One of the most critical vocabulary elements to “nail down” when learning American English (or any culture’s language) is the use of idioms. An idiom, as defined by dictionary.com, is a group of words whose meaning cannot be predicted from
After Happily Ever After
Choose a favorite story to act out as a family…but don’t start at the beginning–start at the END! Have each family member choose a different character to play and act out what happens next in the character’s lives. Extra Credit: Every
Be Playful
Have your child become a playwright. Take his/her natural gift for language and storytelling and apply it to playwriting. Creating dialogue, imagining character motivations and developing story arcs will help your child strengthen interpersonal smarts in a way that’s comfortable for
Alien Invasion
Adapted from a Chicago City Parks & Rec activity recommendation (used with permission) See a familiar outdoor setting with new eyes as you and your child pretend to be aliens on a mission to explore our planet and report back to
Parking Lot Parade
Getting bikes all gussied up, then parading around on two (or three) wheels with friends is one way to get both fine and gross motor skills moving this summer. And while parents are growing increasingly wary of letting kids play
On Cyber Bullying as a Social Phenomenon
by Dr. Tali Shenfield, Clinical Psychologist Our society has changed a great deal over the last fifty years. Technology has increased our ability to communicate with each other. The world has gone wireless and the average human being today carries
Hearing in Color
Using a pitch pipe, have your child picture different colors as you play each note on the scale (e.g. red for C, orange for D, yellow for E, green for F, aqua for G, blue for A, purple for B).
Summer Reading Recommendations for the “Picture Smart” Child
All Ages: Books by Laurence Anholt, who penned several children's books about famous artists including Monet, Degas, Picasso and van Gogh. Books by David Macaulay, whose books have won numerous awards and honors including the Caldecott Medal, about different kinds
Yoga for Young’Uns
Yoga is one kinesthetic activity that kids can enjoy no matter which multiple intelligence lens they prefer to look at the world–just select an appealing entry point below: Visual-Spatial kids: Without worrying about movement flow at first, challenge your “Picture
Limerick Epitaphs
Talk to your child about what an epitaph is (a brief poem or other writing in praise of a someone who has passed away so that others could get a sense of who the person was). Then read some limericks