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Motivating your unmotivated child

9/1/2015

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It’s back to school time again! For parents of an unmotivated child, this can be the start of a new cycle of stress as they observe what appears to be a “laziness” or apathy. The good news is that these observable behaviors aren’t fixed. Read on for some quick tips.

-Focus on the positive, and notice your child’s accomplishments regardless of how small these may be.

-Use specific praise. For example, instead of saying, “I’m so proud of you,” you could say, “You scored really well on this math test. You must have worked extremely hard to earn this grade.”

-Let your child overhear you praising their efforts to other people.

-Break up tasks by creating a list of goals for your child to check off.  Your child will feel good as they check off each component of an assignment, such as an outline, a draft, and so on.

-Be nearby when your child is working. Complete your own work at the same time. Upon completion, discuss your accomplishments.

-Help your child realize that issues that arise can be used as a learning experience. Talk about problems using words such as “hurdle” or “obstacle” rather than “failure” or “defeat.” They need to see that all people experience temporary roadblocks, and these experiences can help us grow.

-Use caution when talking negatively about your own schooling or attitude in certain academic subjects. Parents’ attitudes about schooling can affect children’s attitudes about academics.

-Look over your child’s work, and show interest in what they’re doing. You can take it a step further by having your child “teach” you the content.



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The case for summer academics

6/22/2015

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The academic “summer slide” is a serious problem. Students lose roughly two months of knowledge in math and reading when they stop practicing academic skills over the summer. Summer reading loss is cumulative, so children who consistently don’t read over the summer will be two years behind by the end of sixth grade. The good news is there are ways to avoid the “brain drain”. Here are some simple tips:

-Children should have easy access to books, even if that means taking regular trips to the library. Find things your kids WANT to read, rather than what you want them to read. 

-Check out the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. It’s a free online summer reading program for children running from May 4, 2015 through September 4, 2015. On the “kids” link, children can find games, reading related videos, such as book trailers, book news, and more! It’s an incredible resource!!!! Be sure to check out the “parents” page as well. Find this by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. 

-If you’re going away, have your child research places you will be visiting over the summer and help make recommendations.   

-Read aloud to your child every single day. This advice goes for children of all ages, including teens.

-Although your child should read several books over the summer, daily reading doesn’t always equal book reading. It can include reading the comics, recipes, travel brochures, and children’s magazines.

-Explore your city or neighborhood. Take trips to the zoo, parks, museums, and so on. Encourage children to journal about their activities, or even write to friends and family about their experiences.

If your child struggled in the previous year, or if you want to help them get ahead, summer tutoring is also an option.

I encourage you to leave questions, comments, and other tips in the comment section below.  

Take me to Scholastic's Summer Reading Campaign.
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Getting children to write better

6/16/2015

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These ideas comes right from Scholastic's parent website. I've shortened them, but you can read the full detailed response by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. 

The parent asked a question, which I get some variation of frequently:
"What is the best way to help my 10-year-old daughter to write better and enjoy it?"

The experts suggested:

  • Have your child keep a writer's notebook, a diary, or a journal. She can keep track of important news, funny family stories, or meaningful events in family life. 
     
  • Send a letter. Encourage your daughter to share her opinions, send them as a hello and a thank you, or to discuss special times. 
      
  • Look for writing opportunities everywhere. Have her get used to writing lists and notes to serve as reminders. 
     
  • Copy text; this helps develop writing fluency. One possibility: have your daughter select, copy, and present a poem as a gift for a special occasion.
     
  • Use the computer. 


Adapted from: 
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/homework-project-tips/expert-reading-advice-grades-3-5
See Full Article Here
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Vocabulary – A Vital Skill for Children

4/8/2015

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Having a vast vocabulary is crucial to your child’s academic success. In reading, one cannot understand a text without knowledge of the majority of words encountered. Furthermore, students with sizable vocabularies will grasp new ideas and concepts quicker than those with limited word knowledge. Below are just some of the ways you can help boost your child’s vocabulary:

-Read aloud to your child.

-Use rich  “grown-up” words when conversing with your child, and converse often.

-Share new words as a family. Challenge each other to see who can use a new word the most within a given day. Don’t forget to continue to use these new words frequently.

-Have your child come up with their own examples of newly encountered words. For example, if you’re talking about how you were ecstatic, ask your child about a time when they were ecstatic.

-When sprinkling in new vocabulary, be overly animated with your facial expressions or hand gestures. For example, if you tell your child that you are baffled by a particular situation, your face should clearly indicate confusion. 

-Explain new words using kid friendly definitions.

-Take your child out as often as possible. There are new words to be learned all around, even at places such as the bank and grocery store.

-Don’t overdo it. Teaching your child too many words at once will not be beneficial.

-Make sure your home is literacy-rich. Read more about this in January's archives.


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Questions to ask at a parent-teacher conference

3/9/2015

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As parent-teacher conferences creep up one last time, here is a list of questions for parents to use when speaking with their child's teacher. Time flies during conferences; try to get through as many as possible, and reserve time at the end for clarifying questions. 

-What do you think my child is particularly good at?

-How is my child doing socially?

-Is my child working to the best of his or her ability?

-In what areas does he/she need improvement? For example, instead of finding out that your child is struggling in reading, you want to know that fluency is an area of weakness. From there, you can get tips for how to help with reading fluency at home. 

