Knoxville Parent June 2015 by Knoxville Parent

Ju n e 2 0 1 5

Fr e e

Knoxville Parent â&#x20AC;˘ June 2015

KNOXVILLE

In This Issue... How Educational Are Educational Apps?

June 2015 Volume IV • Issue V

“Parents, teachers, and students can be at the forefront of evaluating and rating educational apps on these four criteria. ”

Adam and Samantha Kalwas, Publishers Advisory Board

Contributing Writers

Sr. Mary Marta Abbott, RSM The Diocese of Knoxville

Jeff Comas Julie Hamilton Tracey Matthews Jim McIntyre Erin Nguyen Mike O’Hern Roseline Pierre Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D. Michael K. Smith, Ph.D TIS Insurance, Inc The Hanover

Marie Alcorn United Way of Greater Knoxville Mike Bailey Small Business Representative

PAGE 4

The Dos And Don’ts Of Sports Parenting “Their best memories were of hearing their parents say, simply, “I love to watch you play.” PAGE 5

9 Key Phases During Your Baby’s First Hour “Great checklist for dads! After delivery, keep baby skin-to-skin on mom for the first 60-90 minutes checking off each stage below.”

Paul Parson East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Tracey Matthews Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Elizabeth Pooley Marketing Professional Lee Tramel Knox County Sheriff ’s Department Liza Zenni The Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville

Parent publications are GREAT places to advertise! For more information, please call: (865) 622-9680. Contact Info: Phone: 865.622.9680 Fax: 888.457.9602 E-mail: KnoxvilleParent@gmail.com KnoxvilleParent.com

PAGE 7

Contents 4 How Educational Are Educational Apps?

9 Learning The Basics: Life 101 For Young

People

5 The Dos And Don’ts Of Sports Parenting

10 Car Seat Safety Tips

6 You’ve Got The Power

12 Getting The Most Out Of Practice: Part II

7 9 Key Phases During Your Baby’s First

14 10 Terrific Books: Learn Something New!

Hour 8 Dear Knox County Schools’ Families

Knoxville Parent is published twelve times a year and is distributed throughout the city of Knoxville and surrounding communities. Knoxville Parent is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per monthly issue. Knoxville Parent may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

Knoxville Parent, LLC PO Box 52605 Knoxville, TN 37950, phone 865.622.9680 • fax 888.457.9602 The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted and property of Knoxville Parent. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publishers. Knoxville Parent utilize freelance writers, and the views expressed within this publication are not necessarily the views of the publishers or editors. Knoxville Parent takes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials. Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. Knoxville Parent reserve the right to edit letters for space and clarity. Please keep letters within 500 words in length.

Visit us at KnoxvilleParent.com @KnoxParentMag

Knoxville Parent Magazine 3

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

How Educational Are Educational Apps? by Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.

ver 80,000 apps have been classified as educational, according to recent reports, and the number increases dramatically each year. How can parents and teachers decide which apps provide the “best” educational experience for their children or students? A new report from the Association for Psychological Science, “Putting Education in Educational Apps: Lessons From the Science of Learning”, provides guidelines drawn from decades of research into learning on how to choose apps that maximize the educational experience. This report argues that four principles from learning science can provide the criteria on which current apps can be judged. Active learning uses both physical and mental skills to control aspects of the learning process. For instance, students who are expected to teach material to others learn more than students who are just expected to be tested. Adults who take notes while learning display stronger problem solving than adults who do not take notes. Children who ask questions or offer comments while visiting science museums learn more than those who do not. Educational apps can incorporate aspects of active learning by allowing students to manipulate physical or symbolic objects on the screen.

y a K Mc y a K Mc E & MOR OV IES M , ’S CD O OK S , USED B

230 Papermill Pl Way Knoxville

RE S & MO MOV IE , ’S D C 7734 Lee B Hwy O OK S , USED Chattanooga

NEXT TO THUNDER CREEK HARLEY DAVIDSON

STORE HOURS 9am-9pm Mon-Thurs 9am-10pm Fri/Sat 11am-7pm Sun (SEASONLY STORE HOURS WILL VARY) MCKAYBOOKS.COM

explore with your child!

