The Positive Influence of Being Involved in your Child’s Education
It has been shown many times over in research studies that a parent who is involved in their child’s education has a positive impact. It’s reflected in improved grades and test scores, strong attendance, a higher rate of homework completion, higher graduation rates, improved attitudes and behaviors in the child, as well as the child being more likely to become involved in positive extra-curricular activities. Send out the message early in your child’s education that your home is an involved and active supporter of their learning.
Probably the most important element of a positive learning environment at home is structure. But what is too little or too much? If we’re too lenient or expect too little, your child may become disorganized or unmotivated. If we’re too rigid and strict, it can cause undue pressure or cause your child to feel unable to deliver on your expectations.
So what’s the best way to meet in the middle and create a positive learning environment for your child at home?
Help your child develop a work area where they can study and focus without being interrupted. Children usually do better when they have a private study area away from interruption. If your child prefers doing their work at the kitchen table, make sure other family members understand the kitchen is off-limits during study time. Make sure your child has plenty of supplies and reference materials available and that the area has plenty of light. Regardless of its location, ensure the area is quiet and that your child can study and work uninterrupted.
Agree on a regular time for studying. To help your child make homework a habit, schedule a set time each day for homework. Perhaps breaking study time up into smaller increments would work better for your child than one solid period. Work with your child to find out what works best for them. In addition, be sure your child has a sufficient break between the time they arrive home from school before they sit down to work in order to ‘decompress’ from their school day.
Help your child develop a method of keeping track of homework assignments. This can be a difficult chore for some students. Developing a successful way of keeping track of assignments then scratching them off as completed helps them develop a productive method for accomplishing tasks later in life.
Develop a positive line of communication with your child’s teacher. Teachers are usually very willing and excited to work with an involved parent to help the child’s overall success in school. Whether it’s notes sent back and forth in your child’s backpack or an e-mail correspondence, make sure your teacher knows your open for suggestions as how to better assist them in the homework and study process at home.
There is often a trap in the words ‘after school activities’. One may
easily believe that since these activities are after school, they are not
of much importance. But, one couldn’t be more wrong. Research suggests
that children pick up some of their most important skills from after
school programs. That is why children who do not participate in any extra
curricular activities are generally slow and less vibrant.
The learning environment that one fosters in after school activities must
be as disciplined and as functional as that found in the school. This is
especially true of educational after school programs. This is the best
place to teach the child important skills like time-management and goal
setting. Time-management is a vital skill, but it is not achieved easily.
Children need to feel the discipline that is needed to finish a task and
the happiness of finishing the allotted work in a specific time frame.
Children look for different things in an after class program. The learning
environment should be attractive, colorful and informative. Use charts,
pictures, posters and drawings to liven up a class. Additional resources
(resources that are not easily available in the school) will make the
classes interesting. For instance, when teaching a biology lesson, allow
the child to see through a microscope or see slides of bacteria. This
will add to his knowledge and also make him more enthusiastic about his after school program.
Discipline is a must in after school activities. In fun or sport-based
activities, it is easy for children to step out of line and wreck havoc.
While children should be allowed to have fun, they should be curtailed
from unacceptable behavior. The best way to enforce discipline is to lay
down the rules at the very beginning. Let the children know what is
unacceptable, right at the beginning.
Rewards are an important part of any learning process. The reward can be a
simple pat on the back or a token of appreciation. Motivate your children
to aspire for higher things by rewarding their achievements. Holding
competitions or sport activities where the children can show their
proficiency is a reward in itself.
Children can get bored easily, especially in the case of an educational
program. The main thrust of an academic program is to repeat what has been
taught in class and to allow the child to learn it quickly. It is
difficult to pique the child’s interest a second time, especially when the
child is already tired of one dose of the same lesson. It is best to
thwart boredom by using creative techniques like an impromptu extempore on
any topic, a quiz program or a slideshow.
After school activities are becoming more popular by the day. Parents want
their kids to learn more. Children too have an insatiable quest for
knowledge. In an after school program, it is possible to pay individual
attention and quench this thirst using various effective techniques.
