Parents can help their kids be more creative

Creativity is one of those human skills which can be developed with simple techniques. Parents and teachers can play an important role for development of creativity among kids. As kids stay with parents for long hours, parents can help their kids become creative.

The following are some positive ways parents can foster and nurture the growth of creativity:

* Encourage curiosity, exploration, experimentation, fantasy, questioning, testing, and the development of creative talents.

* Provide opportunities for creative expression, creative problem-solving, and constructive response to change and stress.

* Prepare children for new experiences, and help develop creative ways of coping with them.

* Find ways of changing destructive behavior into constructive, productive behavior rather than relying on punitive methods of control.

* Find creative ways of resolving conflicts between individual family members' needs and the needs of the other family members.

* Make sure that every member of the family receives individual attention and respect and is given opportunities to make significant, creative contributions to the welfare of the family as a whole.

* Use what the school provides imaginatively, and supplement the school's efforts.

* Give the family purpose, commitment, and courage.

How Adults "Kill" Creativity:

* Insisting that children do things the "right way." Teaching a child to think that there is just one right way to do things kills the urge to try new ways.

* Pressuring children to be realistic, to stop imagining. When we label a child's flights of fantasy as "silly," we bring the child down to earth with a thud, causing the inventive urge to curl up and die.

* Making comparisons with other children. This is a subtle pressure on a child to conform; yet the essence of creativity is freedom to conform or not to conform.

* Discouraging children curiosity. One of the surest indicators of creativity is curiosity; yet we often brush questions aside because we are too busy for "silly" questions. Children questions deserve respect.

Creative Behavior of Young Children

Young children are naturally curious. They wonder about people and the world. By the time they enter preschool, they already have a variety of learning skills acquired through questioning, inquiring, searching, manipulating, experimenting, and playing. They are content to watch from a distance at first; however, this does not satisfy their curiosity. Children need opportunities for a closer look; they need to touch; they need time for the creative encounter.

We place many restrictions on child's desire to explore the world. We discourage them by saying "Curiosity killed the cat." If we were honest, we would admit that curiosity makes a good cat and that cats are extremely skilled in testing the limits and determining what is safe and what is dangerous. Apparently children, as well as cats, have an irresistible tendency to explore objects, and this very tendency seems to be the basis for the curiosity and inventiveness of adults. Even in testing situations, children who do the most manipulating of objects produce the most ideas and the largest number of original ideas.

Source: Fostering Academic Creativity in Gifted Students

Create online stories and art with 'scratch'

There are many graphics softwares which can help you create a lot of art or other interactive stuff. But if you want to teach children with those softwares, you need to simplify it. 'Scratch' makes it easier for young children to learn art and other stuff for free online. You need to download the software programme from the site which your child can use offline as well.


What is 'Scratch'?

It is a programming language for children. You can create interactive stories, games, music and art - and share them online.

According to 'Wikipedia':

'Scratch is a computer application aimed primarily at children that allows them to explore and experiment with the concepts of computer programming by using the simple graphical interface. It was proposed and developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab by a team led by Mitchel Resnick and first appeared in the summer of 2007.

Scratch,which is available free, can be installed on any Windows or Mac OS X computer with various installation options for computers running Linux .'

Site link: 'Scratch'

TV watching may cause psychological distress among children

Watching tv for long hours regularly may cause behaviour problems among children and according to a new research study, it may increase psychological distress in young children.

'Higher levels of television and screen entertainment time and low physical activity levels interact to increase psychological distress in young children.'

Most of you probably saw a wave of news media reports about a recent study showing that television exposure in infancy and early childhood may lead to a delay in language development. In a recent study also published in Pediatrics, a group of researchers from the University college London in the UK examined the effects of television viewing and physical activity on psychological distress among children of various ages. This study is very interesting, not only because of the provocative findings, but because it opens the door for a discussion of the concept of “Prodrome.”

The authors examined data from the Scottish Health Survey, a nationally representative study of multiple psychosocial factors. The data for this analysis included 1,486 Children age 4 to 12 with a mean age of 8.5, who were assessed in 2003. The Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire was used to assess for psychological distress. Specifically, the total difficulties score incorporates responses to sub scales that examine hyperactivity, emotional distress, conduct problems, and peer problems. The authors also obtained the parents’ reports of the kids’ total weekly hours of television viewing, and the frequency of sports or active play during the week. The authors were primarily interested in exploring whether TV viewing and/or activity level were associated with psychological distress.

The results:

1. On average, kids watched a total of 2.4 hours of television per day
2. Television viewing was associated with sports activity in that those who watched most television were also those with the lowest level of sports activity.
3. Those with the highest levels of television viewing also had the lowest level of fruit intake, and the highest levels of sweets and sugar drink intake.
4. High levels of Television viewing and low levels of physical were both independently associated with psychological distress.
5. An additive effect was found in that the combination of high television viewing and low physical activity was associated with the highest levels of psychological distress.

We can write entire books and a year worth of blog posts discussing the many possible explanations for these findings. The most salient, but not necessarily correct, is that television viewing likely limits other behaviors that are associated with psychological well-being, and that physical activity also promotes psychological well-being directly (physiologically) and indirectly (through the effects on the kid’s social development). Yet, it is possible that these two findings do not cause distress, but are a reflection of distress. For example, relatively recently, researchers have began to extend the concept of prodrome from general medicine to psychiatric disorders. Prodrome refers to a conglomeration of symptoms that reflect the disease process at an early stage, usually before it displays the symptoms that we usually associate with the disease. A prodrome is not a symptom that leads to the disease. The prodrome is the disease itself already evolving.

I’m currently working with Dr. Maria Kovacs on a upcoming invited theoretical paper on prodromes in child depression, and during the writing process I’ve been considering the implications of prodromes to past longitudinal and cross-sectional “predictive” research. That is, how many of the factors that have been found to predict a condition are actually not predictors (causes) of the condition but the condition itself?

Back to the TV viewing/physical activity study; the authors found significantly elevated levels of psychological distress in 4% of the sample. Yet these were not clinical cases with specific diagnoses. It is possible then that the authors were tapping at a subgroup of kids with specific psychiatric problems at the prodrome level (depression for example) which would result in increased levels of anhedonia and reduced motor mobility. This would in turn lead to more ‘just laying on the couch staring at the TV’ and reduced interest in outside sporting events.

Related posts:

ESDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) -- Television reduces verbal interaction between parents and infants, which could delay children's language development, says a U.S. study that challenges claims that certain infant-targeted DVDs actually benefit youngsters.
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The researchers studied 329 children, aged 2 months to 48 months, and found that for each additional hour of television exposure, there was a decrease of 770 words (7 percent) heard from an adult by the children. The study also found that the more hours spent watching television, the fewer vocalizations infants made when adults talked to them.

"Some of these reductions are likely due to children being left alone in front of the television screen, but others likely reflect situations in which adults, though present, are distracted by the screen and not interacting with their infant in a discernible manner," wrote Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, of Seattle Children Hospital, and colleagues.

"At first blush, these findings may seem entirely intuitive. However, these findings must be interpreted in light of the fact that purveyors of infant DVDs claim that their products are designed to give parents and children a chance to interact with one another, an assertion that lacks empirical evidence," they noted.

