Hot answers tagged school
22
As a former math tutor to children in middle and high school, and now a father, I can tell you a way to avoid the problem completely. Gain an understanding of the concept yourself, and make an equivalent problem that uses the same steps/ideas. Walk them through step by step, explaining as you go. One or two examples like that should be enough for them to ...
20
Everything ofcourse depends on the sort of pseudo-science and the amount of it your child is exposed to. If it is something that bothers you and keeps coming back. I would definitely talk about this with the teacher, the principal, etc. But when it's really part of the curriculum, it gets political fast and there probably isn't a lot you can change about it ...
20
The Cons
These must be considered, but please make sure to read the Pros as well. For us, they make the disadvantages well worth it.
Restraints on Parents.
Learning outside of a school environment can consume a lot of mom or dad's time. Most people probably picture that time being spent at the kitchen table with textbooks and worksheets, but from what ...
14
Hah this is a really good and old question.
Let me tell you something else first...
School for a bright kid is not about teaching. And not about learning because if he is as bright and vivid as you say he will learn everything himself.
A school for a child like him, is about learning the hard way in life unfortunately. It is about learning discipline. ...
14
Probably the best guides to this topic come from the National Center for Science Education.
In brief, the best approach seems to be to first contact the teacher (in writing) and ask about any materials presented in class that had to do with the pseudoscience. Do not engage them in any kind of debate, just ask (nicely) what they presented and whether you can ...
14
When my daughter was in elementary (aka primary) school, we did BOTH.
When the menu came out every month, we took 5 minutes and identified those days/items that were acceptable to us and to her, and on those days she bought lunch. The remaining days, a lunch was prepared and she took it with her.
As she got older, she got more involved in the decision ...
13
Refusing to play with someone is a very common behavior. Most of the time there is nothing alarming to worry about. A four years old child is a complete human being with mind and heart. Children always have reasons for their actions.
The first step is to examine the child’s relationships with others, children and adults. Find out if anyone has denied the ...
12
I think that treating adoption like a "special" topic not treated by the same social rules as others may be a bad move.
My son knows that if someone asks a question he isn't comfortable with, about anything, he doesn't have to answer it. If he tries it vs. a teacher, it's subject to my judgement when I get a phone call about it, but vs. peers it is 100% ...
12
Depending on their age, you may be able to use this to teach them about finances.
Not everyone is paid the same.
Not everyone has the same expenses.
Also, you might give them an opportunity to earn a little more:
Small payments for special housework (they still have chores that don't count here)
Other jobs (selling candy/soda/etc. at a garage sale; odd ...
12
A few years ago, a study was done on students that observed student response to how they were praised about their school work. The study found that students who were praised with phrases like, "You're so smart!" or "Look how clever you are!" were more likely to give up when confronted with a problem that they found difficult. Students who were praised ...
11
You can't .. don't bother trying. I certainly would not delay bringing up concerns in order to spare the feelings of the staff. Who cares if they like you, and if they are nasty to your child you need a new provider anyway.
My advice ...
1/ Be courteous and respectful. In fact be overly so.
2/ Focus on the future, not the past. Don't say "I was ...
10
During parent-teacher conferences, the teacher has only 20 minutes to go through everything the school requires them to cover (grades, milestones, whatever) and there's usually little or no time left for meaningful communication. One can only stretch the time so much before destroying the schedule (which parents make the effort to arrive for), so the ...
10
I would be more concerned about your son's potential being wasted by being bored than about how the teacher might feel if he acts up out of boredom. Fortunately, either way, the solution is the same: explore options that would allow him to be challenged or at least entertained without being disruptive. Possibilities include:
Talk to the teacher and let ...
10
Before school starts, have a sit down meeting with your child's prospective teacher. Bring an example of what he's already capable of for reading and writing, and explain your concerns both about him, and his possible impact on the class should he be bored to tears. See if you can't come to an agreement about finding ways to challenge him that won't disrupt ...
10
Well, my experience is different (up to now), as our son, who is "only" nearly 4 years old,
does not have access to TV or video games etc. yet and
is very, very interested in spending time with us (his parents)
For older children I wonder:
What about the parents, you're talking about? Do they really want to spend more time with their children?
