May 28, 2015 Workshop: Internet Safety
Sarah Rosenburg and Ian Kenney discuss Internet safety
Internet safety resources >>
Post-workshop thoughts >>
April 1, 2015 Workshop: Boosting Our Children's Understanding in Reading
Did you know we have two wonderful Literacy Interns from Harvard? They are Deana Brown and McClellan Walcott (no relation to our own Ms. Walcott) and have been working with our Tobin  students under the direction of Jaime Frost, our Literacy Coach, all year. On April 1st, they presented  a workshop to parents on how to expand reading comprehension with our students at home.

First and foremost, as in all things academic and otherwise, they outlined importance of always practicing Growth Mindset. This is the understanding that intelligence is not fixed, but can be developed through repeated hard work and resilience. This means for us parents to to always praise our children's EFFORT, not ability, and to remind our children that "If it's HARD, that's because we are LEARNING."

Next Deana and McClellan introduced QUESTIONING as the key to help our children build their understanding of what they read. There are three types of questions to ask them, starting from the easiest to the most challenging:

1) Questions from WITHIN the text:
For example:
"What happens in the book?"
"What is the problem in the book? How is it solved?"
"What does the character do or say?"
"What is the setting/ main character/ plot?"
These are literal questions that can be found within the text and generally have a "right" or "wrong" answer.
2) Questions from BEYOND the text:
For example:
"How are the characters similar/different?"
"How does the character feel? How can you tell?"
"What can you predict will happen next? Why?"
"Why does the character act/speak this way?"
"Does anything in this book remind you of something in your own life or something else you've read?"
These require the child to use both their own ideas and the text and generally have no "right" answer.
3) Questions ABOUT the text:
For example:
"Why do you think the author wrote this book?"
"Why do you think the author began the book in this way?"
"Do you think the author wrote a good ending?"
"How did the author make you feel when you read this?"
These require the child to have an opinion (critique) and think about the author's intentions (analyze) and generally have no "right" answer.

If you have any questions about building your child's reading comprehension or reading in general, please see Jaime Frost, or email her at jfrost@cpsd.us!Photo: Jaime Frost introduces our Literacy Interns at Parent Ed.
January 2015
Introducing... GROWTH MINDSET!
January's FOC* meeting included a lively discussion on Growth Mindset. Did you know our teachers already practice Growth Mindset? Growth Mindset is the understanding that intelligence and ability are not fixed qualities, but are developed through Effort and Persistence. Research has shown that you literally grow (the neural pathways in) your brain through anything you practice. Believe it or not, when a student is praised for being naturally talented or "smart," he or she will often avoid trying difficult things that threaten that self-image, and will eventually reduce performance over time.

Instead, it's our job to help children find ways to enjoy challenges, and to understand that failure is part of learning! What this means for us parents is to avoid praising "talent" or being "smart." Instead, only give praise and recognition for effort. Easier said than done? Actually, a lot of it simply comes down to what we say, such as these examples from Carol S. Dweck, the leading author on Growth Mindset:

"You did a good job drawing. I like the detail you added to the people's faces."

"I like the way you tried a lot of different strategies on that math problem until you finally got it."

"That was a hard reading assignment, but you stuck with it until you got it done. You stayed at your desk and kept your concentration. That's great!"

Stay tuned to the Tobin Weekly for more on how to foster Growth Mindset in our homes and School Community.

*(FOC is the Family Outreach Council, which meets every 2nd Thursday of the month at 8AM, now upstairs in the library. With action packed agendas, enriching discussions, and impactful outcomes, participation is rewarding and everyone is welcome. Please mark your calendars now to join us next time on February 12th!)
December 10, 2014 Workshop:
Supporting Your Montessori Student – Help!
Here is a photo of parents in detention in the library. JUST KIDDING! Our December 10 parent ed session was well attended. A lot of material was presented in a short time, including resources for learning about GROWTH MINDSET and how this can benefit not only students but whole families. Some parents expressed interested in more support around exploring this fascinating paradigm. If you are interested in meeting with other parents for an informal round table discussion, please email Jenn O at jenny@jennythejuggler.com!
September 24, 2014 Workshop: Montessori 101
Montessori Coach Erin Gutierrez presented the first parent ed workshop of the year on Montessori in the classroom and at home. See the Montessori 101 presentation, which includes (among other things) a great overview of the types of works and materials your child will encounter as they progress through stages of development and learning.

OTHER RESOURCES

Assessment Overview (2014-15)

DISTRICT

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Cambridge Public Schools

John M. Tobin Montessori School

Parent Ed Corner