The researchers added that their results may help explain previous findings of a link between television viewing and delayed language development.

"Given the critical role that adult caregivers play in children's linguistic development, whether they talk to their child while the screen is on may be critical and explain the effects that are attributed to content or even amount of television watched," the team wrote. "That is, whether parents talk less (or not at all) during some types of programs or at some times of the day may be as important in this age group as what is being watched."

The study appears in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

link: TV Interferes With Infants' Language Development

Link: Television viewing, psychological distress and thoughts on Prodromes

More links:

* Source link: TV viewing associated with psychological distress

* How addiction of Watching TV is affecting our lives?

How to choose age appropriate toys for children?

Last year a parent asked me to suggest the toys for her 5 year old daughter with some learning disability symptoms. I personally prefer to provide blocks, and other educational toys for that specif age because my son enjoyed playing with blocks for hours and it definitely helped him in skill development. This article would help you choose age appropriate toys for your children and this guide is also useful to select and buy gifts for children.

Selecting toys for young children is an important task that involves decisions about the kinds of interests, motivation, and skills we want children to develop. Any toy given to a child should match his or her developmental age and individual needs.

When choosing a toy, careful attention should be paid to safety and durability--materials should have lasting play value and help provide a foundation for future development.

Following are some ideas for inexpensive, and most important, fun play materials for the early years:

Birth through six months

Toys for young infants should promote their interest in looking, listening, sucking, and grasping. Well-secured, unbreakable crib mirrors, rag dolls, stuffed toys and simple hand puppets moved by an adult are all age appropriate gifts that can either be made or purchased for a minimal amount of money.

6 to 12 months

Infants from 6-12 months are able to enjoy a wider variety of toys which support their social, cognitive, and physical development. Floating objects for bath play, construction materials, simple puzzles, cloth and board books, and balls are durable options for young children at this stage.
1 to 2 years

Toddlers are increasingly mobile and independent. Dressing, lacing, and stringing materials, picture and nursery rhyme books, nontoxic crayons for scribbling, and stacking materials will be enjoyed by one-year-olds, while role-playing toys, pegboards, and large balls to kick, throw, and catch are good choices for older toddlers.

3 to 5 years

Three- to five-year-olds often find enjoyment from materials that promote pretend play and foster their language and social skills. A large variety of books suitable for this age are available, as well as an assortment of blocks, dress-up clothes and simple games, including dominoes, bingo boards, and card games.

6 through 8 years

Primary-school age children show interest in and benefit from a number of specific skill-development toys. They can spend hours with art and crafts materials, particularly washable paints, clay, collage equipment, and small beads for jewelry making. Books and more complex games with rules and turn-taking are also appropriate, and natural objects (stones and shells) can pique an interest in science and the environment.

Keep in mind that the holiday season can also be stressful for children. It isn't necessary to give a child a room full of toys in order for him to have fun. Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the most enjoyable.

Link: Simple Gift Giving For The Early Years

http://www.naeyc.org/

How to empower your child's self esteem?

Healthy promotion of self esteem skill among children is very important as it can help them grow as a positive and confident personality. This article would be helpful for parents and teachers to help learn this very essential life skill for their children. There are many techniques and tips which are useful to empower and boost the self esteem skill.

Webster's dictionary defines self-esteem as "a confidence and satisfaction in oneself" and self-concept as "the mental image one has of oneself "

Self-esteem is considered to be the overall value that one places on oneself as a person (Harter, 1989), whereas self-concept is viewed as the body of self-knowledge that individuals possess about themselves (Rosenberg, 1986).

When parents and teachers of young children talk about the need for good self-esteem, they usually mean that children should have "good feelings" about themselves. With young children, self-esteem refers to the extent to which they expect to be accepted and valued by the adults and peers who are important to them. During their early years, young children's self-esteem is based largely on their perceptions of how the important adults in their lives judge them. The extent to which children believe they have the characteristics valued by the important adults and peers in their lives figures greatly in the development of self-esteem. For example, in families and communities that value athletic ability highly, children who excel in athletics are likely to have a high level of self-esteem, whereas children who are less athletic or who are criticized as being physically inept or clumsy are likely to suffer from low self-esteem.

Children and teenagers with low self esteem will display a variety of traits, including:

- Being easily influenced by advertising or others.
- Avoiding new challenges for fear of failure.
- Becoming frustrated easily by setbacks.
- Blaming others when activities are unsuccessful.
- Disbelieving that (s)he has any talents or special abilities.
- Feeling unloved.

Children and teenagers with a high level of self esteem and strong feelings of self worth will also display stereotypical traits, such as:
- Welcoming new challenges.
- Tolerating frustration.
- Taking responsibility for unsuccessful ventures.
- Recognising and sharing his/her talents and special abilities.
- Feeling loved, and loving others in return.

While many children develop self esteem as they grow, for some children self esteem must be nurtured and tended. Parents and teachers can help the children develop this life skill by adopting few simple tips and techniques. Parents are at the front line of promoting children's self esteem, and while often their opinion is enough to make even the littlest chest swell with pride.

Be loving with your child, giving hugs and kisses regardless of achievements.
Help your child set realistic, attainable goals.
Praise your child for the effort, not for the outcome.
Avoid criticising your child's performance at a given task, and instead praise his/her enthusiasm or imagination.
Encourage your child to engage in activities due to interest, not ability.
Do not tolerate self criticism from your child. Help him/her focus on positive points.
Lead by example. Do not criticise yourself in front of your children.
Foster a caring environment at home by dispelling sibling rivalry.

Sources: Developing Self Esteem

Debbie Mandal at 'Bella Online' who si a stress management editor suggests these tips to boost child's self esteem:

* Exercise: Children need to be active to relieve stress hormones and sharpen learning ability which improves by 20% after exercise. Athletics, teams, dance classes and one-on-one sports training create empowerment by literally strengthening both the body and the mind.

* Healthy eating: If you want children to think highly of themselves, make sure that they eat quality foods, not junk. Food and mood are connected. A rainbow array of fruits and vegetables create sunny dispositions. Lean proteins promote academic success. Whole grains help manage stress.

* Guiding children to pick a creative hobby: Nurture their creativity. Nothing boosts self-esteem like developing a creative gift which might range from cooking and constructing to singing and writing. Through creativity children can tangibly identify and observe their uniqueness. “Look what I did.”

* Carving out private time: Children are overscheduled and over-stimulated. They need quality, private time to explore and find their own way to reset their natural rhythm. You don’t have to constantly amuse them when they say, “I’m bored.”

* Give them responsibilities and chores: Even if you have a nanny or a housekeeper, children need to do chores. Contributing to the household gives them structure and accountability which creates personal pride. Small children can help set the table or pick up their toys.

* Humor: Laughter breaks negativity instantly. Show your children how to reduce and reinterpret those “little disasters” with a comic eye. Children who have a sense of humor are magnets for positive social relationships.


Related articles: How Can We Strengthen Children's Self-Esteem?

Career Information for Kids

We often ask our kids 'What you are going to be, when you are grown up?' and sometimes we estimate about any profession which a child seems interested. Career selection is an individual choice and teachers or parents can definately help their children guide about the career they intend to adopt in future. If from the very early age our kids have an idea or target for the future studies or profession, they would be more passionate about their future goal.

