jenny Koontz!

Ms. Koontz encourages the students to work together collaboratively to solve problems and learn.  She teaches the kids independence with their school work and organizational strategies that they are able to practice now, in preparation for middle school.  She is excited about teaching, dresses up, & acts things out just to help the children understand better.  Her parent communication is great and she shows great concern for her students and their personal lives.

Nominated by: Tyra Sprabary & Cheryl Listi

What are we counting down towards????

We announce our NEWEST Featured Teacher tomorrow morning & our Resources page will go live!  It's just a start with lots more yet to come!

Do you have resources you'd like to share with us?  Want to make some money on things you've taken time to make?  We make it easier than Teachers Pay Teachers...all you have to do is send us your completed document via email, and we'll upload it...this feature and more details will be coming soon!

When a child or teenager regularly reads a passage well but "can't remember what is said,” we know that he is using an inefficient strategy for comprehension.
Dianne Craft


One of the most puzzling situations a homeschooling mother finds herself in is when she has a child who can read the words in a book but cannot answer the questions or tell her what has just been read. These moms frequently hear the phrase “I don’t remember” when queried about the reading material.

When working with bright, hardworking fourth- through eighth-graders in my reading class, I often had students who were experiencing this particular reading difficulty. I realized that these students were not proficient at converting the words they were reading into a “movie” in their head, as the rest of us do when we read. They were merely doing “word calling” much of the time. I found that “movie making” was a skill that could be developed in them, using an easy fifteen-minute-a-day exercise. This exercise did not involve paper or pencil but only the use of the brain.

“Word calling” is a left-brain auditory task, while creating a picture or movie of those words is the responsibility of the right-brain hemisphere. I merely showed them how to create a seamless flow of words to pictures as they were reading. You can do this at home, very easily.

Converting Words to Pictures


When a child or teenager regularly reads a passage well but “can’t remember what is said,” we know that he is using an inefficient strategy for comprehension. He often is trying to remember the exact words he read, rather than converting the words into pictures. Whether he is reading for recreation or information, he must change the words he reads into images in his mind. The more these images involve the senses (sight, sound, smell, feel), the greater will be the comprehension of the passage.

Daily Training Sessions


The following steps can be used with a student to develop his ability to change the words he hears or reads into pictures for good comprehension. You will be surprised how fast his comprehension skills will improve after just a few weeks of these “training sessions.”

This method works well with one child or a group of children or teenagers.

Step 1: Parent/Teacher Reads a Passage Aloud


Choose material to read to the child that is interesting and very descriptive. Standing in front of him as you read to him, have the child sit upright and keep his eyes upward, creating a “movie” in his mind. You can pretend that you are looking at the projection screen in a movie theatre to further aid him in his “movie making.” Read a sentence or two aloud. Then ask him a few questions until you are sure he is seeing the pictures of the words you read, in detail.

For example, this is how your training session might look if you are reading aloud a passage about a beaver. Your first sentence you read may be, “The beaver is the largest rodent in North America.” Stop reading, and point to the imaginary screen, and say, “On our screen, let’s draw a quick sketch of North America. Now put the beaver on that map.”

Your next sentence in this passage will read, “An adult beaver weighs from 35–70 pounds.” Stop reading and point up to the imaginary screen and say, “Now, use the ‘zoom lens’ of your brain camera and write ‘35–70’ on the beaver’s coat. Let’s use white paint to do this. Is your paint dripping? Oh well, he’ll wash it off soon.”

The next sentence in the text will be, “Because of its large lungs, a beaver can remain submerged in water for fifteen minutes.” Stop reading and look up at the screen and help the child see this in his head by saying, “Now we need to change our scene. Let’s make a picture of a pond, with beavers around it. Do you see it on your screen? Now have one of the beavers slip into the pond. See him down on the bottom of the pond. Picture a large clock next to him. Have the hands of the clock move from 12:00 to 12:15.”

As you do this training, instruct your child how to “move” his pictures and “freeze” them when he wants to notice something. You both will have great fun with this!

