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How to develop moral values in your child!taken from www.ETLlearning.com
Teaching your child good morals may be one of the greatest challenges of parenthood. Morals are complex and abstract, and are a concept that is often difficult for children to grasp. And because morals can differ across cultures and religions, it can be even more complex to explain to children why the morals your family lives by are important and valuable.
Children are often ruled by emotion and by a desire to be liked and fit in, which can lead to poor moral decisions. But children who are taught moral values early and regularly are more likely to develop the sense of conscience needed to make them think twice before they respond. All children will make mistakes and behave poorly at times; the important thing is to use these bad decisions as a learning opportunity.
"A child's moral growth is an ongoing process, and all kids slip up from time to time. You still have a tremendous influence on your child's behavior." Dr. Michelle Borba, author and child expert states. Allow your child to learn from mistakes and use the consequences of those errors in judgment as a chance to reinforce your values.
Remember that although your children will eventually turn to friends, especially in the early years parents are the number one model they turn to for an example of how to behave. “We might tell our children how to act in the world and how to behave, but they absorb our behavior like a sponge and usually model it,” points out Dr. Thomas Plante, Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University. Morals are an area where there can be no compromise; make it your goal to behave in a moral fashion at all times. If you can’t do so, you certainly can’t expect your children to.
Raising a moral child in a difficult world takes some effort, but these simple methods will make it easier:- Teach your child the morals you would like them to live by from a very young age
- Use moral missteps as an opportunity for learning and reinforcing values
- Be a model of moral behavior in everything you do.
- Remember that morals are taught over time, and reinforced throughout a lifetime
Teaching your child good morals and values is a challenge for every parent, but this fundamental area of everyday life can be passed on from parent to child. Focus on teaching morals early and reinforcing them at every opportunity, and don’t forget to stand as an example yourself.
The 3 essentials of your child's success!taken from www.ETLlearning.com
Most parents share the goal of ensuring that their child is successful in life, both in academic and social endeavors. These three essential tips will provide your child with the foundations of success in all of their endeavors, allowing them to learn, grow and develop into successful people.
Provide a rich learning environment.
“A multisensory enrichment develops all of the cortex; whereas, an input from a single task stimulates the growth of only a precise area of the brain.” Explains Marian C. Diamond, PhD, a neuroanatomist at the University of California, Berkeley. The more children are exposed to, the more they learn, and the more they learn the more open they are to further learning. Providing various different learning opportunities and experiences expands a child’s horizons and results in greater learning success.
Encourage your child and reward effort.
Research has shown that the way we praise our children has a great impact on their success. Children who consistently receive praise for a strong effort, working hard and doing their best have greater success later with challenging tasks. Children who are simply told they are smart later struggle with difficult academic challenges. According to Dr. Carol Dweck of Columbia University, pioneer of research into the effects of praise, “Emphasizing effort gives a child a variable that they can control. They come to see themselves as in control of their success.”
Invest yourself in your child’s education.
Children need help to develop a love of learning. A parent who is involved in the learning process helps to encourage this in several ways; first, by showing that learning is fun, and second, by offering the interaction that helps children to learn. Spending time watching an educational video together, or playing a learning game are great ways to share the learning process and set your child up for success.
To ensure your child has the best chance at success, then, these three essentials need to be in place:- Create a learning environment for your child that is varied and interesting
- Reward your child for effort to show them they have a role to play in success
- Spend time learning with your child
The three essentials of success can all work together for your child. A child who spends time in many different learning activities and on varied subjects, is rewarded for the effort to learn and attempt new skills, and does all of this with a parent’s attention and assistance has the best chance for lifelong success.
Encouraging Good Behavior
taken from www.raisingchildren.net,au
1. Children do as you do . Your child watches you to get clues on how to behave in the world. You’re her role model, so use your own behaviour to guide her. What you do is often much more important than what you say. If you want your child to say ‘please’, say it yourself. If you don’t want your child to raise her voice, speak quietly and gently yourself.
2. Show your child how you feel. Tell him honestly how his behaviour affects you. This will help him see his her own feelings in yours, like a mirror. This is called empathy. By the age of three, children can show real empathy. So you might say, ‘I’m getting upset because there is so much noise I can’t talk on the phone’. When you start the sentence with ‘I’, it gives your child the chance to see things from your perspective.