Career information for kids is from Bureau of Labor Statistics, offering very useful links and information about many professions.

Web site for kids provides introductory career information for students in Grades 4-8. Most of the material on the site has been adapted from the Bureau's Occupational Outlook Handbook—a career guidance publication for adults and upper-level high school students that describes the job duties, working conditions, training requirements, earnings levels, and employment prospects of hundreds of occupations.

On the kids' site, wording and labor market concepts have been simplified and some statistical detail has been eliminated. In addition, the occupations on the site are categorized according to interests and hobbies common among students. The twelve categories and their corresponding occupations are shown at the end of this Teacher's Guide.
To help students continue their career exploration, each occupational description on the kids' site links to related information in the Handbook. The Bureau's Web site for kids is updated every 2 years with each new edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Because the kids' site is designed to give a quick introduction to a career, the information provided is general. For example, the most common way of preparing for an occupation is described, while other, less common, methods of entry might be mentioned only briefly or not at all. In the same way, the earnings figures given are representative and might not illustrate the variety of earnings found in an occupation. The Occupational Outlook Handbook gives more precise and detailed information.

When describing projected job growth in an occupation, the kids' site uses phrases such as "faster than average," "average," and "slower than average." The "average" referred to in these phrases is the projected job growth across all occupations. These projections are developed by economists in the Bureau's Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections.

For every field which you have interest describes the possible careers and each career choice explains:
What is this job like? | How do you get ready? | How much does this job pay? | How many jobs are there? | What about the future? | Are there other jobs like this? | Where can you find more information?

site link:Career information for kids

"All Safe Sites" - A search engine for young children

As internet use is increasing worldwide, more sites and links are emerging to help our kids browse safely online. I have written few posts about few top search engines where parents, teachers or students can search safely for the specific stuff.
is a directory and search engine for yound children. It is designed with visual aid to make it easy for small chilren who find text based sites difficult to read.

Other specialities of 'All safe sites'

- It is free of ads, and the reason (according to them) behind keeping it ad free is that most advertisement programs are deceptive in nature and attempt to lure the user away to another web site that is often not suitable for children.
- It offers educational, fun and safe sites.
- Directory of the search engine is human edited. Each site in their directory is personally reviewed and recommended by an elementary school teacher.

Home page offers search for catagories: Educational, technology, fun & games, entertainment, random and top rated sites.
Site link: All safe sites

Related posts:

* Search at "Ask for KIDS" for educational stuff!

* Search for the kids sites at "Kinder Start"

* Study Sphere-providing learning resources

* A "Child and Family Web Guide" about child development sites

* Where to search for educational stuff?

* Famous Search Engines for Kids

Food Safety lessons for kids

Teachers and parents can suggest these tutorial based food safety lessons to young children. Parents can get help from these easy lessons to help learn their kids about food safety.

"Iowa State University Extension" has arranges these lessons.

This food safety module is presented in four lessons:

Lesson 1: What's bugging you?
Students will get an overview of the importance of food safety and become familiar with common foodborne pathogens. Topics in this lesson include:

What is foodborne illness?
Who is at risk?
How does food become hazardous?
Why are microorganisms important?
What is the greatest threat to food safety?
What conditions encourage bacteria to grow?
What are the most common foodborne pathogens?
How can I handle food safely?

Lesson 2: What are Consumer Control Points?

This lesson focuses on the application of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles to prevent foodborne illness in the home. Students learn the "Consumer Control Points" from purchase through preparation by working their way through the Consumer Control Point Kitchen.
Purchasing
Storage
Preparation
Cooking
Serving
Handling leftovers

Lesson 3: Where is the Danger Zone?
A hypothetical situation using cartoon characters explains the importance of time and temperature in keeping food safe.

Lesson 4: Who is FAT TOM?
An animated turkey, FAT TOM, explains the importance of factors affecting the growth of foodborne pathogens. Students learn the importance of these terms as they relate to food safety:

Food
Acidity
Time
Temperature
Oxygen
Moisture

Site link:

Effective time out tips

Teaching discipline to children in an effective manner is very important, as it can really enforce good behavior and eliminate the bad ones. The time-out method is the most common, effective and successful discipline method used by parents, teacher and caretakers. The time out method has been used for generations; it is the modern version of the corner, dunce cap or “go to your room”. Parenting experts strongly stress the importance of using a consistent time out location.

By using this method of discipline you are giving your child time out from positive reinforcement (which includes any parental reaction such as yelling or hitting) after he misbehaves. Prepare a time out chair, which can be a chair in any room of the house, a space on the floor, the child's bed, etc… or any place where he is isolated from interaction with others.

'Time out' is the way to teach children coping skills and discourage inappropriate behavior, but if not used wisely it can't be effective. The early years are a time for children to develop confidence and self-control. Positive discipline techniques that combine caring and direction are a part of this healthy environment. Adults should look for meaningful ways to show children why harmful and aggressive acts are unacceptable.

Used infrequently and for very brief periods (no longer than two or three minutes), time-out may give a child the opportunity to calm down and cool off after a frustrating situation. Used often or inappropriately, time-out may not only be ineffectual—it may be damaging to the child.

TIPS

* Adults avoid using time-out for infants and toddlers. Very young children should not be isolated, nor should they be ignored or left without proper stimulation. Infants or young toddlers who do not understand why their behavior is unacceptable should gently be directed to more acceptable behaviors or activities.

* Your expectations of a child's behavior are realistic. A general knowledge of child development will help you identify when children are merely experimenting with their boundaries and when they are behaving inappropriately. When adults give children realistic goals, children feel good about themselves and are more likely to cope successfully with stressful situations.

* Consequences immediately follow the child's behavior. When children experience immediate repercussions for harming others, they understand more clearly why we are disciplining them. Whenever possible, adults should offer children positive alternatives to their actions (asking a child to help rebuild a block structure she has knocked down is more productive than removing her from the area entirely).

* Time-out should not be humiliating, nor should it make children feel threatened or afraid. There should not be a special chair or area assigned for time-out—this reinforces the idea that time-out is a punishment and may cause undue anxiety. Adults should never make a child feel ridiculed or isolated during time-out periods.

* The child should not be left alone, unless he wants to be. Young children need adults' support to work out their feelings. If adults show children that their feelings count, they will be more likely to respect the feelings of others. A caregiver should always visually observe a child during a time-out period.

* Time out does not last longer than it takes for the child to calm down. After the child calms down, explain clearly what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. There should be no ambiguity about why we have disciplined the child, otherwise the child is more likely to repeat the undesirable behavior.

* The child feels safe with the knowledge that people care for her. Remember that children imitate adults' behavior. Screaming, hitting, or ridiculing a child for bad behavior is not an effective way to teach self-control.

* Tailor the method of discipline to the individual child. Children develop their abilities to control themselves at different rates. Take into consideration the needs of the particular child involved. No single technique will work with every child every time.