When you get to the end of a passage you’re reading, instruct your child to “rewind” the movie, to answer some questions about the passage. As you ask the questions, direct his gaze upward as he reviews his “movie” for the answers. This is the exciting part. Your child will be amazed at how easy it is to answer the questions.

Whether he is reading for recreation or information, he must change the words he reads into images in his mind.

Step 2: The Student Reads Aloud to You


After your child has demonstrated proficiency in converting words to pictures as he hears them, he is ready to read the words himself while creating his “movie.” Select a reading passage that is easy for him to read so that he can concentrate on making pictures rather than sounding out new words. Repeat the process you used before, stopping him after he has read a sentence or two, to ask him some questions about his “movie.” Direct his gaze upward to see what he just read. Be sure he gives you detailed pictures. As this becomes easier and his recall becomes more accurate, you can increase the number of sentences he reads before you ask questions.

Step 3: The Student Reads Silently


When your child is successfully reading aloud while making good pictures in his mind, you can have him read a passage silently, asking him to stop every few lines or so, and asking him to tell you about the pictures he has made. If the pictures are detailed and accurate, you can have him read to the end of the passage uninterrupted. At the end of the reading, have him “rewind” his film and tell you all that he has read. You will be surprised at the things he remembers! His “words to pictures” process will soon become automatic. The upward eye movement will soon be unnecessary for the storage and retrieval of reading material.

Remember: No pictures=No answers; Few pictures=Few answers; Great pictures=Great Answers.

This strategy is simple but very effective. Expect to see great changes in the comprehension and retention of reading material in your children.

Email your short questions to Dianne at this address: craft@ecentral.com.


Dianne Craft has a master’s degree in learning disabilities. She speaks widely at homeschool conventions across the country. Her books, Brain Integration Therapy Manual, Right Brain Phonics Program, and her DVDs, Understanding & Helping the Struggling Learner, Teaching the Right Brain Child, Smart Kids—Who Hate to Write, and The Biology of Behavior have helped hundreds of families remove learning blocks in their struggling children at home. Visit her website, www.diannecraft.org, for many articles on children and learning and to download her free Daily Lesson Plans for the Struggling Reader and Writer.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended as medical advice. Everyone is encouraged to make their own health care decisions, with advice from qualified professionals.

Homework can be difficult for most kids during the school year, but it can become a major challenge when you have a child with ADHD. But here’s some good news for exhausted parents: if you take the right steps now, at the beginning of the school year, homework hassles can be kept to a minimum. The key is to be organized and plan ahead to minimize the frustration your child is bound to experience around multiple homework assignments. Begin by tackling the two most important places: school and home.

At the beginning of the school year, meet with your child's teacher (or teachers) to find out what the expectations are regarding homework. Try to work out a system where they can let you know in advance what homework will be assigned either on a week-to-week basis or for the whole semester. Many teachers are even willing to keep you informed by e-mail. You should check with your child’s teachers periodically to make sure that things are going well. And definitely remember to ask them to inform you whether assignments are being turned in on time.

Another big problem for kids with ADHD is that they often forget to bring their books home. You may be able to work out with the school, particularly if your child has a 504 plan, to get an extra set of books. This way, your child will have a set of books at school and a set of books at home.

Children with attention disorders, particularly those with a 504 plan, are entitled to accommodations to make school demands appropriate to their abilities. So for example, in math or other subjects with long lists of questions or problems, the accommodation states that the school must allow the child to do every other question or problem, rather than the entire list that's been assigned. Talk to your child’s teachers about your child’s abilities and the accommodations that can be made. It can make the difference between enduring endless hours of frustration at homework time and having your child succeed.

Moving now to the home front, it's important, if possible, to have a quiet time in the home where there's no TV and no other media to distract your child. You might even stop phone calls during homework time. And if you have a project that you’ve brought home from work, consider doing it while your child is doing his schoolwork. (But be available for help if necessary.) This helps younger children with ADHD to understand that homework is a normal part of life—just another responsibility that needs to be met, and it also sets the right mood for focusing and concentration.

