The 10 Best Spelling Games to Improve Your Word Skills

The 10 Best Spelling Games to Improve Your Word Skills SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In case you haven’t heard, according to Taylor Swift, spelling is fun! But if Taylor’s word isn’t enough to convince you, we’ve come up with a list of ways that playing spelling games can actually improve your spelling, including examples of 10 spelling games that are excellent options for kids, adults, or anyone who wants to improve their spelling skills! (Don’t worry: the possibilities for spelling games go way beyond Scrabble.) Check out our list of 10 fun and challenging spelling games that you can play on your own or with friends to build your spelling skills and vocabulary. In this article, we’ll explain why spelling games are an effective way to improve your skills quickly, and we’ll also help you pick out the best spelling games to help you meet your goals. Let’s get started! Top 4 Ways Games Can Improve Your Spelling Did you know that the spelling game Words With Friends is one of the most popular mobile games of all time? That’s probably because friendly competition, gamification, and skill-building can be a really fun combo! In addition to being fun, gamifying spelling can provide you with some other benefits too. Here are four ways spelling games can improve your spelling, provide cognitive benefits, and increase your vocabulary! #1: Learning Can Come More Naturally When Combined With Games Researchers have found that incorporating games (like spelling games) into formal classrooms can boost student learning. Specifically, teachers who have used spelling games for kids in their classrooms reported improved test scores, heightened engagement from their students, and better attention spans. But the benefits of games don’t end with childhood- adolescents and adults can reap many of the same benefits from incorporating play and games into their life, too. Unfortunately, it’s easy to overlook the need for play and learning in our lives. Spelling word games are a popular and easily accessible way for adults to relax and enjoy learning, and you might even make friends with your fellow game players in the process. #2: Games Provide Practice What many people really need in order to improve at something they’re trying to master is practice. But sitting down with a piece of paper and writing a word over and over again is boring! Likewise, being in a classroom can be intimidating, too. Spelling word games- especially spelling games for kids- provide a fun environment to practice spelling...without the stress of a classroom environment. Formal environments where you have to perform a skill in front of other people- like school or work- can create anxiety around developing that skill. Practicing spelling in a game format allows you to try, fail, and try again without worrying about the consequences. And when people play games, they tend to try over and over again even after â€Å"failing† because they’re having fun! The kind of recurring practice and willingness to try again that spelling games promote can help anyone improve their spelling skills at any age. #3: They’re Great For ESL Learners and People With Dyslexia We mentioned how high-stakes environments like school or work can make spelling scary for some people. After all, no one wants to feel silly if they make a mistake! This can be especially true for people who are trying to learn a new language or who have dyslexia. Spelling games can be especially helpful for people in these situations. Research has shown that making spelling, reading, writing, listening, and speaking into a game can help English Language Learners and people with dyslexia learn to remember things faster and better and develop greater fluency. Connecting people who are learning a new language or who experience dyslexia with effective spelling word games can help them with their language learning. #4: Spelling Games Can Help With Other Important Skills Games give people the opportunity to learn how to spell words over an extended period of time, and they help cultivate an understanding of how the words are formed. Plus, research shows that learning to spell and learning to read and write rely on much of the same underlying knowledge. Many adults describe themselves as both poor readers and poor writers, and recent studies have shown that the time Americans spend reading is at an all-time low. But guess what has seen an increase over the past two decades? The amount of time that Americans spend on playing mobile games. Spelling games provide a great opportunity to dust off those reading and writing-related skills while also enjoying yourself. It’s an added bonus that exercising the reading and writing skills you already possess through game playing can help you grow and expand those existing skills in new ways as well. Top 4 Spelling Games for Kids Now that you know how word/spelling games can benefit people from all walks of life, let’s look at our list of top spelling games. First up: the best spelling games for kids! PBS Kids Spelling Games If you’re searching for one resource for spelling games online that provides access to a variety of spelling, vocabulary, and reading games designed for kids by education and child development experts, look no further than PBS Kids Online. PBS Kids’ website conveniently categorizes the many educational games they provide based on different content areas. There are also games for children ranging from the pre-reading stage to age 8. Younger kids may also appreciate the fact that many of PBS Kids’ spelling, vocabulary, and reading games feature characters they might already know and love from their favorite TV shows, like Big Bird, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and the little heroes of Super Why! The familiarity of these popular TV characters can serve as a big incentive for younger kids to engage with educational games. Though there are tons of educational games on the site, one of our favorite PBS Kids word/spelling games available for free online is Super Why Saves the Day. This game introduces a familiar story, like a fairy tale, and asks players to help rewrite the story using words they spell in the game. Players select letters as they appear on the screen to spell out 3-5 letter words, then choose from the pool of words they’ve spelled to rewrite different parts of the story. Super Why Saves the Day helps kids with both spelling and reading comprehension. Ideal For: Kids ages 3-8 Where to Find/Buy: PBS Kids website, or download the PBS Kids Games app for iOS, Android, or Amazon Fire Vocabulary Spelling City If you’re a parent or teacher, helping kids succeed in school-based reading and writing is probably important to you. Spelling City games can be a great source of support! Spelling City is a website and app that gamifies literacy learning to help children and youth grow and improve their vocabulary, spelling, phonics, and writing skills. The activities and games provided by Spelling City mimic the forms of learning and assessment that are used for literacy learning in U.S. schools. Using Spelling City can help students develop confidence and familiarity with the ways their literacy skills will be assessed in school through fun, engaging games. There are two different versions of Spelling City currently available: