Dr. Linda’s School Success Newsletter | November 2009
Published monthly by Linda Silbert, PhD
In This Issue
Happening Now: SAT and ACT Prep for Upcoming Tests and lots moreHappening Now
Happening Now at StrongLearning.com Call 845-628-7910 today.
- One to one tutoring. All subjects, levels and grades. K-12. No contracts. All areas.
- One-to-one tutoring for upcoming SAT and ACT tests
- Homework help and test prep
- Call for educational testing to discover how your child learns.
- Enroll for SAT and ACT small group prep for upcoming tests–only in Westchester and Putman Counties, NY – three options to save money.
- Help with college applications, essays, and more
- Call for info about our panel discussion, “The Inside Guide to College Admissions,” with college admissions counselors and area high school counselors. Mahopac Library, Jan. 7, 2010. Parents and high school students invited.
Happening Now at DrLindasBlog.com Call 845-628-7910 today.
- News and updates about our events, online & offline
- Articles – You’re welcome to reprint any article in full. Include my contact information. Great for a school or community newsletter, a blog or ezine.
- Email your comments, thoughts and observations about kids, school and learning. I love to hear from you!
Note from Dr. Linda
Hi Parents, Grandparents, Teachers and Friends:
Doesn’t seem possible that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Time for giving thanks for all that we have. Time for reminding children to think about all the things they’re thankful for too.
Be sure to put aside some time to read aloud, “Molly’s Pilgrim,” by Barbara Cohen. It’s a great discussion starter for the whole family. Shows all of us there are many different kinds of pilgrims. The film version of the story won an Academy Award.
This month’s School Success Tip features a recipe for your kids to make for Thanksgiving dinner. Find out how cooking boosts school success skills. Thanks for all your recipes. I’ve chosen one that’s easy for kids of all ages to make and that’s delicious.
Of course there’s a Thanksgiving quiz. Be the first to get the correct answers and you’ll win a prize.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Dr. Linda
P.S. Don’t forget Veteran’s Day. Another opportunity for chatting with your kids. Children learn from conversation. What does it mean to them that we celebrate a day for all the men and women who have served in the armed forces? Is there anyone in your family who has served or is serving now? What can you tell your kids about this person if it’s someone they don’t know.
From ADHD to homework, from test-taking to phonics, twice a week, you’ll get short, effective tips to help your child learn. Sign up now and invite other parents to sign up. It’s my FREE gift to you and your children. Check out the bonuses you’ll get when you subscribe to the tips http://www.askdrlindasilbert.com/tips.html.
School Success Tip: Cook to Boost Reading and Math Skills
Hey Kids, you can make a Sweet Potato Pineapple Marshmallow Casserole for Thanksgiving dinner.
Cooking is a great way to help kids with school success skills. Requires reading directions, reading labels while shopping, and even fractions. Fixing a sweet potato pineapple marshmallow casserole for Thanksgiving dinner is a great place to start. Little kids can help shop for the ingredients, dump ingredients out of cans, stir, and sprinkle marshmallows on top when it’s time.
Older kids can experiment–cook and peel raw potatoes instead of using canned potatoes, add nuts, substitute fruit cocktail for pineapple, stir a few marshmallows directly into the potato mixture. They can look for recipes on the internet where they’ll find dozens of variations on this traditional Thanksgiving favorite.
Double the recipe or cut it in half, and you have a great exercise in using fractions.
This is a wonderful casserole for kids to try because it’s hard to botch it up–as long as the marshmallows don’t burn. And if the marshmallows do burn, scrape them off, put more marshmallows on top, and heat again. No harm done.
Most children also like eating the casserole since it’s very sweet–we’ve even served it at our home in individual glass sherbet dishes as dessert. Just added a bit more fruit, some marshmallows mixed into the potatoes, and chopped pecans sprinkled on top.
Sweet Potato Pineapple Marshmallow Casserole
Ingredients:
16 oz. can pineapple chunks (or pineapple tidbits)
1/4 c. fruit syrup (saved from the can of pineapple chunks)
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves
2 (18 oz.) cans vacuum packed sweet potatoes, drained
2 c. miniature marshmallows
You’ll need:
A fork
A large spoon
A large mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Can opener
Small saucepan for melting butter
9″ x 13″ baking dish
How to make the Sweet Potato Pineapple Marshmallow Casserole
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Drain sweet potatoes and mash
3. Beat egg (you can use a fork)
4. Melt butter
5. Drain fruit (save 1/4 cup syrup to put in the potato mixture)
6. Lightly grease or spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish
7. Stir all the ingredients, except the marshmallows, in a big bowl
8. Pour the ingredients into the baking dish.
9. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
10. Remove the casserole from the oven
11. Cover the top of the casserole with marshmallows.
12. Return to the oven for 5 minutes or less.
Watch carefully since marshmallows burn easily.
Notes to Parents: When the guests arrive for dinner, be sure to announce that your child made this yummy casserole.
By the way, the Pilgrims didn’t eat sweet potato pineapple marshmallow casserole in 1621. In fact, they probably didn’t eat sweet potatoes at all. Discover what they did eat and how they ate it plus lots of other interesting and fun information about the first Thanksgiving
If your kids enjoyed making the Sweet Potato Pineapple Marshmallow Casserole, you’ll want to encourage more cooking. Kids Cooking Activities has lots of suggestions, even a online club kids can join.
Thanksgiving Quiz
How much do you know about the history of Thanksgiving?
Take my quiz and find out. Let your kids take the quiz? If they’ve been studying Thanksgiving at school, they might know more than you remember! If you’re the first person to get the correct answers, you’ll win your (or your child’s) choice of one our Strong Learning books or phonics games.
Be sure to contact me with the correct answers.
1. Which U.S. president proclaimed that the last Thursday of November would be Thanksgiving Day? Which U. S. president proclaimed that the 4th Thursday of November would be Thanksgiving Day. (Hint: It was changed because some Novembers have five Thursdays.)
2. Which Governor proclaimed the first Thanksgiving?
2. How long did the first Thanksgiving last?
3. Was the first Thanksgiving a religious holiday or a harvest festival?
4. Which Indian tribe was present at the first Thanksgiving? Wampanoag, Iroquoise, or Cherokee?
5. We use knives, forks, and spoons at our Thanksgiving dinner. Which utensil was missing at the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving dinner?
Now It’s Your Turn
In this season of holidays, I’d love to hear about your family traditions?
Whatever our religious, ethnic background, or family heritage, we all have customs we cherish during holidays. For example, I have a friend who didn’t like peppermint as a child so her Mother always got her lemon candy canes. Now that woman is a Grandmother, and she gives her grandchildren lemon candy canes for their stockings. It’s a family tradition.
Tell me about your family’s holiday traditions? I’ll publish two or three of the most unusual in my next newsletter.
Go over to DrLinda’sBlog now and subscribe by email or RSS feed so you won’t miss anything.
I love to hear from you. Let me know what you’d like to see in the next newsletter. Thanks so much for all your emails, calls and comments.
If one of my tips or articles has helped, send your child’s success story or a funny but true story to share with my readers. Maybe your child learned more about reading and following directions from making the sweet potato pineapple marshmallow casserole.
If we use your story, you’ll receive an eBook copy of my award-winning book, “Why Bad Grades Happen to Good Kids,” which I wrote with my husband, Dr. Al Silbert. The co-host of NBC’s “Today Show,” Al Roker, wrote the foreword to our book.
Wishing you and your children a joyful Thanksgiving and a happy and successful school year
Watch for no-cost gift suggestions in my December Newsletter.
