December 2020 Brainworks
Please click the title of which Brainworks edition you want to view. K-2 Brainworks December 2020 3-6 Brainworks December 2020
Category - Parents
November 2020 Brainworks
Please click the title of which Brainworks edition you want to view. K-2 Brainworks November 2020 3-6 Brainworks November 2020
KidSmart |
As we become increasingly reliant on digital content available on-demand, what happens to our repositories for printed material? The answer may be simpler than you think: Libraries aren’t just about books anymore. Most have shifted focus from their book collections to the communities they serve and adjusted their designs to match. Library-sponsored programs, such as children’s reading hours and job-search assistance sessions, are bolstering many branches’ outreach and education efforts. A 2016 library use study from the Pew Research Center indicates an increase in the number of people visiting libraries for educational purposes: 27 percent of library users said they’d attended classes, programs or lectures at their local institutions, a 10 percent increase from 2015. But the breadth of events a modern library can host relies upon the physical space within each building, which is why a major part of this change comes in the form of reconfigured spaces. To accommodate shifts in usage, library systems have been improving their physical structures. For example, marquee projects by renowned architects have reinvigorated the Washington, D.C., Public Library system, with 15 completed remodels (two of which were designed by the pairing of Adjaye Associates and the Freelon Group, of National Museum of African- American History & Culture fame). Six more library upgrades are currently on the horizon in D.C., including a renovation and addition to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. An architectural team comprised of Martinez + Johnson Architecture and Mecanoo will modernize that facility, aiming to improve overall transparency and visibility while adding amenities such as a café, a roof terrace event space and spaces for music production and fabrication. The end goal, according to D.C. Public Library, is to position the library as an engine for social improvement as opposed to simply being a place to pick up or drop off a book. To learn more about how libraries are changing in communities nationwide, visit Topic Architecture. Even as new digital technologies emerge, modern libraries will always remain home to large holdings of printed material. Many collections have already expanded to include e-reader versions of popular titles, music and video on a variety of media. The latest design improvements to libraries make them not only enjoyable venues for reading, but also welcoming places to build community.
KidShape | Concentrated juice consumption
Today’s youth continue to battle obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the percentage of obese children in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s. Roughly one in five school-aged children is obese. Obese children and adults are at a higher risk for chronic health conditions such as asthma, bone and joint problems, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Although many factors can contribute to obesity among children, researchers with the American Academy of Pediatrics are now warning parents that fruit juice can be a contributor. In suggestions that overwrite previous recommendations from 2006 in which the AAP said children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years could have up to six ounces of fruit juice a day, fruit juice is no longer recommended for children under the age of 1year old. Plus, health experts say that older children should choose whole fruit sources in lieu of fruit juices whenever possible. According to the article “Reducing Childhood Obesity by Eliminating 100 Percent Fruit Juice,” authored by Janet Wojcicki, PhD, MPH, and Melvin Heyman, MD, MPH, and published in the American Journal of Public Health, excessive fruit juice consumption is associated with increased risk for obesity. There also is recent scientific evidence that sucrose consumption without the corresponding fiber is associated with metabolic syndrome, liver injury and obesity. Obesity is not the only risk associated with fruit juice. Although fruit juice in moderation can be a nutritious beverage, drinking juice from a bottle can lead to nursing bottle dental caries. Also, “toddler’s diarrhea” has been associated with juice consumption, particularly in juice with a high fructose to glucose ratio, according to data published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Many health experts are concerned by excessive fruit juice consumption that can lead to an increased caloric intake and obesity. AAP researchers suggest parents of young children mash up fresh fruit instead of giving them juice. Water, milk and breast milk/formula should be the main liquid for children. Older children can have limited amounts of 100 percent fruit juice, but should be steered toward other low-calorie drinks instead.