a free version and a paid annual subscription, called the Family Annual Membership. With the free version, you can access spelling games online or through the app. The Family Annual Membership provides more capabilities: in addition to over 40 spelling games, the membership gives you word study playlists, automatically graded spelling and vocabulary tests, and tracks student data and progress. Plus, the membership version is ad-free. Ideal For: Students aged K-12; families who homeschool; parents seeking extra learning support for their children; teachers seeking to gamify literacy learning; English Language Learners Where to Find/Buy: Online at the Vocabulary Spelling City website, or download the VocabularySpellingCity app for iOS or Android. Wordplay for Kids If you’re trying to cut down on screen time, Wordplay for Kids is a great board game option for building kids’ spelling, vocabulary, word building, and concentration skills. Here’s how the game works: players use a â€Å"letter spinner† to acquire certain letters that they then use to form a word before time runs out. The longer the word that they form, the more points they receive. The words must fall into six special categories: â€Å"Food and Drink,† â€Å"Object or Thing,† â€Å"Living Creature,† â€Å"Something in the House,† â€Å"Boy’s or Girl’s Name,† and â€Å"Any Word.† Another benefit of Wordplay for Kids is that the game can be played as an individual or with a group of 2-6 other players. The inclusive nature of this game gives kids an opportunity to practice spelling with others, which can take the anxiety out of the process. Plus, every player participates in every round, which keeps the excitement and momentum up for young players who want to stay in the middle of the action. Perhaps best of all, Wordplay for Kids is a Teachers’ Choice Award winner, so you know its potential to help kids find success in school-based spelling activities is strong. One word of caution, though: This board game does come with small pieces that could be a choking hazard, so be sure to keep out-of-reach of youngsters who are still in the â€Å"taste-everything-you-touch† phase. Ideal For: Children ages 6+ Where to Find/Buy: Purchase the board game online through Amazon Montessori Crosswords Montessori Crosswords is an app that comes highly recommended for children with dyslexia. Using the Montessori learning method, Montessori Crosswords uses a phonics-enabled moving alphabet to allow kids to build words from a set of 320 word, image, audio, and phonics combinations. The learning methods used by Montessori Crosswords help kids understand that words are made up of sounds, or phonemes. It also helps kids memorize the phonics associated with letters. The app accomplishes these two things by allowing kids to engage with the letters and phonics in the crosswords through sound, touch, and sight. As we mentioned earlier, making learning feel like playing can decrease many young learners’ anxiety about spelling. Additionally, this app tackles spelling from a unique learning perspective, so it makes spelling accessible to kids who have had difficult experiences with literacy learning. Ideal For: Any child, and especially children with dyslexia Where to Find/Buy: App store for iOS devices only Top 3 Spelling Games for Adults Now that we’ve looked at spelling games designed specifically for kids, let’s check out some top spelling games for adults. WordBattle WordBattle is a real-time, multiplayer online word game designed to help you practice word building in friendly competition with friends, family, or fellow Facebook users. Here’s how the game works: each player is given the same 9 random letters and attempts to create a word using them in 40 seconds. Here’s the catch: each letter is assigned a different point value. Your goal is to come up with the word with the greatest point value because whoever has the most points wins! Since WordBattle can be played through a social media site, there is also opportunity for community discussion about the game. Sometimes there are even debates about the legitimacy of words that are played. Especially enthusiastic players might even bust out the dictionary! Overall, WordBattle is simply meant to be a fun way to stretch your brain and improve your agility at word play...and you might just make a few new friends in the process. Ideal For: Any Facebook user who’s down for some competition! Where to Find/Buy: The WordBattle Facebook page, or download the app for iOS or Android. New York Times Crossword A classic in the world of spelling puzzle games, the New York Times crossword has been an icon of American culture since the 1940s. It first appeared in the Sunday paper, then was upgraded to a daily feature in the 1950s. The New York Times crossword puzzle gets increasingly difficult throughout the week, with the easiest puzzle appearing on Monday and the most difficult on Saturday. Knowing how the difficulty increases throughout the week can help you pick the puzzle that’s right for you. And even better: you don’t have to carry a newspaper around with you to play! The New York Times crossword is now available in an app for your phone or tablet. If you want to participate in a beloved national tradition and test your spelling and vocabulary skills, the New York Times crossword is a guaranteed winner. Ideal For: Adults looking for new, challenging spelling word games Where to Find/Buy: The New York Times online; iOS, Google Play, and Amazon Fire app stores Letter Tycoon If you’re interested in face-to-face, interactive spelling word games, consider looking into Letter Tycoon. This board game is an example of a solid approach to integrating a familiar, popular theme with spelling skills. Letter Tycoon asks its 2-5 players to engage in commodity speculation, hand management, and set collection to create the most valuable empire and become the â€Å"letter tycoon.† It’s kind of like Monopoly-meets-Scrabble! Here’s how the game works: players take turns forming a word using a seven-card hand and a three-card community pool, then score money and earn stock rewards based on the word they play. Players may use the money they’ve earned to buy one letter â€Å"patent† in the word they make. For the rest of the game, when other players use a letter you â€Å"own,† you receive â€Å"royalties† from the bank. Patents, money, and stocks are added up at the end of the game to determine the winner! If you’re looking for a fun, sophisticated spelling game that you can bring to game night, Letter Tycoon is a great option. Ideal For: Adults (and people who like economy-based games like Settlers of Catan) Where to Find/Buy: Purchase the board game from Amazon Prime or Walmart.com Top 3 Spelling Games for Anyone! But games are always more fun if you can play it with your whole family, no matter how old they are. That’s why we’ve compiled our favorite all-ages spelling games, too. Bananagrams Bananagrams is like Scrabble’s hip younger brother. It uses a similar concept in that the first player to use all of the letter tiles they’ve drawn to create a word grid is the winner. But Bananagrams ups the drama by making it a race against the other players. Bananagrams also comes in a cute, compact, banana-shaped cloth bag that’s about the size of a pencil case, making it easy to stuff into a backpack or purse and take anywhere. It also requires