3. Catch her being ‘good’. This simply means that when your child is behaving in a way you like, you can give her some positive feedback. For example, ‘Wow, you are playing so nicely. I really like the way you are keeping all the blocks on the table’. This works better than waiting for the blocks to come crashing to the floor before you take notice and bark, ‘Hey, stop that’. This positive feedback is sometimes called ‘ descriptive praise’. Try to say six positive comments (praise and encouragement) for every negative comment (criticisms and reprimands). The 6-1 ratio keeps things in balance. Remember that if children have a choice only between no attention or negative attention, they will seek out negative attention.
4. Get down to your child’s level. Kneeling or squatting down next to children is a very powerful tool for communicating positively with them. Getting close allows you to tune in to what they might be feeling or thinking. It also helps them focus on what you are saying or asking for. If you are close to your child and have his attention, there is no need to make him look at you.
5. ‘I hear you.’ Active listening is another tool for helping young children cope with their emotions. They tend to get frustrated a lot, especially if they can’t express themselves well enough verbally. When you repeat back to them whatyou think they might be feeling, it helps to relieve some of their tension. It also makes them feel respected and comforted. It can diffuse many potential temper tantrums.
6. Keep promises. Stick to agreements. When you follow through on your promises, good or bad, your child learns to trust and respect you. So when you promise to go for a walk after she picks up her toys, make sure you have your walking shoes handy. When you say you will leave the library if she doesn’t stop running around, be prepared to leave straight away. No need to make a fuss about it – the more matter of fact, the better. This helps your child feel more secure, because it creates a consistent and predictable environment.
7. Reduce temptation. Your glasses look like so much fun to play with – it’s hard for children to remember not to touch. Reduce the chance for innocent but costly exploration by keeping that stuff out of sight.
8. Choose your battles. Before you get involved in anything your child is doing – especially to say ‘no’ or ‘stop’ – ask yourself if it really matters. By keeping instructions, requests and negative feedback to a minimum, you create less opportunity for conflict and bad feelings. Rules are important, but use them only when it’s really important.
9. Whining: be strong. Kids don’t want to be annoying. By giving in when they’re whinging for something, we train them to do it more – even if we don’t mean to. ‘No’ means ‘no’, not maybe, so don’t say it unless you mean it. If you say ‘no’ and then give in, children will be whine even more the next time, hoping to get lucky again.
10. Keep it simple and positive. If you can give clear instructions in simple terms, your child will know what is expected of him. (‘Please hold my hand when we cross the road.’) Stating things in a positive way gets their heads thinking in the right direction. For example, ‘Please shut the gate’ is better than ‘Don't leave the gate open’.
11. Responsibility and consequences. As children get older, you can give them more responsibility for their own behaviour. You can also give them the chance to experience the natural consequences of that behaviour. You don’t have to be the bad guy all the time. For example, if your child forgot to put her lunch box in her bag, she will go hungry at lunch time. It is her hunger and her consequence. It won’t hurt her to go hungry just that one time. Sometimes, with the best intentions, we do so much for our children that we don’t allow them to learn for themselves. At other times you need to provide consequences for unacceptable or dangerous behaviour. For these times, it is best to ensure that you have explained the consequences and that your children have agreed to them in advance.
12. Say it once and move on. It is surprising how much your child is listening even though he might not have the social maturity to tell you. Nagging and criticising is boring for you and doesn’t work. Your child will just end up tuning you out and wonder why you get more upset. If you want to give him one last chance to cooperate, remind him of the consequences for not cooperating. Then start counting to three.
13. Make your child feel important. Children love it when they can contribute to the family. Start introducing some simple chores or things that she can do to play her own important part in helping the household. This will make her feel important and she’ll take pride in helping out. If you can give your child lots of practice doing a chore, she will get better at it and will keep trying harder. Safe chores help children feel responsible, build their self-esteem and help you out too.
14. Prepare for challenging situations. There are times when looking after your child and doing things you need to do will be tricky. If you think about these challenging situations in advance, you can plan around your child’s needs. Give him a five-minute warning before you need him to change activities. Talk to him about why you need his cooperation. Then he is prepared for what you expect.
15. Maintain a sense of humour. Another way of diffusing tension and possible conflict is to use humour and fun. You can pretend to become the menacing tickle monster or make animal noises. But humour at your child’s expense won't help. Young children are easily hurt by parental ‘teasing’. Humour that has you both laughing is great.
Language Developmenttaken from www.raisingchildren.net.au
While the first year is particularly important for language development, major learning continues throughout a child’s early years. And let’s not forget, learning language is a lifelong process.
In their first 12 months, babies develop many of the foundations that underpin speech and language development. For the first three years or so, children understand a lot more than they can say.
