10 Partnering Tips for a Strong School Community- The main reason people join PTA is to gain access to the organized, high quality parent involvement opportunities that will help their children achieve in school. This list is one National PTA resource you can keep and refer to as you bridge the gap between home and school, initiating conversations and implementing programs or events that will enrich the learning experiences of your school's children.
10 Tips For Good Study Skills- One of the main things that kids struggle with during their school years are proper study habits. Developing a habit can take a couple of weeks, so be consistent, and implement these ten tips to help them study better.
Coloring Snow - Fun Winter Learning- Who needs a rainy day when you
have a snowy day! Create you own
winter wonderland with colorful
buckets of snow. This is an easy
and entertaining way to teach kids
about primary and secondary colors
while they giggle and smile.
Day Trips - A Visit to the Zoo- Almost all children enjoy a trip to
the zoo. You can use zoos to
encourage your child's interest in
the natural world and to introduce
children to the many fascinating
forms of life. Find out some ways to
help make the most of your trip
here!
Does Your Child Lose Sleep When School Starts?- According to a recent survey in the Journal of School Health many elementary and middle school age children are not getting enough sleep.
Encouraging Your Child's Language : A Foundation for Literacy- Many parents assume that their children must progress through a sequence of clearly defined skill areas to acquire reading and writing. As a result, young children's imaginative and creative language is not taken seriously.
Extra Curricular Overload- School is about to open and with it comes the barrage of extra
curricular activities. Talent shows. Science projects. Homework.
Dance class. Basketball practice. Violin recitals. Book reports.
When is enough too much?
Father's Interest in Child's School Life Can Override Negative Influences- A father's interest and involvement in his child's life at school, when added to that of the mother, packs a powerful one-two punch in that child's favor, concludes a new study by Brent McBride, a University of Illinois professor of human development and family studies.
Getting Your Kids to Talk About School- Does getting your kids to offer information about school seem more difficult than pulling teeth? Do you ever feel like a lawyer cross examining your child in an attempt to find out what's really happening at school? Do you wish your child would volunteer more information about his educational experience so you wouldn't have to ask so often?
Handling Homework- Limited amounts of homework in the primary grades may be beneficial; however, it should not be excessive, especially in the lower grades. The amount of homework assigned varies greatly from school to school.
Helping Children Adjust to a Change in Schools- Benjamin loved his school. He loved his teachers, friends, math challenges, science lab, and reading groups. He loved soccer at PE and student council with the older kids.
So, we ripped him from everything he loved to put him elsewhere for third grade.
Helping Your Child Look Forward to School- "I hate school!" No parent wants to hear their third grade
daughter yell out these words on a regular basis. Your
first grader conveniently forgets to bring home his homework
every day of the week. Your 10 year old daughter complains
each morning that she is too tired to go to school.
Homework Help: Good Study Habits for Every Learning Style- All children learn differently. Some learn by listening. Some learn by seeing. Still others by doing. The way your child learns best is her learning style. Every child has a unique learning style. This style is a combination of many factors. They can include how she uses her senses. How she interacts within her environment. And also her approach to reasoning.
How Busy Parents Can Stay Involved- With today's hustling and bustling lifestyles, we as parents often find
it a challenge to squeeze everything in to our already overflowing
schedule. We are lucky if little Mary makes it to the school bus stop on
time with the same color socks on both feet.
How to Have a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference- Do parent-teacher conferences
make you just a little nervous?
Does it seem like they never turn
out the way you would like them
to? I've been on both sides of the
table; as a parent and as a
teacher. Here are a few things I
have learned from watching
successful conferences, and my
fair share of nightmare meetings.
Integrating Daily Life with Reading Comprehension- There are many questions you can ask your child during common, daily activities that will reinforce their reading skills. Below are just a few scenarios, you'll probably come up with a few of your own as well.
Is Your Child's Homework Worth Doing?- The drive to assign more and more homework to children at younger ages is in full force in some schools. The homework binge threatens to cut into prime family time, extra-curricular activities, and rest and relaxation. It also increases conflict over scheduling and completing the ever-increasing number of assignments.
Look Beyond Test Scores to Find Out if Your Child is on Course- When your child has a stuffy nose and persistent cough, chances are your doctor will use a thermometer and stethoscope for a careful diagnosis before determining how to treat the ailment.
