Writing Tales

Spring is in the air! Ahhh....how wonderful! Except when it comes to schooling, that is. A telltale symptom of good ole' Spring Fever is a major decrease in attention span. No need for scientific studies on this one - it's a fact! You all know what I mean, right?

Fortunately, it doesn't often take a major change to add a bit of spice to your schoolday and put things back on track. My kids love when we have Popsicle Stick Days. A PSD is when we work through our subjects "by the luck of the draw". I have a handful of popsicle sticks with each subject written on the back. I hold them in my hand (like drawing straws) and a child draws a subject.

This little trick of breaking the order and adding a bit of mystery to our schooltime is surprisingly effective, especially if they know that you've thrown in a surprise or two. Examples might be: "Run around the house three times!" or "Have an apple with peanut butter" or "See who can sing the entire Star Spangled Banner". A bit of fun never hurt anyone! You can also adapt this little trick to choretime. Sometimes simple "tweaks" make all the difference.