Should Parents be Accountable for Kids' Bad Grades?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?



This topic bugs me especially when a parent tells me that school is more than enough for their kid(s). Based on our current education system, even if your child goes to an expensive private school, it is still not enough. If your child excels in school, perhaps the question to ask is: "Is it sufficient for my child to compete on a global level?"  I believe ANY advantage we can give our children is better than "just enough".  This is definitely something I feel fiercely about. Parents NEED to be accountable for children's success. The question though....is "what do you think?"

Life 360

I came across www.life360.com and thought it was a good product to share. It uses technology to keep track of important things in your life.  For example, it uses GPS tracking technology on smartphones to keep tabs on where your children are.  They have free and premium services.  Check out these videos and their website for more information.

Japan Earthquake Tsunami - Horrifying but can it be educational?

As I poured through the images and videos posted about the current Japan Earthquake/Tsunami disaster and hear about personal accounts from friends in Japan, I couldn't help but wonder if my child was old enough, would I share these stories and accounts with him or would I shield him from the horrors of such a disaster? I think I would want my child to know that these disasters happen. At the same time, I would want him to know that he doesn't have to be afraid. I thought a bout a list of things I could do to make the best of such a situation.

My List of Disaster Education for children:

1. Pull up a map. Show your child where the disaster had occurred and show them where they are in respect to the disaster. This can help assure the child that he/she is safe.

2. Gather your family for an emergency checklist session. Go through what needs to be done should something like this happen. Your children should understand your family's emergency plan as best as they can. This way if you happen to be separated during the course of such an event, your child will not be scared. Instead, they will be comforted because they have the knowledge of what to do.

3. Have your children memorize emergency numbers and your cell phone numbers. Teach them how to use a pay-phone. You'll be surprised to learn that many children don't even know what a pay phone is nowadays. Have them learn your full names (as well as their own of course!) and important addresses.

4. Agree on a Family Emergency Meeting venue should any of you be separated. Show your kids where that venue is and how to get there from places they would usually be at, such as from home, from school, from the playground, from grandma's, etc...)

5. Start an emergency kit or backpack for each member of your family. Have your kids help you put together the backpack. Show them how to use the items in the backpack!

6. If your kids are old enough, learn how to do CPR as a family. The American Red Cross provides CPR classes. Contact your local chapter for more information. Do note that usually only teenagers and up will be effective in doing CPR because strength is needed. However, it is always good for younger children to learn about CPR as well. Here are some fun tips!

7. It's a great time to learn about nature and science. Teach your kids how and why such disasters occur. When kids understand how it happens, they are less afraid. FEMA has an awesome website to teach kids about natural disasters!

8. If you have the resources to do so, have your family engage in a charity that helps people affected by these disasters. Even having your kids do extra projects, have their own lemonade stands, mow grasses, and chores to earn $10-$20 to donate to a charity is sufficient. It's a great feeling when a child feels like he/she has contributed to something as big as a full scale natural disaster.

If you guys have any thoughts or ideas, please feel free to share them. I would love to hear them all!!!

Find the inner engineer in your child!

A great way to encourage your kids to develop conceptual skills is through model building. It'd be a fun thing for a parent and child to do together, individually, or with the other siblings.  I believe it also encourages patience as well.  How early can you start your child on a project like this? I would say as long as he/she isn't putting things in their mouth and can sit for a period of time, that would be sufficient. You may have to be more hands on with the younger kids, but it will excite them and development a love for such engineering spirit in them. Even a quick 5-10 mins a day working on such a project will be a wonderful time you can spend with your child. As a child, I loved building things so please don't leave your girls out of these projects! They will love it too!  Here are some fun model kits you can purchase for your children to work on:

Revell 1:48 P - 51D Mustang

Vintage Plane - I love the color and style of it. It will be a great room decor for your little boy!

Zoob Mobile Designer Kit - More constructive than Lego.

K'nex has a TON of model kits for all arrays of projects - from building your mini amusement park to vehicle models to building models. I was pretty impressed with their low price too.

Fun book for little children

The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton


Looking for a new book to read to your child before bed?  This silly book will do the trick.  "In The Going to Bed Book, an ark full of animals watches the sun go down and then prepares for bed. They take a bath ("in one big tub"), find pajamas, brush their teeth, do exercises up on deck (imagine an elephant jumping rope, a moose lifting weights, and a pig doing handstands), and finally say good night."  Check it out!

Teaching our children to save not spend

I came across this site Kidworth.com.  I really like the concept of the website in teaching our children to be "financially literate." 

