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Monday 28 May 2012

LATE NIGHT TEXT TALK CAUSING KIDS' SLEEP PROBLEMS


www.realage.com
Healthy sleep at night does for kids what it does for you: boosts alertness, productivity, creativity, and general well-being. So make it happen, put the PDA in the closet


     FIVE  WAYS  TO  ENCOURAGE  YOUR  CHILD  TO  LOVE  BOOKS
    (Extracted from Junior - Edition March 2012)

    1    Tap into your child's interests. Whether it is football or horses, seek out books and magazines on her favourite subject.

    2    Make it rewarding. Give books as a reward or a treat, rather than forcing your child to read, as this will help to make them appear worthwhile, exciting and something special to look forward to.

    3    Read together. Find a book that interests you both.  If your child is old enough to read, take turns to read a favourite book to each other.

    4    Ban distractions.  Set aside a quiet time when the television or the computer is switched off.  This will highlight reading as an enjoyable alternative option.

    5    Be a good role model.  The best way to encourage reading is to let your child see you reading to show her that it is useful, fun, and a pleasurable way to spend her time.

                               ******************

    Wednesday 2 November 2011

    HIT THE BOOKS!

    HIT  THE  BOOKS!
    There's no better way to bond with your kids than over books. 
    We asked famous children's authors for advice on how to instill a love of reading as they grow.
    By : LOGAN WARD
    (Extracted from PARENTS - Nov 2011)


    Mo Willems remembers the morning his daughter, Trixie, read her first book.  The then 4 year-old had climbed into her father's lap for a read-aloud in their Brooklyn living room.  Only this time, she was determined to read to him.  Dad listened with growing excitement as Trixie - the inspiration for the main character in Willems's popular Knuffle Bunny books - slowly sounded out the words from Hop on Pop, by Dr. Seuss.  Getting through the last  page was a milestone for Trixie, who is now 10 and a voracious reader.  "The first time your child reads a book on her own is as special as when she takes her first steps," says Willems.  "It's like she now has a magical power - she can go anywhere and do anything." 

    Few people better understand how to teach a love of reading to kids than the authors and illustrators who create children's books.  We asked Willems - and some of the other biggest names in the business - for their advice on getting your child hooked on books.

    PLANT THE SEED
    Reading together is one of the best ways to bond with your baby - and to help her associate books with comfort. 

    Start  Early :  Dont't worry if your child isn't old enough to understand.  Reading still benefits him.  "We began when our son was still in my belly." says Samantha Vamos, author of the bilingual children's picture book the Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred. "We wanted him to hear our voices articulating words over and over again."

    Turn Reading Into a Game :  "It's a natural instince to interact playfully with your baby," says Karen Katz, a mom whose brightly colored baby books are perennial favourites.  While reading Where Is Baby's Belly Button? try identifying other body parts.  Point to your nose and then hers and say, "Nose".   Try a new one each day.

    Feel The Beat : Help your child pick up on the sounds of words by clapping out the syllables as you read to him and by picking rhythmic books such as Hand,  Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault.

    Explain The Basics : Say, "Open the book" as you lift the front cover and "Turn the page" as you demonstrate how to do it, suggests Katz.  When you're finished say, "All done."

    Teach Through Touch : Babies learn about the world around them partly by exploring different textures.  Look for cloth and touch-and-feel board books that your child can chew, hug, and crinkle in her hands.

    Let Her "Read" In Bed :  Once it's safe for your child to sleep with objects in her crib (around 12 months), you should let her snuggle with a board book.  "It's like a stuffed animal for her brain,"  says Erica S. Perl, a mom of two and the author of Dotty.

    CREATE  READING  RITUALS

    Books are as vital to your child's daily routine as meals, naps and bathtime.  Over time she'll start to enjoy them not only with you, but also on her own.

    Fill The House : Since his daughter, Zoe, was born, Jarrett Krosoczka, author and illustrator of Good Night, Monkey Boy, and his wife have made a point of keeping children's books accessible in every room of the house.

    Stop Babying Him : While board books are great, you should start to introduce titles with paper pages once your child is a toddler.  "Teach him how to flip through them by himself,"  saya Perl.  "So what if thet get a little dog-eared? Children's books aren't heirlooms."

    Get Caught Reading : Be a good example by taking out your own real books to read.  "If you tell your kids to read and they don't see you doing it, they'll get the message that it's not important," says Willems.

