Parental instinct is the strongest instinct there is. No one knows a child better than his parents. If you ever suspect your child has developmental delays or differences, trust your gut. Maybe your child isn’t hitting developmental milestones that his peers or siblings did. Or maybe he is struggling with learning in school. Maybe, you notice behavioral issues that don’t seem to add up. Trust your “gut”! Speak up and say something to your pediatrician and, as appropriate, your child’s teacher.
Parents have the right to request that their children be tested once they enter the school environment. If you put that request in writing, the school system is legally obligated to comply with your wishes within 45 days of the request. (There is all sorts of information on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website regarding parental rights.) The sooner your child receives intervention services the better he will learn.
If your child is diagnosed with a learning difference, take action. Parents are children’s best advocates. Speak to your local Special Education Advisory Committee in your town. If there isn’t one near you, join support groups, chat with other parents and professionals through social networking groups and get involved with your school district’s special educational department. Every child deserves a quality education, even if he has learning differences and your school district is required to provide them. Ensuring a proper education for your child is priceless—for success in school and in life.
How has the educational experience been for you and your child? I'd love to hear about it. Please leave me a comment below.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Distractions in Your Child's Classroom
What do you do when your child complains about another child being a distraction in the classroom being a distraction? Have your child write a friendly letter to the teacher! (E-mail it if you can!) It could look something like this:
Dear Teacher, (Be sure to get the proper name spelling.)
I’m having trouble doing my best work because I’m distracted by (Insert classmate’s name here.). I need your help. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
(Child’s name)
Try to work with the teacher to give your child strategies for success such as:
• Ignore the distracting person. Quite often they are looking for attention.
• Move away—your child could politely ask the teacher if she could work at another table or move her desk.
• Put up a barrier of some sort. Some classrooms have portable cardboard that students put on their desks for privacy during a test and to help them focus.
It’s not easy to concentrate and get work done when other students are off task. Helping your child learn advocacy and responsibility for her behavior is a first step.
What if the teacher doesn’t respond to your child’s plea for help? You can call and request the intervention on her behalf. Be cordial and give the teacher a chance. Remember, on a daily basis, teachers deal with many, often 25 or more, little human beings.
Still no support from the teacher? Go through the proper steps:
• Write a letter to the teacher. (Keep copies)
• Request a meeting. (Again, document your request)
After you have tried the above strategies, if you are still not satisfied with how the teacher is handling the situation, get the principal involved.
Keep records of all of your communications. Your child’s education is important. Getting along with others is important, too, including the teacher.
Dear Teacher, (Be sure to get the proper name spelling.)
I’m having trouble doing my best work because I’m distracted by (Insert classmate’s name here.). I need your help. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
(Child’s name)
Try to work with the teacher to give your child strategies for success such as:
• Ignore the distracting person. Quite often they are looking for attention.
• Move away—your child could politely ask the teacher if she could work at another table or move her desk.
• Put up a barrier of some sort. Some classrooms have portable cardboard that students put on their desks for privacy during a test and to help them focus.
It’s not easy to concentrate and get work done when other students are off task. Helping your child learn advocacy and responsibility for her behavior is a first step.
What if the teacher doesn’t respond to your child’s plea for help? You can call and request the intervention on her behalf. Be cordial and give the teacher a chance. Remember, on a daily basis, teachers deal with many, often 25 or more, little human beings.
Still no support from the teacher? Go through the proper steps:
• Write a letter to the teacher. (Keep copies)
• Request a meeting. (Again, document your request)
After you have tried the above strategies, if you are still not satisfied with how the teacher is handling the situation, get the principal involved.
Keep records of all of your communications. Your child’s education is important. Getting along with others is important, too, including the teacher.
Friday, November 19, 2010
There comes a time when children request an addition to the family. Sometimes it’s another brother or sister, but more often than not, they’re asking for a pet.
Every child is different, but it’s vital your child learns responsibility before he can handle the care of an animal. Usually by second grade, children become more responsible because they are less ego-centric,more aware of others’ needs.