* Time-out is not used as a punishment. Time-out is an opportunity for a child to clear her mind and rejoin the group or activity in a more productive state. Teach a child how to solve her own problems with love and support, and time-out may no longer be necessary.
Source: Time out

Related studies:
* All children have behavior problems, some being harder to accept than others. Some of these behaviors can cause children to be aggressive, hostile and difficult to handle, which may emphasize their respective limitations. As parents we are our children's first and foremost teacher. We need to establish our plan for accomplishing rules and expectations.
More at this link: Problem Behaviors With Children

* Discipline Techniques That Work The Best

Tips for parents to help their child's brain development

Parents are always eager to see their child healthy in both ways: physically or mentally. Physical development is possible by providing them nutritious food and physical movements which might be free play or participation in sports or other related activities. But do we think that our children need another thing from us?

Yes, helping them grow their mental skills which nourish their brains. This article is offering tips for parents to help their child's brain development.

Basic brain maintenance for our children, and for ourselves, means making a specific effort, every day, to help our children's brains work normally. Dr. Ingraham urges parents to teach their children every day, by example as well as by communication, so that they develop positive and healthy habits and lifestyles, now and for the future. Children learn best by example

Bed on time: Sleep is brain restoration time. The brain's systems do not function very well without sleep.

Normal nutrition: The brain requires normal nutrition to develop normally and replenish the brain's chemicals.

Regular exercise: Endorphins are the brain's built-in stabilizers. Exercise and physical work stabilize the brain's systems, especially the emotion response and mood regulation systems.

Regular outdoor time: Being outdoors is therapeutic. We humans were not meant to be indoors all the time.

Regular chores and responsibility: Teach your child how to work. Work keeps a child connected to the reality of life. Teaching a child by example how to work helps the brain develop normally. The opportunity to learn to work is crucial. Children who never work never mature.

Tie all privileges to responsibilities: This keeps the child connected to the reality of life, and what life requires for success.

No exposure to violence, in any form: Violence in the family, violence in the environment, violence in TV, videos, video games and movies. Repeated and continual exposure to violence, whether in person or in the media, reprograms the child's primitive brain systems. We want to maintain the normal ecology of our children's brains.

No exposure to greed, extravagance, explicit sex: These are major problems with the media and our value systems, both of which have disconnected our children from reality.

Simplify your life and your family's life: Make your family's life more personal and less driven.

Get in tune with your real values and priorities: Get off the rollercoaster of materialism.

Source: CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE OF ATLANTA, Georgia Dept of American Academy of Pediatrics and Department of Human Resources.

The Importance of Teaching Children Good Social Skills

Among other skill develpment options, it is noted that social skill is the most important among all. This post would help you learn the importance of teaching good social skills to children.

Your 4-year-old may already know how to tie their own shoelaces and spell out their first and last names. But as preschool looms around the corner, are you worried how well they’ll fit in with the rest of the classroom?

According to a nationwide survey conducted of 1,000 parents by Mom Central Inc. on behalf of Hasbro Inc., the majority of parents feel the same way with 90 percent considering social skills to be vital to their children’s happiness and confidence.

Nearly eight out of 10 parents also think social skills are more important than academic skills when it comes to their child’s overall happiness. As a matter of fact, parents gave social skills a higher ranking than academic skills on the survey in nearly every area of child development.

“More than ever, our children must get along with others to function effectively,” says Stacy DeBroff, chief executive officer of Mom Central, found at www.momcentral.com. “In this age of team sports and structured play, it has never been more critical for our children to master socialization skills. From children’s play groups to collaboration in the classroom, kids today engage in significantly more structured group activities, raising the profile and the necessity for good social skills.”

According to the survey, one in five parents feel overwhelmed with teaching social skills and more than one-third say that teaching social skills leads to frustration. In response, Stacy DeBroff has developed some tips parents can use to help their child learn social skills in a positive and reinforcing way:

* Lead by example.

Children are excellent observers. If they see Mom and Dad using polite language, sharing and being respectful, they will follow their parents’ guidance.

* Play with them in an educational way.

Children love to play games with their parents because it provides them with direct attention. Noodleboro by Hasbro is a new line of board games, which includes storybooks and audio CDs that nurture preschoolers’ social skills through laughter and play.

* Take a problem-solving approach.

If a situation becomes stressful, encourage your child to talk about the issues they might have with saying “please,” and “thank you” or sharing their toys with their friends. By allowing children to talk, they often discover for themselves what’s causing the problem while also coming up with unique ways in which they will be able to handle themselves.

“It’s more than just manners… it’s sharing, it’s listening, and it’s engaging with others. The Noodleboro games offer an innovative way to use a classic board game to reward and challenge kids as they learn valuable social skills,” says DeBroff.

Source: 'ARAcontent'

More resource and articles:
* Download pdf report: 'Discipline- teaching school age children social skills'

* How to Teach Your Child Social Skills

* At 'Self Growth: "How to Teach Your Child Social Skills?"

Why we fail to teach our children discipline?

As a parent or teacher we are eager to find the best ways to descipline our children but many of us fail. A recent study found that 1 in 3 say the method they use doesn't work. Let's read some research based studies which may help us learn the effective ways to teach our kids descipline.

Childhood health experts say many parents think discipline means meting out punishment. But often the punishments parents use end up reinforcing the bad behavior instead of correcting it. Surprisingly, the most effective discipline typically doesn’t involve any punishment at all, but instead focuses on positive reinforcement when children are being good.

Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, adolescent medicine specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said that when parents come to him complaining of discipline problems, he often explains the etymology of the word. The Latin root is “discipulus,” which means student or pupil.

“Defining discipline is really important,” said Dr. Ginsburg, author of “A Parent’s Guide to Building Resilience in Children and Teens,” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. “When I tell parents this, you see their faces and they say: ‘It’s not about punishment? It’s about teaching?’ That changes things.”

But effective discipline is more difficult for busy parents because strategies that involve teaching and positive feedback take a lot more time than simple punishment, noted Dr. Shari Barkin, chief of the division of general pediatrics at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University.

It was Dr. Barkin’s study of more than 2,100 parents that reported that 1 in 3 said they could not effectively discipline their kids. The findings, published last year in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, showed that parents often used the same punishments that their own parents had used on them. Forty-five percent reported using time-outs, 41.5 percent said they removed privileges, 13 percent reported yelling at their children and 8.5 percent said they used spanking “often or always.”

Parents who resorted to yelling or spanking were far more likely to say their disciplinary approach was ineffective. Given that parents often don’t admit to yelling and spanking, the study probably underestimates how widespread the problem of ineffective discipline really is, Dr. Barkin said.

Many parents’ discipline methods don’t work because children quickly learn that it’s much easier to capture a parent’s attention with bad behavior than with good. Parents unwittingly reinforce this by getting on the phone, sending e-mail messages or reading the paper as soon as a child starts playing quietly, and by stopping the activity and scolding a child when he starts to misbehave.

“How many times have you heard someone say, ‘I need to get off the phone because my child is acting up’?” asked Dr. Nathan J. Blum, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “You’re doing exactly what the child wants.”

Trying to reason with a child who is misbehaving doesn’t work. “Talking and lecturing and even yelling is essentially giving kids your attention,” Dr. Blum said.

While time-outs can be highly effective for helping young children calm down and regain control of their emotions, many parents misuse the technique, doctors say. Parents often lecture or scold children during time-outs or battle with kids to return to a time-out chair. But giving a child any attention during a time-out will render the technique ineffective.