no pens, pencils, or papers to play! The Classic Bananagrams is great for people of all ages. Children as young as seven can play, and adults of any age can have fun playing, too. But Bananagrams also makes a version of the game called My First Bananagrams, designed for children as young as four who are still in the pre-reading stage. And, get this: if you’re trying to work on your spelling in a language other than English, you can buy Bananagrams in other languages! Available options include: Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Whatever your age or native language, Bananagrams is designed to make you more comfortable with letters and words and helps you improve your spelling. Ideal For: People of all ages and various language backgrounds Where to Find/Buy: Amazon, in-store or online at Target, Barnes Noble, Walmart, or at local toy stores Big Boggle Boggle is a word/spelling game that’s been around for a while, but it remains popular among people of all ages. Big Boggle is a variation on the classic game, and here’s how it works: players attempt to find as many connected words as possible from face-up letters in a 25-cube grid. But, the players are also on the clock! When time is up, players compare their lists of words, then eliminate any words they have in common. Players then receive points based on the number of letters in their remaining words. Adding the time element helps you practice your spelling under pressure, and it gives you the confidence to take spelling risks you might not normally take. (After all, you’re trying to earn precious points!) Ideal For: Anyone, but recommend ages 8+ Where to Find/Buy: eBay, Amazon, or in-store and online at Walmart Words With Friends You’ve probably heard of Words With Friends, a longtime fixture in online and multiplayer word/spelling games. In Words With Friends, players take turns building words in a crossword puzzle format. (If that sounds familiar, you’re right: Words With Friends riffs on the classic Scrabble concept.) If you’re a pretty active game player and enjoy multitasking, Words With Friends allows you to participate in up to 30 games at one time! Players can also connect with people they know to play Words With Friends, or be randomly assigned opponents through â€Å"Smart Match.† Like many other apps that can be played through social media networks, Words With Friends also provides a built-in chat feature that allows players to send messages to each other while playing the game. Ideal For: Anyone, but recommended ages 8+ Where to Find/Buy: iOS, Android, and Windows app store; Facebook, Kindle Fire, and Nook Tablet. What's Next? Do educational games sound like something right up your alley? Then make sure you check out our other posts on educational learning games! (Coming soon) If you’re trying to improve your spelling, you might be interested in working on your reading comprehension, too. Here’s our complete guide to improving your reading comprehension skills. One reason you might want to improve your spelling skills and vocabulary is to prepare you for the reading portion of the SAT or ACT. (It’s a great plan!) Learn more about the reading portions of the SAT and the ACT exams to make sure you’re prepared.

Customary law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Customary law - Essay Example This essay discusses that customary laws still reside the basis of new laws in modern societies. For instance in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries custom laws takes the form of common law. Modern legal issues such as the application of commerce laws to the internet in the 1990s, started as customary laws. For custom laws to be applied in the international law it needs to have met three conditions. One it should have widespread recurrence in that many states need to be applying that law in their countries. Secondly, each nation should have a sense of obligation to have the set standard and in enforcing the laws. Third the laws should bring about little dispute among the states internationally to be able to be applied. Customary legal systems tend to the following basic principle in their application. One there should be a strong concern for individual rights. Two; laws enforced by victims backed by reciprocal agreements. Thirdly, standard adjudication procedures mu st be observed to avoid violence. Four offences treated as torts punishable through economic restitution, five legal changes by means of an evolutionary process of developing customs and norms. Cultural law can be seen to have some advantages for the following reasons. They are flexible and easy to implement to suit the situation at hand. Because most of the customary laws are from the peoples who believe they are normally are easily changed and accepted. The peoples and the community’s cultures are given some sense of recognition by these customary laws hence making them easily acceptable to many people in the world. It also gives assurances to the minorities in the world that their way of life is given some preference in the application of law universally3. Through the application of customary laws, it gives the people a sense of belonging and recognition in the application of the laws. Most customary laws have undergone changes in their content, interpretation, and enforce ment. While changing, they can also stagnate if amid their evolution, the people give them a rigid interpretation especially if the customs continue when their social base has changed. A community may justify their continuance or avoidance by stating that its forefathers have ordained them. The customary laws change also when they are codified particularly when the formal system that has a written document as its base recognizes them. Discussion Presently, in a majority of cases, where customary law conflicts with domestic law the latter prevails, the exception being where a national law can be shown to conflict with constitutionally recognized customary rights. In such cases, the aggrieved party will still need the authorities to amend the offending legislation, and to take such remedial measures as may be required to redress any wrong, which has occurred. In some cases, there may be little hope of redress where irreversible exploitation of resources has occurred. Where no constitu tional protection exists, communities will forever be dependent upon the goodwill of the national authorities, as legislative action can at any time result in the abrogation of ancestral rights. Customary law and practice may be undermined by adoption of culturally insensitive national laws. Similarly, traditional authority is being eroded as those unhappy with their decisions seek

Monetary policy in EMU (European monetary Union) Essay

