Do you have trouble getting your kids to listen to you? Listening is such an important skill, yes it is a skill that can be developed! Here are a couple of ways to help your child become a better listener.
1. Have family members close their eyes for two minutes and then describe every sound they heard.
2. Make a game out of seeing how many directions a family member can follow without being reminded. For instance, give three directions (get a glass from the cupboard, take it to the bookshelf, hide it behind the fourth book). The sillier the directions, the more fun it is. Activities like these will sharpen your child's listening skills and help him/her follow directions in school.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Backpacks for Organization
Organization is a key to being successful in any area of life. It is one of the most important skills a child or adult can have. Academic challenges are often related to a child's not being organized. Becoming a list maker is one practical way to help with organization. Make a checklist of what your child should be taking to school each day. Put this list by the door and teach your child to look at it and check it over to be sure s/he has the necessary items before going out that door to school.
A good place to begin helping your child get organized is with his/her backpack. Sit down together and go through its contents. Discuss what is still needed, what to save, what to toss. By doing this, you are teaching your child a process. Use folders that are labeled (homework, parent pages, etc.) to organize all papers. Then show your child how to put things back into the backpack instead of just tossing everything in. Generally this process will take several times of doing it for a child to begin making a habit of it.
A good place to begin helping your child get organized is with his/her backpack. Sit down together and go through its contents. Discuss what is still needed, what to save, what to toss. By doing this, you are teaching your child a process. Use folders that are labeled (homework, parent pages, etc.) to organize all papers. Then show your child how to put things back into the backpack instead of just tossing everything in. Generally this process will take several times of doing it for a child to begin making a habit of it.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
It's not always the hare that wins the race!
Thomas Edison has been quoted as saying success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. This has been proven to be correct over and over again. It is not uncommon to find a student or an adult with a high IQ and potential for learning to be surpassed by someone who seemingly has less ability but puts forth a lot of effort into her work, and therefore is successful. Encourage your child to work hard and to always try her best.
The key word here is "encourage". Parents should be their child's best coach. Find something your child has done well and give her appropriate praise. Point out your child's successes, small as they may be. Be positive in your encouragement. Praise goes a lot further than yelling and finding fault.
Remember, it is not always the hare that wins the race!
The key word here is "encourage". Parents should be their child's best coach. Find something your child has done well and give her appropriate praise. Point out your child's successes, small as they may be. Be positive in your encouragement. Praise goes a lot further than yelling and finding fault.
Remember, it is not always the hare that wins the race!
Introduction
As an elementary teacher for 23 years, I have seen over and over again the relationship between a child's success in school and that child's parents' involvement with that child at home. Bright children whose parents are not involved in their academics seem to struggle to reach their full potential while lower ability students whose parents are involved in their academics can surpass their more gifted peers.
Research has consistently shown that the family is among the most important influences in predicting a child's academic performance. The U.S. Department of Education has stated, "The family is critical to success in school." Noted educator Lucy Calkins has found, "No one is more important or more powerful in a child's life than that child's parents." Other research about the family has shown that children whose parents are involved in their education have better grades, a more positive attitude toward school, and more appropriate school behavior.
Often I have parents ask me how they can help their child at home. They simply aren't sure what to do. It is my hope that this blog will be a useful tool for helping parent better know how to help their children to be more successful in school.
With each new post, strategies will be given for helping your children be more successful in school. These will not come all at once, but over a period of days and weeks.
Research has consistently shown that the family is among the most important influences in predicting a child's academic performance. The U.S. Department of Education has stated, "The family is critical to success in school." Noted educator Lucy Calkins has found, "No one is more important or more powerful in a child's life than that child's parents." Other research about the family has shown that children whose parents are involved in their education have better grades, a more positive attitude toward school, and more appropriate school behavior.
Often I have parents ask me how they can help their child at home. They simply aren't sure what to do. It is my hope that this blog will be a useful tool for helping parent better know how to help their children to be more successful in school.
With each new post, strategies will be given for helping your children be more successful in school. These will not come all at once, but over a period of days and weeks.
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