It's best to have a scheduled time for homework and a quiet place to do it. For older kids, it may even be a good idea to set up their own “office”. This could be a space in their room, the living room or kitchen where they do their homework on a regular basis. You might even put up a bulletin board with all their long-term assignments and due dates. What this provides is a way to make it easy to have all the materials they need and to keep them on task.

If you know what your child’s assignments are, you should review them together. Make sure that they understand what they need to do. In particular, be certain they understand the directions completely. If they have homework for several different subjects, you can eliminate much of the hassle simply by helping them to organize their time.

It may be a good idea to break homework into sections. You can set aside time for each specific subject, with some relaxation breaks in between. High school age kids with ADHD certainly can do an hour of homework at a time without a break, while first graders may only be able to go for 10 to 15 minutes without a break. You need to determine what you feel is a reasonable amount of study time for your child, and then help him or her to manage their time appropriately. When they complete their homework successfully, use fun activities such as on TV or video games (or whatever your child enjoys) as a reward.

you Finally, a big problem for kids with ADHD is that even when they get the homework completed, they forget to turn it in to the teacher. It’s wise to have a notebook with a clipboard or a separate folder for homework for your child. Remind him or her to check the clipboard or folder at school for each class to be sure that they turned in all the work. Then, before they leave school, they should check it once again. If they find any assignments that were not turned in they should take it to the teacher or the office and hand it in before they leave the campus. Most teachers will accept an assignment later in the day from a child they know to be attempting to cope with ADHD.

The internet also has great resources to help you and your child gather information for homework projects. These include Kid Info www.kidinfo.com, Fact Monster www.factmonster.com and Searching for Stuff-Kid’s search tools www.slco.lib.ut.us/kids_search.htm.

Article from: http://www.edarticle.com/article.php?id=27313

Does your child show signs of being anxious?  
Do you struggle with anxiety and now see it in your child?   
Is your child more emotional now than they've ever been? Do they "freak" out over little things?
Are you unsure of how to reach out to your child who is now showing signs of struggling with anxiety?

Here is a list of 10 ways to help your child (and you) deal with the feelings of anxiety!


Dr. Anne Marie Albano's 10 Tips to Parent Your Anxious Child
1.       Respect and validate your child’s feelings!  Anxiety is a real emotion and not pleasant.
2.       Teach your child deep, slow, belly breathing. This is an easy and very portable skill for self-soothing and calming.
3.       Listen to your child and ask “Tell me what you are thinking?”  This will help to reveal scary thoughts and scenes that build up in your child’s mind.
4.       Rather than swooping to reassure, ask your child “How likely is (that thing you’re afraid of) to happen?” You’ll be teaching him to challenge his anxious thinking.
5.       Prompt your child with “Tell me some things you can do to handle this situation” and help her to brainstorm, rather than just giving her solutions.  She’ll feel empowered.
6.       Give up the idea of “mental health days” “skip days” “sleep with mom nights” or other ways of avoiding feared situations.  This just makes the anxiety stick more firmly and lead to further avoidance.
7.       Encourage your child’s attempts to be brave, no matter how small they may seem to you.  Use labeled praise such as “I’m so proud of you for sleeping in your own bed last night!”
8.       Work with your child to outline small steps leading to a bigger goal.
9.       Create opportunities for your child to practice being brave and coping, and then high-five his/her efforts!
10.   Recognize when you are anxious and say aloud what you can do to calm down and solve the situation.  You’ll be modeling coping for your child, but be mindful and don’t overshare your anxiety. 