Another problem is that parents miscalculate how long a time-out should last. A child in an extended time-out will become bored and start to misbehave again to win attention. Doctors advise no more than a minute of time-out for each year of a child’s life.

A better disciplinary method for younger children doesn’t focus on bad behavior but on good behavior, Dr. Blum said. If children are behaving well, get off the phone or stop what you are doing and make a point to tell them that you wanted to spend time with them because they are so well behaved.

DISCIPLINE is more difficult in the teenage years as children struggle to gain independence. Studies show that punishments like grounding have little effect on teenagers’ behavior. In several studies of youth drinking, drug use and early sex, the best predictor for good behavior wasn’t punishment, but parental monitoring and involvement. The best methods of keeping teenagers out of trouble are knowing where they are, knowing who is with them, and spending time with them regularly.

That doesn’t mean teenagers shouldn’t be punished. But parents should set clear rules that allow children to earn or lose privileges, which gives them a sense that they control their destiny.

“You don’t want kids to feel victimized or punished,” said Dr. Ginsburg of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “You want them to understand that the freedoms they get are directly related to how they demonstrate responsibility.”

Dr. Barkin said she believed the problem of ineffective discipline was getting worse, in part because reinforcing good behavior is far more time-consuming than punishment. Dr. Barkin noted that busy parents juggling work and family demands often are distracted by cellphones, e-mail and other media.

“We have these new forms of technology which urge us to be working all the time,” Dr. Barkin said. “We are a distracted society. It’s harder to turn off the media and turn on that personal engagement.”

Source: New York Times

Tips To Help Prevent Health Effects Due to School Backpack

This article would help you learn how 'school backpack' can be a cause of serious back pain or other injuries. You can learn 'how it happens, how to choose backpack and guideline of proper use of backpack.

Do you know that 'National School Backpack Awareness Day is September 17'?
National School Backpack Awareness Day is an annual event held in September. Across the country, events are being held to educate parents, students, teachers and school administrators, and communities about the serious health effects on children from backpacks that are too heavy or worn improperly.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission there were more than 21,000 backpack-related injuries treated at hospital emergency rooms, doctors' offices, and clinics in the year 2003. Injuries ranged from contusions, to sprains and strains to the back and shoulder, and fractures.

Back pain it a normal complaint among adults, but a new but disturbing trend is emerging. Young children are suffering from back pain much earlier than previous generations, and the use of overweight backpacks is a contributing factor, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

This new back pain trend among youngsters isn't surprising when you consider the disproportionate amounts of weight they carry in their backpacks - often slung over just one shoulder. According to Dr. Bautch, a recent study conducted in Italy found that the average child carries a backpack that would be the equivalent of a 39-pound burden for a 176-pound man, or a 29-pound load for a 132-pound woman. Of those children carrying heavy backpacks to school, 60 percent had experienced back pain as a result.

To help understand how heavy backpacks can affect a kid's body, it helps to understand how the back works. The spine is made of 33 bones called vertebrae, and between the vertebrae are discs that act as natural shock absorbers.

When a heavy weight, such as a backpack filled with books, is incorrectly placed on the shoulders, the weight's force can pull a child backward. To compensate, a child may bend forward at the hips or arch the back, which can cause the spine to compress unnaturally. The heavy weight might cause some kids to develop shoulder, neck, and back pain.

Few facts about back packs:

- In one study with American students, 6 out of 10 students, ages 9 to 20, reported chronic back pain related to heavy backpacks. Among students who carried backpacks weighing 15% of their body weight or less, only 2 in 10 reported pain.

- The way backpacks are worn has an impact. Lower positioning of the backpack approximates the body's center of gravity and has the least effect on posture.

- In a study on the effect of backpack education on student behavior and health, nearly 8 out of 10 middle-school students who changed how they loaded and wore their backpacks reported less pain and strain in their backs, necks, and shoulders

Warning signs a backpack is too heavy:

- Change in posture when wearing the backpack
- Struggling when putting on or taking off the backpack
- Pain when wearing the backpack
- Tingling or numbness
- Red marks

Kids who wear their backpacks over just one shoulder — as many do, because they think it looks better — may end up leaning to one side to offset the extra weight. They might develop lower and upper back pain and strain their shoulders and neck.

According to Dr. Bautch, preliminary results of studies being conducted in France show that the longer a child wears a backpack, the longer it takes for a curvature or deformity of the spine to correct itself. "The question that needs to be addressed next is, 'Does it ever return to normal?'" Dr. Bautch added.

According to a University of Michigan study, up to 60% of children will experience back pain by the time they reach age 18. Keeping kids healthy is a full time job. Reducing the stress on their spine can help make that job a little easier. Here are a few simple guidelines to follow when picking out the backpack for the year.future problems from developing.
Functionality and safety are much more important than fashion. Your children may not like your decision right now, but tell them they will appreciate it when they are 40. You can always blame it on us too!

What Can You Do?
The ACA offers the following tips to help prevent the needless pain that backpack misuse could cause the students in your household.

TIPS:

* Make sure your child's backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause your child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, rather than on the shoulders, by the straps.

* The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking.

* A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively. Make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child's back.

* Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry-and the heavier the backpack will be.

* Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps. Lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause the disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain.

* Wide, padded straps are very important. Non-padded straps are uncomfortable, and can dig into your child's shoulders.

* The shoulder straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to your child's body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignment and pain.

* If the backpack is still too heavy, talk to your child's teacher. Ask if your child could leave the heaviest books at school, and bring home only lighter hand-out materials or workbooks.

* Although the use of rollerpacks - or backpacks on wheels - has become popular in recent years, the ACA is now recommending that they be used cautiously and on a limited basis by only those students who are not physically able to carry a backpack. Some school districts have begun banning the use of rollerpacks because they clutter hallways, resulting in dangerous trips and falls.

If you or your child experiences any pain or discomfort resulting from backpack use, call your doctor of chiropractic. Doctors of chiropractic are licensed and trained to diagnose and treat patients of all ages and will use a gentler type of treatment for children. In addition, doctors of chiropractic can also prescribe exercises designed to help children develop strong muscles, along with instruction in good nutrition, posture and sleeping habits.

Source: American Chiropractic Association (ACA)

Related studies and articles:

- Backpack safety tips at 'Kids health'

- A useful article from "Web md": Which backpacks are safest for kids, and how to wear backpacks to avoid aches and pains?

- Backpack-related injuries in children

- AOTA has produced a homework tip sheet for parents, to provide strategies that assist families manage the ever-increasing load of homework. We want to show how practitioners can help families live life to its fullest.
Get the pdf version of : Home work tips sheets

- School backpack purchasing guidelines

Benefits Of Recreational Activities For Children

Hobbies, leisure or recreation activities are not only beneficial for adults, but they are very important for children. Participation in recreation activities leads to well-balanced, healthy and physically-active children.

Recreation activies provides fun learning environments for children. I take Nursery year classes and more I am learning about the importance of play and recreation activities, more convinced I am, that recreation and fun activities play a positive role in development of a child.

The early years are critical. Considerable evidence exists that circumstances in the first years of a child’s life have lifelong impacts on their health, learning, and coping skills.

