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Above and Beyond:
Get Your Child Ready for the New School Year
By Dr. Raymond J. Huntington
Every August and September, newspapers around the U.S. publish
articles about how to get young people prepared to go back to
school. Readers are typically advised to get to know their
children’s teachers, create a schedule for homework and volunteer
with the PTA. This is tried-and-true advice for the ages. But with
the end of “social promotion” and an unprecedented emphasis on
making sure students meet tough standards for achievement, many
parents and adult family members are looking for a much deeper level
of involvement to ensure their children are prepared for the
challenges ahead.
If you’re one of those who wants to go “above and beyond” to ensure
your child excels, the following activities will be helpful:
Look out for key benchmarks on the academic calendar.
Many parents and students focus a lot of attention on the tests that
all public schools are required to give in the spring, particularly
when the results are used for such high stakes decisions as grade
advancement and graduation. But most schools also give important
tests in the fall so they can chart student progress during the
year. By going to the Department of Education Web site for your
state, you can usually learn which tests will be given to students
by grade level, and when. You can find out the key subject matter
that will be tested and when you should expect to see your child’s
results. Keep in mind that these tests are not given simply to see
how your child “measures up.” They’re offered as a diagnostic tool
for revealing academic strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these
strengths and weaknesses will enable you to determine what kind of
tutoring and other support your child might need to ensure that the
fall, winter and spring are all winning seasons for high test scores
and overall achievement.
Remember to schedule “extra help” for high achievers.
Most people tend to think of mentoring and tutoring as services for
students who need extra help to catch up. But extra attention can
also be a boon for students who want to nurture special aptitudes
and accelerate their achievement. In addition to Advanced Placement
and merit courses, parents and students should become aware of
opportunities to participate in special projects to strengthen
skills in subjects that will enhance students’ preparation for
higher education and careers.
Maximize the value of parent-teacher conferences.
It’s important to understand how much homework teachers plan to
assign and the approximate amount of time teachers believe it should
take to complete the work satisfactorily. This information helps
parents develop a homework schedule and feel confident that when
they hear “it’s all done” students really have spent enough time on
the work. Parents should also mark their calendars for times when
the stakes for homework may be highest. Are there some days or
upcoming weeks (e.g., prior to exams or near the end of grading
periods) when the assignments are especially important for
determining grades or other measures of achievement? And are there
specific times when the teacher expects the homework load to
increase?
Most teachers will also appreciate a brief recap of your child’s
educational experiences to date, such as any major successes or
stumbling blocks along the way. Did your child score off the charts
in mathematics? Did he or she require extra tutoring to improve
reading comprehension? Providing a snapshot of your child’s
educational “resume” will help the teacher personalize instruction
to suit your child’s special abilities and needs.
Create the right home learning space.
Studying is hard work, even more so amid the myriad distractions of
television, technology and other factors that may get your child
off-track. Establishing a quiet, neat, well-lit space for studying
will help your child focus on homework and significantly enhance his
ability to retain material. Be sure to have materials such as paper,
pencils and pens, a dictionary, a thesaurus and a calculator readily
at hand. The seating area should be moderately comfortable – with a
straight-backed chair that will keep your child relaxed but alert as
opposed to soft upholstery, which can encourage drowsiness. It’s
also a good idea to have enough space to read and write in the same
area.
Strike the right balance between learning and leisure.
Keeping in mind the significant amount of study time most children
need to make good grades, take a look at all of the other activities
your child wants to fit into his or her day. Have a frank discussion
to determine which activities are most important to your child and
see if you can arrive collaboratively at a decision about which
should be pursued.
Finally, make sure you spend time talking with your children about
the year ahead. Remind them that learning is an adventure and that
while they can expect some difficult challenges, you’ll be there
with plenty of support for overcoming whatever obstacles they may
encounter.
Dr. Raymond J. Huntington and Eileen Huntington are co-founders
of Huntington Learning Center, which has been helping children
succeed in school for more than 26 years. For more information about
Huntington, call 1 800 CAN LEARN. |
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