JumpStart Learning Ledger: November 2003

	1.	How to Make Holiday Shopping Exciting for all Ages

	2.	Celebrate Your Way Around the World

	3.	Developing a Lifelong Learner

Look for learning opportunities that fit naturally within your child's interest.

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Celebrate Your Way Around the World
by Christina Elston

For kids, every day is a new chance to learn. But the holidays are no time to make your children hit the books! Instead, take advantage of the time off and the festive atmosphere to explore celebrations from other countries. You'll practice language arts, music, math, and geography skills-and give your kids an appreciation for other people and their cultures.

A little research should yield all the information you need to cook up a multicultural celebration. Here is information on just a few winter holidays from around the world:

Shichi Go San (seven, five, three)
Nov. 15, celebrated in Japan:
The Japanese consider odd numbers lucky, and if you are 7, 5 or 3 years old, Shichi Go San is your lucky day. The festival celebrates children, who dress in their best and visit shrines throughout Japan to ensure good fortune and good health. Each lucky-aged child also gets paper bags decorated with pictures of pine and bamboo trees, plums, cranes and tortoises (lucky symbols, of course) and filled with "thousand year candy," chitose-ame, a thin red-and-white confection that signifies long life.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Day, Dec. 12: celebrated in Mexico:
A colorful and exciting legend from old Mexico inspired one of that country's favorite holidays. Some 450 years ago, the legend goes, a boy named Juan Diego saw a vision of a young Indian woman on a hill near Mexico City. She told that she wanted him to build her a shrine on the hill. When the bishop didn't believe Juan Diego's story, the lady made a rose bush bloom in the middle of the desert. Juan Diego gathered the flowers in his cloak as proof. When he opened the cloak, a picture of the beautiful woman was painted on the cloth. Mexicans still visit the shrine the bishop built to see the painting of the Lady of Guadalupe. And throughout the country, people celebrate and children watch puppet shows re-enacting her story.

Santa Lucia Day, Dec. 13, celebrated in Sweden:
On Christmas morning, many kids wake their parents at the crack of dawn-but on Santa Lucia Day, they bring breakfast! The holiday celebrates a 4th century Italian saint who became popular in Sweden. Born to a wealthy family, Lucia was known for carrying food to persecuted Christians hiding in dark underground tunnels. She wore a wreath of candles on her head to light the way. Today she is honored in Sweden on Dec. 13, when the eldest daughter in each family dresses in white and wears a wreath of candles. She and the other children in the family carry coffee, saffron buns and gingerbread cookies to their parents in their rooms.

Boxing Day, Dec. 26, celebrated in England:
In England, the day after Christmas is more than just "the day after Christmas." It's boxing day, and is a special day of giving. There are two theories as to how the holiday began. The first is that, long ago, the day after Christmas was when merchants gave boxes of food, clothes or money as a yearly "bonus" for trades people and servants. The other is that Boxing Day started with the church tradition of opening charity boxes for the poor the day after Christmas. Today, families observe the holiday by donating time, money, or goods to charities that help those less fortunate.

Hogmanay, Dec. 31, celebrated in Scotland:
In Scotland, the ringing in of the new year is such a cause for celebration that it has its own name-Hogmanay. Festivities start in the early evening, as everyone anxiously awaits the stroke of midnight and the singing of Auld Lang Syne. (And in Scotland, they even know all the words!) But this is just the beginning. After midnight, friends and family take turns "first footing" each other's homes. They make sure the first visitor of the new year brings a lump of coal, some cake, or other gifts, so that the year will be prosperous. In return, the visitor is offered holiday food and drink. The night also features bonfires, torch light processions, and fireworks.

Chinese New Year, Jan. 22, 2004, celebrated in China:
People in China start preparing for the coming of the new year, Nian, a month in advance. They shop for presents, decorations, food and new clothes. They clean every nook and cranny of the house, to "sweep away" ill-fortune and make way for good luck. People paint their window frames and doors a festive red, and decorate with signs wishing for happiness, wealth, and longevity. New Year's Eve includes a feast, and a night full of games and fireworks. And the next day begins with gifts and visits to family, neighbors and friends. The celebration lasts fifteen days, ending with dances and feasting at the Festival of Lanterns.