Monetary policy in EMU (European monetary Union) - Essay Example Initially, the European Union included 12 countries, but since its inception in 1992, the area has expanded to include 17 countries in total (European Union, 2012). The financial crisis of 2007-08 had enhanced the importance of the austere economic regulation by the European Union. This essay covers the monetary policy that has been adopted by the European Union, keeping in mind the various pressing issues that have been a matter of concern in the European countries like, price stability, real economy stabilization and its future plans regarding inflation targeting. Monetary Policy of the European Monetary Union Rationale behind price stability and real economic stabilization Price stability implies that the purchasing power of citizens and the value of their savings will be independent to the exchange rate fluctuations in cross-border travels and investments. The Monetary policy in the Euro zone is conducted by the European Central Bank and has direct impact on the price stability a nd the interest rates. The main objective of the monetary policy by the EMU is to keep the rate of inflation hovering around 2%, so that the value of Euro can be protected (European Union, 2012). This is achieved by altering the rate of interest of lending by the banks. The objective of price stability in monetary policy is an integral part of maintaining moderate levels of inflation, so that the economy can avoid the risk of running into deflation. The European Central Bank and EMU have always tried to maintain the price stability because of the strong notion that by maintaining the price stability, the economic activity and employment levels of the country can be improved. The maintenance of price stability by the EMU ensures that the price level of any particular good or service acts independent to the general price level of the economy. Price stability also ensures that the creditors can be relaxed as the prices will not rise in future and there will be no need of inflation risk premium to compensate the losses from inflation. Unnecessary hedging activities and distortions in the tax and social security system can also be avoided by maintenance of price stability (European Central Bank, 2011). The price stability contributes to the stabilization of the real economy. Monetary Policy prior to the crisis Before the onset of the financial crisis, the EMU had been successful in maintaining the inflation rate, averaging to 2.04% from January 1999 to August 2007 (European Central Bank, 2012). This bears a testimony to the fact that since the formation of Euro, the Euro Zone has been quite successful in achieving its preliminary goal of maintaining price stability. The most interesting fact about the price stability in the EU was that the inflation rates were not only low, but also had low macroeconomic volatility compared to other advanced countries of the world. Figure 1: Inflation Rates in the Advanced Economies (Source: European Central Bank, 2012) The above f igure shows the inflation rates in the industrialized economies of the world from 1999 to 2011. It can be seen that the monetary policy followed by the European Union, prior to the global financial crisis of 2007, has been in line with its objectives. In the course of time between 1999 and 2007, the European economy had undergone a lot of turmoil like, increasing global oil and food prices, increases in

Effect of Biological and Social Influences on Development

Effect of Biological and Social Influences on Development Gemma L Sobah Evaluate the contribution of biological and social influences to human psychological functioning Introduction: As humans, our psychological functioning is vital to our survival and succession. So what do we mean by psychological functioning? Psychological functioning is the way in which our minds work. It includes our thoughts, feelings and emotions. Human beings are thinkers and feelers. Our worlds evolve around, our thoughts, our feelings, and our hopes and dreams. How we view the world, and how we feel the world views us. We are driven by our emotions, our morals and our understanding of the people and world around us. Every experience in our life has the ability to impact our psychological functions. In this essay we will be looking at development and sex and gender. Charles Darwin was an evolutionary psychologist. He argued and believed that we have certain behaviours that have evolved and adapted because of how they benefit our survival and there for increased the chances of passing them on genetically. Darwin (1859) demonstrated the idea that genetics and evolution play an important part in influencing psychological functioning through natural selection. Evolutionary psychology claims that our brains (which includes the mind) evolved to be able to problem solve, which many of our hunter-gatherer ancestors encountered. A perspective known as the functionalism perspective was an idea that developed explanations for why people’s behaviour changed. It was believed that it was for an adaptive cause, and therefore has a ‘function’ to serve. Darwin argued that these changed came about because they proved to increase chances of survival and were therefore selectively chosen through evolution. So according to Darwin, we do certain things and act certain ways as we grow, not because we have had certain experiences in our life’s that have impacted us and shaped the way we see things, and have a direct effect on the way we act, but because genetically we have evolved and have certain traits and behaviours that will aid our survival. Therefore, those people displaying behaviours that will have a negative effect on their survival have no developed the necessary traits and skills through natural selection. Although this approach does give insight into how genetically we have been designed to act a certain way, and be certain people, the downfall to it is to the extent to which it can be applied. It does not explain how evolution has genetically changed us to act certain ways emotionally. It doesn’t goes as far to show how a woman who was born a man, can grow to live her life as both genders and it have no negative affect on her mental health. Furthermore it does not give insight as to how she became this way and not something else. But social influences could prove to have contributed to her current state of mind and mental health. From an early age we take in and absorb the things that happen around us, and studies have demonstrated how the social influences in our life at a young age, can affect our adult lives. In 1996, Schaffer, (as cited in Wood et al, pg. 9), explained that social influences, such as our peer or sibling relationships, are very influential in our development. He notes that they spend a lot of time in each other’s company, and in this time they will observe each other’s behaviour, and they will share many experiences, and it has been noted that their relationships are very emotionally based. These kinds of sibling relationships could have all sorts of influences on our development, both positive and negative. Siblings of a similar age may be more likely to have a friendship, because they will be increased in similar things from their age group, giving them more in common with each other. But this could also mean more chance of rivalry, for who has what toy and they may also fight for the attention of their parents. The positive side of this kind of relationship are that they could learn things from the other sibling, such as the meaning of sharing, they experience feelings that they may not if they only siblings much older. For example, two boy’s ages 7, and 9 both seek the attention of their parents, but their parents are too busy wondering where their older sister of 16 is. They can them empathise with one another and understand how each other are feelings. They can also be each other’s company when they want attention. And console one another when