Printed in the Family Post: Summer Issue 2005
Contributed by
Caroline Wright
1. No matter how long your child spends on homework, it's neither complete nor accurate.
2. Caught in a cycle of frustration and failure, your child shows an increasing lack of confidence and motivation.
3. Your child struggled in school, and no longer enjoys learning.
4. Your child says, "I'm too stupid. I'll never understand anything."
5. Your child says, "I give up." Or worse you hear yourself saying it.
Education looms large in most parents' minds as one of the biggest factors in their children's future success. Making sound education decisions for your children means making good choices. Start by understanding your child's unique needs and investigating the options available.
Your many years of involvement in your child's formal education might begin with judging your child's school readiness.
This same approach will help you through the many education choices you and your child will make together.
As your child grows, these choices multiply, each one seemingly more important than the previous one. You may be most concerned with the development of your child's basic skills or whether a program for gifted and talented is most appropriate. Questions about test scores; class sizes or curriculum will surface. Specialized educational systems may come up, such as magnet schools, charter schools, parochial schools or private schools.
Navigating the maze of possibilities can raise a parent's anxiety level, but the key is the approach. The more actively involved you are in your child's education, and the more aware you are of your child's changing educational needs, the more information you'll have to make the best choices and enjoy your child's successful school years.
Summer is the perfect time to enrich your child's education, while staying in touch with their academic needs. School is out and the pressures of juggling academic expectations and after-school programs are over. With the long days of summer ahead there are many activities you and your child now have time to explore. Keep a journal of morning nature walks, double a cookie recipe, keep a graph of hours spent at the river, or simply read a story under a favorite tree. Summer is also a good time to fill in any academic skill gaps or to enrich your child's education. One-on-one tutoring in a specific skill may be needed or a small academic workshop may be fine. No matter what activity you choose, it is important to keep your child's brain active through-out the summer break.
HAVE YOUR CHILD TAKE THE TEST!
I feel disorganized and don't always finish all of my homework.
True False
I don't always understand what the teacher wants me to do.
True False
I feel I read too slowly.
True False
I get nervous before tests and forget everything I've studied.
True False
I don't always understand what I'm reading, then I usually quit.
True False
I don't remember to turn in my homework.
True False
I don't feel I can make myself understood through writing.
True False
I'm not sure how to summarize information that I have read.
True False
If your child answered "true" to any of these statements, call the Learning Zone!
Caroline Wright's Learning Zone is located in down town Grass Valley. Caroline has been an educator since the late 1980's and an academic specialist since 1992. If you feel your child would benefit from individualized instruction please call 271-5688. Your first session is FREE!