Language development supports your child’s ability to communicate, and express and understand feelings. It also supports thinking and problem-solving, and developing and maintaining relationships. Learning to understand, use and enjoy language is the critical first step in literacy, and the basis for learning to read and write.
· What can I do to encourage my child’s language development?
· What can I expect in the first six years?
· What’s the difference between speech and language?
What can I do to encourage my child’s language development?
The best way to encourage your child’s speech and language development is to talk with her frequently and naturally.
· Talk to your baby and treat her as a talker , beginning in her first year. Assume she is talking back to you when she makes sounds and babbles, and even when she is just paying attention to you. When you finish talking, give her a turn and wait for her to respond – she will! When she starts babbling, babble back with similar sounds. You will probably find that she babbles back to you. This keeps the talking going and is great fun!
· Respond to gestures and words. As your baby grows up and starts to use gestures and words, respond to his attempts to communicate. For example, if your child shakes his head, treat that behaviour as if he is saying ‘no’. If he points to a toy, respond as if your child is saying, ‘Can I have that?’ or ‘I like that’.
· Talk about what is happening. Talk to your baby even if she doesn’t understand – she soon will. Talk about things that make sense to her, but at the same time remember to use lots of different words. As your baby becomes a toddler, continue to talk to her – tell her the things that you are doing, and talk about the things that she is doing.
· Introduce new words. It is important for children to be continually exposed to lots of different words in lots of different contexts. This helps them learn the meaning and function of words in their world.
· Share books with your baby and continue to as he grows. Talk about the pictures. Use a variety of books, and link what is in the book to what is happening in your child’s life. Books with interesting pictures are a great focus for talking. Your local library is a great source of new books to keep things fresh.
· Follow your child’s lead in conversations. If she initiates a conversation through talking, gesture or behaviour, respond to it, making sure you stick to the topic your child started.
· Repeat and build on what your child says. For example, if he says, ‘Apple,’ you can say, ‘You want an apple. You want a red apple. I want a red apple too. Let's have a red apple together’.
· From the time your child starts telling stories, encourage her to talk about things in the past and in the future. At the end of the day, talk about plans for the next day – for example, making the weekly shopping list together or deciding what to take on a visit to grandma. Similarly, when you come home from a shared outing, talk about it.
What can I expect in the first six years?
Here are just a few of the important things your child might achieve in language development between three months and six years.
3-12 months
In this period, your baby will most likely coo and laugh, play with sounds and begin to communicate with gestures. Babbling is an important developmental stage during the first year and, for many children, words are beginning to form by around 12 months.
Find out more about language development from 3-12 months.
12-18 months
During this time, the first words usually appear (these one-word utterances are rich with meaning), and by 18 months babies use around 50 words. Babies can understand more than they say, though, and will be able to follow simple instructions and understand you when you say ‘no’ (although they won’t always obey!). If your baby is not babbling and not using gestures by 12 months, talk to your doctor or a health professional.
18 months to 2 years
In her second year, your toddler’s vocabulary will probably grow to around 300 words, and he will start to put two words together into short ‘sentences’. He’ll understand much of what is said to him, and you’ll be able to understand what he says to you (most of the time!). Language development varies hugely, but if some words have not emerged by around 18 months, talk to your doctor or a health professional.
Find out more about language development from 1-2 years.
2-3 years
She’ll be able to speak in longer, more complex sentences, and use more and more speech sounds properly when she speaks. She might play and talk at the same time. Strangers will probably be able to understand most of what she says by the time she’s three.
Find out more about language development from 2-3 years.
3-5 years
Now your child’s a preschooler, you can expect longer, more abstract and complex conversations. He’ll probably also want to talk about a wide range of topics, and his vocabulary will continue to grow. He might well show that he understands the basic rules of grammar, as he experiments with more complex sentences. And you can look forward to some entertaining stories, too.
Find out more about language development from 3-4 years and 4-5 years.
5-6 years
During the early school years, your child will learn more words and start to understand how the sounds within language work together. She will also become a better storyteller, as she learns to put words together in a variety of ways and build different types of sentences.
Find out more about language development from 5-6 years.
Developmental milestones are only guidelines. Children grow and develop at different rates, and no child exactly fits a description of a particular age. In each area of development there is a fairly predictable order or sequence of events, but there is also a wide variation in what’s normal. If you have any concerns, ask your GP or paediatrician or see a speech pathologist.
What’s the difference between speech and language?
Speech means producing the sounds that form words. It’s a physical activity that is controlled by the brain. Speech requires coordinated, precise movement from the tongue, lips, jaw, palate, lungs and voice box. Making these precise movements takes a lot of practice, and that's what children do in the first 12 months. Children learn to correctly articulate speech sounds as they develop, with some sounds taking more time than others.