“Parents, teachers, and students can be at the forefront of evaluating and rating educational apps on these four criteria. ” Engaged learning combines behavioral, emotional, and cognitive skills that allow an individual to stay on task and not be distracted. Many studies have shown that distractions, such as background television, can significantly impair the learning process, especially for younger children. Engaged learners are able to blend extrinsic motivation (achieving external rewards for performance) and intrinsic motivation (a desire to solve problems for personal accomplishment) to help them stay on task. Educational apps must strive to construct onscreen activities that avoid too many unnecessary distractions and instead seek to sustain interest. Meaningful learning “takes many forms, including learning with a purpose, learning new material that is personally relevant, and linking new learning to preexisting knowledge.” Children learn vocabulary better when words are embedded in stories than just in stand-alone lists. Students learn more content in television programs that provide a plot line and a mystery to solve. An educational app, such as Motion Math: Pizza!, introduces math concepts necessary to the running of a pizzeria. Socially interactive learning embeds educational tasks in a context where others are also contributing. “The benefits of collaborative learning, in which students work together toward a common learning goal rather than in solo learning environments, have been known for decades.” Apps could provide various ways to interact socially: face-to-face interactions on multiple screens, video teleconferencing, or online collaborations. The four pillars of learning work best when focused on an educational task versus a purely entertainment one. The report shows an example of how an educational app could be rated high, medium, or low on the four criteria of active, engaged, meaningful, and socially interactive. The report also encourages developers of future educational apps to apply these four principles of learning to their designs. Parents, teachers, and students can be at the forefront of evaluating and rating educational apps on these four criteria. A system to share these ratings would benefit everyone. As more and more classrooms and homes become focused on digital devices, the opportunities for children to learn will increase if the next generation of educational apps incorporates the four pillars. Michael K. Smith, Ph.D., is owner of TESTPREP EXPERTS (www.testprepexperts.com ) which prepares students for standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT. He is also a consultant to Discovery Education Assessment. He can reached at mike@testprepexperts.com.

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

The Dos And Don’ts Of Sports Parenting by Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D.

ow should parents with children in youth sports behave? A great article—“What makes a nightmare sports parent—and what makes a great one” written by Steve Henson in February 2012 (http:// www.thepostgame.com/blog/more-family-fun/201202/ what-makes-nightmare-sports-parent), provides some insightful answers. In the article, Mr. Henson refers to findings from an informal survey of college athletes by longtime coaches Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller. In the survey, athletes were asked about their worst and best memories of playing youth sports. The athletes said their worst memories were of riding home with their parents after a game. Their best memories were of hearing their parents say, simply, “I love to watch you play.” Furthermore, the article lists “five signs of an ideal sports parent” and “five signs of a nightmare sports parent.” The five signs of an ideal sports parent are as follows: 1) Cheer everybody on the team, not just your child, 2) Model appropriate behavior such as graciousness in the face of a loss, 3) Know what is suitable to discuss with the coach (e.g. asking for suggestions about how to help your child build skills at home) and what to avoid (e.g. playing time for your child), 4) Know your role (spectator, not coach or official), and 5) Be a good listener and a great encourager when your child approaches you with a question or concern. As a psychologist, I find these suggestions for positive parent behavior to be right on point. I was even more intrigued, though, with the five signs of a nightmare sports parent: 1) Overemphasizing sports at the expense of sportsmanship, 2) Having different goals than your child, such as when the parent is thinking about “future scholarship” and the child is thinking about having fun with friends, 3) Treating your child differently after a loss than a win such that a child feels more valued after a win, 4) Undermining the coach by “coaching” from the bleachers, and 5) Living your own athletic dream through your child by taking credit for a good outcome or being overly dismayed by a loss. The “nightmare” behaviors represent the kinds of issues and concerns that were sometimes brought up in sessions when I practiced as a psychotherapist. Several individuals spoke of quitting a sport because they could not take the parental criticism, pressure, or performance expectations. Some spoke of losing the joy of the game as a result of their parent’s actions. The main reason parents should adopt behaviors associated with Brown and Miller’s ideal sports parent is that such behaviors are good for the parent-child relationship. Children feel accepted and supported when parents take them to practices, attend games, cheer for the whole team, and tell them how much they enjoy watching them play. Such lucky children will feel grateful and appreciative towards their parents. Conversely, children who are coached from the bleachers or criticized during the ride home will come to resent their parents. They may grow to believe they are only as good as their most recent performance in their parent’s eyes. Over time, chronic resentment can lead to distance and disconnection, the opposite of the kind of relationship parents hope to have with their children. A secondary and more pragmatic reason for adopting positive