Finding resources
When you've chosen a holiday to explore, Armando M. Almendarez, Deputy Chief Education Officer of Chicago Public Schools, suggests local school districts and cultural museums as places to begin your adventure. Some have special programs available, including study guides and activities, presentations and workshops. Parents can also contact museums such as the Getty Center, the Smithsonian, or Chicago's DuSable Museum of African American History online.

Your children's friends might be another resource. "Children are great at crossing boundaries," says Dr. Lorraine McCune, a developmental psychologist and professor at Rutgers Graduate School of Education. Getting to know a family that is new to the United States can benefit everyone, she suggests. "You can help them learn about your culture, and they can help you learn about theirs.

"As you celebrate, engage your children's senses in every way you can. Taste holiday foods from other countries. Learn a traditional dance or song. Decorate your home. Practice a few words and phrases in another language. Look for picture books, CDs and tapes, and crafts you can try. There's a wealth of information waiting to be shared, and a world of holidays to experience.

How to Make Holiday Shopping Exciting for All Ages
by Christina Elston

The winter holidays create a season of giving-but first comes a season of shopping. And for families intent on not letting holiday consumerism, or even holiday cheer, shove learning aside the shopping season also offers tremendous opportunity.

"If it is guided by the parent, shopping becomes a really good learning event," says Robert Capraro, Ph.D., an assistant professor and Regents Fellow at Texas A&M University. "Math at the mall would be very beneficial for kids who are not so great at math."

Shopping, says Capraro, offers children a chance to learn math in an experiential way that gets their attention more effectively than textbook exercises. "Just like adults, kids tend to learn those things that are most important to them," he explains. "When they have to stand up and hand someone money, it drives home the importance of the experience in a way that a textbook activity can't. Kids are money savvy."

Beginning with beginners
Shopping generally starts with making a list, and children just starting to learn about numbers can learn plenty this way. For preschoolers and kindergartners learning to count and recognize numbers, the simplest activity might be to count the items on your list. How many things do you need to buy? Help your child write the number on the bottom of the list.

As the shopping trip progresses, have your child count the number of items in your shopping bags. How many things do you have? Is it more than or less than the number of items you need to buy? As you add items, you are giving a very real demonstration of the concept of addition.

It is also worthwhile to do at least some of your shopping with cash, and show your child the bills and coins. He won't be able to count change yet, but he can start learning the difference between a quarter and a nickel, or a $1 bill and a $5 bill. By the end of first grade, he should be catching on.

Second-grade shoppers
When your child reaches second grade, she can do a little shopping of her own. At this point she might have an interest in buying gifts for family and friends, but should only tackle making one purchase at a time.

Give her a set amount of money, and make sure she knows how much she has to spend. Then go with her through the store and help her look for items that fit within her budget. If she has $10, can she find a $10 item? Talk about whether various items cost more or less than $10. "You can introduce the concept of budget," says Capraro, adding that second graders are old enough to tackle the word. "Budget isn't such a hard word," he offers. "Kids run around saying Tyrannosaurus." Capraro suggests making sure your child's prospective purchase is within her budget before sending her to the checkout counter. At this age, the embarrassment of not having enough money for the purchase could make her reluctant to go on future shopping trips.

Comparison shopping is elementary
When he reaches third grade, your child should be able to take his first forays into the world of comparison shopping, Capraro says. But first, of course, you have to tackle estimation. Have your child choose an item, and round the price on the price tag up or down as needed to figure out if he has enough money to purchase it. If you live in a state where there is sales tax, or if the item is on sale, that will require additional calculations.

Once your child can estimate the final cost of one item, he can try estimating the tally for two or more purchases. You can also look for the same items at different stores, or compare prices in newspaper advertisements. Help your child learn to spot the better buy.

At this age, Capraro says that making a small mistake or two at the checkout counter is a learning experience that you should allow your child to have. This helps drive the lesson home. "Money makes things relevant very quickly," he says. Of course, you should be on hand to help. If your child makes a mistake in his estimating and doesn't have enough money for his purchases, ask him how much more he needs, and be ready with the cash.