Language refers to the words that your child understands and uses as well as how he uses them, and includes spoken and written language. The parts that make up language include vocabulary, grammar and discourse:
· Vocabulary is the store of words a person has – like a dictionary held in long-term memory.
· Grammar , or syntax, is aset of rules about the order in which words should be used in sentences. These rules are learned through the experience of language.
· Discourse is another language skill. It involves the ability to structure sentences into conversations. It includes the rules for telling stories, poems and jokes, for writing recipes or letters. It’s amazing to think that very young children begin to master such a complex collection of concepts.
Making Child Behavior Changes that last
taken from www.empoweringparents.com
Ever wonder why your child continues to misbehave, no matter what you do? You may be skipping some critical steps in parenting. Don’t miss part two of our series on why consequences alone aren’t enough to change your child’s behavior.
There’s no such thing as a perfect consequence that will make your child’s behavior “magically” change. Rather, there are effective and ineffective consequences. Ineffective consequences teach your child how to do time—how to be grounded for a few weeks, or how to live without his video games or cell phone. Effective consequences have two main goals: to teach your child and to hold him accountable. It’s a very important distinction, and could mean the difference between seeing change or becoming frustrated and resentful about your child’s behavior.
"Parents who are effective limit setters also limitthemselves They have limits on how they react to unwanted behaviors—and what they will react to at all."
In addition to giving effective consequences, in The Total Transformation, James Lehman says that you need to play three main roles as a parent: the Trainer/Coach, the Problem Solver, and the Limit Setter. In the first part of this series on Empowering Parents, I explained how the Trainer/Coach role works. Today I’m going to tell you how to take on the all-important Problem Solver role and the powerful Limit Setter role. Understand that these three roles work together and often overlap, but don’t let this intimidate you—they absolutely can be learned and practiced until they come to you naturally. On the Parental Support Line, I work with parents every day to teach them how to use all three to become more effective and help change their children’s behavior.
Related: Change your child’s behavior with these techniques.
The Problem Solver Role
The Problem Solver role is quite similar to the Trainer/Coach, though its emphasis is more on using problem-solving to develop new skills. The Problem Solver focuses on setting goals and identifying the obstacles that are in the way. In this role, you might help your child to anticipate future problems and discuss how he can solve them before they happen. For example, you might say, “Someone will offer you drugs some day. What will you say? Here’s what you can do...” As a problem solver, you’ll talk about your expectations of your child in a clear, specific way. So for example, instead of saying, “Be a good boy in the grocery store today,” the problem solver parent would say, “We’re going to the store to get the things on our list. I expect you not to ask for anything and to keep your hands to yourself inside the cart instead of grabbing stuff off the shelves.” Additionally, the Problem Solver parent is open to trying new rules and letting their child have a chance to earn an age-appropriate amount of independence while engaging him in the process. For example, let’s say your 16-year-old daughter wants a later curfew—she wants to come in at 11:30 p.m. instead of 11:00. You might say, “You can’t even make it home at 11, and you want me to let you stay out even later? I don’t think so!” But the problem solving parent would begin by finding out why your daughter isn’t making it home on time right now. What’s the problem? The Problem Solver would say, “I understand you want a later curfew, but you seem to be struggling to get home by 11. What’s going on? What’s keeping you from being home on time?” And then talk about what she can do differently to make curfew. You have to identify the problem before we can find a solution.
Once you talk about the problem and find a new solution, you might tell your daughter that you’re going to try an 11:30 p.m. curfew if she comes home on time at 11 p.m. for the next week. Let her know exactly what you need to see in order for her to achieve that goal. “Coming home on time for the next seven days,” is specific and observable. You also let her know what will happen if it goes well: You’ll let her keep the new curfew. If it doesn’t go well, you’ll go back to the 11 p.m. curfew for the time being.
Related: Tired of backtalk and disrespect?
The Limit Setter Role
The Limit Setter parent sets limits and rules and follows through without justifying himself, defending his actions or over-explaining to the child. For example, if your child is challenging you about his driving privileges and wants to drive three of his friends to a place somewhere outside of town, using the Limit Setter role you would respond in a calm and businesslike way, stating, “You can’t drive your friends to another town and you can’t have more than one friend in the car at a time. That’s the rule until you have more experience behind the wheel.” Then, you’ll walk away if your child argues, begs, or pleads. So essentially, effective limit setters also limit themselves. They have limits on how they react to unwanted behaviors—and what they will react to at all. They ignore bad attitudes and don’t try to force their child into compliance by constantly reminding, nagging, pushing, threatening or “doing” for the child. The effective limit setter won’t cross that line because they know it doesn’t work. Rather, they expect compliance and they hold their kids accountable when they don’t comply.
