Each card might show a word with the vowel highlighted. Ask the student to say the vowel and then see if they can read the whole word. If they are struggling, ask them to sound out each letter in the word.  Make your own flash cards by writing down words on note cards. Make sure to use both simple vowels, such as cat and dad, and vowel digraphs, like neat and read. Add pictures to the flashcard to help students remember vocabulary. You can also buy flashcards at bookstores or anywhere school supplies are sold. Ask students to practice flash cards in groups. If you have a mixed class, be sure to put non-native speakers in groups with native speakers to help them learn more quickly. Use a phone, computer, or tape recorder. Afterwards, let the student listen to how they sound. If they are struggling, state the correct way to pronounce the vowel and record them again. For non-native English speakers, let them listen to a recording of a native speaker before listening to their own recording. Ask them what they notice between the native speaker’s vowels and their own. These games make learning fun! The program may ask students to recognize the right vowel or to match vowels with similar sounds. Some great games include:  Phonics Hero Phonics Bloom Hooked on Phonics Reading Rockets A vowel chart groups words according to their vowel sounds. Words with similar vowel sounds are put together in the chart. These words are generally simple words with only 1 or 2 syllables. Find a premade chart online or make your own. Better yet, ask the students to make their own chart. Give them several words with different vowel sounds. Ask the students to organize the words by their vowel sounds. Songs often require that the singer lengthen the vowels as they sing. If you’re teaching an ESL class, singing can help your students master their pronunciation. Some great songs for this exercise include:  Old MacDonald Row, Row, Row Your Boat Where is Short E? Apples and Bananas

Summary: Practice using vowel flash cards. Record students pronouncing each vowel. Ask young students to play a phonics game on a computer or tablet. Show the students a vowel chart. Sing songs to help non-native speakers learn pronunciation.


A bridge is like another chorus that is only sung once and presents the themes of your song in a new way. Use your bridge to spice up your song by singing new lyrics and in a new key or with different chords in the same key.  Make sure the lyrics of your bridge are vague like the lyrics of your chorus. Don’t introduce new specifics. You could also consider using your bridge as an opportunity for an instrumental solo if you want to feature your skill with a particular instrument. The most common song structure used today is Verse/ Chorus/ Verse/ Chorus/ Bridge/ Chorus. But, you can feel free to play around with this structure based on what works best for your song. Take the elements you’ve already created and experiment by moving them around, repeating some of them, and so on until the structure feels right. Some genres use specific song structures. For example, EDM most often uses Intro/ Verse/ Chorus/ Breakdown/ Verse/ Chorus/ Verse/ Chorus/ Bridge/ Chorus/ Outro. Once you’ve finished writing your song, you can add in instruments like the drums, bass guitar, and keyboard to drive and accent the melody. Your other instruments should be played in the same key and time signature you settled on previously. If you don’t know how to play other instruments, try recording the foundation of the song using your computer, then use music software like Ableton or GarageBand to add new elements to the song. Start off by practicing the parts of your song individually until you have them each memorized. Then, move on to practicing all of them together in the correct order until you can transition smoothly from one element to the next without even thinking about it. Once you have your song memorized, you should record it. Use your phone, a digital recorder, a laptop and software, or a video camera. Once you have your recording, make sure to make a copy of it or upload it to the cloud. That way you’ll never forget your song or lose it.

Summary: Decide whether or not you want to add a bridge to your song. Nail down the final structure of your song. Add other instruments to create a fuller sound. Practice your song until you have it memorized. Record your song.


Sometimes parents don’t even realize the effect they have on their kids. Be sure to express your feelings to your parents when the argument is over. Avoid bringing it up during the argument, which may only make things worse if they feel guilty. They may also blame the other parent if emotions are high. Try to be calm while expressing yourself. Avoid egging them on or trying to guilt trip them. Your aim is to help them understand what you’re feeling so they will reconsider their actions. You're not trying to get payback. Research shows that bitter disputes between parents can impair the emotional development of children. Psychologists have known for years that a secure attachment between parent and child is important for healthy development. Recent research suggests that perceived security between caregivers is also significant. Unresolved conflict between parents can cause anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. Some disagreements are natural and may help to solve problems. Other kinds of fighting hurt everyone involved, damaging relationships and creating feelings of insecurity. Here are the characteristics of different kinds of fighting:  Good: compromise. Good fights end with people agreeing to do something differently in order to make things better. For example, if they think dinner should start at different times, they can compromise by choosing a new time that they can both agree on. Good: positive statements despite having a difference of opinion. Disagreeing doesn’t have to mean disliking each other or not appreciating things about each other. For example, one of your parents might say, “I’m angry that you forgot to take out the trash, but you normally do a good job helping out around the house.” Bad: personal insults. For example, name-calling and insulting each other’s ability to be a good parent/partner are harmful ways to handle conflict. Bad: stonewalling, or refusing to acknowledge the other person. The silent treatment can be just as bad as yelling, because it leaves unresolved tension in the air and teaches poor communication skills. This reasonable request can help spare you from the emotionally damaging impact of your parents' arguments. Your parents fighting in front of you disrupts the stability of your home environment. It also teaches you that it’s okay to engage in “bad fighting” with people as a way of trying to resolve conflict. Tell your parents that it would be less painful for you if they took arguments to their room or another private place. Parents who have difficulty expressing their needs without engaging in “bad fighting” can benefit from seeing a professional therapist. Couples counseling can help people address many different issues they may be having, such as:  Communication difficulties and not understanding each other. Practical issues such as finances. Conflicts about how to raise children.
Summary: Tell your parents it hurts to see them fight. Educate them about the effects of fighting. Ask them to learn about good and bad fighting. Suggest they argue in private. Mention couples counseling or family therapy.