    Sign Him Up for a Library Card :  Vamos says her son was so proud to get his first card at age 4 that he showed it to all his preschool teachers.  Now 6 he wears it on an elastic cord around his wrist whenever he goes to the library.  Being able to choose and check out books makes him feel independent and gives him greater incentive to read.


    Take Advantage of Technology : Nothing can replace the physical experience of cuddling up with your child and sharing a good book.  But when you're busy making dinner or driving the family van, digital audio recordings are a great alternative to videos and gaming systems, says Perl.  There are plenty of sources for free audio recordings for kids.  Public libraries lend books on CD as well as audiobooks that come with a digital player (known as Playaways).  Sites such as audible.com and librivox.org let you download book recordings to your MP3 player.  Then there are e-book readers, like the Nook Color - which lets your child zoom into pictures and choose a "read to me" option.



    BRING  PICTURES  TO  LIFE


    Even as you start reading books with more detailed text, there's no reason to abandon picture books - even those that have few or no words.  Far from mere artful entertainment, these titles teach children how a story unfolds and aslo help them become a narrator.  "Ask you child what she sees in the drawings," says Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia and the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.  "Reading the pictures is a stepping-stone to decoding the symbols we call letters."

    Linger Over the Pages : Don't rush through a book because it has only a few words (or , worse, because you need to check your e-mail).  "Slow down, and search with your child for visual details that help tell the story", says Tad Hills, a dad of two and the author of How Rocket Learned to Read.   "Encourage him to make predictions about what might happen next."  This helps develop a child's intuition and his ability to communicate a story back to you.  Both of these skills are crucial for learning to read words.

    Less Is More :  Watching how his daughter gravitated toward elementary illustrations reinforced the way Krosoczka produced books.  "Young kids tend to respond better to basic drawings and bold colors,"  he says.  A recent study in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology came to a similar conclusion.  Among the two groups of children observed, 20-month-olds and 30-to 36-month olds, they recalled more details when reading picture books than pop-up books.  Researcchers concluded that the pop-up designs and pull tags, while undeniable entertaining to your children, can be a distraction in their retaining of information.


    Hold Onto Picture Books : Many parents are quick to get rid of "babyish" titles once their child begins reading.  That's a mistake, says Paterson.  Kids often form a deep and lasting attachment to them.  Plus, finding comfort in a familiar favorite will help them gain the confidence they'll need to get through more complicated chapter books later on.


    CAPTIVATE YOUR KID

    The more you share books with your child, the more likely he is to fall in love with reading.  Timothy Basil Ering, illustrator of the Newbery Medal-winning The Tale of Despereaux, sees proof of this whenever his 4-year-old, Phineas, "reads" to his 1-year-old brother.  "The way Phineas describes the story as he moves through the illustrations is priceless,"  Ering says.

    Keep It Cozy  :  Though her three boys are grown, Judith Viorst, author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, now reads to her grandkids.  "They're in a snuggly mood once we get started, " she says.  Her son Alexander, the inspiration for her most famous books, used to curl up in her lap.  "One of my greatest book memories is when we were reading Charlotte's Web, and he became so overwhelmed with emotion that he leaned down and kissed a picture of Wilbur the pig."


    Preview the Book : Familiarize yourself with the punch lines and dramatic parts ahead of time.  "Repetition is one thing I use to build anticipation," says Mark Teague, a dad of two daughters and the author and illustrator of Dear Mrs. LaRue.  "If you can see you're building toward a recurring line or event,  you can help your child start to feel it as well."  Encourage her to guess the line.


    Read It Again, Mom :  No matter how tired you are of flipping through the same old picture book, don't try to convince your child to pick something else.  "For kids, it's a joy to read a book time after time."  says Paterson.  "Eventually they'll start to memorize it, which is a precursor to reading."


    LOOK  PAST  THE  PAGE

    Even if your child cherishes his book time with you, it can't hurt to mix things up a bit.  Try these activities, and make it even more fun.


    Start a Collection : Before reading a baby book like Katz's Peek-a-Baby, gather up some things mentioned in the pages.  When you come to the part about, say, a teddy bear, let your baby hold it.  This helps her make a connection between the word, the picture, and the object.


    Help Kids Become Authors:  Perl has discovered a simple way to encourage her kids, Franny, 11, and Beatrice, 8, to write and illustrate their own books.  She folds a few sheets of paper in half and staples them down the middle "I set out a pile of these beside a basket of crayons and markers," she says.  This makes it easy for them to write and draw their own stories.