By compliance, I mean that your child is doing the task you asked him to do: the dishwasher is being unloaded, the chores are getting done or he’s going to his room. Pay no mind if he has a scowl on his face or if he’s stomping his feet or mumbling under his breath—this is the attitude piece that we need to ignore. So as James Lehman says in The Total Transformation Program, “You’re not there to prevent your kid from doing things, you’re there to deal with what he does and hold him accountable.” Your current goal might be to make your child do his homework every night at any cost. If so, realize that this mindset isn’t going to work. Instead, your focus should be on setting a standard and holding your child accountable to that. What this might look like is: no electronics each night until your teen has studied for an hour first. If he doesn’t do his homework, he doesn’t get to play video games or video chat with his friends that day, and he can try again tomorrow. This is how you hold your child accountable. Understand that if you set that standard and you don’t follow through—if you let him play his video games before his work is done—your child learns that your words and limits are meaningless.
Related: How to give effective consequences and follow through on them.
Let me be clear that there are exceptions. If you make a poor choice and give a really ineffective consequence out of anger, you don’t have to follow through on that. Let’s say your child has come in late, and you tell him that he’s not allowed to go out for the rest of the summer. The cost might be worse than the benefit, and what’s more, it’s not effective. So you can acknowledge your mistake, give a new consequence that’s more effective, and follow through on that one instead.
Using the 3 Parenting Roles: What Kind of Pushback Can You Expect?
You might be wondering, “Once I’m practicing these three parenting roles fairly consistently, what changes can I expect to see?” Initially most parents can expect their kids to be pretty unhappy. When you stop explaining yourself or engaging in power struggles with your kids, it can be really upsetting for them and hard for them to adjust to. So recognize that resistance is normal. Your child will test you to see if you really are changing, or if they can get you to go back to your old ways instead. After all, they were the ones in control back then. They could drive you crazy, make you scream and get you to give in by acting out of control. Imagine how powerful they must have felt! Now as they see you changing, they might follow you around, badger you, talk back, and try to push your buttons. But the key is to walk away and let your kids know their behavior is not going to get them what they want. Don’t adjust your standards based on their emotional state or ugly behavior. Remind yourself that you can get through this initial escalation; things will get better if you stay calm and consistent in the face of your child’s anger and resistance.
I want to make an important note here: if your child’s behavior escalates to hurting someone else in the home, hurting themselves, becoming destructive or violent, or even threatening to hurt themselves or someone else, we recommend that you consider calling the police to ensure everyone’s safety. In some cases, it’s also necessary for parents to have support from someone locally, such as a counselor or family therapist, to work through this escalation period in a safe way that’s appropriate for your child.
Creating a Culture of Accountability
Once you become a more experienced Trainer/Coach, Problem Solver and Limit Setter, you will gradually see your child’s self esteem getting better; his attitude may even improve in the bargain. In The Total Transformation, James Lehman says that, “You can’t feel your way to better behavior; you have to behave your way to better feelings.” He felt that the key to self esteem is for your child to learn to do things that are hard. That’s why improved self esteem is another product of effective parenting, because you’re teaching your child how to do things that are hard.
Another byproduct of using the three effective parenting roles is that you’re going to create a “Culture of Accountability” in your home. What does this mean exactly? It means that the more you hold your child accountable for his behaviors, the more he’ll learn. He’ll find that blaming others doesn’t get him out of his responsibilities, that kicking and screaming in the store doesn’t get him what he wants, that putting chores off doesn’t get him out of doing them, and that being verbally abusive or destructive doesn’t make his curfew later. It’s a long process, but your child will eventually learn that he’s responsible for his behavior and that you’ll hold him accountable if he doesn’t step up and take responsibility on his own. With time and practice, this can gradually become the culture in your home.
Will things ever be perfect? Probably not. After all, life is always giving us new problems to solve. But now, you’ll have the skills as a parent to get your family through the challenges you face along the way.
Feed your child right
Most of the parents complain that their kid simply do not eat enough or are very choosy in selecting their meal. Though most of them are concerned that their children do not eat enough and do not eat healthy. For those who are over concerned, they need to understand that the amount of food a child can ingest varies from child to child. If the average growth rate of their kid is satisfactory at the mental and physical level, there is not much to worry. However, parents dealing with kids suffering malnutrition due to over choosy nature need to get on their toes to check their kid's habit right here.
