How to Help...your child succeed!

added on June 9, 2008

Now that the summer break from school has arrived I thought you might find this article by Jessica Pegis helpful and something your family will use.

      Tim
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Recommended Summer Reading List Announced

Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith recently announced the Just Read, Families! Recommended Summer Reading List. The reading list encourages students to continue their reading efforts during the summer vacation months. Research indicates that children who do not continue to read while on vacation risk losing progress made during the school year. The Just Read, Families! suggested reading list can be found at www.justreadfamilies.org . The site offers parents the tools they need to nurture a reading-friendly environment at home during the break. Resources include links to county and municipal public libraries, tips for parents on reading with children and a list of recommended books for each grade level.

Summer Activities For Kids Who Hate To Read
By http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Pegis Jessica Pegis

So you've got a non-reader on your hands, and you want to ensure those print skills don't slip during the summer. What can you do to practice reading and writing in a fun way for a few months?

Here are some ideas to try.

Books They Can't Resist

Find the most enticing books you can for your child at the local bookstore or library. How-to books that capitalize on a current interest such as star-gazing or jewelry-making are often good bets. Look for titles that provide the craft supplies right with the text (extremely handy and often cost-effective). Avoid selecting what interests you; select what your child finds interesting.

Don't forget the local science store, where they stock great titles on the yuck factor. True, the science of human gas may not be your thing, but it may be irresistible to your child. Hold your nose and get out your wallet: it's all reading and it's all good.

Visit a How-To Website Together

I'm amazed at the quality of how-to sites out there right now. Many provide step-by-step instructions on doing most everything from making your own standee to announcing that you're adopting, and they usually include instructive photos or video. Find an online activity your child would enjoy doing and encourage her to read the instructions with you.

Headline/News Article Generators

These websites allow kids to create their own headlines and write their own brief news stories. Hit a button and presto! Your child receives an authentic looking newspaper clipping with his own wacky headline, and a URL to send to friends and family members.

This one simple activity combines writing, spelling, and e-mail skills and introduces your child to the basics of media literacy. And because the articles are short, this writing task is not too onerous. Challenge your child to come up with the most intriguing and effective headline possible!

Board Games

Lots of board games involve reading, so clear off the coffee table and have family game night once a week. You can ask one child to be the designated "card reader" when playing Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, CSI, or other popular board games.

Kitchen Science Activities

Many online science activities for kids can be done in your kitchen or living room, and most involve free downloadable instructions. Encourage your child to do some of these activities with friends--there's some nice reading involved. (Same goes for cooking.) NASA, for example, has a great downloadable on making your own 3-D glasses, complete with glasses template.

Food Literacy

Speaking of food, many family restaurants have extensive menus. Read the menu together and talk about the words and ingredients that are unfamiliar. Instead of having your usual meal, read the Appetizer section and order a bunch of new dishes with new names.

The World of Lists

What does your child want to do? Buy? Give away? Dare to dream about? Ask her to make a list over the summer and share it with you from time to time. Lists can be word-processed and decorated digitally or printed and decorated with foil papers, stickers, and decals.

Reading and writing are considered fundamental skills because you need these skills to do most everything else. By providing a variety of reading and writing activities this summer that keep your child in a high-interest zone, you can have fun and ensure those skills stay razor-sharp.


Jessica Pegis is an author and consultant specializing in learning resources [for] kids. She is the mother of Simone, her sternest critic and loudest cheerleader. Sign up today for KidSmart, her FREE e-zine, by going to http://www.talkplaythink.com! Tips, games, and other fun (and brainy) stuff to do with kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Pegis
http://EzineArticles.com/?Summer-Activities-For-Kids-Who-Hate-To-Read&id=1197723

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added on March 20, 2008

As we approach the summer break from your child's formal education (but not from education in their home) I trust you will find this article by Sheryl Wood helpful and something your family will apply .

Tim
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Help Your Kids Learn All Summer
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sheryl_Wood] Sheryl Wood

School may be out for summer, but the learning doesn't have to stop there. In fact, the real challenge of summer is to let your kids relax, enjoy their leisure time with friends and family and still keep their minds sharp and their curiosity piqued. How can a parent help make that happen? Read the tips below and find all kinds of activities, some that the entire family can enjoy, that will keep your child learning all summer.

1. Encourage daily reading. Kids don't have to read textbooks or the classics to maintain reading skills over the summer. Summer is for fun. Take them to the library or the bookstore and let them choose anything that interests them. If you are going to the beach or to visit relatives for vacation, somewhere you know they won't have the distractions of home, they might even welcome reading. Give them a fun novel about kids their own age. Young girls still love the Nancy Drew Mystery series. It builds curiosity, problem-solving and strategy skills. If comic books are all they will read, indulge them.