“Their best memories were of hearing their parents say, simply, “I love to watch you play.” sports parent behaviors is that children who don’t have to worry about their parents are free to concentrate on the game and on what their coach has to say. They eventually learn to self-evaluate and set personal goals for improvement. Those with critical parents are likely to be distracted from the game due to anxious concern about what the parent is thinking and are more likely to make mistakes. Participating in sports is known to foster physical, social, emotional development, and a sense of mastery. When parents behave well in the bleachers and avoid the “nightmare” traits, a closer, more positive parentchild relationship is an additional positive outcome. Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D. is a private practice psychologist specializing in psychological assessment and parenting consultation. Dr. Smith can be reached at kerea@aol.com.

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

You’ve Got The Power

by Mike O’Hern, Center Director of Mathnasium of West Knoxville

f you’ve been reading my articles for any length of time, you’ll know that I’m not big on memorizing things, but would much rather understand them. I don’t deny that to have “number facts” close at hand is a good thing for example. Yet, rather than simply memorizing them, a student should understand how to arrive at them. When the inevitable lapse of memory rears it’s head, we’re not stuck and can quickly arrive at the answer. When I was working with a student recently, I needed to stop him for a moment to help him understand something. He was dealing with an exponent and a very special one in particular. What’s an exponent, you ask? It’s the symbol or number we put in superscript after a number or variable to tell to what power that number or variable should be raised. Clear? No? Fear not, here we go… In the number 43, the 3 is the exponent, and it means we want 4

“...it’s always better to understand how to arrive at an answer than to memorize a rule!” to the third power which means we multiply with fours three times like so: 4 x 4 x 4 = 43 = 64. Try another? 28 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 256. Okay, that’s pretty clear, but my student was dealing with an exponent of zero such as 50. What the heck? I guess that would just be zero, like 50 = 0, right? That seems intuitively correct since we’re multiplying 5 zero times, but it turns out that 50 = 1! WHAT THE HECK?? This is where it’s important to understand rather than just memorize. When you just memorize that anything to the zero power equals 1, you’ll later come up against it and say, “What was that rule again?” After that you’ll have to research it again. But if we can arrive at the solution, we can figure it out each time we forget the answer. Here’s how it works. We’ll do it with tens because tens are easy, but it works with any number at all. So 103 = 10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000. But 102 = 10 x 10 = 100, and 1,000 ÷ 10 = 100. So we see that when we divide 103 by 10 we get 102, right? As it turns out, when we divide any number raised to a power by the number itself, we simply subtract 1 from the exponent! 103 ÷ 10 = 103-1 = 102. Try it with 7: 73 = 343. 72 = 49. 73 ÷ 7 = 49 = 72. So go back to the tens and see that 103 ÷ 10 = 102 = 100, so 102 ÷ 10 = 101 = 10. Each time we simply subtract 1 from the exponent. So here’s the money shot: 101 ÷ 10 = 1 = 100. Boom. 71 ÷ 7 = 1 = 70. So 4,523,9060 = 1? Now you’ve got it. But guess what! This can also take us into negative exponents! But we shall save that for another day. For the moment I hope you’ve learned something new. Two things, actually. First, any number raised to the zero power equals 1. Second, and more important, is that it’s always better to understand how to arrive at an answer than to memorize a rule! As owner and director at Mathnasium (a math learning center with locations in West Knoxville and Chattanooga (www.mathnasium.com/westknoxville) for the past five years, Mike has extensive experience teaching children and young adults the foundations of math concepts that are crucial to building their confidence and engagement with math throughout life.