Facts and Myths about Germs at School
Everybody seems to have an opinion about germs — what causes them, where they’re located, how to avoid them — especially when it comes to children. Experts say that American children miss 22 million days of school annually due to colds, flu and other infections. “Avoiding germs at schools isn’t as simple as just washing your hands in the bathroom or sneezing into your sleeve,” says Charles Gerba, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and environmental sciences at the University of Arizona. “Germs are on everything kids touch in the classroom, as well as around the hallways, cafeteria and playground.” With this in mind, it is important to separate facts from myths about germs in schools. • Fact: Desks Are Among the Most Germ-Prone Items. It’s true! Students spend most of the day at their desks — sneezes, coughs and all — and, in some schools, they often switch classrooms and share desks with others. At the end of the day, students bring home that cocktail of germs to their families. • Myth: Any Hand Sanitizer Will Do. According to research from the University of Colorado at Boulder, people carry an average of 3,200 bacteria on their hands. While most hand sanitizers are 99.9 percent effective at killing germs, some only last for a few minutes or until the application dries on the skin. Therefore, parents should consider applying hand sanitizers for their children that last throughout the day, such as Zoono’s GermFree24, which is proven to last for 24 hours on skin and is available as both a foam and a spray. • Fact: Germs Can Affect Kids Outside the Classroom. Germs in schools aren’t just isolated to classrooms. They are everywhere, including cafeteria trays, playground jungle gyms and sports equipment. In fact, the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found 63 percent of gym equipment is contaminated with rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. Reminding children to wash their hands before and after using these items (and wiping them down) will go a long way toward preventing sickness. • Myth: Sticking Things in Your Mouth Is Child’s Play. Sure, curiosity might drive preschoolers to stick items in their mouths that don’t belong. However, older students who nervously chew on pen caps, especially ones they borrow from classmates, or on their own fingernails during tough tests, are susceptible to picking up the germs that are traversing through school. • Fact: Backpacks Carry More Than Just Books. Backpacks go everywhere — to classrooms, inside lockers, in the cafeteria, in locker rooms — and collect various germs throughout the day. Periodically clean backpacks inside and out. And make sure lunches and other food items, as well as gym clothes, are packed in separate bags to avoid cross-contamination of germs. • Myth: Sharing Is Always Caring. Just about every school supply — from pens and pencils to headphones to sport jerseys — can be a vehicle for harmful bacteria. Make sure children are armed with their own items, including mechanical pencils, to avoid using the classroom’s pencil sharpener, and avoid sharing their supplies with classmates. When it comes to germs, separating myths from facts can help you have a happier, healthier school year.
Back-to-School Checklist for Parents of Children Living With Asthma
School-aged kids who catch colds or the flu from their classmates can quickly spread those colds to their family members, who then might spread the colds further when they go to work. Preventing the spread of colds and flu at school is a team effort that requires the assistance of not just parents, but also teachers and students. Still, parents might be the first line of defense when it comes to preventing the spread of cold and flu at school. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 38 million school days are lost to the flu each year. Those lost days can affect students who miss lesson plans, but also affect parents, who often must take days off from work to tend to their sick children. While there’s no way for parents to guarantee their children won’t catch a cold or the flu this school year, they can take various preventive measures to increase kids’ chances of staying healthy and achieving perfect attendance. • Make sure kids are immunized and that their immunizations are current. Vaccinations bolster kids’ immune systems. That’s important, as kids’ immune systems are naturally less mature than adults’, making them more vulnerable to germs and viruses. The CDC recommends that adults and children receive their flu vaccinations in October, while noting that such vaccinations can be administered as late as January and still prove effective. The CDC also recommends that adults and children receive flu vaccinations each year. Additional vaccinations may not need to be administered as often, but parents should still ensure kids are up-to-date with their shots. • Make sure kids wash their hands. Kids often catch colds by rubbing their hands that have been exposed to cold virus germs on their noses or eyes. To prevent that, parents can teach kids to wash to their hands thoroughly, including scrubbing the backs of their hands, between their fingers and around their fingernails. Kids should know to wash their hands regularly, but especially after they use the bathroom and before they eat, drink or touch their mouths, noses or eyes. • Keep kids home when they are ill. Parents don’t want their children to miss school, but kids who are suffering from colds or flu should be kept home. This prevents the spread of colds and flu to classmates and teachers, and time to rest at home may help youngsters recover more quickly. • Teach kids to avoid common germ spots. Germs can be lurking anywhere, but some spots seem to make more welcome homes for germs than others. Studies have shown that kids were most likely to encounter germs in schools on water fountain spigots and on plastic cafeteria trays. Teach kids to never put their mouths on fountains and to avoid eating any food that might fall onto their trays in the cafeteria. School-aged children are susceptible to colds and flu when spending time in the classroom. But parents can reduce their youngsters’ cold and flu risks in various ways.