1) Use familiar and well-liked foods (not to try new food)
2) Use differently coloured foods and pretty dished to make the food look attractive
*Different colored vegetables look nice than one large serving of the same vegetable
3) Serve only small portions. Individual portions more attractive than taking food from the family dish.
4) Straws make milk *drinking fun and also help to prevent spillages.
5) Serve food in convenient bite-sized pieces to avoid child hang to bite or cut.
* Toast can be cut into small fingers ideal for dipping into a soft-boiled egg.
Milk : Any form is suitable ( ice-cream, custards, milk shakes as dessert)
Eggs : Easy to digest , valuable source of protein,iron & other nutrients
Cereals : Infant cereals mixed with milk, liquidised oats
Porridge and noodle soups : Congee, macaroni cooked in clear soups are easy to digest, help to boost fluid and energy intakes.
Fruits : Excellent source of vitamin C and should be given to your child at least once a day.( Freshly squeezed orange juice )
Meat and fish: Lightly cooked liver, chicken or fish can be sieved or blended and added to soups or stews)
Soups : Plain stock can be enriched by adding vegetables or meat purees and some milk.
from ETLlearning.com
If English is the language spoken in your home, then your child will naturally start to pick it up. From a very young age children pick up on the phonetics and speech patterns of the language they hear every day in their home environment. Learning the English language like any other, requires exposure and of course some help on behalf of the parents.
Talk to your child.
One of the biggest keys to teaching your child English is to spend time talking with your child. “Adults help children learn language primarily by talking with them,” says Bruce D. Perry, PhD, a Professor of Child Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. Every conversation matters, and children pick up words and sentences structure from the language they hear from the people around them.
You can make this teaching method even more focused by using your opportunities to talk to your child as learning opportunities. Work on a vocabulary-oriented learning activity together, and spend time asking your child questions and discussing what is being learned.
Read with your child.
Reading is one of the ways in which children learn language. It is a combination of hearing it spoken as you read aloud and connecting the words with the images that helps to cement language skills. “Reading out loud exposes children to proper grammar and phrasing. It enhances the development of their spoken language skills, their ability to express themselves verbally,” explains Barbara Freedman-de Vito, a children’s librarian and teacher turned publisher of children’s books.
Remember that what you read matters! Always choose age appropriate books, and look for the right combination of images and words to help impart both sentence structure and the connection between images and the words that describe them.
You are the best teacher!
Parents have the power to start the process of teaching English or any other language. Children learn first from parents, so your dedication to the process, along with the right learning tools, can put your child on the road to success. Remember these simple tips:- Your child is always listening, so make every conversation a learning opportunity
- Books are the best tool you have to teach language
- Use appropriate learning activities and talk with your child as you complete the tasks
Learning English is difficult, but at no age is a human being more up to the task than in childhood. Your child can learn a language faster than you as an adult can! Invest your time and you will see incredible advances.
The Latest In Learning Devices: What works and What doesnt?from ETLlearning.com
In the wake of the huge recall of educational DVDs for babies after a study proved they don’t improve intellect as promised, but can in fact be detrimental to the developing brain, there has been a great deal of controversy over educational tools. Of the many devices on the market promising to help a child learn faster and improve skills, how can a parent know what really works and what doesn’t?
While there aren’t studies on every possible learning device on the market, there is enough evidence to make a strong case for which type of tool is effective, and which type is less so. When it comes to learning devices, interactive gadgets and programs earn the best marks from experts.
“The technologies that benefit young children the greatest are those that are interactive and allow the child to develop their curiosity, problem solving and independent thinking skills,” says Dr. Bruce Perry, Medical Director for Provincial Programs in Children’s Mental Health in the province of Alberta, Canada.
Computer activities and computer like devices provide the best source of interactive learning, according to Dr. Perry. “Computers allow interaction. Children can control the pace and activity and make things happen on computers.”
Gadgets that are passive provide a less enriching experience, but this can be changed simply by parents stepping in to provide the interaction. While watching an educational video or television program is generally a passive experience, experts recommend that parents watch the videos with their children and discuss what they are seeing in order to provide the interaction that helps to stimulate the brain.
Learning devices that allow for multiple different learning programs and opportunities are also a good choice; they allow children to be continually challenged and take on new experiences and learning paths. This makes them not only a good learning tool, but a good investment for parents as well.