The choice of pet is up to you, of course. Various pets require different levels of monetary and physical care. Dogs need the most care while fish, the least. Dogs have veterinary and grooming costs; whereas, fish only need partial water changes, fish food, and a few neutralizing chemicals.
Walking a dog can be a fun family activity where everyone gets good exercise and fresh air. It’s also a great opportunity for conversation with your children. However, keep your climate in mind. If you get a lot of inclement weather, do you really want to be out there walking your dog?
Do you frequently go on vacation? A dog or cat will need a pet sitter or kennel. Guinea pigs and other small critters might need a pet sitter or an extended stay at a friend, neighbor, or relative’s house. Fish can just be given a vacation feeder, a big chunk of food they can nibble on while you’re away.
Only you can decide if your child is ready to take care of a pet on a regular basis—not just during the first few days. One way to determine this is add a few extra chores to your child’s list, such as washing dishes or dusting the furniture. Keep a log of chore accomplishments. Once she has maintained responsibility for a month or two, she is ready for a pet.
If you decide a pet is not a good fit for your family, be sure to explain why. If your apartment complex doesn’t allow certain pets, be sure to tell this to your child. If you think your child isn’t quite ready, be honest. Let her know that you are open to a pet in the future when she is capable of consistently completing chores without being reminded
Pets are a wonderful addition to a family. They often teach us many important things from unconditional love to mortality. While dealing with the death of a pet is difficult, it’s an important life lesson.
You may just find that you enjoy your child’s pet just as much as she does! Do you have any pet success (or failure) stories? Please leave me a comment.
Every child is different, but it’s vital your child learns responsibility before he can handle the care of an animal. Usually by second grade, children become more responsible because they are less ego-centric,more aware of others’ needs.
The choice of pet is up to you, of course. Various pets require different levels of monetary and physical care. Dogs need the most care while fish, the least. Dogs have veterinary and grooming costs; whereas, fish only need partial water changes, fish food, and a few neutralizing chemicals.
Walking a dog can be a fun family activity where everyone gets good exercise and fresh air. It’s also a great opportunity for conversation with your children. However, keep your climate in mind. If you get a lot of inclement weather, do you really want to be out there walking your dog?
Do you frequently go on vacation? A dog or cat will need a pet sitter or kennel. Guinea pigs and other small critters might need a pet sitter or an extended stay at a friend, neighbor, or relative’s house. Fish can just be given a vacation feeder, a big chunk of food they can nibble on while you’re away.
Only you can decide if your child is ready to take care of a pet on a regular basis—not just during the first few days. One way to determine this is add a few extra chores to your child’s list, such as washing dishes or dusting the furniture. Keep a log of chore accomplishments. Once she has maintained responsibility for a month or two, she is ready for a pet.
If you decide a pet is not a good fit for your family, be sure to explain why. If your apartment complex doesn’t allow certain pets, be sure to tell this to your child. If you think your child isn’t quite ready, be honest. Let her know that you are open to a pet in the future when she is capable of consistently completing chores without being reminded
Pets are a wonderful addition to a family. They often teach us many important things from unconditional love to mortality. While dealing with the death of a pet is difficult, it’s an important life lesson.
You may just find that you enjoy your child’s pet just as much as she does! Do you have any pet success (or failure) stories? Please leave me a comment.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Distractions in the Classroom
What do you do when your child complains about a classmate being a distraction in the classroom? Have your child write a friendly letter to the teacher! (E-mail it if you can!) It could look something like this:
Dear Teacher, (Be sure to get the proper name spelling.)
I’m having trouble doing my best work because I’m distracted by (Insert classmate’s name here.). I need your help. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
(Child’s name)
Be sure to work with the teacher to give your child strategies for success such as:
• Ignore the distracting person. Quite often they are looking for attention.
• Move away—your child could politely ask the teacher if she could work at another table or move her desk.
• Put up a barrier of some sort. Some classrooms have portable cardboard that students put on their desks for privacy during a test and to help them focus.
