Category Archives: school

Involved In Your Child’s Schooling? Let’s Lower The Bar

While listening to the radio after dropping the kids off at school a few weeks back, I heard a group of city and school officials for the major metropolitan area in which I live talking about parents involvement in their children’s education. They all unanimously said that the biggest factor in the success of children in school was parental involvement.

I immediately perked up and listened. I have tried to be involved with my children’s schooling since they were babies in the on-sight daycare center here at work. I joined every volunteer group the daycare had, and have sat on the board of directors (it’s a not-for-profit facility and the board handles the books) for almost as many years as my children have been enrolled.

Now that my son (and next year my daughter) are off to elementary school, I have tried to volunteer my time there as well. I am in my second year of serving on the Principal’s Advisory Council, made of up parents from each of the grades, and I have been offering my help to the computer teacher as she tries to come up with a plan for upgrading the school’s computers without breaking the budget.

Every night, I sit down with my children and go through their homework. I check every paper as they do them, and review all of the papers that come home. We read a book at night before lights out and kiss goodnight.

Just about every minute I spend with them is involved, either directly or indirectly, with helping them learn.

But you know what? The panel of officials on the radio that day set the bar of parent involvement a little lower than that. To them, they were hoping that parents would get involved by making sure their children went to school; making sure they’d eaten breakfast; packing them a lunch. If the parent would actually spend time with their child doing homework, that was a bonus, and none of them even mentioned reading at bedtime.

My point is, being involved doesn’t mean overachieving, it just means spending time, how ever much time you have. These education experts said that just having a parent who cared whether or not they were in school helped motivate these kids to be there and to learn.

So, never underestimate how very much your attention can help, but also, don’t get discouraged if you can’t be room-mom, or lunch-dad, or if you work full-time and can’t spend the time during the day at your child’s school, though you might like to. Each and every minute you spend, being involved and interested in what your children do, matters. Each and every minute.

by Rocket Science Mom

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Photo graciously provided by radioflyer007, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved.

Celebratory Week

Next week my girls will start Kindergarten. They are ready for the classroom experience. Everything they do right now is a game associated with something new they are learning. When we went to the museum last week they counted the steps. At home they are playing “store” since their Dad taught them about pennies, dimes and quarters. They are selling their toys to each other and in the process reinforcing the concept of money.

While I am excited for a little “me” time (ha, ha) as well as an additional class to teach at a new college, I am also a little sad. One of my girls has been acting out the past week. She had a monster of a tantrum while Grandma was visiting. And while I’ve learned how to manage her during these outbreaks, it was a new experience for Grandma. A friend of mine mentioned it could be due, in part, to her anxieties to starting Kindergarten. I think she is right.

So this week we are celebrating and getting ready for school. We are going to venture to a pizza and arcade venue on Monday afternoon. Then on Tuesday we are going to head over to the place where you stuff your own bear (you know the place) because after 4 months they have filled their marble jars and deserve their reward for good behavior, plus they are having a sale! On Wednesday my daughters start a ballet/tap/gymnastics class. They have been doing gymnastics for about 6 months so the dance portion is new. The new patent leather black shoes that make lots of noise have been a big hit. Thursday is “meet the teacher” night so I plan on giving them both new butterfly necklaces in the morning so they can wear them that night. In addition, we are going to treat ourselves to pedicures.

It is going to be a busy week right before school. They might not want to go to school after such a fun week. However, my goal is to get them excited about their new adventure. My message will be that we are doing XXX because they are starting school next week. I have a list of things to do on their first day, such as take pictures, measure their height and weight, make a special breakfast, etc. I don’t want to go overboard – oops, I think I already have. Most importantly, I want them to know school is a positive experience and something to look forward too.

What do you do to get your kids ready to go back to school?

by Kelly Damron

Photo graciously provided by Pink Sherbet Photography, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved

How To Support a School Project Without Micromanaging

4th grade has been littered with projects for my oldest Punk. This presents a challenge because he was born to Mr. and Mrs. Procrastination. (Yes, I am dragging Rob under the bus with me.) We knew from the beginning, when our oldest reluctantly joined our family 10 days after his due date and after a 42 hour labor, that this was likely to become a pattern.

I’ve spent time this year thinking about how to support Aidan’s efforts to manage his workload without hovering, without taking over and actually building the dang space shuttle for him, and without tearful collapse. These may be very simple and obvious points- but here’s what I have found to be helpful:

1. Use The Calendar

As soon as an assignment is given, sit with your small procrastinator. Write the due date on the calendar. Ask the child to break down the project components. For example, Aidan’s language Arts projects usually include: choosing a book, reading a book, answering 20 questions about the book, and the grand finale of the ______. The ______ can be as simple as a poster or a game board or as complex as a play or film or podcast. We then use the calendar to write goals for the completion of each step.

Using this method really helps make the project very tangible. With only 1 final due date, it makes it challenging for my “big picture” Punk to recognize the details or the steps needed to get to the end.

