The record, 12 mars 1997, Supplément 2

EDUCATION — The Record, Wednesday, March 12, 1997 page 1 Focus on education Mm Story hour continues to he a favorite with children.up* '¦ ' V : % rm' Time out for a health snack All decked out for a special occasion. page 2 EDUCATION — The Record, Wednesday, March 12, 1997 Parents are first teachers The language Parents can help their children learn the many different skills they need to acquire in life.Chil-dren have to learn to understand spoken words; they have to learn to speak; they must learn to distinguish between shapes, colors and sizes; they must learn number skills, writing; and dealing with others.Everything is new to children and they are eager to learn.Parents can help their children learn in the following ways: • visit a museum, a zoo, libraries, historical sites, parks and other local points of interest.Then discuss the visit with the child and explain its importance.• select safe, educational toys such as those that need to be put together.• play games, especially those that have educational value, like number games, guessing games, word games.• encourage your child to do projects with other children.He/she will learn to co-operate and his/her social skills will improve.• take your child on the train, bus, streetcar or airplane.• listen to your child — encourage him or her to ask questions, discuss ideas or tell stories.• select activities that fit your child's level of development, ones that he or she can learn from and enjoy.• And be sure to set a good example.If you are interested in learning, your child probably will be, too.For instance, set a family reading time or some of learning other organized learning activity and share experiences.About homework Parents can help with homework by providing the right atmosphere for studying.• Limit television watching.• Provide a good work area.This means good lighting, a desk to work on and the right tools (a good dictionary is especially helpful) and peace and quiet.• Agree on a regularly scheduled homework time.If you child does not yet have homework, you can still help prepare him/her by talking about school-work.This will encourage the child to think about school when at home and homework will seem natural when the time comes.Vacation time Learning doesn't stop just because school is not in session.Summer activities and family trips are good chances for a child to explore and see new things, like the ocean, mountains, cities, farms — in fact, anything that's different from what he or she normally sees at home.On vacation: • point out new things, like animals, plants, historical places, etc.• help your child relate new things to familiar things.• listen to your child's reactions and discuss the experience.What children hear By Roxy McCarthy One of the most powerful tools parents, caregivers and teachers have is language: not just the words spoken to a child, but the tone of voice, facial expressions and body position we use when communicating.Hurtful feedback, whether spoken or conveyed in body language, gives a young child the message he or she is bad and unworthy.This doesn’t mean parents should be constantly providing hollow praise.Children sense this too and get an unclear picture about who they are and whether or not they can trust the adults closest to them.Helpful tips -To build positive self-esteem in children, adults need to provide both praise and correction in the language of self-esteem.Here are some tips on how to do that: - Describe your child’s behaviour without judging him or her.Say, “Jessica, hitting your brother has to stop right now,” instead of, “Jessica, you are a bad girl.” - Share your feelings and reasons for wanting something done.Start your sentence with “I”.Say, “I’m tired Jessica, and I need you to help put the toys away.” - Avoid back-handed praise, such as “well, you finally got it right." - Make sure your body language and words give the same message.Say, “I can listen to you in five minutes” when watching something important on television, rather than saying, “I’m listening” when you’re focused on the show.When children are listened to and spoken to in a way that says “You are loved, valued and your feelings count," they will be receiving the most important message of all: “you are important.” Bishop's University JL Lennoxville, Quebec fcr ?Outstanding programmes in Business, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Education since 1843 ?Guaranteed scholarships for CEGEP students with 80% averages ?Smallest class sizes in Canada ?Excellent international exchange programmes with 25 countries ?Ranked among the five best primarily undergraduate universities in Canada (Maclean’s, Nov.1996) "At Bishop's you're a name, not a number.Bishop's has provided me with a community in which I can participate and achieve academically, athletically and socially." — Patrice Lemieux, Sherbrooke, QC B.A.Major Psychology Varsity Basketball Team CIAU National Rookie of the Year '95-'% Entrance Scholarship 1995-96 *** WCTOt* , r I N 1 \ 1-.K S I I h For more information, please contact the Bishop's Liaison Office at: BISHOP’S Tel: (800) 567-2792 or (819) 822-9681 • Fax: (819) 822-9661 UNIVERSITY e-mail: liaison@ubishops.ca • http://www.ubishops.ca TORRINGTON INGERSOLL-RAND A proud partner in Education Bedford, Quebec EDUCATION —The Record, Wednesday, March 12, 1997 page 3 Confidence and motivation help kids learn While your children might think new jeans and a Pocahontas knapsack are the most important accessories for back to school, Richard Harder, director of Oxford Learning Centre in Richmond Hill, says it”s important for parents to outfit their kids with confidence and motivation.“Parents have an essential role to play in keeping their children inspired and enthusiastic about the new school year,” explains Harder.