It’s not easy to concentrate and get work done when other students are off task. Help your child learn self-advocacy and responsibility. .
What if the teacher doesn’t respond to your child’s plea for help? You can call and request the intervention on her behalf. Be cordial and give the teacher a chance. Remember, on a daily basis, teachers deal with many, often 25 or more, little human beings.
Still no support from the teacher? Go through the proper steps:
• Write a letter to the teacher. (Keep copies)
• Request a meeting. (Again, document your request)
After you have tried the above strategies, if you are still not satisfied with how the teacher is handling the situation, get the principal involved.
Keep records of all of your communications. Your child’s education is important. Getting along with others is important, too, including the teacher.
Dear Teacher, (Be sure to get the proper name spelling.)
I’m having trouble doing my best work because I’m distracted by (Insert classmate’s name here.). I need your help. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
(Child’s name)
Be sure to work with the teacher to give your child strategies for success such as:
• Ignore the distracting person. Quite often they are looking for attention.
• Move away—your child could politely ask the teacher if she could work at another table or move her desk.
• Put up a barrier of some sort. Some classrooms have portable cardboard that students put on their desks for privacy during a test and to help them focus.
It’s not easy to concentrate and get work done when other students are off task. Help your child learn self-advocacy and responsibility. .
What if the teacher doesn’t respond to your child’s plea for help? You can call and request the intervention on her behalf. Be cordial and give the teacher a chance. Remember, on a daily basis, teachers deal with many, often 25 or more, little human beings.
Still no support from the teacher? Go through the proper steps:
• Write a letter to the teacher. (Keep copies)
• Request a meeting. (Again, document your request)
After you have tried the above strategies, if you are still not satisfied with how the teacher is handling the situation, get the principal involved.
Keep records of all of your communications. Your child’s education is important. Getting along with others is important, too, including the teacher.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Evening Routine
This before bed routine allows you to:
• Spend less time in the morning nagging your child to get ready for school!
• Have less stress in your life!
Here’s all you do:
1. Before your child goes to bed have her:
a. Make her lunch and put it in her lunchbox, in the fridge.
b. Check her agenda to remind her of what she needs for the next day.
c. Pack her backpack with her “Take Home” folder, library book, sneakers for P.E. (gym) or anything else she needs.
d. Check the weather and choose an appropriate outfit to wear. Lay out the clothing—including everything she will need to wear for the day.
e. Shower/bathe if she won’t have time in the morning.
f. Read for 20 minutes. (have then put the book in their backpack if they need it for school the next day)
Having your child be in charge of this routine is a great way to help them become responsible!
Let me know how this works for you and your child. Do you have any hints for others?
• Spend less time in the morning nagging your child to get ready for school!
• Have less stress in your life!
Here’s all you do:
1. Before your child goes to bed have her:
a. Make her lunch and put it in her lunchbox, in the fridge.
b. Check her agenda to remind her of what she needs for the next day.
c. Pack her backpack with her “Take Home” folder, library book, sneakers for P.E. (gym) or anything else she needs.
d. Check the weather and choose an appropriate outfit to wear. Lay out the clothing—including everything she will need to wear for the day.
e. Shower/bathe if she won’t have time in the morning.
f. Read for 20 minutes. (have then put the book in their backpack if they need it for school the next day)
Having your child be in charge of this routine is a great way to help them become responsible!
Let me know how this works for you and your child. Do you have any hints for others?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Kids Who Read Succeed!
Helping Your Child Succeed as a Reader
Reading is involved in most aspects of learning in school. The better reader your child is the better she will do in school. Reading, like anything else takes practice.
Help your child be a better reader by providing:
1. A book (libraries are great places to borrow books for free!), a pencil, and some sticky notes (like Post-It Notes ®)
2. A comfy, well lit seat in an area free of distractions
3. A timer—children need to be reading a minimum of 20 minutes each night to maintain their reading skills. They need to read MORE than 20 minutes to improve their reading skills!
