------------------------------------------------------------ An Online Educational Community A newsletter that educates parents, teachers, and students. May 1999 Issue #1 Tracey Powell, Editor, mailto:editor@innovamultimedia.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to your first issue of "An Online Educational Community". Check out http://www.innovamultimedia.com If you think a friend might be interested in reading this newsletter, pass it along in whole or in part. You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. To subscribe [ Send an email to mailto:newsletter@innovamultimedia.com with subscribe as the subject line.] To unsubscribe [ Send an email to mailto:nonewsletter@innovamultimedia.com with unsubscribe as the subject line.] Each month we will focus on a different educational theme and base our feature article and learning tips on that particular theme. The theme of this month's newsletter is "Encouraging kids to read." Whether they are six or sixteen, all kids should be encouraged to read. Reading reaps many benefits, for the reader, educator and parent. Our feature article,"Why Read Aloud to your Children", discusses the many benefits reading brings to your family. Our section, "Learning Tips", lists ten family reading tips. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => What's New at innovamultimedia.com => Feature Article => Lesson Plans => Education Sites => New Releases => Upcoming Products => Learning Tips => Whale Stuff => Feedback ------------------------------------------------------------ What's New at innovamultimedia.com ------------------------------------------------------------ We are currently in the process of revamping our existing website to that of an online educational community. This community at http://www.innovamultimedia.com encourages students, parents and teachers to browse around and check out some of our cool stuff! Students, check out our new free stuff page, http://www.innovamultimedia.com/freestff.html where you can download a free "A WHALE of a TALE" lesson or play our online "Ecofixer" game. Parents, check out our collection of online resources at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/parlinks.htm On this list you will find links to parenting tips, children's crafts and activities, and fun educational sites that your child will enjoy. Teachers, since our products are based on International Curriculum Outcomes, we have decided to prove it to you by posting these curriculum tables on our website. Check out http://www.innovamultimedia.com/learning.html ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURE ARTICLE - WHY READ ALOUD TO YOUR CHILDREN? Author - Read to Me: A Rotary Family Literacy Program at http://www.starrtech.com/readtome/whyread.htm ------------------------------------------------------------ Reading aloud is the most valuable gift you can give your children. In the simple act of reading to children, you lay the foundation for their educational success. In a 1983 report by the Commission on Reading entitled "Becoming a Nation of Readers," one finding stood out: "The single most important activity for building the knowledge for the eventual success in reading, is reading aloud to children." It is not surprising, then, studies have shown that in most cases, high school and college students in the very top percentile ranking were read to as youngsters. Reading aloud helps children develop listening skills, exposes them to good grammar, and creates a bonding experience between parent and child. As a result, the child will have enhanced self esteem. Reading aloud promotes early reading and helps children learn. Reading aloud helps children develop their language and vocabulary before they learn how to read, serves as a vehicle for later achievement, and makes them academically ready to begin school. Children who are read to, learn to read more easily than those who are not. Reading aloud promotes values and a higher level of thinking. Children's ability to understand what they read depends a lot on background knowledge - what they already know. The more children are read to now, the more they will learn for use in reading later.* Reading aloud stimulates imagination, creativity and curiousity. Reading aloud shows children the joy of story fascination of language, and the beauty of the world - something outside of their own realm. You don't necessarily have to see something to experience it. Your children's realms will expand because through reading aloud you can bring experiences to them. Reading aloud provides an understanding of language and communication. Reading aloud helps children learn that print is meaningful and makes sense. They see how print can be turned into sound and speech. Reading aloud enlarges children's vocabulary and exposes them to correct grammar.* Reading aloud expands children's attention spans and helps them develop critical thinking skills and effective communication skills. *Tips taken from The New Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. BENEFITS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY Reading makes all the difference in the world to your children and to you.. Here are benefits that experts have researched: Reading aloud enhances self confidence and self esteem because youngsters feel special when read to. Reading aloud allows your children to share a special time with you, free of television and radio, and leads to great conversations that give you a chance to share thoughts and feelings. It helps your children grow emotionally and brings you closer together. Reading aloud lays a foundation for literacy and motivates children to read on their own. As children get older, they will read on their own, giving parents some quiet time for themselves. Above all, children love to be read to. Seeing those bright-eyed faces light up is a rewarding experience. And reading aloud is a tool which will help our youngsters value learning for the rest of their lives. ------------------------------------------------------------ Lesson Plans ------------------------------------------------------------ Teachers, check out free A WHALE of a TALE lesson plans on our website at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/lesson1.html Dive into Math One - Find the Length at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/math1a.html teaches kids to measure the lengths of objects using the centimeter as the standard unit. Swim into Social Studies Three - Crossword Puzzle Fun