Participation in recreation programs and activities benefits children in many ways:

* Promotes good physical and emotional development in children; develops motor skills and stimulates intellectual, emotional and social growth

* Develops social skills; i.e. relating to others, learning social roles and reinforcing behavioral norms

* Builds positive self esteem and self worth; children gain a sense of achievement from mastering skills which leads to higher achievement and better results in school

* Develops life and leaderships skills by participating in team and sport activities, being group leaders, making decisions and solving problems

* Facilitates long term health benefits; i.e. physical activity

* Reduces the risk of disease such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis

* Stimulates children’s minds and creative thinking through play, games and creative
programs

* Fosters an awareness of the larger community and cross cultural understanding

* Enables children with disorders to achieve the same level of social, physical and
academic competencies as their peers

* Develops positive attitudes towards the importance of recreation and leisure in
contributing to healthy, active lifestyles

Other benefits to children and families include:

* Recreation provides positive role models for children

* Recreation is a strong mitigating factor in reducing child and family poverty

* Recreation contributes to a healthier, stable family life when parents participate in their children’s recreation activities

Providing recreation for children is associated with good outcomes for mothers
Subsidizing recreation for children who cannot afford to pay, pays for itself through reduced use of social and health services.

Read the full report from Canadian site 'toronto': Pdf version

- The Campus of University of Cincinnati provides some recreational program which can be adopted by schools: Recreation Enriches Children

- According to NSW Child Health Survey 2001 at Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health, 'Favourite activity among children aged 4-12 years', as reported by parents or carers, NSW, 2001 (per cent of parents or carers):

The question "What is [child]’s favourite activity when not at school or in day care?” was asked of parents or carers.

Just over 70% of parents or carers said their child’s favourite activity was
either:

- playing sport
- watching television, videos, movies and using a computer
- riding a bike, scooter, skateboarding or rollerblading


Related posts:

- Recreation, hobbies and leisures providing refreshment to life

- Benefits of hobbies and leisures

- The role of hobbies in our lives

Download Free 'Help your child' e-books

Parents who help their child in studies need some guidance which is usually provided by the schools, but for good grades, students need to search for extra resources and helping books. Internet is a rich source of information regarding educational stuff. But the information are scattered in a way that usually it is difficult or time consuming to find or search the material. I hope that this blog would be helpful for teachers, parents, or students in finding relevant information or resource links.

You can download these 12- "Helping your child" series e-books FREE. These are not educational or teaching syllabus books, but these books are a guideline for specific subjects. First 9 books are in pdf format, and you would get the downloading instruction from the post. Rest of the 3 books are in brochure form.

These e-books are provided by ED.gov a 'U.S Department of Education" site, to promote student achievement.
"The "Helping Your Child" publication series aims to provide parents with the tools and information necessary to help their children succeed in school and life. These booklets feature practical lessons and activities to help their school aged and preschool children master reading, understand the value of homework and develop the skills and values necessary to achieve and grow."

1- Helping Your Child Learn History

The booklet is designed to help families prepare their children to achieve the lifelong task of finding their place in history by helping them learn what shaped the world into which they were born. Employing the latest research, the booklet is largely comprised of activities that can be experienced at home or in the community for children in preschool through grade 5, yet also features information about the basics of history; practical suggestions for how to work with teachers and schools to help children succeed in school; and a list of federal sources, helpful Web sites and suggested books for parents and children
Download link: To download, click the right mouse button and select 'save as':PDF (2M)

2- Helping Your Child Learn Science

Every day is filled with opportunities to learn science—without expensive chemistry sets or books. Parents don't need degrees in chemistry or physics to help their children learn science. All that is needed is a willingness to observe and learn with them, and, above all, to make an effort and take the time to nurture their natural curiosity. This booklet provides parents of children ages 3 through 10 with information, tools and activities they can use in the home and community to help their child develop an interest in the sciences and learn about the world around them.
Download link: PDF (1M)

3- Helping Your Child Learn Mathematics

Our increasingly technological world demands strong skills in mathematics, not only in the workforce but also in everyday life, and these demands will only increase over the lifetimes of our children. The major portion of this booklet is made up of fun activities that parents can use with children from preschool age through grade 5 to strengthen their math skills and build strong positive attitudes toward math.
Download link: PDF (776K)

4- Helping Your Child Become a Reader

Other than helping your children to grow up healthy and happy, the most important thing that you can do for them is to help them develop their reading skills. This booklet offers pointers on how to build the language skills of young children, and includes a list of typical language accomplishments for different age groups, suggestions for books, and resources for children with reading problems or learning disabilities.
Download link: PDF

5- Helping Your Child With Homework

Homework can help children to develop positive study skills and habits, improve their thinking and memory abilities, and encourage them to use time well, learn independently, and take responsibility for their work. This booklet helps parents of elementary and junior high school students understand why homework is important and makes suggestions for helping children complete assignments successfully.
Download link: PDF (508K)

6- Helping Your Preschool Child

How well children will learn and develop and how well they will do in school depends on a number of things, including their health and physical well-being, social and emotional preparation, and language skills and general knowledge of the world. This booklet highlights techniques parents can use to encourage their children to develop the skills necessary for success in school and life by focusing on activities that make learning fun.
Download link: PDF (725K)

7- Helping Your Child Succeed in School

Every child has the power to succeed in school and in life and every parent, family member and caregiver can help. This booklet provides parents with information, tools and activities they can use in the home to help their child develop the skills critical to academic success.
Downlaod link: PDF (1,600K)

8- Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence

Learning as much as you can about the world of early adolescents is an important step towards helping your child through the fascinating, confusing and wonderful years from ages 10 through 14. Based on the latest research in adolescent development and learning, this booklet addresses questions, provides suggestions and tackles issues that parents of young teens generally find most challenging.
Download link: PDF (2,090K)

9- Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen

Just as children must be taught to read and write, solve math problems, and understand science concepts and events in history, so must they be guided in developing the qualities of character that are valued by their families and by the communities in which they live. This booklet provides information about the values and skills that make up character and good citizenship and what you can do to help your child develop strong character. It suggests activities that you and your school-aged children can do to put those values to work in your daily lives and tips for working with teachers and schools to ensure that you act together to promote the basic values that you want your child to learn and use.
Downlaod link: PDF (1,687K)

Few more brochures:

10- Help Your Child Improve in Test-Taking
It suggests some simple techniques parents can use to help their children develop the ability to do well on tests.
Link: Help Your Child Improve in Test-Taking

11- Help Your Child Learn to Write Well
This brochure gives parents simple and fun strategies for helping their children learn to write well—and to enjoy doing it!
Link: Help Your Child Learn to Write Well

12- Helping Your Child Learn Geography
Offers many simple, fun activities to teach youngsters the fundamentals of geography—from creating treasure maps to helping children find pen pals.
Link: Helping Your Child Learn Geography

7 Activities to stimulate creativity

Can we develop the creative skills?

Yes, there are many activities and games which can help us make ourselves or our children more creative.

A quotation about 'creativity':

- The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself. (Alan Alda)

Now read the 7 activities which parents or teachers both can use to stimulate creativity among children.

Brain storming activities

These group activities are rooted in the practicalities of real life. They can be used to help students see how original and creative thinking can be applied to their daily lives.