    Act It Out : Have your child use a hand puppet to channel one of the characters in a book, suggests Hills.  He can then repeat some of his favourite lines, or you might ask him what the bird or pig might say if it came to life.


    Plan a Book-Themed Birthday : When her younger daughter turned 4, Perl arranged a party centered around her favorite book, Penelope Nuthatch and the Big Surprise, by David Gavril.  (It's about a bird named Penelope who is invited by her friend, Luther Cow, to the ballet but instead gets taken for an unforgettable day at a water park,)  All of Beatrice's friends were instructed to wear tutus and bathing suits.  "We read the book and then acted it out,"  says Perl, who set up baby pools and water activities in the backyard. *












    Wednesday 27 July 2011

    HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK

    HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK
    For Parents of Children Ages 6 - 13
    by Marguerite C. Radencich, Ph.D
    and Jeanne Shay Schumm, Ph.D



    Getting Started
    "It is not what you do for your children
    but what you have taught them to do for themselves
    that will make them successful human beings."
    (Ann Landers)



    The two-way street between home and school.
    It goes without saying that the better your relationship is with your child's teacher and school, the more successful your child's school experience will be.  Because homework is part of your child's school experience, it's wise to make that relationship a two-way street.  Following are some suggenstions for accomplishing this.

                Talk to your child about school.
                Ask your child to tell you about what happens during the day,  what does your child like best about school?  What does she like least about it?  The more you know, the more prepared you'll be if problems arise.

                 Plan to meet with your child's teacher at least three times during the school year.
                 Communicate your willingness to cooperate with the teacher.  Don't wait for a personal invitation; an Open House (most schools hold them annually) is an excellent opportunity to have a brief conversation.  If you need more time, make an appointment.

                 Learn about the curriculum at your child's school
                 What is your child being taught?  How is she being taught? Many schools provide parents with written summaries of the curriculum.  In other schools, teachers describe the curriculum during parent meetings or open houses.  Ask whether this information is provided as a matter of course; if it isn't, tell the teacher that you'd appreciate having it.  Learn about what your child is learning.

                Find out how you will be informed about your child's progress.
                Will children bring papers home on a weekly basis?  Will there be interim reports between report cards?  Some schools are now using portfolios - folders or binders that include samples of children's work and summary sheets that indicate their progress throughout the year.  Ask if your child's teacher is compiling or plans to compile an assessment portfolio for your child.

                Act quickly if you suspect that a problem exists.
                Tell the teacher that you want to meet, and make an appointment as soon as possible.  Don't just show up unannounced! Spur-of-the-moment conferences translate into incomplete information.  They aren't fair to you, the teacher, or your child.

                Sometimes a teacher will notice a problem before the parents do.  Typically, a teacher will initiate communication by sending a note home with the child.  Be sure to respond, either with a phone call or with a note of your own.  Depending on the nature of the problem, you may want to schedule a conference to discuss it.

                If your child is having difficulties doing schoolwork, make sure there are no hidden physical causes.  A visit to your pediatrician, ophthalmologist, or audiologist can uncover any that might exist.




    20 Tips for Homework Helpers

    1          Maintain two-way communication with your child
                Don't just lecture.  Listen and respond to what your child has to say.  When you respond, don't plead or argue.  (Pleading puts your child in charge; arguing creates a no-win situation.) Instead, respond assertively and positively.

    2          Don't give your child a choice unless you mean it.
                Instead of saying, "Would you like to work on your science homework now?" say, "It's time to work on your science homework.  Please join me at the table."  Or,  if you really want to offer a choice between two tasks, phrase it in a way that's likely to get the desired response.  Example : "You can either do your science homework now or after dinner.  But if you wait until after dinner, you won't be able to watch your favourite TV programme."

    3          Set goals with, not for, your child.  Then focus on one at a time.
                Start with a goal that  your child is almost guaranteed to achieve.  That will make the others more appealing and continued success more likely

    4          Expect progress
                We all respond to the expectations other people have of us. (this is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy syndrome.)  If your expectations are low, your child's acheivement are likely to match them.  If your expectations are high but not unreasonable, your child will respond in kind.

    5          Make your child aware of his or her improvement.  Reward achievement.
                Don't "pay" for every accomplishment with a treat or a promise.  Often it's enough simply to say, "You did a really good job on that map.  I'm proud of you."  But if your child works especially hard on a challenging assignment and completes it successfully, that's worth celebrating.