at http://www.innovamultimedia.com/socst1b htm gets kids to identify the four oceans and name the seven continents. ------------------------------------------------------------ Education Sites ------------------------------------------------------------ Check out some of these INNOVA recommended resource sites: The Global Schoolhouse at http://www.gsn.org/ - linking kids, parents and teachers around the globe. Students, visit the Canadian Kids Page at http://www.onramp.ca/cankids/ where you can find links to numerous kids-safe sites! Parents, check out Positive Parenting at http://www.positiveparenting.com/ a site that is dedicated to providing resources and information to make parenting rewarding, effective, and fun! Teachers, visit Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators at http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/ Here you will find a categorized list of sites on the Internet found to be useful in enhancing curriculum and teacher professional growth. ------------------------------------------------------------ New Releases - Leap into Language Three ------------------------------------------------------------ A WHALE of a TALE: Leap into Language Three is an interactive multimedia Language Arts program designed to help students, ages seven to nine, learn basic Language skills. The program emphasizes: - listening skills in the context of following instructions, working in small groups, and critical listening. - reading skills in the context of fiction and non-fiction, things to help you read, story maps, and words and images. - writing in the context of planning a story, and drafting, revising, and editing. - forms of text in the context of dictionary, types of text, and research ideas. To find out more about our Leap into Language Three program, visit http://www.innovamultimedia.com/leplang3.html ------------------------------------------------------------ Upcoming Products - Surf into Science Three ------------------------------------------------------------ A WHALE of a TALE: Surf into Science Three will go on sale later this month. This program is designed to help students, ages seven through nine, learn basic science skills. The program is based around the following concepts: environment, earth, weather and energy. A more detailed description of this product will follow in the "New Releases" section of the next issue. Call our toll free number, 1-877-8INNOVA or 1-877-846-6682, if interested in ordering this or any other product. ------------------------------------------------------------ Learning Tips ------------------------------------------------------------ 10 FAMILY READING TIPS: 1. Take time. Take time to read to your child everyday for at least ten minutes. 2. Establish a regular reading time. Develop a regular reading schedule early in your child's life. When reading is made a routine part of your child's life, it becomes a habit. A good time for this quiet activity is bedtime. Reading time will settle your children down for the day. 3. Make reading time a special time together. Pick a cozy spot where you can hold your children in your arms or on your lap. Let your children choose the books to be read. You and your children will enjoy the warmth and fun of reading a book together. 4. Discuss what you are reading with your children. Discuss the story to further your children's understanding or add new information to what your child knows. Share your thoughts and feelings. 5. Help your children understand. Where your children have a problem understanding, add to the story. Listen to your children and answer questions about the story. 6. Let your children know reading is a valued activity. When you read to your children, let them know that reading is a valued activity in your home. While you're reading, try not to permit interruptions. Let them know this is a time during the day when they will have your undivided attention. 7. Reward your children for reading. As your children learn to read, you can reward them. Give them a prize for each book read, or set up a chart and place a sticker for the number of books you've read together or the books they read on their own. Give them incentives like allowing them to stay up ten minutes later at bedtime to read. 8. Visit the library regularly. Public libraries are the best resources to find all types of books to read. A trip to the library is something your family can plan together and look forward to. Your children can get to know the librarian and learn to check out books by themselves. 9. Let your children see you read. Your children's interests and hobbies are modeled after their parents'. If they see you reading and enjoying it, they are likely to follow your example. Turn off the television, pick up a book and talk to your children about things you've read. 10. It's never too early or too late to begin. From the time children are born, parents should begin reading regularly. It develops a "book habit" from an early age. Parents who do, will tell you their children became "hooked." ------------------------------------------------------------ Whale Stuff ------------------------------------------------------------ Check out these INNOVA recommended whale sites! "Whales: A Thematic Web Unit" at http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/Whales/ Here you will find a thematic unit for cooperative learning across an integrated curriculum which is an interactive resource for teachers, students and parents. Visit Gander Academy's "Whale Resources on the World Wide Web" at http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/whales.htm A local favorite! Whale Trivia: Killer whales sleep like cattle; they nap briefly in the day and are very active in between naps. The oldest sperm whale lived to be 77 years old. Baleen whales are nearsighted in air. ------------------------------------------------------------ Feedback ------------------------------------------------------------ If you have comments or suggestions concerning our online newsletter or website, please direct them to mailto:editor@innovamultimedia.com Your comments and suggestions will be published in the feedback section of future issues. ------------------------------------------------------------ "An Online Educational Community" may only be redistributed in wholeor in part in its unedited form. Written permission from the editor must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter.

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