“It's also critical for parents to help their children get organized, so they feel in control and have the confidence to know that they will be able to cope with new learning challenges." In fact, Harder says a noticeable lack of enthusiasm about returning to school may be a sign your child is worried about feeling out of control and being unable to handle the new school year.A few grumbles are normal after a summer of freedom, but kids who are noticeably negative are probably feeling anxious.Some children may need an individualized supplemental learning program to rebuild his confidence and enthusiasm, resulting in improved marks and a sense of achievement.The Oxford Learning Centre approach of supplementing a child’s school week with an addition of two hours a week of highly focused learning generates excellent results in students from preschool to high school, says Harder.One of the most effective ways to help children develop sound study skills is to set aside a family quiet time each day.Devoting time to study and reading every day helps children develop good study habits because it provides the space and time they need to focus on learning.Harder suggests children be encouraged to review their class work, write stories, work on projects, read, or do One of the most effective ways to help children develop sound study skills’is to set aside a family quiet time each day.homework.He says parents should set an example for their children by using this quiet time to read, write, or work on their own projects.“Showing your children that you enjoy learning new things is the greatest gift you can give them to inspire a love of learning,” explains Harder.It’s also important for parents to take an interest in their children's school work.Working together “Look at the homework assignments your children receive, review your child's class work and projects together.Get a feel for their level of creativity, their command of language, problem solving abilities and the level at which they're working.Then, congratulate them on their good work,” advises Harder.Often children will start the new year with a lot of enthusiasm.By demonstrating that learning is fun, exciting and rewarding, parents can help their children retain their enthusiasm throughout the school year.Parents are encouraged to carefully monitor their children's mood and spirit.Any significant change in attitude or a lack of interest may be a warning signal.Tips for parents • Offer specific praise and constructive criticism.Don’t just say, “Wow, that's great." A better response is, “Wow.This is a really interesting and funny story.I love the way you described the extraterrestrial and the space ship, because it helped me picture the story in my head.” While it's OK to offer constructive criticism about punctuation or grammatical errors, Harder stresses children will get discouraged if that's the only feedback they hear.• Integrate learning into family leisure/entertainment time.Visiting a museum, a water park, or roller blading through the park - can all stimulate learning and enthusiasm.• Take family library excursions.Harder emphasizes that it's important both parents AND kids sign out books, so that children can see their parents value and enjoy reading and learning.• Create a family calendar/planner.Keep chores and projects on track and teach your kids organizational skills by hanging a family calendar or planner in a central location like the kitchen or family room.When it comes to educational issues.Harder believes parents should trust their own instincts and pay attention to their children's comments about school.“Your kids should be able to talk enthusiastically about one or two things they learned or are working on at school each day,” he says.“If you notice that after a few weeks, your child's initial back-to-school enthusiasm starts to fade, that could be a sign he is feeling out of control because he’s having difficulty keeping up in class.Research indicates students lose a half of a grade's worth of learning over the summer Visiting a museum, a water park or roller blading through the park can all stimulate learning months, so it’s not surprising that after the first few weeks of school, some children may feel overwhelmed.” “If your child is having a problem in school, it's very important not to blame ________ the child for poor achievement,” says Harder.“Instead of restating the problem, it's more useful to sit down, find out why your child isn't 'paying attention’ and find a way, or get advice, to help them solve the problem.It's also important to help your child understand that it's not necessarily their fault as they probably haven't developed good study skills, because no one has taught them how to learn effectively." “As your child’s confidence increases, they begin to develop an attitude of — this is tough, but I think 1 can figure it out,” says Harder.“Once a child is no longer afraid to tackle a difficult problem, and is actually willing to risk failure, that child can begin to reach his or her full potential in school and in life.” Richard Harder is the director of the Oxford Learning Centre, 8763 Bay view Ave., Suite 204, Richmond Hill, tel.(905) 707-1417.Tips for sleepy teens M any teens are literally dozing away their future.Caught up in a society that views sleep as a luxury instead of a necessity, teens face early morning classes, afterschool job commitments and late extracurricular activities.Sleepy teens become inattentive in school.They are unable to learn.Their grades plummet.Outside of class, sleepy teens endanger their lives and the lives of others when they drive or work.Heed these sleep tips for teens from the Better Sleep Council: - Make sure teens get enough sleep.They should get at least eight hours of sleep on school nights.- Let teens make up lost sleep.When your teen sleeps in on the weekend, his or her body is making up for sleep lost during the week.- Talk to teens about the risks of going without sleep.Help them establish priorities.They won't do well on tests if they stay up all night studying and then fall asleep during the exam.- Make sure teens have a good sleep environment.The recipe for healthy sleep requires a room that's dark, on the cool side, quiet, safe and comfortable.iï)i5Pj?iiEi.f!asaîîiaiaMSMaaBa,aM!HaffiEB0jEiEiajgièiEiEiEœifflisi — Compliments of Seattle's Barber Shop Terry Beattie, prop.154 Queen St., Lennoxville, Tel.: 822-0297 Daily: 9 - 5 p.m.Sat.: 9 - noon COMFORT - SECURITY - ECONOMY F l| I Chartering luxurious motor coaches and all categories of bus rentals si ll Haut-Richelieu (514) 35-VIENS Farnham (514) 293-3129 AUTOBUS Montreal / South Shore (514) 65-VIENS Fax (514) 293-7504 .&MKC aCooxd wit/l «4 I -I J ******* " aft