When shopping for the newest learning devices, keep these simple tips in mind:- Look for devices that are interactive and encourage curiosity
- Choose devices you can enjoy with your child to enrich the experience
- Look for multiple different programs that allow your child to choose from a variety of learning experiences and expand horizons
Learning devices are the newest thing on the market for children, and advertising pushes them hard. While there has been some backlash against them, most experts agree they have a place in the process of learning for today’s technological society. Choose the correct devices and your child will learn as much as possible.
Today's Kids Learn Differentlyfrom ETLlearning.com
In today’s changing world, not only have systems of education changed, but the methods in which children learn have changed as well. Today’s child grows up in a world filled with electronics, gadgets and multi-media entertainment. Television, computers and video games have all contributed to changes in the ways a child’s brain takes in new information and assimilates it.
Children today have a shorter attention span than children of past generations. This is due to the fast paced and ever changing landscape of media such as television. Information is provided in short bursts, and children are expected to move on from one topic to the next rapidly.
But while media are often blamed for learning problems later in life, it is not necessarily as big a problem as we have been led to believe. “A child who is capable of playing a video game for hours on end obviously does not have a global problem with paying attention,” states C. Shawn Green, PhD of the University of Minnesota, "The question, then, is why are they able to pay attention to a game but not in school? What expectancies have the games set up that aren't being delivered in a school setting?"
The question becomes one of harnessing the learning abilities that children develop as a result of their exposure to media and using them to enhance academic performance. Children today learn more readily with the use of multi-media approaches to teaching. Computers in the classroom, early educational videos and even educational video games are all aspects of the modern learning environment that parents can use to provide kids with a head start.
“Children struggle when they try to learn in ways that aren’t natural for them,” says Dr. Mary Ann Smialek, educator and author. Out-dated learning materials and approaches that don’t match with the patterns of learning common to today’s children are going to result in difficulties and frustration. As parents, our best bet is to use technology to our advantage in the following ways:- Seek out educational media choices that work with your kids preferences instead of against them
- Make use of educational videos that hold your child’s attention
- Don’t force old-fashioned learning methods if they simply aren’t working for your child
- Make television and computers learning tools instead of just entertainment devices
As we move forward into an ever more complex and technologically advanced world, we need to use the tools that allow our children to learn best. If the media have given our children a set of learning tools and skills, then we should use those tools and skills as much as possible.
What Children Can't Do...Yetby Dan Higgins
When working with children keep in mind what they are ready for and what they are not; what they can do and what they are unable to do…yet.
I can't share.
Children use possession of objects as a device to understand autonomy. Just as babbling comes before talking, so owning comes before sharing. To share fully, a child must first fully possess.
I can't say, "I'm sorry," and mean it.
Saying "I'm sorry" has little meaning to the young child. To say, "I'm sorry" and understand what you are saying, you must also be able to understand how the other person feels.
I can't remember what you told me.
Most children remember only what is important to them. A child may not remember that you just told them to walk, and not run, while indoors. Adults often forget that children have trouble remembering.
I can't focus on more than one task at a time.
"Pick up your toys, put on your shoes, and wash your face; we are going out to play." This command has three more tasks than a young child is able to focus on. Most young children will remember the last task or the task most important to them. With the above command, all the child may focus on is that he or she is going out tot play.
I can't understand negative commands.
If a child reaches to put his or her finger in an electric wall outlet and you say, "don't," the child is confused because he or she doesn't know how to reverse their action. Saying, "Pull you hand back, that's dangerous" gives the child a positive action to take.
I can't measure.
When you want a child to pour a glass of milk or juice and you hand him or her a full pitcher, expect the child to pour all the milk into the glass, even if it pours all over the floor or table. Young children do not understand that all of the milk will not fit into the glass and so keep pouring until it's too late.
I can't tell you the truth when you set me up.
If you see a child do something inappropriate, and you ask if he or she has done it, the child will probably deny it. Don't ask the child if you know what happened. That only sets them up for failure.
I can't sit still for very long.
Young children are often told to sit still, while their bodies are telling them to move. When the large muscles in a preschooler's arms and legs are growing rapidly, they cry out for exercise. As a result, preschoolers feel a need to move about.
I can't play with other children until I am ready.
Children go through different stages of social interaction. If allowed to grow at their own pace, they will begin to interact with other children when they are ready.
I can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.
When a child has a bad dream, it is very real to him or her. Telling a child not to be a "baby" does not help. Playing fantasy is real for the child and very important for control and development.
I can't express myself in words very well.
Children resort to physical means of communication because they often don't have the verbal skills to express frustration and other feelings. You can help by giving the child words to use.
I can't wait.