Tips taken from:  http://kidlutions.blogspot.com/2013/09/10-tips-to-parent-your-anxious-child.html

  Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you didn't know how to read?   Many adults do not read for enjoyment, but reading is a part of our every day life. 
     As a child I remember asking my 3rd grade teacher why I needed to know how to "do math"....as I got older and math got harder, I still asked "why do I need to know how to do Geometry?"  I'm not sure how I use geometry in my daily life now, but I'm sure I use it somehow, in some way.  However, never once have I asked "why do I need to know how to read?" or "Why do I need to have to think about what I read when I read?" I just do. 
    From the time I was a small child my mom always read to me, and I watched my mom and dad read on a daily basis, whether it was their Bible study, a book for enjoyment, a cookbook, or a book to my brother or I.  Literacy was instilled in me from the time I was old enough to know what a book was.  I even remember wanting to sit on my training potty and read my Snoopy book, reading has just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
    We live in a BUSY world, do you take the time to just read?  Whether for your own enjoyment or to your child?  20 minutes a day with your child and a book will make a HUGE difference in their view of literacy.  Books bring a new world to life, I challenge you to spend 20 minutes a day with your child and a book...no stress, just encouraging them to enjoy the time with you!  If they are a beginning reader, turn it into a game, hunt for sight words, don't watch the clock, don't practice fluency, just enjoy the 20 minutes together, getting lost in a book, or two!

  "Mrs./Mr. _________ I don't get this!"  "Mom/Dad, how do we do this?"  "Why are we doing it this way?"  "How much longer?"  "Are we there yet?"  "When do we get to go to recess?"  "Can you tell us what to do?"  "Will you just give me the answer?"  "Just give us a hint!"
NO...I will NOT tell you how or why or what do and YES I have a reason...I want you to think for yourself and figure out a solution on your own!  Am I going to leave you floatin' with no life-raft, of course not; but am I going to make sure you explore every avenue of "rescue" before I throw you that raft...of course!
If you are an educator, parent, or just someone interested in anything having to do with learning, then you most certainly should know about the new "it-thang" in education...(drum roll please)...PBL...Project Based Learning!  This new phenomenon isn't actually that new at all, but like most cyclical things in education, we are finding ourselves swinging the pendulum to the side of students constructing their own learning once again. 
In my humble opinion...it's about darn time!  Our society has become so gung-ho on "new, fast, latest" that we in turn have created a bunch of little brains who only want to participate and engage in things that result in instant gratification.  Technology is fantastic and has it's place in our learning processes; but should it be a fast fix for giving answers to children...no!  As a mother and an educator, I can attest to the fact that when an immense amount of 'work' is put on teachers, it becomes easier to stay afloat when we simply give kids the answer instead of giving them the time to figure it out on their own.  Ah, that elusive "T" word...time!  Educators are expected to do more today than ever before and yet we then wonder why our kids can't think for themselves.  Well, lets break this down. 
1.  Administrators want teachers to spend time making sure every child reaches a specific "benchmark" grade/mastery level and if they don't, well then the teacher better teach, and reteach, assess, and then reassess until they do.  Please tell me when, in all of this, the teachers is actually ever supposed to give the child a chance to learn on their own?
2.  Many schools are now expecting teachers to do the same thing, the same way, at the same time and I ask you again...when in any of this are children given the time to construct their own learning?
3.  Parents have overbooked their families so much it is resulting in NO TIME spent together discussing the world around us or working on homework TOGETHER.  Parents no longer have the opportunity to pose deep questions to their children and then watch with glee as their children explore and discuss the answers/solutions...no, instead we are shoveling Big Macs down our throats as we hustle from one activity to the next all in the name of "expanding the horizons and culture" of our children!  We yell out the spelling words to our kids in the backseat without even truly waiting to hear them spell the words and then say "Okay, check that off the homework list!  Now hurry, we are late for practice!" 
What if we all (educators and parents) committed to slowing down and giving our children time to think!  What if we didn't always give them the answers to everything because it is just so much easier!  What if we put up with their (our precious kiddos) frustration as we told them to think things through on their own with only the slightest of guidance from us?  I am willing to bet that the more we give our children chances to use their brains, engage actively in situations, and simply figure things out, the more we will see an increase in bright, ambitious, and goal-oriented young folks!
I am thrilled that "project-based learning" is showing up more and more in schools and I'm hoping it will begin making a come-back in homes as well! 
Now, off to do the dishes, make sure the 3D model of the landslide is complete, make the kids dust the house, fill water bottles for practice, gather tutoring materials, and still find time to pose some questions to my children and give them time to explore a solution...all before shower, dinner, and bedtime at 8!