You should review the results of your child's next "big test" in the very same way. Instead of simply saying "congratulations" for a good grade or "study harder" because of a bad one, look beyond the score to identify specific learning problems, and take positive steps to strengthen the skills and knowledge that will help your child improve. This is particularly important in today's "high stakes" academic environment, which is defined by specific standards for what every child should achieve before being promoted to the next grade. Here's a simple checklist to help you keep track.
Lost Boys: Helping Males Succeed in School- According to recent headlines, boys are falling behind in school across the nation. Not only are high school boys slipping in standardized writing test scores, younger boys are more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disorder, or say that they don't like school.
Making the Grade - What You Should Know- If you are unhappy with your child's report card grades, you might be happy to know that many teachers are the first to acknowledge that letter grades - whether A's of F's or somewhere in between-do not tell the whole story. Different teachers grade differently and grades can be affected almost as much by a teacher's grading style as by your child's achievements.
Proper Nutrition Can Make Your Child a Top Student- It is important that your child gets his or her nutrition early on, preferably form Grade 1. This is the most important time for brain development, as they start to learn new things and create new ideas all the time.
Reading To Our Children- As parents, we are bombarded with advice on educating our children; homeschool, public school, private school, or tutoring. It's an endless debate that we all participate in at some point.
Rejuvenate Your Child's Self-Esteem During the December & January Break- For most students, December and January bring at least two weeks to relax and recharge while classes are out of session. For families, this can also be a wonderful time to reaffirm emotional connections that have a significant impact on children's success in school. Recognizing the very powerful link between high self-esteem, high aspirations and high achievement, parents should consider the following checklist of strategies to help students develop a positive mindset for the semester to come.
Shy vs. Bad Manners- Even the most vivacious, talkative child can suddenly become
timid when faced with social situations around adults. Most kids
will overcome this with time and practice. Some, however, are
naturally more tentative with strangers and will always be more
reserved in social situations.
Summer School is Not the Only Place to Learn- If your child finished this school year with a good report card and a promotion to the next grade, summer school may be the farthest thing from your mind. This is particularly true if your local school or school district limits its summer offerings to those needing remedial work, as opposed to courses to help high achievers get ahead.
But summertime should not become a total vacation from learning. For many students, in fact, it can be a wonderful time for independent studies and projects that tap into your child's aptitudes and interests to build valuable academic skills.
Teacher Student Relationships- Preventing acts of childhood aggression has become a major focus for schools throughout the nation, but their efforts may be lacking a critical ingredient to their success, say Texas A&M University psychologists.
The Giraffe - Taller Than a House?- Kids ask the darndest questions. Ones
that make you scratch your head and wonder why
you don't have the answers. My 6 year-old daughter
asked me "Are giraffes taller than houses?" I didn't
know for sure, so we did some snooping and here
was what we came up with.
Whose Responsibility is it Anyway?- Whose is responsible for what when it comes to
your child's homework? Does the parent carry any
burden, the teacher, or is it the student who needs
to bear the brunt. Hear from a veteran school teacher
on his views.
Why Do You Weigh Less in the Water?- While playing with my 6 year-old daughter in the swimming pool one day, she asked the question "Mom, why can I lift you up in the pool but not when we are in the house?" My answer was "Well, I'm not sure honey, it has something to do with density and mass or something." Boy, that was well put. After a little research, I found out exactly why a person's body is so much lighter underwater. It was quite logical really, but I needed to put it in to terms that my 6 year-old daughter would understand.
Fourth of July!
July 4th is almost here. Celebrate Independence Day this year with crafts, recipes and plenty of other ideas. Here are a few examples to get you started...
Did you know that FamilyCorner has its own photo gallery? Did you know that YOU can upload your own photos to it? That's right, and it's completely free!
Here are some of the fun benefits of sharing your photos in our FC Gallery:
Send your own photos as an e-card
Watch slide shows
See beautiful sunsets and other great scenic shots
Brag about and share pictures of your loving pets
Share photos of your children and grandchildren
Create your own individual album and post in category albums
Keep your favorite pictures organized online
Rate images of other members
...more!
Join us in the FC Photo Gallery. It's completely free to use, just another fabulous reason to be a FamilyCorner subscriber.
Family Matters Radio
FMR is a nationally syndicated radio program developed to help you live your best life, hosted by Caroline & Jacquie. No rants and raves - you get enough of that from your kids. Choose a segment below to begin listening!