Try not to put children in situations where they have to wait for long periods of time. Waiting often makes taking turns difficult.
I don't understand right and wrong.
Because young children don't understand cause and effect relationships, they can't fully understand right and wrong. A young child does not understand intentional versus unintentional actions, can only see issues from his or her own perspective, and views issues as black and white.
I can't be ready until I'm ready.
Children all grow and develop at different rates. Don't compare children or force them to do things before they are ready
10 Ways to Create Self-Reliant Learners
By Carolyn Tomlin
1. Encourage children to do for themselves. Offer support and guidance to children as they solve problems, yet allow them the freedom to make choices and learn from their mistakes.
2. Begin with small tasks. Divide big tasks into smaller ones. As children complete small tasks successfully, move on to larger works. Compliment children when they complete challenging tasks.
3. Plan “free-play” periods throughout the day. Children need time to make their own rules, to pretend, and to establish boundaries. As the children play, teachers should stay on the perimeter of the group and use the time for observation of individual children.
4. Schedule daily chores. Using a chart, make a graph of expected chores for each child. Rotate chores daily or weekly. As the child completes the work, he places a sticker by his name. Include such activities as feeding the fish, watering plants, returning books to the library shelves, keeping the room neat, and other chores appropriate for each age group.
5. Help children manage their own time. Are there children who can’t seem to find anything to do, even when presented with several activities? Help children who struggle with time management by structuring their free play and activities.
6. Provide options and choices when possible. Begin by presenting children with two choices; move to three as the child matures. This develops independent thinkers and learners.
7. Finish what you start. Even small tasks should be completed. Praise children for following directions. Redirect and re-teach when necessary.
8. Return items to their proper place. Label shelves and containers with pictures and words. These cues will help remind children where supplies are stored while promoting language and literacy development.
9. Encourage children to ask for assistance when needed. Does your class have children of more than one age grouped together? If so, appoint older children to serve as mentors to the younger ones; both sets of children will benefit from this interaction.
10. Promote friendships. By making friends children are able to develop positive self-images and to express empathy and caring for others. Assigning a new student a “buddy” helps that child establish a place within the group, which fosters a feeling of success.
HuggingBy Jay KohHugging makes your body produce oxytocin, a 'feel-good' hormone. Research in the USA found that one 20-second hug a day makes children and parents feel happier and less stressed.
It has also been proven that kids who are hugged often are very expressive and warm, while those who aren't hugged very much or aren't shown affection by their family usually grow up putting a distance between themselves and other people.
Hugging shows a child you love them. It's a gesture of affirmation, appreciation, and acknowledgement.
You'll be surprised at what a hug can do:-
1. Opening up the doors of communication.
2. Affirms love and acceptance.
3. Builds self-esteem.
4. Bridges generation gaps.
5. Heads off potential conflicts.
6. Makes people less defensive.
7. Shows kindness and compassion.
8. Demonstrates respect and value.
9. Sets an example of patience and tolerance.
10. Rejuvenates your day.
11. Makes being a parent all worthwhile.
So hug your child today and everyday!
Lower education linked to faster ageingBy Reuters
London - People who leave education with fewer qualifications are prone to age more quickly, scientists said on Wednesday.
Researchers from Britain and the US examined the length of sections of DNA known as telomeres from around 450 people taking part in a long-term health study and found that people who did less well at school had shorter telomeres, suggesting they may age faster.
Telomeres are sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage and the loss of cell functions associated with aging. Shorter telomeres are thought to be an indicator of faster aging.
"The key implication of this study backs up one of the main messages to have come out of long-term studies, that your experiences early in life can have important influences on your health," said Stephen Holgate, of Britain's Medical Research Council, which part-funded the research.
He said that as with all observational research, it was difficult to establish the root causes of these findings, but said the study provided evidence "that being educated to a higher level can benefit you more than in the job market alone".
Evidence
The study participants were separated into four education groups: Those who had no qualifications at all, those who left formal education after exams at around 16 years of age, those who left after exams at around 18 years, and those who earned a degree from a university or other higher education institution.
The research was published in the journal Brain, Behaviour and Immunity on Wednesday.
The results showed that people with lower educational achievements had shorter telomeres, indicating that they may age faster, and the study also offered strong evidence that this is not affected by people's social and economic status later in life, as was previously thought, the researchers said.
"We already know from previous research that people with poor backgrounds are prone to age more quickly," said study researcher Andrew Steptoe, of University College London.
"Education is a marker of social class that people acquire early in life, and our research suggests that it is long term exposure to the conditions of lower status that promotes accelerated cellular aging."
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