In fact, having a loan from Mom or Dad can be a valuable learning experience in and of itself, says Capraro. Owing money to someone gives kids experience with the concept of negative numbers, which they will encounter further as they continue their math studies. Loans are one of the easiest ways for kids to work with the concept.

If your child has zipped through all of these experiences and can confidently figure the cost of various purchases, you can add the element of "discount" items. One example Capraro mentions is a shoe store offering customers one half-price pair of shoes for each pair they purchase at full price. Figuring out how many pair of shoes you can afford can turn into a complex algebra problem, says Capraro.

Making it part of life
Capraro reminds parents that they shouldn't try to use shopping trips to teach the ideas behind math, but rather to help practice skills kids have already learned in school. "I believe that math skills have to be taught at a conceptual level," he says, explaining that children have to understand the concepts behind math operations. They need to know, for instance, that multiplication is repeated addition.

Your child doesn't have to master a skill totally-for instance, he needn't be able to multiply large numbers in his head-but he should be fairly comfortable with general math skills before you practice them at the mall. This helps keep the experience positive, so that your child will want to try again.

Another way to keep the experience positive is to keep things informal. Don't drag out calculators, reward charts and notepads unless your child is inclined to do that on his own. "Math should be a part of life, but kids shouldn't look at math as a life sentence," Capraro advises. The rewards on a shopping trip should be intrinsic. Either your child estimates correctly, determines the best buy and makes his purchase, or he does not. This might mean making a mistake at the checkout counter, or not getting the best price on an item.

To extend the learning experience, you can do a little follow-up at home. "Follow up is very situational," says Capraro. If your child has money left over, what will she do with it? If she doesn't have enough yet for her purchase, how long will it take her to save up? If she needed a loan, how long will it take her to pay you back?

By the time the final gifts are wrapped, you could have the satisfaction of giving your child practice with valuable life skills-and, of course, of knowing the shopping is finally finished.

Resources:
Math Forum: http://mathforum.org
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: www.nctm.org

Kids in the Kitchen: Celebrate Holidays With Food, Fun and Learning
by Christina Elston

Kids love holidays, and holiday foods. So if you're busy cooking this season, don't kick them out of the kitchen. Invite them in and cook up a few fun learning experiences together. Cooking gives kids a chance to practice language skills, and to follow directions. And you can use food to teach math, science, and even geography!

Yes, the cookies will take a little longer if the kids are measuring the ingredients for the dough. True, it might take extra time to stuff the turkey if you record the spices you use on a map while mixing the stuffing. But the holiday memories you create in the kitchen-and the lessons that go with them-will stick with your kids for a lifetime. It's worth a little extra fuss.

Before you start handing out miniature aprons, though, keep a few safety tips in mind.

Children under the age of 10 should never be left unsupervised in the kitchen, and cannot use the oven or stove by themselves. They also shouldn't use sharp knives. You need to be on hand to turn burners off and on, and take dishes in and out of the oven. A serrated, plastic knife (like you would use for a picnic), will cut through most foods without endangering little fingers.

If you use the microwave, teach your children to be extremely careful when taking foods out, or when tasting foods that have been microwaved. These ovens heat foods quickly, and the finished product might contain "hot spots."

Cooking is safest, and most fun, when done at a leisurely pace. So allow extra time if you are going to involve your children, to reduce both the safety hazards and the stress. The following activities will give you a good place to start, but the lessons you can teach in the kitchen are limited only by your imagination.

Creativity and Drama: Cookie Puppet Shows
When baking holiday cookies, take the opportunity to let your kids create their own puppet shows. Prepare the dough for gingerbread or sugar cookies with your favorite recipe. Roll it out and use cookie cutters to create animals and people. Before baking, insert a craft stick 1 to 2 inches into the base of each "puppet."

Once the cookies have cooled, kids can "costume" their characters with frosting and sprinkles, and create a puppet theater with cardboard boxes (or even just by hiding behind the sofa). Older kids can write out a script for their show, while younger children can ad-lib their parts. After the show, the puppets turn into a tasty treat for your hard-working performers.