they are sad. This could bring out a caring side of them, allowing them to fill roles they would not fill if they only had older siblings or was an only child. In later life, as they develop further, they may then carry with them a caring nurturing side that they experiences as a child. The negative side of this kind of social influence are that there could potentially be a lot of rivalry between them. Which one gets the most parent-child attention, which gets the most/best toys? They could grow up feeling unfulfilled and needy. In 1986, Abramovitch, Corter, Pepler, and Stanthorpe, conducted an observational study on siblings which revealed to them, ‘that their interactions are diverse and multifaceted’. (Wood et al, pg. 9, 2007). As we can see from the example above, and as the observational study shown, there are many sides to a sibling relationship but they all have the potential to affect our future. Biologically there are many differences between a brother and sister, i.e. a girl and boy. The obvious one being our genitals, but as we go more in depth we will find that hormonally we are different, and our bodies have different strengths and weaknesses. But can the biological gender difference create cognitive and behavioural differences too? Money and Erhardt 1972 (as cited in Hollway et al, pg. 141, 2007,) conducted a study to try and answer this question. They conducted a study where they exposed girls to the drug progestin, to look at the masculinization of the girls after taking the drug , compared to girls who hadn’t taken the drug and girls with hyperplasia which affects the level of testosterone. They revealed that the girls with hyperplasia and the ones exposed to progestin, appeared to become more ‘tomboyish’ which means to play like a boy, prefer boys clothing, and that they played more energetically than the girls with no alteration to their hormone levels. So it appeared that the biological changes to the girls involved in the study, slightly altered their preference to ‘girlish’ or ‘boyish’ things. The girls seemed to become more masculine than the unaffected girls. Nevertheless it does pose the question as to the reliability of the results. In this day and age, it is not frowned upon as much for a girl to play with toys that were intended for a boy, and with the changes within the social world, less and less labels are being put on what is ‘for girls’ and ‘for boys.’ The reliability of the test also comes down to what the parents, who gave the report as to the changes in the girls, see as ‘boyish’ or ‘girlish’. It could have been less of a biological influence on the girls and more of a personal evaluation of boyish or girlish. Therefore, in conclusion, there are many perspectives within psychology that try and explain behaviours and their origins but not one has overall explanatory power over the rest, rather they depend on each other and all connect somehow. Only with some types of psychology which contradict each other (nature-nurture debate), connect with each other or expand on one another (biological and social psychologist), can we recognise and generate appropriate solutions when problems arise so we maintain a healthy mind and body. There are many different perspectives which go to show how complex human behaviour is. The evolutionary theory does don’t include the experiences we have as humans, but it concentrates more on being preordained in its methods and ability to provide evidence. The attachment theory concentrates too much on childhood and parental interaction. In doing so, it loses sight of the role biology and how our genetic makeup could account for certain behaviours. The biological perspective sees humans as a set of instruments and physical structures that are obviously important and significant (e.g. genes). Furthermore, it does not consider our conscious minds and how the overall influence of the social world on our behaviour. Our adult lives tend to be a mix of what we experiences and learn as a child, how our genetic makeup develops in us as we grow and how our conscious mind, interprets and understands the world we live in and forms its own reaction to it. We are not influences by just one thing, but many, continually and progressively. Word count: 1,455 References: Hollway, W., Cooper, T., Johnston, A., and Stevens, J. (2007) The Psychology of Sex and Gender in Cooper, T. and Roth, I. (2007) Challenging Psychological Issues, 2nd ed. Milton Keynes. The Open University Wood, D., Littleton, K. and Oates, J. (2007) Life span Development in Cooper, T. and Roth, I. (2007) Challenging Psychological Issues: Lifespan development, 2nd ed. Milton Keynes. The Open University

Intergrated Marketing Plan for Home Run Inn Pizza

Executive Summary The America frozen pizza market is the largest in the world; the US pizza market represents 43% of the global market. The magnitude of this market therefore, increases the Americans spending on frozen and fresh pizza to about $39. 8 billion each year. It was further confirmed through the Tyson Foods’ presentation at the national pizza conference that 33% of Americans consume frozen pizza at least once in every two weeks.There is no doubt that the busy schedules and the increasing demands in the modern day American family life has contributed to the huge spending in the frozen pizza category. The understanding of the frozen pizza market by the competitors further increases the competitive obsession among the players in the market. These major brands are all spending a lot on promotional campaigns so as to stay at the top of the competition. The top ten names within the frozen pizza category are: Digiorno, Freschetta, Tony’s, Red Baron, Tombstone, Bagel Bites, Totino’s, California kitchen, Stouffer’s and Mystic Pizza.Despite its very rich history, good packaging approach and been the Chicago number one frozen pizza, Home Run Inn pizza has not fully succeeded in reaching out to its target audience the same way its competitors have, therefore, Home Run Inn Pizza does not make it to the top ten amongst its’ competitors within the frozen pizza category. Our aim in this paper is to provide a comprehensive communication plan for Home Run Inn pizza in other to address its current market situation and provide an alternative campaign plan that will advance the awareness and recognition of the brand, Home Run Inn Pizza among its target audience.Brand Background Home Run Inn Pizza is the Chicago number one frozen pizza. The brand was started in West Side Chicago Bar, in the late 1940’s-In the home of Vincent and Mary Grittani. Nick Perino joined his mother-in-law, Mary, to create the famous Home Run Inn pizza after he returned from the World War II and the task of taking care of his family became a prevailing issue. Mary Grittani on the other hand, was looking for a way to fill the vacuum created by the demise of her husband-Vincent Grittani.Having come together as a family driven by necessity, they developed the recipes for their pizza and began making pizza together in the Home Run Inn Kitchen tavern and served the pizza as a way of encouraging their customers to patronize their drink. As a result of the success achieved while their pizza was been served for â€Å"luring purpose†, they seized the opportunity to launch into full time pizza production. While the demand for their pizza was growing bigger in