Sit with your child and:
1. “Buddy Read” with her—this is where you read a page and she reads a page (out loud)
2. “Shoulder Read” with her—this is where you sit near her (or shoulder to shoulder) and read something of your choosing while she reads her book
Be sure to:
1. Ask about what’s going on in the story as she reads it:
• Who is the most important character?
• What are some other characters?
• What is the problem?
• How are they trying to solve it?
• Are they successful? Why/not?
• Make connections to other books/movies/personal experiences
• Where is the story taking place?
• What is the author trying to tell you?
2. Ask what picture she sees in her head (visualize)
3. Have her write down some notes if she is going to take a quiz/write a book report/discuss in class
4. Enjoy the story!
How do you get your child to read? Write a comment below.
Reading is involved in most aspects of learning in school. The better reader your child is the better she will do in school. Reading, like anything else takes practice.
Help your child be a better reader by providing:
1. A book (libraries are great places to borrow books for free!), a pencil, and some sticky notes (like Post-It Notes ®)
2. A comfy, well lit seat in an area free of distractions
3. A timer—children need to be reading a minimum of 20 minutes each night to maintain their reading skills. They need to read MORE than 20 minutes to improve their reading skills!
Sit with your child and:
1. “Buddy Read” with her—this is where you read a page and she reads a page (out loud)
2. “Shoulder Read” with her—this is where you sit near her (or shoulder to shoulder) and read something of your choosing while she reads her book
Be sure to:
1. Ask about what’s going on in the story as she reads it:
• Who is the most important character?
• What are some other characters?
• What is the problem?
• How are they trying to solve it?
• Are they successful? Why/not?
• Make connections to other books/movies/personal experiences
• Where is the story taking place?
• What is the author trying to tell you?
2. Ask what picture she sees in her head (visualize)
3. Have her write down some notes if she is going to take a quiz/write a book report/discuss in class
4. Enjoy the story!
How do you get your child to read? Write a comment below.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Helping Your Child Memorize Their Basic Math Facts
Why Practice Basic Math Facts:
• Having a quick recall of basic facts comes in handy when your child is doing long division or multi-digit multiplication (not to mention algebra and more!)
• Automatic recall of basic math facts frees up the brain for deeper comprehension of the skills/concepts being taught.
How to Memorize Basic Facts:
• Using flashcards of basic facts (one operation at a time, please) flash the cards to your child at a fairly fast pace—you don’t want to give them too much time to think or use their fingers!
• Put the correctly answered cards in one pile.
• Put the hesitated/wrong cards in another pile.
• Take the hesitation cards and have your child write down the entire fact (4 + 7 = 11) on a separate piece of paper. Have them write fairly big.
• Next have your child trace the entire fact with one color crayon as they say the fact aloud.
• Have them repeat the above step with a different color crayon. (This memorization technique is called “Rainbow Writing” and is useful for memorizing spelling words, too.)
• Now flash the hesitation cards to your child, again making two piles.
Did they increase the number of automatically answered facts?
Only work for 10-15 minutes. The brain likes to work in short bursts!
• Having a quick recall of basic facts comes in handy when your child is doing long division or multi-digit multiplication (not to mention algebra and more!)
• Automatic recall of basic math facts frees up the brain for deeper comprehension of the skills/concepts being taught.
How to Memorize Basic Facts:
• Using flashcards of basic facts (one operation at a time, please) flash the cards to your child at a fairly fast pace—you don’t want to give them too much time to think or use their fingers!
• Put the correctly answered cards in one pile.
• Put the hesitated/wrong cards in another pile.
• Take the hesitation cards and have your child write down the entire fact (4 + 7 = 11) on a separate piece of paper. Have them write fairly big.
• Next have your child trace the entire fact with one color crayon as they say the fact aloud.
• Have them repeat the above step with a different color crayon. (This memorization technique is called “Rainbow Writing” and is useful for memorizing spelling words, too.)
• Now flash the hesitation cards to your child, again making two piles.
Did they increase the number of automatically answered facts?
Only work for 10-15 minutes. The brain likes to work in short bursts!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Using Timers
Timers are a great tool to help get chores and homework done in a timely manner (pun intended)! Timers help children stay focused and on task (adults, too).
Play “Beat the Timer” to eliminate whining when it’s time to do homework or chores:
- Decide a reasonable amount of time to complete the task at hand. Be sure to allow enough time for your child to be successful—you don’t want her to be discouraged.
- Brainstorm a reward for “beating the timer” such as a minute of free choice time (reading, family game, etc.) for every minute left on the timer.
- Get everything ready to complete the task.
- Set the timer, say 1-2-3-Go!
- When the task is completed, stop the timer and record how many minutes your child saved.
- When all tasks are completed, have your child add all of her saved minutes.
- Now it's time to reward her for doing such a great job. Praise her profusely!
Just because a task is mandatory shouldn’t make it feel laborious. Making chores and homework “fun” helps keep kids motivated!
Do you have other tools to help kids stay on task? Leave a comment below.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Agendas
• Agendas are like appointment calendars for kids.
• They help kids keep track of their responsibilities at their job (school).
• Agenda books make great communication tools for parents/teachers, too.
• The most important thing about agendas is to have the child use them:
1. Students must write down their assignments when they are assigned with a notation of when they are due
2. Students should also check off their assignments when completed (and put them in their “Take Home” folder which should then go into the backpack with the agenda book!)
• Check the agenda book daily—some teachers require the parents to sign it.
• The more attention you give the agenda, chances are your child will, too.
Does your child use an agenda book? Leave me a comment below.
• They help kids keep track of their responsibilities at their job (school).
• Agenda books make great communication tools for parents/teachers, too.
• The most important thing about agendas is to have the child use them:
1. Students must write down their assignments when they are assigned with a notation of when they are due
2. Students should also check off their assignments when completed (and put them in their “Take Home” folder which should then go into the backpack with the agenda book!)
• Check the agenda book daily—some teachers require the parents to sign it.
• The more attention you give the agenda, chances are your child will, too.
Does your child use an agenda book? Leave me a comment below.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The Take Home Folder
The Take Home Folder Helps Your Child:
• Focus!
• Prioritize!
• Stay organized!
• Keep homework in one place!
• Safely and neatly keep track of papers for you to read!
Here’s all you do:
1. Share: Go over the Take Home Folder as soon as your child gets home from school.
2. Eat: Enjoy a healthy snack while you go through the items with her.
3. Sign/Pay: Be sure to read and sign any important papers. Remember to include any money as necessary. (Write a check whenever possible—it makes a great receipt.)
4. Break time: Send her outside to play. Fresh air will really help her brain.
5. Homework time: encourage your child to tackle her least favorite/most difficult assignment first. Set a timer and have her go for it! Gently remind her to check over her work when she has finished!
6. Finally: After she has finished all her “at home” assignments, have your child put her homework and signed paperwork in the “Bring Back” side of the Take Home folder! Having your child put everything back is a great recall tactic when she arrives at school the next day.
Do you have any homework hints? Be sure to leave me a comment.
• Focus!
• Prioritize!
• Stay organized!
• Keep homework in one place!
• Safely and neatly keep track of papers for you to read!
Here’s all you do:
1. Share: Go over the Take Home Folder as soon as your child gets home from school.
2. Eat: Enjoy a healthy snack while you go through the items with her.
3. Sign/Pay: Be sure to read and sign any important papers. Remember to include any money as necessary. (Write a check whenever possible—it makes a great receipt.)
4. Break time: Send her outside to play. Fresh air will really help her brain.
5. Homework time: encourage your child to tackle her least favorite/most difficult assignment first. Set a timer and have her go for it! Gently remind her to check over her work when she has finished!
6. Finally: After she has finished all her “at home” assignments, have your child put her homework and signed paperwork in the “Bring Back” side of the Take Home folder! Having your child put everything back is a great recall tactic when she arrives at school the next day.
Do you have any homework hints? Be sure to leave me a comment.
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