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

9 Key Phases During Your Baby’s First Hour by Julie Hamilton

very healthy baby moves through the same 9 phases (if allowed) immediately following delivery. This is a wonderful time of learning and orienting and is an important beginning to life and thriving outside the womb. Interview your birthing facility and hospital options prior to delivery to make sure they accommodate this time, and ask what procedures need to be rearranged so it is protected. If baby is removed from mom’s chest prior to the first feed, expect the 9 phases to start over. Below is a list of the 9 phases with brief descriptions of what you’ll see and general indications of time after delivery. BIRTH CRY Birth Cry - A short “Hello World!” cry as baby is lightly toweled off and placed on mom’s bare chest. Keep baby unwrapped and unclothed so movement is free and directly against the warmth of mom. RELAXATION Hands are relaxed and no mouth movements AWAKENING Small movements of head and shoulders, may open eyes and show some mouth activity

“Great checklist for dads! After delivery, keep baby skin-to-skin on mom for the first 60-90 minutes checking off each stage below.” Hot Tip! Bath and almost all procedures can wait until after the first feed for healthy babies and healthy moms. Other procedures can be done with baby on mom’s chest. Interview your birthing facility or hospital to make sure baby can be left on mom through all 9 phases.

For more questions to ask the birthing facility or hospital and more parentsto-be tools and resources visit http://www.beforeyoubreastfeed.com/home/giftbasket. Julie Hamilton is a speaker, author and coach helping moms-to-be identify their Choice and Voice and move confidently towards their breastfeeding goals. Her advocacy work also includes projects that reduce or eliminate obstacles for new moms. Julie can be reached at julie@juliesvillage.org.

ACTIVITY Mouthing and sucking movements increase (this is around 8 minutes after birth) RESTING Baby may have resting periods throughout these phases CRAWLING Baby moves toward and reaches the breast with small bursts of action (around 35 minutes after birth) FAMILIARIZATION Baby smells, touches and tastes. While breastfeeding is a learned activity for moms, it is absolutely instinctive for babies. SUCKLING Your newborn self-attaches and feeds (around 1 hour). Depending on factors such as amount of fluids given to mom during labor, pain medicine and others, the timing of the stages will differ slightly. Mom’s first milk, colostrum, is full of developmental and protective proteins, antibodies and everything the baby needs for his or her first meal! Moms make food that sustains life! SLEEPING Baby falls into a restful sleep (around 90-120 minutes after birth) Protecting this time will help baby and parents have a great first learning experience and signal mom’s body to make more milk. Baby will move more quickly through these 9 stages for the second and third feeding. If you have decided to breastfeed or maybe just hope to try it, choosing a facility committed to protecting this time will help you move confidently towards your breastfeeding goals.

Keep Your Teeth Healthy For A Lifetime!

(865) 693-6933

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

Dear Knox County Schools’ Families

s I reflect upon the 2014-15 school year, I am extremely proud of the great work that has occurred in the classrooms throughout the Knox County Schools. Our recent teacher survey reflects a lot of positive momentum among our educators and staff, and I am thrilled our students continue to make strong academic progress. We are extremely fortunate to have talented educators, supportive families, and a community that cares deeply about ensuring a bright and successful future for our children. The results of the teacher survey show significant improvement. This was the second district-wide survey administered to teachers with the goal of gaining valuable input and feedback from educators in the Knox County Schools. Comparing results from the 2015 survey with those of the 2013 survey, the Knox County Schools experienced an increase in positive responses and a decrease in negative responses on virtually every question. This year, more than 84 percent of the 3,171 teachers who completed the survey said their school was a good place to work and learn, and 53 percent, compared to 27.8 percent in 2013, said their school district was a good place to work and learn. I invite you to read the complete results of the 2013 and 2015 surveys at knoxschools.org. I am pleased that our efforts to support, listen to, and value our educators appear to be having a positive impact. While we still have work to do, I believe we have made important and significant progress to strengthen our positive culture of excellence in the school system which better positions us to continue to provide an outstanding education for our 58,000 students. This positive momentum propels our work throughout the summer to ensure another successful upcoming school year. During this well-earned break from classes, I want to offer my gratitude for the critical support you, as parents, provide your students. Your support at home offers a solid foundation for