With the way our society and economy is headed, teaching our children to be financially responsible can go a long way.  Check out the website to see how it works and if it's something that would be an asset for your family.  Either way, it's a good reminder that we are raising the next generation of leaders, and teaching them the right principles while they are young is crucial.  What do you think?

Family Challenge

This article - "First Grader Proves "Yes, We Can" Isn't Just for Adults" by Megan Cottrell has been nothing but inspirational. A teacher, Sue Veni, read her students the book "The Goodness Gorillas" that was about a group of school kids who try spreading kindness around their school and community. Veni then gave each of her students an envelope with $10 in it, asking them to "think outside the envelope," to use the money to do good in   their own community.  One of her students, Jake Levine, took the challenge. He took the $10 plus a little of his own to buy stamps. He proceeded to write letters to his friends and family, asking for donations for the Leukemia Research Foundation. It was a cause close to his heart as his own grandmother had died of Leukemia in 2009. Jake raise $1501 for the foundation. This is truly amazing!  This might be a fun project to work together on as a family and it will only cost $10.  Come up with something fun and share it with us via email! Tell us what you did and send us pictures! We will feature every project on our blog!


 

Jake Levine poses with his Certificate of appreciation at the LRF office in Wilmette. Photo courtesy of LRF  Credit Fruzsina Eordogh 

Social Network for kids?? Good idea or bad idea?

According to Leena Rao at TechCrunch,

"Disney has just acquired Togetherville, a social network for kids 10 years of age or younger, we’ve confirmed with the company. Terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed at the moment.

Togetherville, which exited beta last year, mimics the experience of adult social networking sites, i.e. Facebook but in an age-appropriate and parent-monitored environment. Togetherville promises a safer, more secure environment, where parents can moderate who their children are connecting with. Parents approve each of their child’s friends, and can also connect with other parents using Facebook’s social graph.

Parents can easily interact with their kids in Togetherville, while kids have their very own social community and login to engage with friends, play games, watch videos, and create art. Children create “neighborhoods” from Facebook friends, and can connect through School Communities, which allows parents and kids connect with school friends without requiring the parents to be connected via Facebook."

Do you think this is a good idea or bad idea?  On one hand, kids this age shouldn't be spending all their time in front of a computer reading about what their friends are doing but should actually be out in person playing and socializing.  On the other hand, technology now makes it available for children to keep in touch with distant relatives and friends just like adults can with Facebook.  I personally wouldn't allow my child onto a site like this until they are older.  In the meantime actual play dates with other children and hanging out with family members will suffice.  

What are your thoughts about a social network for children?  Would you allow your child onto it?

An innovative way to teach your child about Business + Charity!

Business instructor Bob Merrilees is teaching students to make money in his entrepreneur class at Northern Highlands Regional High School. The students sell items on eBay, with profits going to local charities.

I am officially loving the ingenuity of Northern Highlands Regional High School's business teacher, Bob Merrilees. In an effort to teach real-life business skills to his students, he started an eBay selling project with his class. His students sell items on eBay and donate the profits to charities chosen by the students themselves. They learn the importance of customer service, advertising and marketing, shipping and payment logistics and the value of giving back to the community. You can read more about the article here. 

I have been thinking of ways to teach my own kids business skills from when they're young and I love this idea. Perhaps instead of having a simple yard sale, a better way of getting rid of the extra clutter may be this:

1. Have your kids help you organize the items for sale in bins according to categories.

2. Have them help in taking the pictures of the product. Teach them how to lay the product out in a way that will entice buyers and teach them how to use the camera and the different settings. Depending on their age and skill level, you could even show them how to edit pictures.

3. Show your kids how to upload the pictures onto eBay or craigslist or your local online barter site. Show them with the first item how to describe the product and list the price. Allow them to lead the product descriptions and pricing for the other items, only interjecting to direct them along the right path.

4. Teach them how to reply to emails.

5. Show them how payment is processed and how credit cards works. This may be a great time to teach them about good and bad debts.

6. Have your kids learn how to process shipping labels through usps.com, fedex.com, or ups.com. Teach them how to properly package the item.

7. You can start a family fund with the proceeds that can go towards a family trip/outing or your family could donate the proceeds to a local charity.