1- Not Just for Breakfast

Place a box of ready-to-eat cereal (like Cheerios or Trix) on a desk or ledge at the front of the room. Ask the students to generate as many uses for the product as they can in two minutes. (Some of the more creative suggestions students might come up with—using the cereal as fertilizer or a component in jewelry.)

2- New Devices

Break students into groups of three. Have each group member draw a picture of someone doing something. (The ideal subject will be someone caught mid-movement.) After all the drawings are complete, have the students study them with the object of creating for each a device that will support the position shown in a steady state. Explain that the devices the students create can be made of paper, wood, plastic, or metal. (What the students will end up with are various forms of furniture, but they will have designed their creations without limiting themselves to their prior knowledge of furniture. The object of the exercise is to show the value of ambiguity in stimulating creativity.)

3- Troubleshooters

Once again, break the students into groups of three. Name a problem with which everyone is familiar—say, how to reduce the number of homeless people on the streets. Then assign each group a familiar figure from history, fiction, or current events, and have them determine how that person would solve the problem. For example, what if Martin Luther King, Jr. were to tackle the homeless problem? What if the Ninja Turtles were to try it? Barbara Walters? General Schwarzkopf? As a starting point, suggest that the students consider what particular expertise the person would bring to the problem and what his or her objectives would be

4- What If?

Divide the class into brainstorming groups of about ten students each. Ask the students to come up with the most unique "what if" question and answer they can think of. (In other words, start with "what if" and finish with some unusual situation.) Here are some examples: What if people didn't need to sleep? What if we "elected" presidents by lottery? After the groups have settled on their particular questions and answers, have the class compare them and vote on the most creative.

5- Questioning Authority

Divide the class into small groups (4-6 students). Have each group make a list of ten unwritten rules that they seem to follow each day. Examples might be where they buy groceries, what time they get up in the morning, and what television programs they watch. Have the groups discuss why they follow these "rules" and what it would take to get them to break them. Alternative: Try the same sort of activity, this time having students list beliefs they accept without question-truisms like "Recessions are bad" or "It takes money to make money."

6- Unusual Analogies

Divide the class into brainstorming groups of about ten students each. Have each group develop as many clever or unusual analogies as they can. For example: Going to school is like riding an elevator-some days you're up, some days you're down, and some days you get the shaft.

7- The Roots

Divide the class into small groups (4-6 students) for some problem analysis. First have the groups compile lists of problems their members face, such as poor grades or neighborhood vandalism. By way of analysis, have the group ask (and answer) the following questions:
Where does the problem happen?

When does it happen?

How does it happen?

To whom does it happen, and who causes it?

Have the groups finish by using the Toyota Suggestion System and asking Why? four times. For example, using the problem of poor grades:

Why did I receive a poor grade on the history test?
(The teacher is a hard grader.)

Why is the teacher a hard grader?
(She expects a lot of her students.)

Why does the teacher expect a lot of her students?
(She knows we can do it if we study hard.)

Why does she know we can do it if we study hard?
(She has seen students like us do it in the past.)

Source link: glencoe

- Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual. (Arthur Koestler)

Related posts:

Games That Stimulate Creativity

* The HEART of Creativity: Questions to Stimulate Creativity Training

* A very interesting story: How to stimulate creativity?

Reawakening the creative mind

Creativity - Its Place in Education (PDF document; 120kb)

How to help your child with 'Home Work'- Tips for parents

Parent's involvement in child education can bring positive results in child's grades. And starting point to guide or taking interest is to look how you can help your child in 'home work'. These few tips would help you guide your child in home work, letting him/her get ready for future success at school and in life. It is a fact that 'family involvement is crucial if we want our children to succeed in education and throughout life'.

Tips for Parents

Homework is the ideal opportunity for students to learn and for parents to become involved closer in their child’s education. A parent’s interest can spark enthusiasm in a child and teach one of the most important lessons of all – that learning can be fun, is important and is well worth the effort.

Children do need to know that their parents think homework is important. If they know their parents care, children have a good reason to complete their homework and hand them in on time. It is important that parents show they value education and this can be done in a number of ways.

* Set a Regular Time
Finding a regular time for your child to complete their homework is very important. The best schedule is the one that works for your child and your family. What works well in one home may not apply in another – every home and child is different. It may well be that your child works well immediately on returning home from school or alternatively; it may be that your child needs to play for an hour and then complete their homework assignment.

aOutside activities, such as sports or music lessons may mean that you need to adopt a flexible schedule throughout the week. If there is not enough time for your child to finish his/ her homework then you will need to discuss dropping some after school activities. You must show your child that homework is a priority.

* Pick a Study Place
Ideally, a dedicated homework area is the best way for your child to focus. However this may not always be possible. It is more important that the study area has the right components;

- good light

- study supplies at hand

- be fairly quiet

* Remove any Distractions
A study area should not be next to a television set (obvious we know). Mobile phones should be switched off and social calls banned during homework.

However a phone call to a friend regarding homework will be beneficial.

Some children do work well with soft background music (not a blaring stereo barking out the latest hits).

* Provide Supplies and Identify Resources
A good starting point for this is all the obvious supplies that your child will need to complete his/ her homework – pencils, pens, paper, glue, stapler, scissors etc..

Although please be aware that there may be specific assignments where other supplies are required.

For information resources, break them down into the different types:

- books, available at home, school or the library?

- Internet – available at home, school, or the library?

- A phone call to the local library is very much worthwhile – they may have a dedicated homework area and have computers that can be used by pupils.

It is also worth speaking to the school about any ground rules they may have regarding Internet access to students.

* Set a Good Example
Children will be more responsive to homework and studying if they see their parents undertaking tasks that require effort, reading and writing. Talk with your child about what you are doing even if is something relatively minor and simple. Encourage activities that have an educational application – for example going to the zoo, watching educational programmes on TV, museums etc and so on.

* Show an Interest
Discuss your child’s education at the dinner table, what did they do at school today? Did they have a lot of homework? Was it hard/ easy?

These are all relatively simple points but they do instil a sense of support and interest.

Always attend parent- teacher nights to discuss your child’s work and it is a great support if you are able to attend school fairs, sports day etc…


Other Ways in Which Parents Can Help
Here are just some other points that will help in your child’s education and particularly their homework assignments:

1. Ask about the School Homework Policy (Be aware what the school expects from homework.)

2. Be available: Be available to your child should they have any questions regarding their homework assignment.

3. Look over completed homework: Read the homework assignments before and after the teacher has seen them.

4. Monitor Television Viewing: If the figures are added up children spend more time watching TV than doing homework. It is no surprise that if they are watching TV then they are not studying.

5. Study your Child’s Study Habits
See what works best to get the best out of your child.

6. Help your Child Get Organised
Help them organise a schedule and homework area.

7. Encourage Good Study Habits
Show your child how to break down tasks, understand them and what they are supposed to achieve.

8. Discuss Assignments
Talk about the homework that has been given.

9. Give Praise
Praise your child when they get good marks and work well. Everyone responds to praise - it is a great motivational tool.

10. Share any concerns with the School
Go and talk to the teacher in question about any concerns you may have. It is a good idea to speak to the teacher involved before going to the head teacher.

