|
|
Tuesday, 05 August 2008 23:01 |
|
>From swimsuits and towels to lunches and backpacks, it"s that
time of year again! That"s right, it"s time to get ready for
school. Whether you are ready for it mentally or not, it"s time
to prepare for a smooth transition from summer activities to the
regular routine of school. It can be a transition time of chaos
and frustration or it can be a time of organization and
anticipation. It"s your choice and it all begins with a little
planning. Start by thinking through a few things and making a
few lists.
Re-evaluate the Routines Has the summer sunshine allowed for
later bedtimes for your family? I know it has in our family and
with school starting up, the kids probably need a little more
sleep for their brains to function properly and for them to soak
in all the learning at school. It doesn"t have to be drastic,
but a small change in schedule can make all the difference. For
example, if your child has been going to bed at 10:00, move the
time back to 9:30 this week with some room for reading books in
bed prior to turning out the lights. Then the weekend prior to
school starting, you can move the bedtime even earlier,
depending on the age and needs of your child. Or, it may be that
your morning routine needs some thought. Here"s a link for some
thoughts on the importance of a Morning Routine.
Maybe the summer months have also brought so much fun that the
household routines need some freshening as well. Take five
minutes per family member to think through important household
chores that need to be done to make a smooth transition. Maybe a
morning chore needs to be added to their list. Maybe shifting
the chores around a bit would make a difference. For example, in
our home, having lunches ready daily is a big deal. So instead
of making them in the morning before everyone has to leave, we
make them in the afternoons for the next day. The older kids
make their own lunches, but occasionally mom makes the lunches
and throws in a special treat. Think about the pressure points
in your family"s life and arrange the chores to relieve those
pressure points. For our family, having matching socks on a
daily basis can sometimes be a source of conflict. You know the
scenario where Johnny"s looking everywhere for a matching pair
of socks. If this is a sore spot, it can be alleviated by simply
adding an afternoon or evening chore of matching socks together
while watching an after-school program on television or making
it an incentive chore by adding some competition. For example,
the most matched socks in a five-minute period wins a privilege
or an award or something like that. For more ideas on freshening
up your household chore routine, check out our Chore Game and
Interactive Chore Chart. One or both of these tools may be just
what it takes to get and stay organized in the area of chores!
Get those School Supplies Pick up the school supply list
provided by your child"s school. Begin by taking inventory of
what you already have. Where are those supplies that your
children brought home last Spring? You know, the leftover glue
stick and notebook paper. If they are in a bag or drawer, simply
pull them out and sort them on a table top. If you"ve already
done this, great! Once you"ve checked off what you already have,
you"re ready to go shopping. Be sure and consider your school
supply budget and stick to the list because it can be tempting
at the store to buy all kinds of things that are really
unnecessary. Once you"ve got the supplies, be sure to label them
with your child"s name and help get them to your child"s
classroom (desk, etc.).
Shop for School Clothes Again, take an inventory of what you
already have. This will probably mean pulling out the fall
clothes and packing away some of the summer items. Then, make a
shopping list and consult the budget. Have fun shopping with
your child and take the opportunity to train them in shopping
skills. Children can start learning how to pick out clothes and
shop on a budget at any age. Look at the store flyers together
and plan out your shopping trip. It may take several trips to
several places, so don"t wait until the day before school
starts, or you may end up with added stress in the family.
Attend School Prep Meetings Most schools have a parent
preparation meeting prior to school starting. Attending these
meetings goes a long way toward answering your questions and
helping your child be ready for school. If possible, introduce
your child to their teacher prior to the first day of school.
The first day back to school can be unsettling for any child, so
anything you can do to set them at ease will help with the
nerves and emotions of returning to school.
Most important of all, love your child through the transition
back to school. With a little planning, you can provide
inspiration and encouragement to help make it an enjoyable time
for everyone in your family.
|
|
|
Friday, 01 August 2008 23:01 |
|
Homeschooling is an option that many parents choose when they
feel that, for whatever reason, their child will not be getting
the best education in a public or private school system.
Homeschooling allows for a variety of curriculum and teaching
techniques to be applied that suit your child"s particular needs
- often that is unlikely to happen in a large classroom setting.
One of the benefits - and also one of the difficulties - in
homeschooling is the extreme amount of flexibility it affords.
In order to homeschool successfully, it is important that you
understand, and decide how to handle this conundrum.
While there are many benefits to homeschooling, it also requires
discipline. In the same way that working from home can be
difficult, homeschooling can be difficult because it requires
you make a distinction between home and school while still
remaining at home. Like almost everybody, there are going to be
times in your family life when you are extremely busy or dealing
with serious distractions. It can be tempting at these moments
to try and multitask: that is, to both educate your children and
deal with other aspects of your life. There can be a tendency
among homeschooling parents to place an assignment in front of
their children and then leave the room to engage in other
activities.
If you do this you will severely limit the value of your child"s
education. When homeschooling you should think about public and
private school systems, and use them only as a benchmark for
reference, but not as a strict and limited tool of measurement.
You should be trying to surpass, or at the very least match, the
level of education your child would receive in one of these
environments. Now, if you think about a public school classroom,
you"ll see that the teacher is always in the room. It is one of
the most fundamental rules of teaching -- even if the students
have been assigned work to complete on their own in class time,
the teacher remains in the room in order to assist the students.
You may not have to sit continually with an older child, but
being accessible is vital. Accessibility is not limited to being
in the home, but also being available to drop what you are doing
with out irritation should your child need assistance.
You should also adhere to this principle. Children learn by
example, in subtle ways that are not always within our control.
If you assign your children work and leave to go do other things
you are sending a message to them that the schooling is not of a
highest priority for you. Even if they cannot articulate it,
this negative message in terms of your priorities will affect
the children"s attitude towards their education.
When homeschooling your children, the hours that you spend
teaching should be hours in which your children"s education are
the number one priority. Errands or other household duties
should be left for "after-school" hours. When "school is in,"
you should be to. Of course, there will be many instances where
you will be trying to get your children to learn how to work
independently, but at these times you should still be
physically, mentally and emotionally available for questions or
your children"s need for assistance. Independent learning is not
a wise option at all when your child is still young or new to
homeschooling. Being an independent learner is a growth process.
As a homeschooled student approaches high school and prepares
for college, some subjects and topics are best to be
self-directed, but never ignored by the parent.
By always being present during your children"s education you
make them understand that their education is a serious thing,
not simply something to occupy them while you take care of more
pressing activities.
|
|
Friday, 30 May 2008 03:00 |
|
I think that school is starting outrageously early! Why can"t it
start AFTER Labor Day, or sometime in the first week of
September?
What do you think?
Here are some of my reasons:
1. August is much too hot! Some schools don"t even have air
conditioning. How can a kid study and learn when they"re hot and
sweaty?
2. Summertime is the best time for families to take family
vacations and starting school in August would prevent them from
taking a Labor Day vacation. Tourism is one of our largest
industries in Michigan. By not taking family vacations it hurts
the travel industry and economy of Michigan.
3. What about the teachers? Is 2 1/2 months enough time away
from the kids? If we want our teachers to be in top shape, they
need a full 3 month vacation!
4. Why start school and take a long weekend after just a few
days? Will the kids really learn in those first couple of days?
I"m not sure they"re ready to buckle down when they know the
long weekend is coming up.
These are just a few reasons why I think we should start school
after Labor Day. Let me know what you think. E-mail me at:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Karen
Link: http://www.catholicschoolkid.com/karens_page.htm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 13 |