2. Summer is the perfect time to visit a museum with your kids. Have your family decide together on a place you would like to visit. Look up information about the area. Map out the route together. If you need to be more subtle, stop by a museum spontaneously on the road to somewhere else! If your young child is enraptured by dinosaurs, scour the web for special showings that you could make a trip to. In preparation for the trip, have your child explain to you all about his or her favorite dinosaur. Discuss with your child what they might see, learn and get to do at the museum.

3. Help your child to learn about their surroundings. Do you pass a historical marker on the road every day, but have never stopped? Stop and read it with your family. Go home and look up more about it. Is there a famous homestead near you; maybe a president's birthplace. Take the tour and learn more about it.

4. Plan a trip to an artist's studio, a jewelry maker or local factory. Feed their curiosity in how things are made and how they run. If your child has a special interest, check the web and yellow pages and see if they can stop by for a tour or a work shadow day.

5. Choose day or overnight camps with learning in mind. Camps that teach about nature, wildlife and conservation do double duty. Many state fish and wildlife departments run summer camps and there are many others. Again, your web is the best place to look. You may have missed out for this summer, but plant the seeds of interest in your child for next year. Make it a goal for next year. Plan, read and discuss what the experience will be like.

6. Catch fireflies and look up with your child what makes them light up. When your child catches a snake or other creature from nature, have them research how to care for it. Build a fort and teach your kids about angles and construction. Create the habit of using reference materials to learn more about everything around them.

7. Encourage activities that broaden your child's perspective of the world. Ask them to volunteer to help an elderly neighbor with their lawn or garden. Set an example and sign everyone up to volunteer at a community dinner or charitable event like a bike-a-thon. For each new toy your kids get, ask them donate one to charity. Caring about others and spending time in service to others is one of the best lessons your child will ever learn.

8. If your kids spend hours with video games, barter with them. And the younger they are when you start this, the better. Provide them with educational software and require that some of their computer time is spent using any of the learning software that's now available. Not all educational software is going to put your kids through the rigors of learning algebra, although if they need the extra help, that is certainly an easy source. There are numerous computer learning games out there that teach problem-solving, critical thinking and strategy building that are disguised as fun, adventure games. Surf the web for educational software with your kids and let them tell you what interests them. They will be learning without even realizing it. There are even clever educational software games that use cartoon characters like Spongebob to teach kids to type.

It is by exposing your child to sights, sounds and smells that they don't get in school that their horizons and interests are broadened. Creating and feeding a healthy curiosity in your child will give them a thirst they will never outgrow.

Sheryl Wood is co-owner of All Educational Software, an online store with a wide selection of software for learners of all ages. Find software the entire family can use to learn to type, learn a language, help with homework and more at All Educational Software. http://www.alleducationalsoftware.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheryl_Wood http://EzineArticles.com/?Help-Your-Kids-Learn-All-Summer&id=624716

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added on September 16, 2007

Know Your Child's Learning Style
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sheryl_Wood] Sheryl Wood

Asking an tactile learner to learn in a classroom lecture setting is like asking him to learn a foreign language by reading it. Some education is best delivered by a particular route and some learners receive information best by a particular route. Successful teaching depends on recognizing students' learning styles and creating a learning environment that encompasses the needs of all.

First of all, let's review some of the basic learning styles:

1. Visual

Visual learners create a mental image they can recall later. To create the mental image, they must first either see the problem or situation. Sometimes, words on a computer will help with recall, but more often the vision must be of an actual learning experience, such as seeing how one kneads dough or repairs an engine. These learners are often good map and chart readers and may enjoy art. Visual learners often can put a toy or other item together without reading the directions because they can "see" how it goes together.

2. Auditory

Auditory learners have a good ability to mentally compartmentalize information they receive. They can organize information they hear, relate it to other information they have already gathered and retrieve it later. These learners are often good verbal communicators, have good verbal processing skills and may enjoy reading. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.

3. Tactile or kinesthetic

Tactile learners prefer to be part of the action. They learn best not by observing, but by doing. They are the hands-on learners. These learners excel in situations where they can see and participate in immediate application of the information. They may appear bored and inattentive in a traditional classroom and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.

