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Success in Schools
Dear Parents,
Each month we feature an article on an aspect of children's education, health or wellbeing. We are building a library of these features so that we can become a resource for information for parents. In coming months we will archive these articles so that you can click on a link to access them.
Opinions expressed in these articles are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Kid Scoop or Kid Scoop contributors.
TUTORING CLUB
www.tutoringclub.com is a commerical organization committed to helping students who have difficulty in school. To identify if your student has a problem read their feature Signs Your Child is Struggling in School.
Tutor Club is a nationwide organization that provides tutoring help with a "positive learning environment, resulting in more learning per hour." You identify you geographic area and they put you in touch with tutors in the academic area your child needs.
Their staff will provide individualized instruction for each student and they work to reduce stress, build confidence and help your child succeed in school as quickly as possible.
The program is for children elementary school age through high school.
Services are not free but there are ways to qualify for financial aid.
EARLY READING SKILLS
Directed to parents of children from kindergarten to 3rd grade, this part of the Ontario Ministry of Education gives some very detailed information and tips on teaching your early learner to read. It breaks down your child's ability to read at different stages, how you should be active in helping, the importance or oral language, the atmosphere to create, timing and stages. It shows how you should follow a lesson with discussion and encouragement. There's also valuable information on talking to your child's teacher and help finding other resources. Information works for second language learners also.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/earlyreading/index.html
FINANCIAL LITERACY has been an ongoing theme of ours — to teach children to understand and use money from budgeting to interest. Here's a site we would like to recommend to parents to help them teach their children about money: http://www.sharesavespend.com
READING MOTIVATION
This is a popular Australian site written by an elementary school teacher with some great ideas for parents who need to encourage reading and find some motivation for getting children to read.
http://www.squidoo.com/getkidsreading.com
MNEMONICS
A child’s ability to remember the information they are given varies from child to child. Short-term memory can be good while long-term memory can fail a child or vice versa. Mnemonics are a way to help connect mental images and work as effective aids to recalling material. They are useful at any age and can be applied to many different topics.
There are several different kinds of mnemonics. According to The Learning Center Exchange, there are nine kinds: rhyme, acronym, music, expression, model, note, outline, image and connection.
Another website we recommend is KIDS SCHOOL HELP. Their website at:
http://www.betterending.org/Homeschool/Fun/mnemonics.htm
lists mnemonics by subject area and requests that viewers send in any useful mnemonics that work with their children.
Summer Home Learning Recipes
for Parents and Children
Grades K-3
"Parents and families are the first and most important teachers. If families teach a love of learning, it can make all the difference in the world to our children."
Richard W. Riley
U.S. Secretary of Education
Educational research has made it clear that parents who are actively involved in their children's learning at home help their children become more successful learners in and out of school. During the early adolescent years, adult guidance is especially important.
Here are some reading, writing, math, and science Home Learning Recipe activities. These have been developed by the Home and School Institute. Parents of young children in prekindergarten through third grade find them to be easy and enjoyable ways to work with the school--using materials they have at home to build their children's skills.
Reading Activities
Sorting and Stacking--Teach classification skills with dinnerware. Ask your child to match and stack dishes of similar sizes and shapes. Also have your child sort flatware--forks with forks, spoons with spoons. This is like recognizing the shapes of letters and numbers.
Telephonitis --Give your child practice in reading numbers left to right by dialing a telephone. Make a list of telephone numbers your child can read--for relatives, friends, the weather bureau--and have your child make a call or two.
Let 'Em Eat Shapes--Cut bread into different shapes--rectangles, triangles, squares, circles. Make at least two of each shape. Ask your youngster to choose a pair of similar shapes, then to put jam on the first piece, and to place the second piece on top to make a sandwich. This is a snack plus a game to match shapes.
Dress Me--Increase your child's vocabulary. Teach the name of each item of clothing your child wears--shirt, blouse, sweater, sock, shoe--when your child is dressing or undressing. Also teach the body parts--head, arm, knee, foot. Then print the words on paper and ask your child to attach these papers to the clothes in the closet or drawers. Make a pattern of your child lying on a large sheet of paper. Tack it up. Ask your child to attach the words for the body parts to the right locations.
Hidden Letters--Build reading observation skills with this activity. Ask your child to look for letters of the alphabet on boxes and cans of food and household supplies. For example, find five A's or three C's, or any number of letters or combinations on cereal boxes, soup cans, bars of soap. Start with easy-to-find letters and build up to harder-to-find ones. Then have your children write the letters on paper or point out the letters on the boxes and cans.
Writing Activities
Disappearing Letters--Promote creativity and build muscle control with a pail of water and a brush. On a warm day, take your children outside to the driveway or sidewalk and encourage them to write anything they wish. Talk about what they've written.
Comic Strip Writing--Use comic strips to help with writing. Cut apart the segments of a comic strip and ask your child to arrange them in order. Then ask your child to fill in the words of the characters (orally or in writing).
And That's the End of the Story--Improve listening skills and imagination. Read a story aloud to your child and stop before the end. Ask the child how the story will turn out. Then finish the story and discuss the ending with the child. Did it turn out the way you thought?
Math Activities
Laundry Math--Sharpen skills by doing a necessary household job. Ask your youngster to sort laundry--before or after washing. How many socks? How many sheets? And you may find a lost sock as well.
Napkin Fractions--Make fractions fun. Fold paper towels or napkins into large and small fractions. Start with halves and move to eighths and sixteenths. Use magic markers to label the fractions.
Weigh Me--Teach estimating skills. Ask your children to guess the weight of several household objects--a wastebasket, a coat, a full glass of water. Then show children how to use a scale to weigh the objects. Next, have them estimate their own weight, as well as that of other family members, and use the scale to check their guesses. Some brave parents get on the scale, too.
Science Activities
Ice Is Nice--Improve observation and questioning skills by freezing and melting ice. Add water to an ice cube tray and set it in the freezer. Ask your child how long it will take to freeze. For variety, use different levels of water in different sections of the tray. Set ice cubes on a table. Ask your child how long they will take to melt. Why do they melt? Place the ice cubes in different areas of the room. Do they melt faster in some places than in others? Why?
Float and Sink--Encourage hypothesizing (guessing). Use several objects--soap, a dry sock, a bottle of shampoo, a wet sponge, an empty bottle. Ask your child which objects will float when dropped into water in a sink or bathtub. Then drop the objects in the water, one by one, to see what happens.
What Does It Take to Grow?--Teach cause-and-effect relationships. Use two similar, healthy plants. Ask your child to water one plant and ignore the other for a week or two, keeping both plants in the same place.
At the end of that time, ask your child to water the drooping plant. Then talk about what happened and why. Plants usually perk up with water just as children perk up with good words and smiles from parents.
Children are eager learners: they are interested in everything around them. These easy-to-do activities encourage children's active learning and those wonderful words of growing confidence, "I can do it."
Think of these as starter activities to get your ideas going. There are opportunities everywhere for teaching and learning.
Take a little time to do a lot of good!
For more information on other publications to help your children learn call:
1-800-USA-LEARN
U.S. Department of Education
These home learning "recipes" have been tested and developed by Dr. Dorothy Rich, author of MEGASKILLS ®, for the National Education Association. Reprinted with permission of the National Education Association and The Home and School Institute, 1994.
Reproduction of this brochure is permitted.
Allowances
from http://www.inrpubs.unl.edu/
Parents often give a set amount of money to children on a regular basis or schedule (ex: $5 per week). This allows children to learn how to save, share and spend. It also lets them set their own financial goals.
The Allowance as a Teaching Tool
Many parents wonder when is the best age to start giving an allowance. That depends on the child. An allowance can be started as soon as a child grasps how money works (i.e. that we use money to buy the things we want and need.) Some experts say even as young as 4 or 5, children can be ready to learn how to use money and can be started on an allowance. Others say 6 or 7 may be a better age. Children with older siblings usually are ready for an allowance at an earlier age than only or first-born children.
Why consider an allowance?
Children learn about receiving a fixed income and they can begin to make decisions about how to use it.
Children receiving allowances may learn to set financial goals.
Children experience and learn the results of poor money management.
Many financial experts agree that it is important to keep the idea of an allowance separate from being paid for doing chores. Children have responsibilities within their families which they should fulfill without expecting to be paid for completing them. Paying children for chores also encourages the attitude that everything has a price and they should get paid for what they do. Chores are a part of belonging to a family. To see how paying for chores can get out of hand, let's suppose Maria makes her bed only four days out of seven. Do you pay her the usual weekly allowance? If her allowance depends upon chores being completed, someone has to keep track of what's done and decide upon the pay scale. What if Maria decides one week she doesn't need any money, so she doesn't do any work?
An allowance usually includes money to buy certain items as agreed to by the parents and the child. Children decide how they use their allowance. Here are some suggestions for what children might be expected to purchase using their allowances at different ages:
Under age-6: candy, gum, ice cream, small toys, gifts for others, books, paints, crayons.
6-9 years old: In addition to the above, movies, amusements, lunch at school, magazines, gifts for birthdays and holidays, contributions, club or activity dues, hobbies, special sports equipment, school expenses.
9-12 years old: in addition to the above, fees for activities such as swimming or skating, some school supplies or trips, some clothing, and upkeep of items like sports equipment.
13-18 years old: all of those mentioned previously plus money for dates, grooming, cosmetics, jewelry, school activities, travel and savings for college. The needs and wants of teenagers rapidly outgrow the family's ability to pay for everything. So the opportunity for earning money outside the family becomes essential.