11. Work with the School: If there are problems with homework then work with the school for a solution.

12. Share Feedback to the School:Communication with your child’s school is only a good thing.

Source:




Useful links and resources where you can get home work help on the net:

* Homework Help on the Web

Teach your children to be money wise

Today's economical situation is making money manangement harder for every common person. Many of us didn't learn about finances, making plan or budget and saving for the future and at the time of needs, we are in critical situation. It is now time to teach ourselves and our new generation about money management.

In today's economic environment, it is critical to understand how money works and, more important, how to make it work for you. It's unfortunate that young adults are now entering a world where they don't have time to learn financial skills gradually. Often they become victims of poor credit and debt practices before they realize how it even happened.

Even if your children are very young, remember that the sooner you start teaching these skills, the better off your child will be when they need them. One of the most difficult issues parents have to face is Step One. This first and most important step is to examine your own attitudes about money. This is extremely important because your children learn more from what they see you do than from what you tell them. You can preach to your kids every day that ?A penny saved is a penny earned,? or that ?A fool and his money are soon parted,? but it won't do any good if they see that you waste your own money consistently.

- It is very important to communicate openly with young kids about money, in simple terms that they can comprehend. Too often, young adults have to learn about credit and debt the hard way: by fending for themselves. It's better that they learn about personal finances under your guidance.

Some tips that will help your younger children get off on the right foot include involving them in financial planning. While a young child won't understand investing at the complex level of an adult, a savings account in his or her name will help them understand the basic benefits of saving money and watching it grow.

Tips

* If you give the child an allowance, let him or her be in charge of spending it. This is a great way to teach the relationship between their actions and the positive or negative consequences that follow.

* Provide extra income opportunities. Help them learn that money is something you earn, not something you are entitled to. This is also a great way to get the child involved in extra family chores.

* Take your child shopping with you. Explain to them why you make the decisions you make while shopping. By showing them the details you take into consideration, you'll be teaching them how to be a wise consumer.

Taking these steps will go a long way in setting a foundation for younger kids.

Source: Teaching Children

*** Another article: Teaching teens

Learn about "Children with learning disablities"

Few months age, in a teacher's meeting our principal suggested us to watch a Hindi movie "Taaray Zameen Par" to see a character of a teacher who has to deal with a child having learning disability (Dyslexia). Movie was excellent because I could realize that as an educator we have to deal with many kind of kids and if we don't deal every child individually, we can't say that we are successful teachers.

Every session of reception years brings new challenges for teachers like me. In session 2007-08 I have to fact the same situation, as a girl of 4 plus age was not doing well with activities or studies in classroom. Even at break time, she was notinterested in running or playing around. At the end of the session, I decided to read and search about "learning disabilities" and I suggest every parent and teacher to check if their children have any symptom of any disabiliy. To my opinion having proper knowledge of these mental disorder can help us improve the situation.

To write this article I have taken help from Learning Disabilities.org, which is world's leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD.

Facts about learning disabilities

- Fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability, according to the National Institutes of Health.
- Difficulty with basic reading and language skills are the most common learning disabilities. As many as 80% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems.
- Learning disabilities often run in families.
- Learning disabilities should not be confused with other disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness, and behavioral disorders. None of these conditions are learning disabilities. In addition, they should not be confused with lack of educational opportunities like frequent changes of schools or attendance problems. Also, children who are learning English do not necessarily have a learning disability.
- Attention disorders, such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities often occur at the same time, but the two disorders are not the same.

What is learning disability?

When children have learning problems, their parents are usually the first to notice that something is just not right. Teachers often notice a child having trouble in their class. And when they notice, they want reliable information so they can help their children.

Definition: "A learning disability is a neurological disorder. In simple terms, a learning disability results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways."

A learning disability can't be cured or fixed; it is a lifelong issue. With the right support and intervention, however, children with learning disabilities can succeed in school and go on to successful, often distinguished careers later in life.

Parents can help children with learning disabilities achieve such success by encouraging their strengths, knowing their weaknesses, understanding the educational system, working with professionals and learning about strategies for dealing with specific difficulties.

Common learning disabilities:

Dyslexia – a language-based disability in which a person has trouble understanding written words. It may also be referred to as reading disability or reading disorder.
Dyscalculia – a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts.
Dysgraphia – a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space.
Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders – sensory disabilities in which a person has difficulty understanding language despite normal hearing and vision.
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities – a neurological disorder which originates in the right hemisphere of the brain, causing problems with visual-spatial, intuitive, organizational, evaluative and holistic processing functions.

Early Warning Signs of Learning Disabilities:

Learning disabilities affect one in seven people according to the National Institutes of Health. Parents, therefore, need to be familiar with the early indicators of a learning disability in order to get the right help as soon as possible.

The most common learning disability is difficulty with language and reading. A recent National Institutes of Health study showed that 67 percent of young students identified as being at risk for reading difficulties were able to achieve average or above average reading ability when they received help early
Below are several early warning signs commonly associated with learning disabilities between the preschool years and fourth grade. Many young children may exhibit one or two of these behaviors; however, consistent problems with a group of behaviors is a good indication your child may have a learning disability.

Early warning signs: Preschool

- Late talking, compared to other children
- Pronunciation problems
- Slow vocabulary growth, often unable to find the right word
- Difficulty rhyming words
- Trouble learning numbers, the alphabet, days of the week
- Extremely restless and easily distracted
- Trouble interacting with peers
- Poor ability to follow directions or routines
- Early warning signs: Kindergarten through fourth grade
- Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
- Confuses basic words (run, eat, want)
- Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w), transpositions (felt/left), and substitutions (house/home)
- Transposes number sequences and confuses arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =)
- Slow recall of facts
- Slow to learn new skills, relies heavily on memorization
- Impulsiveness, lack of planning
- Unstable pencil grip
- Trouble learning about time
- Poor coordination, unaware of physical surroundings, prone to accidents

Source:
Early Warning Signs of Learning Disabilities

If you go to the site, you would get all the necessary information about the topic, but I am providing some more article links for a quick study:

* A lot of resources and article links at educators page:
- LD Online-Educators

* Parenting a child with learning disabilities or ADHD is a challenge. To assist you, LD OnLine has gathered the information to help you get started in understanding what your child needs, your rights and responsibilities in working with the school, and ways to support your son or daughter at home.:
- Parents

* Each month, Dr. Larry Silver, Matt Cohen, and Dr. Tracy Gray answer selected questions from parents and educators about learning disabilities and ADHD. See the expert advice they've provided to others who've written in. You might find an answer that applies to your own situation!

- Exper advice

What can parents do?
At "Move to Learn" site, Barbara Phelong (who is herself a resouce teacher, having a 35 years of experience in the field of special education )suggests these fun to learn activities, which can help in children with learning difficulties:
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- Another article at the site may be helpful which is about "Spotting learning difficulties
Note: Site suggests to buy books on related topics, but still you can search for free stuff and get help.

* This article would be of interest to the parents, who don't see hope dealing with their child with learning disability.
- Life Success For Students With Learning Disabilities: A Parent's Guide

* Happy dyslexic The purpose of this site is to help dyslexics achieve their potential and be happy. We can contribute to this by bringing more understanding and a positive view on dyslexia, and ways on how to overcome the disadvantages of dyslexia.