Some other business ideas include:

1. Lemonade/Juice/Hot Chocolate/Cookie Stand.

2. Making crafts and selling them on eBay, Etsy, at a local arts and crafts store, or chic boutique.

3. Selling their framed artwork on Etsy. I know of a lot of people who love kid's artwork.

4. Have them publish a book and sell it online through Scribble Press, Lulu, or Etsy.

5. Have your kids pick a topic and create their own magazine for other kids. They can create and publish their magazine on MagCloud. This can be done on a monthly or quarterly basis.

6. Have your older kids start a lawn mowing, dog walking, or babysitting business. Help them open a bank account and show them how to use Quickbooks or Quicken to manage their business accounts, send customer invoices, and so on.

Please comment if you have any other fun ideas to teach your children, both young and older, the value of business. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!!!

Pressure Cooker

With all the talk of challenging your kids and having them achieve a higher standard in education, I think we sometimes forget the key word is "challenging" and not "pressuring" or "forcing". The secret to challenging your child and still maintaining a happy child is to have them enjoy learning. I remember that when I was studying in Asia, I HATED school and everything about it. Sure, I did well in the exams that actually mattered but hated doing the everyday homework and pretty much shut down when it came to day-to-day excelling. I suppose the intense pressure of constantly doing well and competing with the other kids in my class got to me. I hated the shallowness of the whole system. When we moved back to the states, that pressure was lifted off my shoulder. Suddenly, I enjoyed learning. I would spend hours reading my textbooks before class, make sure my homework was perfect, and got straight A's. In college, I noticed I tended to do better in independent study classes. Even though I did the class at my own pace, I noticed I almost always finished the independent study course way before the actual semester ended and always got A's as well. Interestingly enough, I also found that I retained the information learnt through the independent study courses a lot better than in normal classes. So, the question now is: "How do we get our children to ENJOY learning?" Here are some tips:

1. Have a Set Routine! Having a set routine allows your children to understand what your expectations of them are without having to yell at them constantly. For example, an after-school schedule can be something like this:

Snack/rest and change of clothes (After school)
Homework and any extra curriculum you would want to teach your child (4:30pm-6pm)
TV/Games time (6pm-6:30pm)
Dinner (6:30pm=-7:30pm)
7:30pm-8:30pm (Family Fun Time/Play-time)
8:30pm-9:20pm (Reading/Getting ready for bed)
9:20pm (Lights out)

Your child will learn self-discipline with a set routine and will still have ample time to play and have fun each day! On days that they get out of school earlier and what-not, have them enroll in extracurricular activities like soccer, art class, and so on.

2. Reward System. Create a homework reward chart and a learning reward chart. For each day of completed homework, have your child place a sticker for that day. The learning reward chart will be one where you teach your child more advanced materials. Reward charts should have an attainable goal. I like to have my students choose their own reward that they will get excited about. Have your child take ownership of their reward chart. You will find a child who is excited to work towards their goal and who will enjoy challenging him/herself as a result of that.

3. Be Patient. It is always harder to teach your own child because you expect so much out of them. When you feel yourself losing it when your child does not get a particular concept, walk away. Let your child know in a calm voice that you both will be taking a short break. Take a breather and when you've calm down, go back to teaching. Remember, some times it takes more than a few tries for your child to grasp certain concepts. It doesn't mean that they are dumb. It just happened to be a little tougher for them to understand that point but they will get it sooner or later. Think about computer games. When you get something wrong or do not pass a level, you simply get a calm voice that tells you to "Try again! You can do it!" Be that for your child! When you get impatient with their learning ability, you end up causing them to be self-aware, perhaps losing their confidence and end up hating to learn new things.

4. Be Enthusiastic and Positive. When your kids see your excitement about learning new things, they get excited too and think it's the coolest thing ever.

5. Praise. Shower your kids with encouragement and praise when they improve on learning something. Make it a point to compliment them during your family dinner about how so-and-so learnt their 2 times table today and did so well even though it was a tough thing to learn. Kids eat that up!

6. Encourage Them. When the lesson gets tough, sometimes kids get a little down. Remind them that this is just a bump and you went through the same exact thing too. Assure them that once they get this down, it gets SO much easier after this.

Well, hopefully these tips help. Do share with us any special thing you do with your child!

Be INVOLVED with your kids' education!

A lot of parents often ask me the age-old question: "What can I do to help my child improve in school?" The answer is a simple one. Take an active interest in their education. There are many ways you can do so. Here are some ideas:

1. If there is a PTA in your child's school, find out how you can be a part of it. It doesn't have to be a full-time job as many parents perceive being in the PTA to be. Often times, there is a parent who leads the group and is the one who is most active in running in. Being a part of the PTA and volunteering the hours you can afford to is the first step to knowing what's going on in your child's school. The PTA is also a great way to help turn things around in school. For example, if a certain subject is not taught up to par, the PTA, as a whole group, can be influential in encouraging the school board and administration to turn things around. In addition, the PTA is usually the first one to know of any activities or new trends going on in your child's school. Being a part of it will ensure that you are kept in the loop as well. It's also a great way to meet other parents who are similarily interested in their children's education. Having that mutual support is important.