Fun ways Fun Ways to Get Kids to Enjoy Math
For some kids, one of the toughest parts of the back-to-school season is getting back into the swing of math class. You can help ease the transition this fall and beyond by making math a wholly integrated part of the day. Math plays a hidden role in so many aspects of daily life. By pointing out these connections in ways that are fun and engaging, you can help make math one of your child’s favorite subjects — or at least less feared. • Bake your lesson plan: Learning fractions? Use pies and cookies to demonstrate the concept visually. It’s a tasty and fun way to learn how fractions and percentages work. • Calculator fun: Get out the calculator and help children explore patterns. First- to third-graders can add or subtract the same number repeatedly. Children will observe patterns that emerge and get a better sense of arithmetic. Children can even make their own “pattern puzzles,” which are number sequences where some numbers are omitted. For example: 7,14, _, _, 35, _, 49. The activity can make addition and multiplication more comprehensible. Look for a model that will be useful for the next several years of math class, such as the fx-300ES from Casio, which offers 2-line display and 240 functions. Free educational resources and activities to try on the calculator can be found at CasioEducation.com. • Money math: At home, use spare change to teach children simple addition and subtraction. Set a timer and see if they can make proper change in record time. Ask kids to solve increasingly difficult problems, and when they answer correctly, give them the change as a reward. • Make it interdisciplinary: Leverage your children’s favorite school subjects and hobbies to pique their interest in math. If they love reading, help them select literature that celebrates math. If they find history fascinating, have them read about famous mathematicians and scientists who used math to make discoveries. For young athletes, there are always ways to turn that pick-up game in the park into a math lesson. Angles, distances, times and averages all figure into sports. Using these concepts in an applied way can make math more interesting. Help kids get off to a great start this back-to-school season by making math fun and engaging.
Reduce Kids’ Risk Of Getting Sick At School
School-aged kids who catch colds or the flu from their classmates can quickly spread those colds to their family members, who then might spread the colds further when they go to work. Preventing the spread of colds and flu at school is a team effort that requires the assistance of not just parents, but also teachers and students. Still, parents might be the first line of defense when it comes to preventing the spread of cold and flu at school. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 38 million school days are lost to the flu each year. Those lost days can affect students who miss lessons but also parents, who often must take days off from work to tend to their sick children. While there’s no way for parents to guarantee their children won’t catch a cold or the flu this school year, they can take various preventive measures to increase kids’ chances of staying healthy and achieving perfect attendance. • Make sure kids are immunized and that their immunizations are current. Vaccinations bolster kids’ immune systems. That’s important, as kids’ immune systems are naturally less mature than adults’, making them more vulnerable to germs and viruses. The CDC recommends that adults and children receive their flu vaccinations in October while noting that such vaccinations can be administered as late as January and still prove effective. The CDC also recommends that adults and children receive flu vaccinations each year. Additional vaccinations may not need to be administered as often, but parents should still ensure kids’ are up-to-date with their shots. • Make sure kids regularly wash their hands. Kids often catch colds by rubbing their hands that have been exposed to cold virus germs on their noses or eyes. To prevent that, parents can teach kids to wash to their hands thoroughly, including scrubbing the backs of their hands, between their fingers and around their fingernails. Kids should know to wash their hands regularly, but especially after they use the bathroom and before they eat, drink or touch their mouths, noses or eyes. • Keep kids home when they are sick. Parents don’t want their children to miss school, but kids who are suffering from colds or flu should be kept home. This prevents the spread of colds and flu to classmates and teachers, and time to rest at home may help youngsters recover more quickly. • Teach kids to avoid common germ spots. Germs can be lurking anywhere, but some spots seem to make more welcome homes for germs than others. Studies have shown that kids were most likely to encounter germs in schools on water fountain spigots and on plastic cafeteria trays. Teach kids to never put their mouths on fountains and to avoid eating any food that might fall onto their trays in the cafeteria. School-aged children are susceptible to colds and flu when spending time in the classroom. But parents can reduce their youngsters’ cold and flu risk in various ways.