I have 1 other calendar suggestion: bump the due date up a couple of days. Allow a day or 2 for the unforeseen delay or, better yet, to help the Punk appreciate the great feeling of accomplishment when he finishes early.

2. Transfer the Dates

Take the dates from the calendar and write them on a white board or piece of paper in another prominent place, visible to both you and young Master Procrastination.

3. Plan Check-ins

Decide together the best way to check in about the project. Would he prefer a Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell policy? A quick How’s Things at dinner? Or would a Show me the Money approach be best? It’s his project, but it certainly has the potential to dampen your night when he comes to you in a panic at 8 o’clock the night before it’s due. Not that I would know about that. A-hem.

4. List

Prior to the Grand Finale Step, add a step of completing a supply list for the project. If he is going to need shredded coconut to make grass or a charged battery for the video camera or the goopy gunk you need for paper mache, it is best to know before the stores close the night before the thing is due… again… not that I have any personal experience with this.

5. Be Interested

Don’t act interested- BE interested. Take this opportunity to share with and learn from your Punk. Often parents (ok, often I) dread these projects. But when I ask questions about the book- why he chose it- what he liked about it- what he hated about it- what his ideas are- I learn so much about the way his mind works. When I am interested I can see his light and help to foster it, instead of sighing about the hassle and the inconvenience.

When he is- scratch that- when we are prepared and know what to expect from a project, that project becomes what it’s meant to be- an opportunity to learn and to creatively express what he’s learned.

What works for you?

by Megin Hatch

Photo graciously provided by Joe Lanman via Creative Commons License, some rights reserved.

The Spirit of Giving

On Wednesday, my girls and I went shopping for people we don’t know. My husband’s company has a toy drive for an organization called UMOM, an organization that offers assistance to the homeless. We purchased some lotion and shower gel for the adults and puzzles and other toys for the children.

Before we arrived at the store, my girls told me that one of their classmates has a brother who doesn’t have any toys. Based on the appearance of their classmate, Sally, I doubted that her brother didn’t have any toys. They went on to explain that Sally has her toys, but her brother had to give his away. Considering they are all only 5 years old I’m guessing that many parts of this story are missing or misunderstood. Anyway, my daughters decided that they wanted to get something for Sally’s brother. So we did.

Then my girls saw cute little erasers in Christmas shapes such as Gingerbread men, Santa, etc. They wanted a pack for themselves, but I convinced them that we could give one eraser to each of their classmates for Christmas. They loved the idea. We found holiday cards that say “Happy Holidays” in case there are students who do not celebrate Christmas (although I’m not sure how to divvy up the erasers – hopefully the parents see it as a gesture of the holiday season and are not offended if they celebrate another occasion).

After Pack Rat and Copy Cat gave the Diego Flip Tops to Sally for her to give to her brother they both came running back to me with huge smiles on their faces. I said, “Doesn’t it feel good to do something nice for someone else.” They both agreed. Next week we’ll be delivering the erasers to their classmates (I’d wait until the class holiday party, but they have asked multiple times to get the cards ready for everyone).

This year I am going to have them pick out something special for each other. I’m hoping they’ll start to learn that the spirit of the season is not about receiving; it is about giving. I have to admit that I like Christmas much more as a parent than I did as a kid. I still make my wish list for my family because it makes it easier for them to shop since they are going to anyway – might as well get what you want, I say. But shopping for my children so that I can see their excited faces on Christmas day fills my heart with an amazing amount of joy, more so than any present could.

by Kelly Damron

Photo graciously provided by mysza 831, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved

Is More School The Answer?

Sunday morning I read in the paper that the White House is seriously considering a push to increase public school hours, as well as the number of required days of attendance. Both POTUS and Education Secretary Arne Duncan talked to the press about this idea, as a plan to increase our overall educational standing in the world, as well as to provide a better support mechanism for poor children, who have a tendency to lack strong educational reinforcement at home.

I’m of two minds here. On one hand, anything we can do to raise educational standards is worth a try, and increasing the length of the school day has shown dramatic effects in other countries. But on the other hand, my kids are already spending an average of three hours a night on homework, in addition to the seven-hour school day. If they add another couple of hours of classroom time, I’m afraid of the impact on scheduling, sleep, and their ever-important relaxation.

Also, where are we going to get the money to pay for it? Adding two hours to our California day would cost the state upwards of six billions dollars! We’re already in deep financial trouble, I couldn’t imagine the accounting chaos of added time.

But then there’s the children. Isn’t it worth it if we can create a solid plan to guarantee smarter kids? And why not have education as a serious national priority? This year’s military budget was over $651 billion, and we all know the Marines don’t have to organize bake sales.

Having said all that, I really want to hear from you. Is this the wrong time for such spending, or will America be saved by becoming the number-one brains in the world?

by Stu Mark

Photo graciously provided by chrissuderman, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved