What can you do as a parent to help your child with their education? Here are ten suggestions. 1. The first and one of the most important is to read to them from the time they are born. Don’t stop once they can read for themselves. There’s still something great about being read to. It’s also a great bonding time. Some of my best conversations with my kids have come during that special time after a story. 2. Play counting games and rhymes with them as they get a little older. 3. Teach them basic things like colors, shapes and … Continue reading →

With a new school year upon us, it means new grades and new teachers. The new teacher is the one person that will be consistent in your child’s life for the next nine months. Because of this, it is imperative that you learn how to connect with your teacher and then you encourage him/her to do the same with you. Communication is a key factor in how you connect with the new teacher. From the start of the school year, it is recommended that you get to know the new teacher, attend parent meetings, send an email or place a … Continue reading →

Many parents worry about their child’s progress in school. It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure that their children are getting the education that they need to succeed in life. Part of this responsibility includes keeping track of grades. Many parents will ask teachers for grade updates through progress reports. In some cases, children may get upset about their parents intense involvement in their education. Some children even change their grades or lie to parents when they receive bad grades. In most cases, it is very ineffective to punish children for getting bad grades in school. Doing so typically only … Continue reading →

It has been shown time and time again that it takes more than a school to highly educate a child. The best education that a child can receive will be a dual relationship between school and home. Those children who are flourishing in academics are receiving positive reinforcement in all areas of their environment. My last article discussed how at one point in time researchers felt that a child’s intellect is a born trait. However studies have shown that a child’s intellect can be enhanced by a positive and nurturing environment. Many studies will group children based on their home’s … Continue reading →

There are some things that no matter how hard you try you simply cannot change about people or children. For example, you cannot change a person’s genetic make-up. Some things are given to us at birth and are nonnegotiable. For years the debate has existed to determine if a child’s intellect is one of these unchangeable aspects. However, studies since then have shown us that intellect may be influenced by much more than the genes and traits given to us by our parents. It seems that the environment that a child interacts in also plays a part. For example a … Continue reading →

In my last article I discussed how some parents push their children to advance and be the best. I also discusses that some parents do this with their children’s best interest in mind while others push for the competition of their children being better than others. While some encouragement and pushing by parents is normal and at times very necessary, over doing it can be harmful to your child. Readiness is a critical factor in early childhood learning. In most cases pushing your child before he or she is developmentally read is useless. Some parents find themselves placing adult standards … Continue reading →

Most all parents want the best for their children. They want them to succeed in school as well as in life. This desire for their children to well in life, especially school, can in some cases become obsessive. Parents forget that in many cases people learn by making mistakes. Parents can push their children too hard to do well. Many parents begin “training” their children to do well in school and get an early start at a very young age. They begin urging their baby to take steps and tossing flash card pictures in front of their toddlers. They drill … Continue reading →

My last few articles have focused on taking trips to the library with your children. Young children of all ages can benefit from trips to the library. While some parents hesitate about taking a trip to the local library, it is an experience that all children should have. I also began offering some tips and advice for taking trips to the library with your child. Those tips will continue. Some parents find it hard to turn over the idea of checking out books to their child. However it is important that you allow your child to choose the books that … Continue reading →