What can a parent do to make the most of their child’s current learning situation in school, regardless of who the teacher or her attitudes is? Here are a few suggestions.

• Always approach the teacher with the perspective of working together as a team for the benefit of your child’s education. If you have a problem or concern, think through your communication with the teacher prior to making contact.
• See yourself as an important facet of your child’s education. More than anyone, parents are their children’s educators. No teacher or school can trump the influences of the home, for better or for worse.
• Realize the contraints placed on the teacher, principal, and school. Be considerate of the educators’ time and be cognizant of her sphere of influence.
• Show appreciation and give thanks. When things are going great, make sure the teacher still hears from you.
• When communicating with your child about school, always frame the conversation so that the child understands that you are a part of a team working for his or her education.

Does anyone have any advice to add here? I’d love to see it!

Heather

Working at home with our children, we, as parents, face the age-old dilemma. Doing things the way we know is “right” is much more difficult than taking the ‘easy’ route, a route taken by many others. If we are going to follow the “road less traveled,” we must put on the appropriate hiking boots. Having firmly fixed, high expectations for our childrens’ performance (as well as for their good character) definitely helps during trying times when the pull of commonplace diversions, peer pressure, and the kids’ desires threatens to blow us off course.

One exercise that is helpful within the family is to make those expectations, as well as the reasons for them, clear to the kids. Involve them in a family meeting, where parents can discuss short and long term goals for learning and behavior, and the rationalization behind them. Likewise, this is an opportunity for the kids to formulate and record their own goals, evaluate how they perceive their performance, and ask questions about parents’ goals and objectives. Bringing kids “into the fold” ensures that they not only understand your high expectations, but it encourages that they “buy in” to the entire process.

As this school year begins, what time is better than now to sit down with your kids and have that family meeting?

-Heather

- Heather

Your child should have an area that is dedicated to his/her academic work, away from the family comings and goings - a place to keep supplies handy, a good surface for writing (and perhaps access to a computer). A few resources that you’ll want to have available are:

• a dictionary and a thesaurus
• a pencil sharpener, extra pencils, highlighters, pens, erasers, etc.
• math supplies such as a ruler, counters (for younger kids), and a calculator if appropriate

The area needs to be well-lit, and might include a radio or cd player so that your child can study with music on in the background (while that could distract some kids, it actually helps others focus – if you are not sure, test it out). Also, be sure that the chair your child is using is comfortable and supports good posture for writing and reading. Additionally, you may consider adding a beanbag chair or comfy pillow in the area for when your child is curled up with a good book.

The study area is also a good place to have organization tools such as a homework calendar, a list of montly goals, a corkboard with pushpins or a whiteboard for jotting down deadlines and reminders, and cues such as the one I’ve provided here, which reminds kids to check their writing to ensure it has met various criteria. Feel free to download this resource and print it for your own use. Or, make your own study resources according to your child’s changing needs.

If your house is like mine, it is a flurry of activity, often bordering on chaos. It is important to think about your child’s academic needs at home, whether he or she is home schooled or leaves the house for school. A love of learning is nurtured in the home, and a snug place for a child to explore books, maps, and ideas will encourage that learning – even through the din of family life.

Heather

- Heather

- Heather

Check out the new PBS Read site.

- Heather

Certainly, we all have gifts, and in some ways it is very destructive to the self esteem to divvy kids up according to abilities. On the other hand, if you are a parent of a child whose learning needs lie outside the ‘regular’ classroom, you know that individual learning needs on the ‘upper’ end of the ability spectrum are as important to meet as those at the ‘lower’ end of that spectrum.

What is ‘gifted’ to you? Do you think the label is helpful or divisive?

Yes. Innovation. A focus on problem solving, writing, math, and science. Expectations of excellence. I think we all want that to be the definition of our child’s school. However, so often that is not the case in public schools in America.

I was recently on a trip to my hometown where I read in our local paper that the town’s high school currently sent home letters to all parents notifying them that, currently, 50% of the students at that high school were failing. FAILING. Knowing the culture of mediocrity and acceptance of poor behavior and less (much less) than excellent academics at my own alma mater, I wasn’t surprised to learn that the school was not flourishing, but to find that number of students FAILING is, needless to say, disconcerting.

As Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Clearly, a school at which 50% of students cannot succeed needs some serious re-thinking. According to Obama’s new education secretary, Arne Duncan, improving our schools isn’t just about education – it’s a matter of social justice.

What defines a leading school to you?