4. Interactive or iterative learners

Although not one of the traditional learning styles, this category deserves some attention. Interactive learners need give and take. They need reinforcement, correction and guidance. They may need to have the information repeated, or re-demonstrated. They may need to ask questions, seek elaboration or more focus on a particular element. This category includes both the concrete thinkers who seek all the details and the abstract learner who takes in information through analysis, observation, and thinking.

How can a teacher possibly teach students across the spectrum of learning styles? Most teachers are very aware that every child is different and plan their curriculum to motivate all students to learn. Teachers don't just know subject material, they know how to teach it. And most teachers strive to accommodate the various learning styles represented in their classroom.

Teachers use graphs, charts, maps and board games to create patterns for visual learners. When printed material is used, the teacher offers discussion, emphasizes visualization and encourages illustration. Auditory learners may do well in the traditional lecture formatted classroom, but deserve additional stimuli to broaden their learning skills and to create a richer environment. Auditory learners may enjoy discussion or debate groups. They may excel in music or a foreign language course. Science experiments, art and building projects, cooking projects or math manipulatives all contribute to the successful teaching of tactile learners. Self-esteem is promoted in tactile learners by asking them to demonstrate techniques or activities for the rest of the class.

Parents must be aware of how their children learn and seek situations or classrooms that will facilitate their success. If that is not possible, then supplemental learning material and experiences have to be sought. Fortunately for parents, there are multitudes of resources for their kids, both at home and in school. Parents should start with the techniques teachers use above and they will quickly see what their child responds to.

Encourage a visual learner to read. Computer software with creative animations or graphics will provide the visual reinforcement that will make learning easier for these students. The interactive quality of educational software helps to reinforce the written word with the visual cues.

Give an auditory learner a tape recorder and audio books. Exploit that fact that this child may learn a foreign language with ease. And even a foreign language can be learned at home on a computer that has speakers. Engage your auditory learner in conversation. Strive to encourage complex thinking and discussion, analysis of situations and problem-solving. Discuss books, movies, feelings and facts. Encourage them to watch the nightly news and discuss it with them.

Tactile learners need to get their hands into the learning experience. Budding archaeologists and scientists love to get their hands in their work and will enjoy specialty camps and discovery museums. They might enjoy any activity from cooking to creating models of working volcanoes.

It is the students that need the extra explanation or additional reinforcement of concepts and skills that present the most challenge. Time alone is the worst enemy of this learner. There is only one teacher and one school day. The interactive or iterative learner will benefit from material that supplements classroom learning, such as homework or educational software. This may take the form of a tutor or parent who can reinforce classroom concepts and provide additional instruction. Subject-specific educational software may be helpful here, due to its self-paced quality.

The most beneficial teaching technique that any parent or teacher can employ is to recognize and acknowledge that each child has a different learning style, each of which is valid. Teachers and parents who provide rich, learning environments for their students' varied learning styles will produce confident, successful kids.

Sheryl Wood is owner of All Educational Software, a store where all learners can find software to help them learn according to their personal style. [http://www.alleducationalsoftware.com/]http://www.alleducationalsoftware.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheryl_Wood http://EzineArticles.com/?Know-Your-Childs-Learning-Style&id=634990

added on July 25, 2007

Parental Involvement

Below you will find an article by Jennifer Johnson expressing the importance of parents being active participants in their child's education.  I trust you find this information helpful and something your family will apply in the education of the children in your home.

Tim
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The Education Triangle: Why Parental Involvement is Pivotal
By Jennifer Johnson

We are all concerned about the state of education. From declining test scores and under funding, to high school dropout and illiteracy rates, it can sometimes seem as if the nation is on the brink of an educational crisis. If our children do poorly, we often lay blame on teachers, educators, and leaders. If our children do well, we often complaisantly breath a sigh of relief that at least our school, our community, and our teacher, has somehow escaped the quagmire of incompetence.

Whether our child's academic performance is poor or exceptional, as parents we must turn to ourselves to shoulder both some of the blame or the credit. While we are often powerless to afford any immediate changes to the funding or facilities, we do control our homes and our hearts. With a mind towards active parental involvement in our child's education, we can make a difference. A review of over sixty studies (Henderson (1:23-152) examining parent involvement and student achievement concluded that when parents are involved in their child's education at home they do better in school. When parents are involved at school, their children attend school longer, and the schools they go to are better.

Involvement in your child's education can mean:

Read, Write, and Discuss
Read to your child. Read in front of your child. Discuss what you read, and ask questions. Write letters, play word games, storytell, and generally create a print-rich environment. An environment that fosters critical thought and creative expression, is an environment ripe to create a naturally curious child, and a good student. You need not be a natural academic to create these changes in your home; simply focusing books and discussion on subjects that are naturally of interest to you and your child. Whether it's science, sports, religion, or fashion, reading can create a love of learning that your whole family can be passionate about.