In addition to the needs of the child, the actual amount of an allowance should fit with the family's financial situation. The lower the family's income or the more people in the household, the smaller the amount of each child's allowance compared to families with higher income and/or fewer family members.
Check with the parents of a child's friends. What amount do the friends get as an allowance? Giving him either much more or much less than what friends receive may create problems.
So how much should be paid as an allowance? Consider family income and financial commitments, the age and ability of the child to manage the money, what the child 's friends receive as an allowance, and the cost of items the allowance will cover. The allowance amount should be enough to cover specified items with a little extra for saving and some for fun spending. Yet it also needs to be small enough that it forces the child to make financial decisions. Develop a trial amount by keeping track of the child's purchases for a month or two. Then track what happens with the allowance for a couple of months to see how it works. Change the amount of the allowance only when really necessary like when the family's income drops or a child's expenses go up. Build-in regular increases such as on birthdays or at the beginning of the school year. Decide the amount of th increase by checking with other parents or look on line or in publications at the local library. Remember to set the amount so children have enough money to buy what they need and at least a few things they want but not so much money that their parents become upset when they do spend their money!
Sit down and discuss expectations with the child before an allowance is started. Establish what allowance is to pay for and any limitations on what can be bought. For example, what limits are there on the amount of candy they can buy? Will you say "no" to certain movies they buy or go see? If her bike tire needs replacing, `will you help out or will she be expected to pay for the repair with her allowance?
Pay an allowance on the same day each week. The child should not have to remind or beg for an allowance to be paid. Paying at the beginning or middle of the week may help younger children learn to stretch their money until the next allowance is paid. Do not rescue a child when he runs out of money. He needs to learn there are consequences for not spending wisely. He might not get to go to the movies with friends if he's spent all his money early in the week. If she asks for more money for what the parent thinks is a worthy cause, consider giving her the chance to earn it by doing one of those special jobs like cleaning out the attic.
Paying the allowance with various kids of coins or bills may help younger children learn the value of each coin or bill. It also makes it easier to divide the allowance into spending, saving, and sharing amounts according to a previously-set money plan.
An allowance basically is money that would be spent on a child anyway, just given in a different form. Instead of paying for things at the time when he wants them, parents pay him an allowance and let him decide how to spend the money. The goal of an allowance is to teach children to distinguish between wants and needs and to prioritize and save — difficult lessons that will pay off throughout life.
Doing Projects for School
from School Success Info.org
When your child tells you he/she must come up with a project for the school "science fair" or complete some other large scale assignment, that may be another way of asking you for your help. You can help your child get organized - in the process, he/she will learn how to manage a big project and know what to do the next time.
Understand the Assignment.
Go over with your child whatever material he/she has that describe the project. Talk about it until he/she can sum up the project in clear terms. If you have questions or concerns, this would be a good time to contact your child's teacher to get clarification.
Divide the project into smaller tasks
Almost every big project seems a lot simpler once it is broken into smaller tasks. Work with your child to discuss the smaller tasks that are necessary to finish the project. Work with your child to decide the order in which these tasks must be completed. Have your child write this information down.
Make a chart of time lines
The best way to make certain your child has ample time to get everything done is to predict how much time you will need. When you plan, work backwards so you know when each part of the project needs to be started. It's a good idea to leave a little extra time for each stage of the project just in case of delays or other problems. Make a calendar that marks these timelines.
Prepare a list of "tools."
Work with your child to figure out what he/she will need to finish the project. Will the project require a trip to the library for books and reference materials? Will your child need photos or illustrations? If so, where will your child find them? Will the final project be a poster, a report or something else?
Monitor your child's progress
As your child completes smaller parts of the project, help him/her stay on track. Check to see if your child is meeting the timelines that the two of you set. Offer your child some ideas to help keep him/her on course, but don't lead your child to believe that you will do the work for him/her.
Parent - Teacher Communication Plan
Reproduced with permission from "PARENT Toolkit - Helpful Tips"
All Kinds of MInds, www.allkindsofminds.org.
http://www.allkindsofminds.org/PTK/PTKIntro.htm
From www.pta.org Top Ten Things Teachers Wish Parents Would Do
http://580wdbo.com/MARKET/shared/schoolguide/teachers_parents.html
From Dr. Druck, the founder of the Families Helping Families, here's a great resource for information and dealing with bullying in school.
http://www.howtotalktoyourkids.com/index_base.html
Strategies for School Success by Samantha Moores
gives advice on setting goals, encouraging learning, communicating with teachers and more.
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
Success in Schools by Beth D. Gaydos from Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet - encouraging children to THINK, LISTEN and FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5225.html
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms, causes, treatments and information from the National Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm
Fresh Squeezed Facts A Parent's Guide to Juice from the North Dakota State University Extensions Service
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/juice.htm