-What can I do at home to help my child?

-Do you have any additional advice?

-What is the best way to continue to contact you? Examples: email, note sent in, phone call, etc.

Lastly, if there is anything out of the ordinary occurring at home, it's best to let the teacher know. 

Feel free to comment with additional tips or questions. 
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The dreaded homework time

2/10/2015

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It seems to me that homework is often dreaded by parents more than children. Below are some simple, easy to read tips to help with this daily daunting task.

1. Most kids need a break between coming home from school and starting homework. If your child needs a play break, they should absolutely have one. However, I don't advise having this be a break in which they turn on the television or play on the computer. Instead, think about alternatives, such as, drawing/coloring, reading, writing, or a form of play. 

2. Allow your child to select where he or she does homework. Whether it's on the floor, on the couch, or at the table, it's important that the space is clear of distractions. TV and music should be off. 

3. Do your own educational work nearby. While your child is working, try reading, paying bills, or doing something else which demonstrates that what your child is learning actually has real world applications. Being nearby will provide a sense of comfort for your child. 

4. When your child gets stuck, don't just give them the answer, a hint, or try to reexplain everything. Follow up with a question. For example, you could ask, "What do you think you should do first?" or "What steps should help you figure this out?"  Remember, we are preparing our children to be independent learners. They have other resources at their disposal ranging from examples provided in their homework, dictionaries, the internet, notes from class, etc.; they should be encouraged to use these resources.

5. Show your child how to pace themselves with long term assignments or studying. Often times, children don't mention something is due until right before the due date. This results in chaos. Pay close attention to where things are going wrong to prevent those issues from occurring in the future.

6. If your child needed an extensive amount of support to complete an assignment, let his or her teacher know by sending in a note or writing an email. Also inform the teacher if homework is taking too long to complete. Research suggests that students should have about 10 minutes of homework per day multiplied by their grade level. Therefore, a first grader should have about 10 minutes per night, while a third grader should have about a half an hour of homework per night. Remember that children should still be reading in addition to this.  

7. If you're a parent that truly dreads this time, do your best to pretend that it's an exciting time. If you seem enthusiastic about this portion of your day, your children are more likely to get the work done happily. 

Feel free to comment with additional tips. 
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Supporting literacy development at home

1/27/2015

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Research has repeatedly proved that creating a literacy-rich environment coupled with high parental involvement is crucial to a child's success with reading. Below are ways to help your child(ren) become a lifelong reader.

Location: 
-Find a place that is comfortable and well lit. "If the room can be made cozy with cushions, beanbag chairs, and pillows, all the better. The room should also have space for family members' preferred reading styles—be it nestled on a couch, lying on the floor, or sitting at a table." Laura Colker, RIF Exchange Show #504. Although the reading space should be available around the clock, establish a regular time for reading to occur every day.


Materials:
-Fill your home with a variety of lots and lots of reading material, such as non-fiction and fiction books, picture books, chapter books, magazines, comic books, poetry, dictionaries, newspapers, encyclopedias, etc. 
-Place a reasonable amount of the materials at a height in which your child can easily access them. 
-"It is recommended that parents build a permanent library, so that children can go back to favorites again and again. Family trips to the public library can augment the collection with exciting, new titles. " Laura Colker, RIF Exchange Show #504
-Literate home environments also include a variety of writing tools: paper, pens, colored pencils, journals, colored paper, lined paper, glitter, envelopes, and so on. 
-Have word games at home, such as Scabble, Jr. and Boggle. For younger children, have other forms of letters available as well (alphabet letters, foam letters, magnetic letters).

Using the Materials:
-Share your love of reading. Have your child see you reading. Discuss which books you enjoyed as a child. Make it very clear that you're excited to read, or that you are reading something for information. 
-Allow your child to pick out what he or she reads, even if your child has read that book a million times; research proves that children benefit from repeated readings. It's important that children are exposed to a variety of text. 
-Even if your child can read independently, find time to read aloud to them as well. Depending on the level of the book, remember to vary your approach. You can read to your child, have them read to you, take turns reading pages, have them follow along in their own copy as you read aloud, or read the same text at the same time.
-For beginning readers, point to each word as you read. 
-Preview books by reading the title and asking your child to make a prediction. If the book includes pictures, look at the pictures and talk about them before reading.
-Keep your child involved when you're reading to them. Invite your child to turn pages or chime in on certain words or phrases. 
-Allow time to discuss books. Remember to discuss rather than quiz your child on his or her knowledge. 


References:
Colker, L. (RIF Exchange Show #504). Literacy Development Begins at Home, With a Literate Home Environment. Retrieved from http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/literacy-development-begins-at-home.htm.

Providing a Literacy Rich Home Environment. Retrieved from http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/providing-a-literacy-rich-home-environment.htm
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signs your child may need a tutor

1/21/2015

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There are many reasons parents seek the help of a tutor. Some children need help mastering grade level expectations. Other children may struggle with organization, homework, or study skills. 

Below are some signs that your child may benefit from a private one-on-one tutor.

1. Your child becomes disheartened by his or her academic performance. He or she lacks confidence and is becoming frustrated when doing homework. 

2. Your child's grades are slipping. 

3. Your child tries hard, but shows little to no improvement in school.

4. Your child is taking a long time to complete his or her homework. 

5. Your child is no longer enthusiastic about school. 


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