7212019 October 2014 - Helping Students Learn

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloctober-2014-helping-students-learn 12Copyright copy 2014 The Parent Institutereg wwwparent-institutecom

Engage your childrsquos brain Your childrsquos body is developing Her ability to think like an adult is too Boost herthinking skills by asking questions like

bull Why are your favorite things youfavorites What are some of the charac

teristics that make you like thembull How can our family

save money Could wecut out something with-out hurting the family

What should we do withthe money we save

bull Where do you wish we could go Why Have her do some research to fininformation that supports her choice

Source ldquoParentsrsquo Guide to Student Successrdquo National PTAniswccomfavorites

Itrsquos still early in the school year You may not have met your childrsquos teachers yetBut here are some things many teachers would like to tell all parents

1 Please be involved with yourchildrsquos schooling Teachers canrsquotmake your child do her home-

work or study for tests Manystudents are self-motivated butmany others are not If yoursisnrsquot set study hours Oversee

your childrsquos workmdashbut never doit for her

2 Please emphasize to yourchild how important it is to turnin work Work that is never turned

in may earn a zero And just onezero can really drag down yourchildrsquos grade

3 Please make sure your childcomes to school unless she is sickor there is an emergency Chronicabsences will hurt her even morethan that zero will

4 Please tell your childrsquos teachersif she is struggling with something

Source R Taibbi ldquoWhat Teachers Wish ParentsKnewrdquo Psychology Today niswccomfour

Help out with fitting inNot all school challenges are academic

Therersquos a social component too Much ofit centers on fitting in To help you can

bull Acknowledge your childrsquos concerabout fitting in Donrsquot say it ldquodoesnrsquotmatterrdquo It does matter especially to hi

bull Urge him to be patient Explainthat finding his niche can take time

bull Point out his strengths and the fathat others may also appreciate themldquoYoursquore a great painter I bet yoursquoll mee

kids in art class who like to paint toobull Work together on his social skil

Source ldquoFitting Inrdquo DiscoveryEducationcom niswccomfit-in

Think before you postSocial media is a part of life formany students Parents playan important role in keepingit safe Teach your child thisimportant rule of thumb

If you arenrsquot comfortable with every

one knowing it donrsquot post it

October 2014

Where kindness leads respect will follow

Without respect between students andschool staff middle school would be apretty chaotic place The key to respectfulbehavior is treating others as you wouldlike to be treated It begins with kindness

Encourage your child to

bull Speak kindly Respectful languagedoesnrsquot include profanity or otherhurtful words Respectful speakers donrsquotinterrupt They use words such as pleasethank you and excuse me Set an examplefor your child by speaking kindly and respectfully to him Praise him forusing respectful language and correct him when he doesnrsquot

bull Do the right thing This involves treating both people and property with respect It means leaving things better than you found them Remind your child to look for opportunities to do the right thing ldquoIf you see paperon the classroom floor pick it up If someone has her hands full and istrying to leave the room open the door for herrdquo

bull Practice empathy This means putting yourself in someone elsersquos shoesin order to understand their feelings or motivations For example a stu-

dent with empathy for his teacher understands that the teacher enforcesrules to create an environment for learningmdashnot just to ldquobe meanrdquo Ask

your child often ldquoHow do you think that person feelsrdquo or ldquoWhat couldbe going on to make that person act that wayrdquo

Source N Paulu ldquoHelping your child through early adolescencerdquo US Department of Educationniswccomkind

Four things teachers want you to do

Odyssey School Parental InvolvementMrsPriser PICodysseycharterschoolnet

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Copyright copy 2014 The Parent Institutereg wwwparent-institutecom

School counselors helpyour child stay on track

Your childrsquos guidance counselor is a fanttic resource Thanks to specialized traininguidance counselors can help your child

bull Set and meet goals The counselocan help your child define what he hoto achieve then steer him toward clasand activities to meet those goals

bull Resolve conflicts If your child isstruggling with somethingmdashacademicor socialmdashhis counselor can guide him

bull Get extra support The counselor chelp find any outside resources your cneeds to thrive in middle school

Source ldquoThe Role of the Professional School Counselorrdquo American School Counselor Association niswccomguide

Helping Students Learnreg

Published in English and Spanish September through May

Publisher Phillip Wherry

Editor Alison McLeanStaff Editors Rebecca Miyares amp Erika Beasley

Production Manager Pat CarterTranslations Editor Victoria Gaviola

Layout amp Illustrations Maher amp Mignella Cherry Hill NJ

Copyright copy 2014 The Parent Institutereg a division of NIS Inc

PO Box 7474 Fairfax Station VA 22039-7474

1-800-756-5525 bull wwwparent-institutecom bull ISSN 1526-92

Relieve test anxietyDoes your child come unglued at thethought of a big test Encourage him to

bull Ask the teacher for details Whais the format How much will his scorcount toward his final grade

bull Ask about study aids Are there otests he can take Websites he can visi

bull Remember that one test will notderail his future

bull Get a good nightrsquos sleep and eatgood breakfast before the test

Source JS Schumm PhD How to Help Your Child with

Homework Free Spirit Publishing

___1 Do you talk with your child about how well he is manag-ing the physical aspects of theschool such as classrooms

hallways and his locker___2 Are you aware of your

childrsquos study habits

___3 Do you know how yourchild feels about his teachersDo you discuss teacher expec-tations for each class

___4 Do you keep an eye on your childrsquos social life

___5 Have you talked to yourchild about peer pressure and

your familyrsquos values aboutdrugs and alcohol

How well are you doing

More yes answers mean you are help-

ing your child handle middle schoolwell For each no try that idea fromthe quiz

Spend time doing

something newSpending time with your childbuilds the critical connectionbetween you that supports herefforts in school To expand the experieninstead of doing one of her activities or oof your activities try one thatrsquos new to boof you Itrsquos a wonderful way to see a diffeent side of your child

October 2014

How can I keep my divorcefrom hurting my child

Q My husband and I are splitting up and itrsquos taking a toll onour sixth grader Her grades are dropping and shersquos starting toact out in school What can I do

A Separation and divorce can bedevastating for families So the firstthing to do is to acknowledge yourchildrsquos pain Never forget that what

yoursquore going through isnrsquot just happen-ing to you Itrsquos happening to her too

To help your child keep her bearingsduring this tough time

bull Tell her that you love herDonrsquot let your childrsquos feelings get lostin the shuffle Remind her that yoursquoll always be there for her

bull Assure her that itrsquos not her fault Kids often feel responsible fortheir parentsrsquo happiness Reassure her that the separation has nothing todo with her

bull Spare her the details Shersquos your childmdashnot your sounding board

bull Donrsquot force her to choose sides Your child will likely do bettermdashboth in school and in lifemdashif she feels loved by and connected to both her parents

bull Tell the schoolmdashyour childrsquos teachers her guidance counselormdashwhatrsquosgoing on so the staff will have a better understanding of your child

Is your child managing middle school

These are years of rapid change for many students They take more classesand face greater demands than they did in elementary school Are you help-ing your child make the adjustment Answer yes or no to the questions below

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