    6           Praise generously, yet honestly.
                 Praise will lose its effectiveness if used indiscriminately, plus a child can usually tell when you're not being sincere.

    7          Direct praise to the task at hand.
                Saying, "You spelled eight out of ten words right.  Much better!"  is more specific  than "Good for you!"   Specific praise  guides future behaviour.

    8          Try not to show disappointment if your child doesn't do as well as you'd like.
                Look for your child's strengths; avoid criticism.  The child whose performance is poor doesn't need reminding; she needs encouragement and reassurance that you value her regardless of the performance.

    9          Be enthusiastic.  Use humour.
                Starting every homework session with the Star Wars theme might be going overboard.  But it doesn't hurt to smile and say, "I like spending this time with you."  And you don't have to be deadly serious about it.  Laughter, shared  jokes, and even a tickle or two can go a long way toward lightening the homework load.

    10        Use timers and competition wisely.
                For some children, a timer spurs effort and puts an end to stalling; for others, it's anxiety-producing.  If  the latter seems true for your child, put the timer away.  Some children enjoy competing against themselves and trying to better their past achievements, and if this is the case with your child, that's fine.  But competition with friends brothers, or sisters can be threatening and debilitating, expecially if the child is at an academic disadvantage.


    11        Be prepared to teach
                Even though the teacher is responsible for teaching the subject matter, this doesn't always happen, and you may need to "fill in the blanks."  Skimming the textbook and carefully reading lesson materials and handouts will prepare you for this role.


    12        Use concrete, hands-on materials whenever possible, especially (but not exclusively) when
                working with a young child.
                For example, it's easier to learn 2+3 with blocks than with pictures.  And it's easier to learn
    with pictures than with numbers.


    13         Help your child build associations between what he or she already knows and what is being
                 learned.
                Children learn new concepts by learning how they are like and different from concepts they already know.  Examples:  "Multiplying fractions is like regular multiplying except ........."  "A stream is like the canal behind Grandma's house except ......"  "The electrons in an atom circle the proton.  What circles the sun?"    A child who mentally pictures the solar system has a better understanding of what goes on in an atom.    


    14         Provide adequate practice.
                Children shouldn't just learn material;  they should actually overlearn it to promote the development of long-term memory.  Try to ignore complaints of "We already did that!  This is boring!"  But don't run a subject or a concept into the ground.  Know when to stop.


    15         Provide variety.
                 If a child starts fidgeting excessively over a math book, switch to spelling for a while.  Return to math later.  In between, share a snack, take a short walk, or have a joke-telling session.


    16        Encourage creativity.
                Although you should be careful about "sticking to the rules,"  a certain amount of creativity can "help the medicine go down".   A story in one of the basal readers (reading textbooks) tells of a child whose Thanksgiving homework assignment was to make a Pilgrim doll.  The child's mother was an Eastern European immigrant.  The child dressed the doll in Russian attire, and the doll served as a lesson to the class that the United States has had many kinds of pilgrims over the years.


    17         Encourage independence.
                 For example, if your child is able to read directions independently, encourage her to do so.


    18        Take every opportunity to build your child's self-esteem.
                This includes, but isn't confined to, most of the other tips already presented here.  Use your imagination and your natural affection and concern to think of other ways to show your child that she is a worthwhile and important person.


    19        Check with the teacher before correcting your child's homework.
                Many teachers want to see a student's mistakes; they use them to determine where more teaching is called for.  A perfect parent-corrected paper can be misleading and can rob a child of the extra help she may need.


    20         Show a positive attitude toward school
                 If you have problems with your child's school or teacher, don't discuss them with the child.  Instead, show your respect for school by emphasizing the importance of regular attendance, a neat appearance, aqnd grades that reflect your child's true capabilities.  Then make an appointment to speak privately with the teacher.




    Marguerite Cogorno Radencich, Ph.D - is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida.
    Jeanne Shay Schumm, Ph.D - is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami.





    Stop fighting the Homework Wars
    And start helping your child succeed in school.

          

         
               




    Sunday 24 July 2011

    Welcome Note

    Assalamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, All Parents of LSPS.

    Welcome to the LSPS blog, I invite LSPS parents to drop by every once in a while and maybe leave a comment or two :)

    Let's use this blog in a positive way i.e.  as a constructive outlet to improve our school and, as a platform to share info that can contribute to our parenting skill. Insya Allah.