Math: Fractions
You can introduce younger children to the concept of fractions when you are chopping vegetables for recipes. Write the fraction 1/2 on a piece of scratch paper, and cut a carrot in half. Put the carrot back together and explain that the two pieces, or halves, make one whole carrot. Continue your demonstration by cutting the vegetable into fourths, eighths, etc.

For children already working with fractions, helping measure ingredients is great practice. Pouring half a cup of milk or 1/4 cup of flour gives them hands-on experience.

If you need to double or halve a recipe, and your child's skills are up to the task, have him do the math for you.

Reading and Writing: Following Recipes
Find a simple recipe, and ask your child to read it out loud to you. Explain any terms that she does not understand. Then help her measure the ingredients and follow the steps to prepare the dish.

When she is finished, she might want to make her own recipe book by copying her favorite recipes into a special notebook. This is a chance to practice oral reading skills, and penmanship, as well as testing reading comprehension.

Creative Writing/Art: Invented Recipes
Give your child old magazines that have plenty of pictures of food, and provide lined notebook paper, construction paper, glue and pencils. Have your child choose pictures of interesting dishes to cut out and paste onto construction paper. Then, have your child write down an imagined recipe to go with each photo. Make sure he includes a list of ingredients, all of the preparation steps, and the proper cooking time. Older kids can have fun creating zany recipes like "space alien souffl�." If your child enjoys the activity, he can create several recipes, and then use them to make a cook book.

Follow up by helping your child prepare a real recipe. Compare the types of instructions in the actual recipe with the instructions your child used in his imagined recipes.

Science: Expansion
Give your child two marshmallows and a plate that is safe to use in the microwave. Put the marshmallows on the plate and microwave on high for 1 minute. Watch through the glass door of the microwave as the marshmallows expand to about four times their original size.

Ask your child why she thinks this happens. Explain that marshmallows are made of sugar and water, with lots of air bubbles inside. When the air bubbles warm up during cooking, the air molecules speed up and push harder against the sugary "walls" of the marshmallow, making it puff up like a balloon.

Once the marshmallows have cooled a little bit, your child can eat the remains of this experiment.

Science: Predictions You can use almost any cooking activity to exercise your child's prediction skills. For instance:

Put 1/2 cup of heavy cream into a baby food jar and ask your child to predict what will happen if she shakes it up. Butter anyone?

Mix up batter or dough for cookies, cakes, muffins, bread, or any other holiday goodies you plan to bake. Ask your child to predict how the batter or dough will change in the oven.

As you are adding ingredients to various recipes, ask your child to predict how those ingredients will change the color, texture, or taste of what you are preparing. You can have older children explain the reasons behind their predictions, and then have them evaluate why those predictions did or did not come true.

Geography: Global Spices
We all use spices in our daily cooking, and often use even more for special holiday recipes. But we rarely think about where these spices come from. Your kitchen spice rack is a great tool for teaching a bit of geography in a fun way.

If you can, pin up a world map in the kitchen, or keep one in some other easy-to-reach location. As you use spices in your holiday cooking, help your child do a bit of research to find the part of the world where each spice is grown, and mark the spices on your map. Dictionaries, encyclopedias and the Internet are great tools for your investigation.

After you've all worked up an appetite learning and cooking together, the family will truly appreciate the chance to sit down and enjoy your holiday dishes and treats.

Developing a Lifelong Learner!
by Christina Elston

Feed their passion
When children find an activity that captivates them, they will be more motivated to broaden or deepen their knowledge of it. Look for learning opportunities that fit naturally within your child's interest; the idea is to increase the fun through learning.

Make reading part of the family
Invest in a set of reference materials. Take family trips to the library. Casually leave reading materials that might interest your child on the coffee table, and allow them to discover these materials on their own. Read aloud to your children, no matter what their age.

Encourage discussion and active listening
Learning how to ask questions, formulate opinions, and understand different viewpoints are world-class skills that can be developed around the dinner table. Simple conversations about events of the day or questions they bring up help children learn valuable communication skills they can use throughout their life.

Share in the wonder of the world
One of the greatest things about becoming a parent is experiencing life with your children - to follow a whim, watch a lizard, create a painting, share a laugh. Foster their curiosity.

Be a lifelong learner yourself
If you pursue your interests, read, converse with others, and remain curious about the world, your children are likely to do the same.


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