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If youre planning to go back to work after your baby is born, child care is a major concern. Your childcare provider will be spending a lot of time with your child, so it is critical that you be comfortable with the environment and the style of care your child will be receiving. There are several alternatives, each with pros and cons. Spend some time evaluating each option, so that you can make the choice that best suits your needs.
The first option is in-home child care, meaning a sitter, or nanny who comes to your home to watch the child. This is by far the most expensive option, but it has many advantages. Your child will be at home, and will have the full attention of the nanny. In addition, your child will be exposed to fewer illnesses, and you will not have to transport her back and forth on your way to and from work. The main disadvantage is that you have no real backup if your nanny gets sick or wants to take vacation. Another thing to consider is your feelings if your child develops a very strong bond with the nanny. More than one mother has been hurt by the sense that the baby is more comfortable with the nanny than with her.
The second option is a small home daycare, meaning you find someone who will keep your child in her home, perhaps with her own children or one or two others. This is a good option if you want your child in a home atmosphere, but cant afford the full time nanny. This option shares the same disadvantages of having a nanny in terms of no backup plan.
The third option is a traditional daycare center. Traditional daycares are affordable, and there is no need to worry about a caretaker getting sick or wanting to take vacation. A daycare might also be more of a learning environment than home care, which will become more important to you as your child gets older. The main disadvantages of daycares are that your child is exposed to all the germs of all the children. Be prepared for the both of you to be sick for a year. The other disadvantage is the numbers of children being cared for. For example, in most states, the law requires one caretaker per eight babies. Now, I dont know about you, but I could not effectively care for eight babies alone. So, if you decide to use a daycare center, be sure to ask their caretaker to child ratio. Look for one with about five babies per caretaker.
Choosing your babys childcare arrangement is one of the most important decisions youll make. Even after youve chosen a care option, be diligent about ensuring that your child is receiving the best care. Drop in unannounced at odd times of day to see whats going on. Dont be afraid to ask questions, and let the caretaker know whats important to you. Its critical not only to your childs well being, but to your own piece of mind.
Tags: Baby Care, Backup Plan, Caretaker, Childcare Provider, Daycare Center, Daycares, Exposed, Feelings, First Option, Full Attention, Full Time, Germs, Home Atmosphere, Home Child Care, Home Daycare, Illnesses, Learning Environment, Nanny, Pros And Cons, SuitsRelated posts
As a parent, have you ever thought about whether your child’s school was designed and built with security in mind?
To raise awareness of school safety and security issues, the National Crime Prevention Council – best known for its icon McGruff the Crime Dog – developed the “Be Safe and Sound” initiative. The initiative offers tools and tips on how schools can be made safer and more secure for students and staff.
There are several basic measures that schools can take to help ensure a secure learning environment for children. The National Crime Prevention Council offers the following guidelines:
* Visitors should be required to sign in or show proper identification.
* Unmonitored doors should be locked from the outside at all times to prevent unauthorized persons or items from entering the building unnoticed.
* Students entering and exiting the school property should be monitored.
* The receptionist should be equipped with a panic button for emergencies, a camera with a monitor at another location and a high-security lock on the front door that can be controlled.
* Access to identification badges, office keys and codes should be restricted and a process for reporting missing badges and keys should be in place.
* All doors should have high-security locks or electronic access control units. This applies especially to closets that have private information or hazardous materials, as well as outside doors and basements.
* Motion-sensitive and constant lights should be used outdoors.
* Dark places around the building should be illuminated and shrubs should be cut back so light can penetrate these areas.
* Stairwells and out-of-the-way corridors should be well-lighted.
* All doors should be solid. Sheet steel should cover both sides of the back and basement doors.
* Door frames and hinges should be strong enough to prevent them from being pried open.
The National Crime Prevention Council suggests that parents talk to their children’s principal and work with the school’s PTA to encourage the school to implement these measures. If they remain concerned, they can team up with other parents to insist that their local school board make building security one of its top priorities.
Tags: Basement Doors, Basements, Closets, Corridors, Crime Prevention Council, Electronic Access Control, Hazardous Materials, High Security Locks, Hinges, Learning Environment, National Crime Prevention, National Crime Prevention Council, Office Keys, Panic Button, Receptionist, Safety And Security, School Safety, Sheet Steel, Stairwells, Unauthorized Persons