the 50s, Nick started the frozen pizza approach in other to meet the increasing demands from the local people and those who lived far away (www. homeruninnpizza. om/our-story). Home Run Inn has over eight pizzerias operating in Chicago land and sells frozen pizza in more than twenty states in the United States. These locations are strategically located to meet the increase in demands of the pizza market. The name- Home Run Inn†¦ Prior to the involvement of Nick Perrino, the name Home Run Inn has been in existence since 1923. The name came into being through an unexpected incident that happened while a baseball game was been played in the neighborhood. One of the balls that were thrown accidentally landed on the front window of Mary and Vincent Gritanni’s newly acquired Tavern, thereby hattered the window. This unexpected incident gave birth to the name popularly known today as â€Å"Home Run Inn. † Market Analysis As earlier mentioned, the frozen pizza industry is a multi-billion dollars worth industry and each competitor within this market is striving to stay on top so as to have the major share of the category among its target group. Despite the highly competitive nature of the frozen pizza market, Home Run Inn Pizza has 22. 4% of the marke t share with Digiorno pizza having the largest share of the category. In 2009, Home Run Inn sales through the conventional grocery store were reported to be $46. million. Home Run Inn may not be among the top 10 leading pizzas on the national level but the brand still maintain its number one position within its Chicago heritage. In other to further its market strength Home Run Inn will need to extend its market participation beyond Chicago land. Though, Home Run Inn sells pizza in other States like Denver, Colorado and plan to open more pizzerias to compete within the market. Logo/packaging Home Run In has a unique logo that makes it easily recognizable among its competitors. This uniqueness contributes positively to the brand recognition nd awareness of Home Run Inn pizza in the market place. In other to meet up with the competitive demands, Home Run Inn pizza comes in different packages and styles. The smaller size of the Home Run Inn is designed for the people on the-go, who will like to have pizza during work hours. Home Run Inn styles are part of its attributes. These are: Home Run Inn Classic cheese, Signature, and Ultra thin. Home Run Inn Classic Cheese- Classic Cheese Recipe was perfected in 1947, it’s all: * All natural, no preservative, 0g trans fat per serving Available sizes: * 6 inch (7. oz) microwaveable, 10 inch (18. 5 oz), 12 inch (27. oz), 2-pack (54 oz) Ingredients: Crust: wheat flour, water, corn oil, yeast, salt Mozzarella cheese: Pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes Sauce: Tomato puree, water, oregano, salt, black pepper Home Run Inn Signature It’s: * All natural, No preservative, 0g trans fat per serving Available size: 12 inch (31 oz. ) Ingredients: Crust: Wheat flour, water, corn oil, yeast, salt Mozzarella cheese: Pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes Sauce: Tomato puree, water, oregano, salt, black pepperSausage: Pork, salt, spices, flavoring, Mushrooms Home Run Inn Ultra Thin c rust Classic pizza dough, stretched out thin for a cracker-thin, crispy crust. It’s: All natural, No preservative, 0g Trans fat Available sizes: * 6 inch (4 oz) microwaveable and 12 inch (16. 5 oz. ) Consumer Insight Home Run Inn started as a family business with a rich background; consumers having this knowledge tell their stories in various ways regarding their past and present relationship with the brand. We understand that consumers annot have same relationship with our product on the same level, while some have positive experience with our brand and are willing to buy again some are on the negative side while commenting on their experience with the brand Home Run Inn Pizza. Since our objective here is to revive our brand, using research instrument such as focus group will further allow us to get the opinions of the consumers. The information acquired through the opinion of the focus group would be used toward rebranding and updating our brand in the market place. The com petitionHome Run Inn competes within the frozen pizza category. The competitors with the Home Run Inn include the direct and the indirect competitors, who are both present to share the market with Home Run Inn Pizza. The direct competitors or the primary competitors are those within the same frozen pizza category with Home Run Inn; these include the private label brands and those groups that sell pizza through delivery via ordering online or eat-in. While the indirect competitors are the restaurants who do not sell pizza but their foods can be an alternative consumption for the pizza consumers’ market.These competitors are group under the following: Brand-HRI| Competitors/category: Direct- frozen| Indirect-as alternatives | Category-frozen| Digiorno, Freschetta, Tony’s, Red Baron, Tomstone, Bagel Bites, Totino’s , California, Stouffer’s, Mystic Pizza, Sams Club, Take and Bake, Gino’s East, Palermo’s, Newman’s own and all private label pizza. | Subway, McDonalds, Kentucky fried Chicken, Chipotle, Bueno beef, Popeyes, Olive garden, PF Changs, Red lobster, Chinese buffets, Denny’s and all the local restaurants. | Unfrozen-DirectDominos, Pizza hut, Mystic Pizza, Papa Jones, Rosati’s, Giordano, Chicago pizza, Jimmy Jones and all the pizza delivery restaurants. | | The brand image of Home Run Inn The perception of the consumers toward Home Run Inn is that of a family person who is caring, welcoming and willing to offer immediate solution to the wants of its consumers. We hope to further build on this image in this campaign. The brand value of Home Run Inn The brand value of Home Run Inn lies in its rich history-The consumers still ttach so much to the traditional heritage of the brand which places the brand as the Chicago number one among its audience. Home Run Inn brand Personality Home Run Inn is caring. We hope to use this personality to appeal to our target audience in our campaign for Home run Inn. Home Run Inn brand voice Home Run Inn frozen pizza brand voice sounds affectionate and persuasive to its consumers. The voice recognizes the busy nature of everyday life and its calling persuasively and tenderly, that it can help to reduce that burden of cooking after a busy day. What makes Home Run Inn Different?According to the Chicago Tribune, Home Run Inn Pizza is noted for its very distinctive â€Å"crusty† pizza and making its own sausage for its pizza. Home Run Inn SWOT Analysis Strength| weakness| * It has a rich history * It’s number one frozen pizza brand in Chicago * It operates pizzerias where family can visit and buy pizza * It’s easy to prepare * It has potential for growth | * According to some consumers in Indiana it is very difficult to find Home Run Inn pizza to buy in Indiana. * Inadequate brand awareness * No major TV Ads * More focused on Chicago market|Opportunity| Threat| * The frozen pizza market is big therefore, Home Run Inn can take ad vantage of the market * Opportunity to benefit from the huge amount spent by the consumers yearly * Home Run Inn can come up with new product, this can increase their market share| * The tough competition from the direct and the indirect competitors is the major treat * The