KidShape – August 2020
Music is everywhere: on the radio, in movies and television shows and as a backdrop when shopping or celebrating milestones. Music is an integral part of cultures all over the world. Music can express emotions not easily conveyed otherwise. It also provides a sense of community and belonging and can help unite the divided. Playing musical instruments or singing has a number of benefits. From the earliest days after their birth, children can be calmed by music. Music helps people work out their feelings and can be uplifting and comforting when people need a boost. While many people are familiar with the mood-enhancing benefits of music, they may not know that music also has developmental benefits. According to Don Campbell, internationally known educator and author of “The Mozart Effect for Children,” music enhances intelligence, coordination, emotional expression, creativity and socialization skills. Studies have suggested that music and movement affect all areas of development. Music can bolster listening skills, improve motor skills, assist with problem solving and promote spatial-temporal reasoning. Many others say that music can calm and focus the mind, which is why it is so often employed by therapists. In the book, “The Importance of Music,” author Ellen Judson cites a 10-year study that tracked more than 25,000 middle and high school students. The study showed that students in music classes receive higher scores on standardized tests than students with little to no musical involvement. In addition, singing and engaging in musical appreciation sharpens one’s ability to communicate. Learning a piece of information attached to a tune will more readily embed that information in the brain. For example, many children learn the alphabet via song. Pairing lessons with song can help anyone retain information more easily. Music also is fun, so much so that kids may not realize they’re actually learning while singing. Matthew Freeman, development manager of “Sing up,” a national singing project to help enhance music in children’s education, states that children don’t think of singing as work and may be more willing to participate. Song can be used to reinforce all different subjects, from language arts to mathematics. Children or adults who are apprehensive about meeting new people can use music as a means to open the door to new friendships. Joining a choral group will immediately introduce people to others who enjoy music as well. Group singing is less intimidating than singing alone, so it takes some of the pressure off of a person and can staunch performance anxiety. Music is beneficial throughout one’s life and can be an enjoyable way to make learning more fun.
Kidsmart – August 2020
Finding the right backpack is essential. It is a valuable component of back-to-school shopping. Children may have their own ideas of what’s in style, but parents should look for backpacks that are functional before factoring in style. Marrying form and function together can be challenging, but it’s necessary to prevent students from developing back problems. But parents must give consideration to more than just the size of their children’s backpacks. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 14,000 children are treated for backpack-related injuries every year. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says that the weight of a backpack should not exceed 10 to 15 percent of a child’s body weight. But many students pack their bags with much more weight than that. • Choose a streamlined model. Select a backpack that will get the job done without much added bulk. Many backpacks have been designed to hold technological devices as more and more schools integrate technology into the classroom. A less bulky bag might be lighter and easy to carry. • Consider shopping at a sporting goods store. Employees at camping and sporting goods retailers understand how to fit backpacks for hikers and outdoor adventurers. They can help measure a student and find a pack that will fit his or her body frame. Also, these retailers may have a wider selection of backpacks than some other stores, increasing the chances of finding the right fit. • Select a pack with a waist strap. According to the American Chiropractic Association, the body is not designed to carry items hanging from shoulders. By using the waist strap in conjunction with taut shoulder straps, students can distribute the weight in their backpacks over their hip bones instead of the shoulders. The padded and adjustable shoulder straps should be at least two inches wide. All straps should be used each time the pack is worn. • Backpacks should be loaded properly. Heavy items should be near the center bottom to distribute the load, rather than placed on top. Students should only carry what is necessary, visiting lockers or desks as needed to lighten their packs.
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