“We are extremely fortunate to have talented educators, supportive families, and a community that cares deeply about ensuring a bright and successful future for our children.” our extraordinary teachers to do their jobs. Together, we are reaching our ambitious goal of Excellence for Every Child, and I thank you for your dedicated engagement. While we are on a vacation from school, however, we should not take a vacation from learning. Reading is a wonderful summer activity that keeps our students learning over the break. The Knox County Public Library offers enriching summer reading programs for children and teens. Reading for around 20-30 minutes each day helps students reduce the probability of summer learning loss and prepare them for a successful start to the new school year. Read more about the library’s programs at knoxlib.org. To all of our families, I wish you a safe and enjoyable summer break. Sincerely, Jim McIntyre Superintendent

ACT/ SAT Get higher scores on the

PSAT

Individual tutoring and group classes at reasonable prices.

T E S T PREP EXPERTS

Call Dr. Michael K. Smith at 865-694-4108 In Knoxville since 1983. Convenient location at 308 South Peters Rd.

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

Learning The Basics: Life 101 For Young People By Tracey Matthews Wynter, Supervisor of the Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Department Contributing writer: Roseline Pierre, Intern, University of Tennessee

hile this article will cover skills for all ages, it is the parents of our recent high school graduates who will find this information a must! School has always been the “job” of students, thus, parents often take on more of the basic life skill tasks that leaves young people less able to function as independently as we would like as they leave for college. However, it’s never too late—or too early—to teach children these important tasks. Budgeting and Money Management Young people should know how a bank account works, how to write a check, and how to withdraw funds from an automatic teller. Understanding how to budget income/savings is also critical, but budgeting is only half the battle. Sticking to a budget and assuming the consequences (bounced checks, overdraft fees, etc.) for reckless spending and withdrawals must be experienced without parent “bailouts.” This can all start with a piggybank for our youngest children, move toward using separate envelopes for various budgeted categories (entertainment, clothing, food, etc.), and graduate to opening checking and savings accounts. Additionally, as a recent victim of identity theft, I also encourage you to show your children how to protect their information and regularly check their account statements to ensure no one is tampering with their funds.

Engagement Department, thank you for continuing to read our monthly articles. For more information on the resources available to Knox County Schools’ students and families, visit us online at knoxschools.org/fce or contact Tracey Matthews Wynter, Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Supervisor, tracey.matthews@knoxschools.org, 865594-9525. FAMILY RESOURCE OF THE MONTH: The Free Medical Clinic

The Free Medical Clinic provides healthcare services to working, uninsured individuals, their spouses and their dependent children between the ages of 16-24 who are full-time students. Patients are seen by appointment only, and all services are provided at no cost to the patient. For more information or to verify eligibility, visit www.freemedicalclinic.net or call 577-3733. Additionally, for volunteer opportunities, call 579-1515. For locations and more information, call 865-546-3500, or contact Mrs. Tamekia Jackson, KCS Family Resource Center Director tamekia.jackson@knoxschools.org. 865-594-1192

Handling Emergencies “Accidents” are called accidents because they are unplanned, but preparing for them can be planned! Does your teen know what information to exchange with other drivers if they are in an automobile accident? Will your teen know to keep a little cash for emergency situations in which credit cards are not accepted? Are they aware that most medical visits will require a co-payment and that they should keep their insurance information with them at all times? What about basic CPR and first aid training? These skills can be taught and practiced at a very early age and will leave us without regrets. Basic Household Skills There are elementary school-aged children who know how to sort, wash, dry, fold and put away their own laundry, and there are many teens leaving for college who do NOT. At the grocery story, does your collegebound teen know to compare price per ounce vs price by price? Can your student place thread in a needle and make and secure a stitch? Can he or she use an iron and do basic cooking? Look for Part 2 of this important information soon, and please email your suggestions to tracey.matthews@knoxschools.org. We would love to incorporate them and give you credit for your contributions. Enjoy the summer! On behalf of the Knox County Schools Family and Community

Educate Your Kids on the Truth About Drugs. Youth need factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug free. Learn more, order free educational materials or request a speaker for your group or event at drugfreesouth.org. Drug-Free South is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. The logo above is its trademark.