private labels whose products are cheaper pose serious threat to the existence of Home Run in the market * The local restaurants provide an alternative choice for consumers. | Communication objectiveOur communication objective for Home Run Inn pizza is to increase the brand awareness and recognition among the target audience. Marketing Objective While the marketing objective for Home Run Inn is to increase sales of the brand by generating trial among the would-be consumers. Through our gorilla marketing we would encourage our target group to taste our newly branded Home Run Inn. Home Run Inn Target Audience Home Run Inn key target audience is mum with kids from age 3-12. She has a busy schedule; she is concerned about feeding her family right within her daily routine.She is the decision maker at home when it comes to what the family eats and she loves her family to enjoy freshly baked, healthy and well prepared pizza within the comfort of her home. Therefore, she is considering healthy and none-time consuming pizza that will bring satisfaction to her family feeding experience. Home Run Inn brand position Home Run Inn is family oriented; therefore, our brand is strategically positioned among mums with kids who have busy lives and are concerned with the well-being of their family. Creative brief for Home Run Inn Pizza 1.What is the opportunity and/or Problem the advertising must address? Home Run Inn though is referred to as Chicago number one yet the brand is not well known among some pizza enthusiast as a result they don’t consider buying the brand. Even those who claimed to know the brand still don’t buy. They would rather buy brand like Digiorno because it has ongoing advert isement which easily brings the brand to memory when they see it on display in the stores. We want to address this problem of lack of awareness through our advertising and make our target market to be informed and aware of our brand. . What do we want people to do as a result of the advertisement? As a result of our advertisement we want consumers to consider Home Run Inn Pizza first when they think of buying frozen pizza. 3. Who are we talking to? Mums with kids between ages 3-12: We are talking to ups and doing mums with kids, who like to feed their family rights despite their busy schedules. They are health conscious; they love to eat good pizza with their family within the comfort of their homes. 4. What’s the key response that we want?We want our target audience to feel that Home Run Inn pizza is the right food for them because it is healthy. 5. What information/attributes might help produce this response? Information such as: our brand rich history and the availability of different styles that may meet the desired need of our target market. 6. What aspect of brand personality should the advertising express? The aspect of brand personality that the advertising should express should be the friendly, approachable and reliable aspect of our brand. 7. Are there media or budget consideration? Yes, there are media considerations.We hope to use social media marketing tools to engage our target market. We will embark on guerilla campaign and the traditional TV ads. Since, our target audience is mum with kids, we would use print media advertising campaign that will directly appeal to mum’s plight. Our print advertisement will use both the billboards and the magazines channel. 8. This could be helpful†¦ * The name Home Run Inn was given to the pizza through an accidental landing of base ball on the founder’s tavern * Home Run Inn was founded in Chicago * It’s a family owned business†¦Our CTB statement for Home Run Inn Convince mum with kids that Home Run Inn is the best pizza in the market because is healthy and easy to prepare. PR/Promotion for Home Run Inn Pizza Theme: when pizza matters†¦ PR: Home Run Inn will leverage partnership with the Boys scout of Chicago during its 3rd Annual â€Å"Scout Night with the Chicago Fire Soccer Club†. During the night out event, Home Run Inn will supply free pizza to the first 200 attendee of the event while every other attendee after the first 200 will have the opportunity of receiving Home Run Inn coupons. PROMOWe will have promotional slogan for Home Run Inn Pizza during the event†¦Because we care†¦ Our plan for the promotion is to encourage people to donate 10 cents for each box of Home Run Inn pizza they purchase; the proceed will be given towards providing support for the Chicago fire soccer club. We hope to achieve this plan by asking consumers to buy Home Run Inn Pizza four times and get the fifth one free, provided they show proof of pur chase. Spider Chart: xxx Magazine campaign Ad #1: xxx (Woman thinking) Whenever I think of Home†¦I think of you†¦Home Run Inn Pizza, feeding made easy†¦ Ad #2: xxx (Tired woman)No matter how tired I am†¦Home Run Inn has the magic†¦Home Run Inn†¦we feed right†¦ Direct/Internet marketing * Mailing- Home Run Inn coupons will be mailed out to the homes of those people we know buy our product. The inscription on our envelope will read†¦because we care†¦ We will also mail invitations to them concerning The Chicago Boys Scout Night out. We will encourage them to come and be part of the event as â€Å"free pizza† will be served to the first 200 attendee of the event. * Email- Email will also be sent out regarding the Chicago Boys Scout Night Out event.The subject of our email also will be †¦because we care†¦We will inform our target in the email that they can bring members of their family to the event since we are family focused brand†¦ Free pizza for the first 200 people†¦ Rationale Home Run Inn target audience is mum with kids; having this background knowledge influences our strategic approach towards rebranding our product among the target audience. While strengthening the brand among the earlier mentioned target audience, we do believe that new market will be gained that will eventually lead to an increase in patronage of our brand in the market lace. References 1. Our Story: Retrieved on 08/07/2012, from http://www. homeruninnpizza. com/our-story/history-a 2. Home Run Inn Pizza scores in retail arena with frozen niche: Retrieved on 08/07/2012, from http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n12_v28/ai_14919920/ 3. Home Run Inn Tops Chicago in frozen pizza sales: Retrieved on 08/08/2012, from http://www. mediapost. com/publications/article/121542/home-run-inn-tops-chicago-market-in-frozen-pizza-s. html 4. Consumers Reports put frozen pizza to the test: Retrieved on 08/08/2012, from h ttp://www. pizzamarketplace. om/article/178146/Consumer-Reports-puts-frozen-pizza-to-the-test 5. Pizza Quest, Home Run Inn and Palermo’s: Enterprise builders. Retrieved on 08/09/2012, from http://jimbaker. wordpress. com/2010/02/01/pizzaquest/ 6. Frozen Pizza: Which Taste Best? Retrieved on 08/09/2012, from http://www. goodhousekeeping. com/product-reviews/food/food-products/frozen-pizza 7. Frozen pizza Hits a growth Bump: Retrieved on 08/09/2012, from http://www. supermarketguru. com/index. cfm/go/sg. viewarticle/articled/2120 8. Top 10 frozen pizzas: : Retrieved on 08/09/2012, from, http://www. dailypress. com/news/dp-toptenlist. o14,0,3664087. story

Personal Philosophy of Classroom Management Essay