Be Homework Savvy
Stay aware of your child's homework situation, especially if there is a problem. If your child's teacher doesn't utilize tools such as website assignment updates, homework logs, or teacher conferences, be proactive. Teachers are often overwhelmed, burnt-out, and discouraged by the apathy common in so many parents. Review your child's homework every night (though don't do it for them) and discuss the work. If necessary, arrange for conferences, make your own homework log, or ask for resources if you need assistance in helping your child.

Talk to Your Child's Teacher
Be diligent about attending back-to-school-night, open house, teacher conferences, and other school events. Touch base with your child's teacher on a regular basis. If a problem arises, it is much easier to approach your child's teacher if you already have an established relationship.

Make School a Priority
By making school a priority, you are sending the message to your child that education matters. Minimize missed school and help your child arrive to school on time every day. Emphasize the role of educator as one worthy of the highest honor and respect, similar to that of a parent. Set a consistent bedtime and restrict activities such as television, outings, and video games on school nights, and make sure you serve balanced, nutritious meals to assure a sharp mind for school. Treats can wait for the weekend.

Be an Education Advocate
Remain aware of issues that affect public education, both locally and statewide. Vote in school board elections and attend PTA meetings, and participate in district or school fundraising efforts to help supplement under funded schools. Even schools in more affluent areas can suffer the results of budget cuts, which can affect arts programs, athletic programs, facility improvement, and class size.

Finally, just stay connected. Even inquiring [of] your child about their school day, each and every day, will help send the message to your child that education matters. While some parents are able to be involved in several facets of their child's education, others may only have time for one or two activities. Just letting your child know you care, and [are] willing to sacrifice your own time and effort for their education, can make a difference. Whatever your level of personal involvement, do so with a spirit of dedication and commitment. It can make a huge difference in your child's life.

Reference:

Henderson, Anne T. and Nancy Berla. A New Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to Student Achievement. National Committee for Citizens in Education (1994).

Jennifer Johnson is a mother of two children, and the daughter of two veteran teachers. She also is a contributing editor of http://www.kideas.com - a web site with free craft ideas, activities, and resources for parents and teachers, including a free printable homework log.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Johnson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Education-Triangle:-Why-Parental-Involvement-is-Pivotal&id=252151

added on February 26, 2007

Parent/Teacher DVD: Your Child, Your Public Schools

The Florida Department of Education, together with Florida educators and parents, produced a DVD to help parents, students, and educators better understand Florida’s public education system. The DVD offers information on a wide range of topics from family involvement and school choice to annual testing and school grades. The DVDs have been sent to each district for distribution. You may find it is a helpful tool for answering parent and student questions. To obtain your copy of the DVD, simply contact your local district volunteer coordinator. For online access to DVD content via the internet, please visit: www.fldoe.org/justforteachers 

added on January 20, 2007

FamilyFun.com
A Parent's Touch by Barbara Rowley
Seven families give tips for school success

It's every parent's wish to give a child every advantage he'll need to successfully make his way in the classroom. But what's the best way to help? Seven families found innovative ways to help their children in school.

To access the remainder of this article go to www.familyfun.go.com/parenting/learn/school/feature/famf97helpchild 

added on January 8, 2007

Jamaica Gleaner - Helping your child in school -
published: Monday | September 6, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

CHILDREN ARE special: An extra special gift from God. "The purpose of the child is to live, to feel the mysterious presence of life in every limb, and in so far as he does this he is happy..." says Holbrook Jackson. While Henry Wadsworth Longfellow echoed the sentiment that "A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words bruise the heart of a child".

In a book I read entitled PLAYFUL PARENTING by Denise Chapman, it underscores the point that ...

For the remainder of this editorial letter please go to
www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20040906/cleisure/cleisure3.html

added on November 29, 2006

Kids and Money

 Foster Your Child’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

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Helping and getting involved: the PTA is a good way of helping your child in school and keeping in touch. If you can not attend each meeting why not volunteer as an occasional helper? Schools are always seeking volunteers who can give an hour or two each week.

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I urge the parents and citizens of Polk County to attend a school board meeting this year and get to know your board members. We are serving as your representatives.

Your child will benefit when you visit with and get to know their child's teachers and administrators. All of us working together to help a child find their way in life will improve their chances for success.