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

Car Seat Safety Tips By TIS Insurance Services, Inc and The Hanover

ine out of ten parents leave the hospital with a newborn in an improperly installed car seat according to a 2014 study. To help protect your bundle of joy, TIS Insurance Services, Inc. of Knoxville and its insurance carrier partner, The Hanover, are offering tips for parents on the proper use of child restraint systems. “When used incorrectly, child restraint systems can actually increase the risk of injury in a crash,” said Lisa Churchwell, director of public relations and communications at TIS. Churchwell stresses the importance of proper car seat use including following the recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Car Seat Safety- Tips on Proper Use Who: Infants and children less than 2 years old should be rear-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight for their car seat model. Any child who has outgrown his or her rear-facing car seat should be placed in a forwardfacing car seat until he or she reaches either 4 years of age or 40 pounds. As a general rule, a child has outgrown his or her forward-facing car seat when the top of his or her ears reach the top of the seat. Installation: When using a rear-facing only seat, make sure your car seat base is installed at the correct angle. Babies must ride sitting semi-reclined so their

“When used incorrectly, child restraint systems can actually increase the risk of injury in a crash,” said Lisa Churchwell, director of public relations and communications at TIS.” airways remain open. The car seat should not move side-to-side more than 1 inch, but do allow some room to absorb some impact. The latch system or the seat belt can be used, but not both. Harness safety: Always use a five-point harness and properly position it on your child per the manufacturer’s specifications. The harness must be snug. Place the top of the chest clip at the armpit level. For rear-facing seats, harness straps should enter the seat below the child’s shoulders. For forwardfacing seats, they should be at or above the shoulder. Car seat harness straps should not be washed, even in water, as it can compromise the fire-retardant chemicals and weaken the integrity of the straps. Children should not wear winter coats in harnessed car seats. The added bulk can prevent proper harness tightening that allows the child to shift dangerously in the event of an accident. Booster Seat Safety Who: All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly. This is typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age. Belt placement: The lap belt should lay low and snugly across the child’s upper thighs below his or her hip bones. The shoulder belt should cross the center of your child’s chest and shoulder. It should not cut across the neck or face. Never put the shoulder belt behind your child’s back or under his or her arm. General Car Safety Tips Center of the backseat: The safest placement for your children is the center of the backseat. Children younger than 13 years of age who ride in the front seat can risk serious injury from other cars as well as airbags. Check expiration date: Registering your child’s car seat will allow the manufacturer to alert you of any recalls. Note the expiration date on the seat as most are only effective for six years. In the event of a car accident, be sure to check with your independent agent to determine whether your car seat needs to be replaced. Your insurer may cover the cost to replace a damaged car seat. Get it inspected: Proper installation of child car seats is critical. Churchwell recommends having your seats inspected. For a list of inspection sites closest to you, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. TIS strongly supports the safety of its customers and members of our community. For more information, visit tisins.com.

Located in Knoxville

1715 Downtown West Blvd. Knoxville, TN 37919

(888) 307-0320

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

Getting The Most Out Of Practice: Part II By Jeff Comas

commonly ask music students what they think they need to do to improve their performance of a certain piece of music. The common response is “practice more.” While more practice may be part of the solution, it is definitely not the whole. We have all heard “practice makes perfect.” I do not agree with that statement. For one thing, true perfection may not really be obtainable, but that’s not really the point. What is more important is that just practice alone is insufficient. In fact practicing without clarity or in an inconsistent manner can be detrimental. A much better statement, that is popular with music teachers is, “perfect practice makes perfect.” Derived from “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” -Vince Lombardi Lets presume we are talking about learning music and that in this part if I say “you” I mean “you, or your child.” Consider an alternative to “practice makes perfect,” “practice makes progress.” Ah, now there is a statement I can agree with. You will make progress in whatever you practice. What if you are practicing a passage, but do not always use the same fingering (inconsistent). What are you really teaching yourself? What if you are learning a new piece and initially misrepresent a note or notes to yourself (lack

