tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142811672009-11-07T09:00:05.106-06:00Kids Talk is a column dealing with childhood development issues written by Maren Stark Schmidt. Mrs. Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College in Maryland. She has over 20 years experience working with young children and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale. She is also Creative Director for a video-based reading series for children ages three to six, The Shining Light Reading Series. Contact her via e-mail at maren@shininglightreading.com. Visit www.shininglightreading.com for more information. Ask your local newspaper to carry Kids Talk. Call, write or e-mail your local newspaper editor and recommend Kids Talk.Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.comBlogger275125http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/kidstalk.JPGWelcome to Kids Talk by Maren Schmidt, presented by Shining Light Reading Series. This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-51454809766416936152009-11-07T09:00:00.000-06:002009-11-07T09:00:05.113-06:00As I was getting ready to go on a picnic with some friends, the phone rang. "What can I bring?" my friend asked. Earlier I had suggested that I bring the food and...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-62437549631724207512009-10-31T14:05:00.000-05:002009-10-31T14:06:23.147-05:00Dear Kids Talk Readers: I am thrilled to let you know about my new book—Building Cathedrals Not Walls. The phrase ''building...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-46751510087106496712009-10-31T08:00:00.001-05:002009-10-31T08:00:06.647-05:00Children from about age three are asking us to help them learn independence. Children want to learn how to do things on their own without adult supervision or permission. Even though at times we feel...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-16706202914604380212009-10-24T08:00:00.000-05:002009-10-24T08:00:01.366-05:00Close your eyes, and think back to a happy time and place in your childhood. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel? What are you touching? What can you taste? ...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-18418030670836678752009-10-17T08:00:00.000-05:002009-10-17T13:48:17.367-05:00Green. Everything today is green. Cars are green. Food is green. Sports equipment is green. Kermit the Frog should be happy because he crooned that "it's not easy being green." ...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-1002971635049165722009-10-10T19:47:00.000-05:002009-10-10T19:48:01.756-05:00The idea of selfless service was the theme of a story from my kindergarten days. The Sunday School lesson told of a firefighter who died saving families from a burning building. The Bible verse to...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-20769547110655872362009-10-03T08:30:00.001-05:002009-10-03T08:30:00.489-05:00At a teachers' conference a couple of years ago we broke into groups to answer the following question: What are the most important ideas you'd like to communicate to parents of the children you...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-171566852208943812009-09-26T08:30:00.000-05:002009-09-26T08:30:00.257-05:00We were looking forward to spending the weekend with old friends and their eight- and ten-year-old sons, whom we had never met. As soon as quick introductions were made, the boys picked up their...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-30641008540116018352009-09-19T08:30:00.000-05:002009-09-19T08:30:00.665-05:00Do you dream of having a child who is self-composed, articulate and respectful of others, young or old? In our children's pre-verbal days it seems like those attributes may be impossible, but there...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-64277986559146179662009-09-12T08:30:00.000-05:002009-09-12T08:30:00.466-05:00A few years ago I discovered that the six-year-olds in my class couldn't differentiate between a nickel, dime or quarter, much less a half-dollar. They did recognize a one-, five- and ten-dollar...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-79839200224333803012009-09-05T08:30:00.000-05:002009-09-05T08:30:00.442-05:00There is magnetism with a 2 1/2- to 3-year-old and their ability to blurt out observations in public. These comments can make us understand, that, yes, we are paying for our raising. ...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-39185108314755623412009-08-29T08:30:00.000-05:002009-08-29T08:30:00.878-05:00Fostering cooperation in our children can be a blood-pressure-altering event. With so many chores that need to be done during the day, we can feel like a drill sergeant, police officer and the Wicked...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-22019922816797759872009-08-22T08:30:00.000-05:002009-08-22T08:30:00.901-05:00''I don't feeeel good,'' was the daily lament from one of my four-year-old students. Whatever ways we tried to distract Zoe and get her mind off her problems and into some fun learning, Zoe chose to...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-69228625150350182072009-08-15T08:30:00.000-05:002009-08-15T08:30:00.757-05:00Thomas Watson of IBM fame posted one-word notices around IBM factories and offices. ''THINK,'' read the signs. When a book about IBM and Tom Watson appeared, it was no surprise that the title was...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-14389741937598840862009-08-08T09:00:00.000-05:002009-08-08T09:00:02.222-05:00The most important help to life we can offer to our children is to provide opportunities to develop concentration and independence. With the development of...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-64913349750765779472009-08-01T08:30:00.000-05:002009-08-01T08:30:00.388-05:00In Betty Smith's classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, she tells the story of a young girl Francie Nolan in the early 1900's, living with her family in the tenements. There wasn't enough food. Her father...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-67497248420154911162009-07-25T08:25:00.000-05:002009-07-25T08:25:00.638-05:00The latest educational push is for 21st century skills that include analysis, critical thinking and cooperative learning. I don't think we can protest that these...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-96440152513605032009-07-18T08:25:00.000-05:002009-07-18T08:25:00.855-05:00A recent newsletter from the Core Knowledge Foundation introduced me to the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. Going to the octopus' website I found photos of the red octopus in a tree. The red octopus...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-68310166793392726932009-07-11T08:25:00.001-05:002009-07-11T08:25:01.711-05:00John Medina, affiliate professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine, gives us 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home and play in his book, Brain...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-12414238625304520642009-07-04T08:25:00.000-05:002009-07-04T08:25:00.233-05:00As we approach Independence Day, my mind turns to the idea of freedom. Freedom is a difficult word to define. Ask 10 people what freedom is, and you will get at least 10 different answers. There are...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-51012043509768240952009-06-27T08:25:00.000-05:002009-06-27T08:25:01.981-05:00Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers makes a case for understanding successful people. We may think that someone is a self-made person, that they had overnight success or were born with talent to...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-84743118768257156112009-06-23T11:38:00.002-05:002009-06-23T11:39:28.191-05:00What can I say? It's finished! It's done. It's ready! Understanding Montessori: A Guide for Parents is for sale at my website, MarenSchmidt.com, as well as...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-72342308054801407042009-06-20T08:25:00.000-05:002009-06-20T08:25:00.328-05:00Daniel Pink in his 2005 book, A Whole New Mind, tells us the world is changing and that our brains need to change, too. Pink sees the world becoming geared more towards creative endeavors in order to...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-50864271063446718542009-06-13T08:25:00.000-05:002009-06-13T08:25:00.600-05:00An indicator of healthy and normal development in children (and adults, too!) is the presence of self-discipline that seems to appear almost out of nowhere. In reality, there are factors that...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14281167.post-53714234328915289212009-06-06T08:25:00.000-05:002009-06-06T08:25:00.704-05:00We are raising adults, not children. Our job as parents (and parent support systems) is to guide our children to complete independence. Little by little, day by day, we help our children develop...<br/> <br/> Visit http://www.shininglightreading.com/kidstalknews/main.html or for full links, other content and more!Maren Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588810130654241828noreply@blogger.com0