Dear Teacher
By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts The Secrets of Getting Good GradesParents: Don’t believe for a minute that your children have to be geniuses to get mostly A’s and B’s. This is an absolute myth. What most need is a willingness to work hard, persistence in completing difficult tasks, self-discipline, a sense of responsibility, and a focus on doing their best. As parents, you are the mentors who can instill in them these habits that lead to success in school. You are also the ones whose involvement in their education is essential. It has been shown repeatedly that what families do to help their children learn is more important to their success in school than family income or education. To be involved, you will need to… Know what your children are doing at school. Talk with them each day about school. Look at all the work they bring home whether they are in kindergarten or high school. Expect your children to do homework or school-related work every day for approximately 10 minutes for each year in school – starting in first grade. Show interest in your children’s education by attending as many school functions as you can. Handle academic difficulties and behavior problems when they first appear to resolve them quickly. Praise your children’s efforts so they know you are proud of the work they are doing in school. Help your children get organized so they arrive at school on time and ready to learn. Child Afraid of Hard Work in Kindergarten Question: My son will soon be starting kindergarten. He believes that school will be a hard trial because he saw his sister doing so much homework this year in fourth grade. We’ve said it will be fun. What more can we do? – Wondering Answer: Your son is confusing what children are expected to do in kindergarten with what he saw his sister doing in fourth grade. Do you know any children who have just completed kindergarten or a kindergarten teacher who could describe the good experiences he will be having in kindergarten? If so, have him talk to them. This will give him a positive view of kindergarten. Also, if he could visit the kindergarten room, he would see all the fun things in the room. Plus, you should read to him books that describe what children do in kindergarten. Early Signs of Future Reading Problems Question: My two children are both preschoolers. I am constantly talking to them and reading them lots of books. Still I’m worried about their being ready to read when they get to school. Are there signs that indicate the possibility of future reading problems? – Avid Reader Answer: Over time, most children are likely to become good readers. Nevertheless, it’s helpful for parents of young children to know the signs that their preschoolers could be potential candidates for reading difficulties so early help can be secured for them. The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has developed this list of things for parents to watch out for when they are observing their preschoolers:
Effects of No Child Left Behind on Families Parents: If your young children are just starting school or are between the ages of 6 and 12, you need to be aware of how No Child Left Behind legislation is affecting them. First of all, children are now doing substantially more studying and reading – especially younger children. And you can expect to provide more homework help as children are being assigned more homework in reading and math to improve test scores. If your children are young, you can now expect to spend from 10-15 minutes several nights a week giving them additional practice in reading. Ideally, their teachers will give you some training so you can help them accomplish their objectives. To make this homework time more effective, give your children’s teachers feedback occasionally on the effectiveness of specific assignments. Parents should send questions to dearteacher@dearteacher.com or ask them on the columnists’ Web site at www.dearteacher.com ©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2009Distributed by King Features Syndicate
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