Classroom Management is an essential element in implementing a successful learning environment for students. A teacher who implements a classroom management plan will control student’s misbehavior so that all students will be focused on the lessons being taught in the classroom. Below is an annotated list of points that I believe in concerning my view of classroom management. 1. How teacher should act: * Enthusiastic- A teacher should show enthusiasm when she is teaching the lessons. The teacher needs to show that she is excited about teaching the lessons so that the students will stay interested in listening and understanding the subject area content. * Respectful- The teacher should treat students with respect and also demand respect. She should never use fowl language, inappropriate behavior, share too much personal information or act in ways that are not ethical. * Role Model- A teacher should act as a role model to her students. The teacher should not do anything that would jeopardize her career as a teacher that would make her students look down upon her. She also must live a life that students look up to so they will remember that teacher forever. * Patiently- A teacher must exhibit patience in class. Every student learns at different paces and at different levels. A teacher must be willing to be patient if the students are not grasping the information. She should explain the information to the students until they finally understand the lesson 2. How students are expected to behave: * Respectful- Students are to be respectful towards the teacher and to each other. Students should show respect to the teacher by not talking when the teacher is instructing the class. The students should show respect to each other by not hitting each other, making fun of another, or taking one’s personal belongings. * On Task-Students should stay on task in class. Students should be focused on the teacher’s lessons and instructions. They should not be wandering off getting off task. If the students are off task, they will not understand the lessons or remember what happened in class. Also the teacher will have to go back and teach the lesson again which can cause the teacher to be off target teaching the curriculum and it will result in student’s receiving poor test scores. * Appropriately Well Behaved- Students should be well behaved in class. It is important for students to understand the importance of good behavior. If students are well behaved in the classroom, the teacher can spend more time instructing the students than time spent on behavioral issues. In a well behaved classroom, students are able to learn effectively. * Academically Prepared- Students are to come to school academically prepared. The students should complete their homework assignment each day in order to make sure they understand the subjects that are being taught. They should always come prepared to listen to the subject matter, offer their opinions, and ask god questions in class. 3. What the classroom might look and feel like: * Engaging- The classroom should look and feel engaging to the student. In the classroom, the teacher can arrange the classroom that promotes student interaction and group collaboration. Students should be seated in a circle or horseshoe shape that maximizes the amount of eye contact students can have with each other. * Clean and Organized Classroom- A teacher’s classroom should be clean and organized. The school supplies should be neatly organized and in a safe place where students can safely access the supplies. * Filled with student’s work- The classroom should be filled with student’s work on projects. The students will feel comfortable and engaged if what they are learning in class will be showcased in the classroom. The student can look around the room and be reminded to always do their best on their assignments. This also sends a message to students that their work and learning is important. * Student Centered – The classroom should be focused on the students. In the student centered classroom, you will find workstations that promote group activities such as puzzles or brainteasers that promote student collaboration. 4. How the teacher helps students conduct themselves properly: * Demonstrating the Rules- The teacher should teach, review, and practice rules form beginning of school till the end of school. The teacher should also let students demonstrate good behaviors and bad behaviors so that students will understand how to follow the rules and to have good behavior in class. * Reinforce positive behavior with Incentives- A teacher can help students conduct themselves properly by providing incentives through positive behavior. A student who exhibits positive behavior weekly will pick a price out of the treasure chest. This will result in students with bad behavior to act better if they see students winning cool prizes. * Student and Parent Contracts- To ensure students are behaving properly, student and parent contracts are sent home for parents and students to sign. This contract outlines what is expected from the student’s behavior, academics, and the parent’s commitment in the child’s education. This will be very helpful in helping the students have good behavior in class. * Character Education Mini Lessons tied to Curriculum- Teachers can tie in the classroom rules and good behavioral skills as mini-lessons. Before teaching the lessons, the teacher can discuss how to treat others, how to walk quietly in the halls, and do not talk while others are talking. By having these mini lessons on how students should behave will remind them of how to have good behavior in class. 5. What the teacher should do about misbehavior: * Cues- Teachers uses a cue or a simple verbal reprimand to redirect a student’s focus which eliminates the inappropriate behavior. A teacher can also praise the efforts of students with good behavior which can reduce the misbehavior among the other students. * Consequences such as loss of recess- If a student keeps misbehaving, the teacher can use the consequence of loss recess. The majority of students like to go to recess. If the student knows their punishment by loss of recess due to their misbehavior, their behavior will improve. * Private conference with student- If the student still misbehaves, the teacher will need to talk with the student. The teacher will inform the student that his or her misbehavior will not be tolerated in class and his or her parents will be contacted if the misbehavior continues. * Contact parent- A teacher should contact the parents if the student keeps misbehaving in class. If the teacher lets the parents know how their child behaves in class, then the parents can also talk to the child and discipline them at home. 6. How students should be taught and what is expected of them: * Post rules in the classroom- Teachers can post rules in the classroom so that students can be reminded each day of how to properly behave in class. Also the teacher can give quizzes to students about the poster rules throughout the year. * Clear articulation and communication in the syllabus- Teachers should communicate clearly about what is expected of student’s assignments and their behavior in class. For example, informing students to always do their best on their work or their handwriting must be neat on all of their assignments should be clearly communicated. Creating a syllabus will also inform students of when their assignments are due.

List of Things You Shouldnt Microwave