Many ...
10
Giving up is not necessarily a bad thing, providing you are giving up on a certain approach to a problem, and not the problem altogether. Knowing when to give up, and figuring out what to try next instead are important problem solving skills. In other words, if you've been sitting there staring at a math problem for 10 minutes without success, chances are ...
9
I think it's normal for a child this age to be embarrassed by his parents in general.
In this case, I think it depends on how his classmates arrive at school. Are they all walking to school? Are others dropped by their parents? Do you do anything at drop-off that may embarrass him like a kiss/hug/shout across the school yard?
You can do a few things:
...
9
Often this is just a phase - 2 of ours went through it, the other didn't. Many of our friends had their children do this for a bit.
We encouraged them to play, but there isn't really a whole lot that needs doing.
Worth asking your child what the reasons are - because it may be they are being excluded - but it may be nothing.
8
The answer depends a lot on the culture the children are raised in. For example, when working with children raised in a culture where strict gender roles are the norm, and boys and girls aren't normally allowed to socialize with one another, I found that children performed considerably better when segregated by sex. Boys and girls just weren't sure how to ...
8
I think that computers are incredibly powerful tools for learning, and getting them in the hands of as many children as possible is a good thing.
Certainly, supervising your children, especially when they have internet access, is a good idea. My 8yo keeps his netbook on a small work table in my office, so we have our computer time together. I do like that ...
8
In addition to the answers already given, I would also point out those who are not as fortunate as you or the richer families.
Depending on the age of your child, it may be a good time to discuss community service. Take your child to a food bank or get involved in other activities where your child can experience both sides of the coin.
8
Don't make this about your feelings. You're an adult, you can handle it, and I'm sure there are bigger emotional minefields than the school run. Focus on your son:
Safety: Letting the child walk two blocks alone can be perfectly safe, or totally irresponsibe, or even illegal (ask your school if in doubt). It depends on the neighborhood (evil people) and ...
8
He may not consciously know why he doesn't like it, or may not be able to remember when he is not in the moment. It would probably help to observe him yourself at preschool or in another playgroup setting.
One way to help kids that age open up is to mimic their behavior and see how they interpret it. We found this out by accident by trying to show our ...
7
In my personal experience as a parent, an active volunteer at multiple elementary schools, and volunteer at a child counseling organization, kids vary incredibly in this regard. I've seen children who started school at 4 who really should have been in sooner, and children start school at 5 who really weren't ready yet.
It's more helpful to look at stages ...
7
Peer pressure
I strongly believe that if the child is ready emotionally and intellectually, you should not hold them back as they need to be challenged to maintain their growing. I skipped a grade and was 4 years old at first grade. Since then, NJ and many of the states upped the grade to be 5 for KINDERGARDEN - which I don't understand. I think kids need ...
7
Don't waste your time trying to get her to be self-reliant right now when she hasn't already formed the correct habits for accomplishing her work. You're primary goal is to sit down with her each and every night and help her establish a system of discipline and organization. Help her learn how to study and learn. If you don't know how to help her, find ...
7
If you have some time to spend teaching your children yourself, and you have some money you could contribute towards their education, you could look into a homeschool co-op, or a part-time homeschool-curriculum based private school. These are both significantly cheaper than traditional private schools, and might offer an environment in which your children ...
7
I would say do not skip the grade. While he may be up to the task of academically, there is a lot that factors into him having a good experience at school. For example, the higher the grade, the more the children are expected to sit still and listen. Boys especially have a hard time with this. Also, he may be big for his age, but is he big for a first ...
7
Pros:
Parents' ego size increases by 10%-25%. ("Our kid's a genius! We must have great genes")
Cons:
Child feels out of age with new kids around him/her.
older kids (all of them) may give him a hard time.
no real gain in gaining a year's advantage once you skip a grade, you're doomed to always be the "youngest" around.
hit college at 16? the 18 year ...
7
Im 13 and I'm the same way.Its a medicial condition called 'Selective Mutism'.I've been to several people and even been put on medicine and it hasn't helped.But my parents and I are trying.We've recently learned not to pressure them to talk or little things like that.My teachers would give me a mini whiteboard to write my answer down or I would write it on a ...
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