• • • • • • •

Elzbieta Tworek Archery Instructions US National Certified Level IV Archery Coach

Beginner Archery Classes Portable Archery lessons Group Archery Classes, Corporate Events Camp, Private School/ Home School, Summer Programs Private Archery Lessons Archery certification courses for instructors Open Training Sessions

865-719-7543 • theolympicarrow@comcast.net www.theolympicarrow.com

“Ideal practice gets ideal results.” -Jeff Comas of clarity). Will you practice the piece incorrectly? If you are inconsistent in how you practice, your progress will be slower and you may feel doubt in performance. If you lack clarity about what you are practicing you may even be practicing mistakes and getting very good at them. Does this sound like a good idea? Are these the results you want? No? Well, how do you get the results you do want? Here is my version of a great practice mantra; “Ideal practice gets ideal results.” -Jeff Comas What are ideal results? How about maximum return for the effort you put into practice? To learn faster and have more confidence and ease with performance, wouldn’t that be ideal? So, what is ideal practice? In this case lets call practice the act of repetitions for the purpose of learning. In my mind, ideal practice would look as described. You (the student) are: • In the Ideal posture for playing your instrument • Clear about what is to be practiced before practicing • Consistent in your practice habits and only practice what you actually are trying to learn (this does not mean never go exploring on your instrument) • Engage in the activity at hand Put these elements into your practice, and remember to simplify by learning small parts. Practice briefly and frequently. Then you will experience accelerated learning, gain ease with your instrument, and ultimately have more fun. Jeff Comas started playing music at 5 years of age. He is the owner of Allied Music Instructors. He has been a music educator since 1989, and has given over 40,000 music lessons.

Knoxville Parent • June 2015

10 Terrific Books: Learn Something New! Compiled by Erin Nguyen

Children’s Department, Knox County Public Library

I See a Pattern Here by Bruce Goldstone PreK-2nd An excellent introduction to the math concept of patterns.

Egg: Nature’s Perfect Package by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page PreK-3rd Jenkins and Page team up for another captivating look at the world of animals and insects, this time taking a close look at the wide variety of eggs and how they protect babies as they develop.

I Can Draw: Planes, Trains & Moving Machines by Philippe Legendre 1st-5th Learn to draw different types of moving machines with this how-to book for beginners.

Hawai’i’s Animals Do the Most Amazing Things! by Marion Coste 2nd-5th Because of its isolated location and volcanic activity, Hawai’i is home to a wide array of fascinating and sometimes endangered species of animals and bugs featured in this book.

The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects selected by Paul B. Janeczko 2nd-8th Take a quick tour through the history of poetry from the dark ages to modern times.

Why’d They Wear That?: Fashion as the Mirror of History by Sarah Albee 4th-8th If you’ve ever wondered why certain clothing styles have been popular throughout history, this is the book for you.

Seeds of Freedom: The Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama by Hester Bass 3rd-6th This book tells the lesser known story of the integration of Huntsville, Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement which happened with less violence than in other communities in the state.

Capital Days: Michael Shiner’s Journal and the Growth of Our Nation’s Capital by Tonya Bolden 4th-7th The development of the city of Washington, D.C. during the 19th century is shown through the eyes of African American Michael Shiner who began life as a slave there and eventually bought his freedom.

For library information in your area visit: www.knoxlib.org/

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow 6th-9th Author Jarrow presents a wellresearched account of Irish cook Mary Mallon and the disease of typhoid she was believed to have spread in New York.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery 7th-12th The inspiring story of the youngest person to make the whole journey from Selma to Montgomery during the historic march in Alabama is told in her own words.