The Parent Connection November/December 2006
By Elizabeth Swartz

Model Readers
Show, don't tell, your children the importance of reading

A recent study sponsored by Scholastic called, "The Kids and Family Reading Report" analyzed the reading habits of children from 5-17 years old. Even though parents and students alike believe that reading is important and key to getting into college, only 16 percent of the 15-17-year-olds surveyed reported that they read just for fun. Likewise, while parents thought reading to be vital to their child's education, only 21 percent of them read frequently. So, it would seem that kids do what they see their parents doing rather than what Mom and Dad say they should do.

What are you reading?
When was the last time you went to bed too late because you just couldn't put the book down? Have you ever thought of joining a book club? Do you have a well-worn library card in your wallet? Have you been to one of those fabulous book stores where you can read for an hour in a comfortable chair while the kids are in the story time corner?

The study also found that kids find things to read based on what they hear from teachers, parents and librarians. Sure, you can tell them about your favorite books from when you were in school. But isn't it more fun to go prowling around with them to see what's new out there? And don't overlook the local yard sales and garage sales. There are some great books at low prices that are only lightly used. Don't tell your kids what to do with books, show them!

One Thing at a Time
Help your children learn to focus on the task at hand

How often do you catch yourself doing one thing and thinking about three other things? Sure, it happens all the time to working parents. But did you know this also happens to your grade-school children? An online survey done by Good Housekeeping magazine found that 45 percent of kids, by their own admission, aren't thinking about school even when they are there. So, what are they thinking about? Twenty percent said they were thinking about after-school activities while 12 percent were thinking about popularity.

It's normal for young minds to wander. Sometimes it starts out as time filler while waiting for class to start, sometimes it starts when the class gets too hard to understand and frustration threatens. Our task as parents is to try to limit it as much as possible. A focused mind will accomplish much more that one that is already thinking in three different directions. Think of a flashlight beam in comparison to a floor lamp.

Celebrate focused behavior
Talk to your child about what it means to focus on one task at a time. Practice it together at home. If you are reading, turn off the TV and radio. Then talk about what you read. When you are watching TV, pay close attention to the program. Discuss it during the ads: Who is the main character, what is the setting and what might happen next? When one family member is talking at dinner, all the others should look at and listen to that person.

Congratulate children for listening with complete attention to the TV, the coach, their sibling and you. Let them know the importance of focused attention for good relationships as well as academic success.

Ask for their input about how things are going a couple of weeks after this practiced focus. Do they notice any change in how they are feeling? Are things getting completed? Do they agree with the importance of focusing on one thing at a time?

Homework Help
How to assist your child with critical thinking and problem solving at homework time

Whether or not you agree with NCLB doesn't matter at homework time. As long as it's the law of the land, we must meet the requirements. So, make sure you understand them. One thing that parents and teachers alike are seeing is a drastic change in the type of homework assigned.

David Boers, professor of graduate education at Marion College in Fond du Lac, WI, notes that many teachers are beefing up homework assignments in an effort to help students be ready for the tests and help their schools score well. So, just what is it that the kids need to know that they didn't before?

How and why
Students need to know how to solve a problem and be able to explain why they did it a certain way. This insures clarity with subject matter and higher-level thinking skills. It also increases the amount of writing required. Students and parents are unaccustomed to writing sentences in math and science classes. However, that is the main change you will see in your child's homework.

If this seems difficult for your child, help him or her remember that writing is just talking, written down. Have him or her explain how the problem was solved. Ask your child why he or she chose multiplication. Ask why an almanac instead of an encyclopedia was used as a reference source. Once the reason is clear, you can help your child write it down. Unfortunately, many of us cringe when someone asks us how or why we did something. In the back of our minds we wonder, "Am I right?"

Knowing the "how and why" will build self- confidence while helping your child to master a subject.

Elizabeth Swartz is the librarian at the Watsontown and Turbotville Elementary schools in Pennsylvania.

November/December, 2006, Vol.37, No.3