2. Get to know your child's teachers well, if not VERY well. Teachers love parents who want to be an active participant in their child's education. Find a chance to meet your child's teacher(s) the first week of school and make sure you exchange contact information. Let the teacher know that you want to be involved and if there's anything you can do to help, he/she should feel free to contact you at any time. Of course, be careful of not skipping over to the annoying side of being a concerned parent. Be respectful to the teacher while communicating the fact that you are and want to be aware of what's going on. If you can afford the extra time, volunteer to be an aide in your child's classroom. This will give the teacher more time to spend one-on-ones with each child.

3. Get to know the parents of the kids your child hangs out with. Form play groups, extracurricular groups, or homework groups together. When your child has a good group of friends who all have the same goals towards studying, it helps generate a higher interest in learning for your child.

4. It's good to have your child be independent in taking charge of their own homework. However, it can be a huge mistake on the parents' part to not know what homework they have or when their tests/quizzes.projects are or are due by. Set a time each day after school to sit down with your child and go through what they have done in school. I find this most effective for kids kindergarten through sophomore in high school. It's bets to do so after lunch, a snack and a short break. Have your child do their own homework but it's always good to look (at least briefly) through their assignments after they have all been completed. This way, you will know what your child is learning and what he/she is having a harder time coping with in school. This goes for the same even if your child has a private tutor. Leaving everything to the tutor is not the most ideal, although having someone is supervise your child's work is sometimes better than nothing! :)

If you have any other ideas or comments, feel free to share with us!

A Little Breather for the Day: SWAGGER WAGON

My baby has been super fussy this morning so I'm taking a little break from doing a long post today! Here's a little funny for all busy moms!

PTA Press Release - Family Engagement in Education Act

Bipartisan Family Engagement in Education Act Introduced Today in U.S. House of Representatives

Legislation would engage parents as partners in raising student achievement

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 5, 2010) – U.S. Representatives Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY-4) and Todd Russell Platts (R-PA-19) today introduced the Family Engagement in Education Act (H.R. 5211) which would strengthen family engagement in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that Congressional leaders have said they would like to reauthorize this year.

National PTA®, the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association, has championed this bill along with leading researchers and practitioners, philanthropic groups, and policy experts in the field of family engagement. Founded in 1897, PTA continues to advocate to ensure every child is successful in school and in life. Over 40 years of research has shown that partnering with parents, regardless of their socioeconomic status or educational background, improves student achievement and graduation rates.

“Children spend over 70 percent of their waking hours outside of school," says Charles J. “Chuck” Saylors, National PTA President.

“If we are serious about closing the achievement gap, parents must be at the table. This legislation is a critical first step in ensuring a sound partnership between parents, the community, and schools to increase student success.”

The bill would provide incentives to districts and schools to implement best practices, such as parent leadership academies, placing family engagement coordinators in schools, and professional development for educators on how to partner with families.

“Since my arrival in Congress, I have worked on providing our children with the best education possible. One way to improve how our children learn is to provide parents with a greater voice in the schools, and this legislation does exactly that”, said McCarthy.

“Family engagement is a cost-effective way to turn around struggling schools and close the achievement gap. I appreciate all the work the PTA has done on this legislation. They are a respected and an extremely effective organization in bringing parents and teachers together for the betterment of our children’s education. As the Chairwoman of the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, I am grateful that my ranking member, Representative Todd Russell Platts, is joining me as the lead co-sponsor of the bill and look forward to working with him to see the bill included as part of ESEA reauthorization.”

“Consistent family engagement in a child’s education can improve student achievement and enhance educational opportunities,” said Congressman Todd Platts (PA-19). “The Family Engagement in Education Act incentivizes schools and communities to work with families to enhance the education of our nation's young people.”

The Family Engagement in Education Act would also strengthen the sole federal program dedicated to parent engagement, the Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs), to scale-up research-based strategies for engaging families. PIRCs currently serve over 16 million parents in all 50 states.

About National PTA


National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

Note from The Railroad Classrooms: This is such an important step to raising the standard of education in the U.S.  I've noticed that so few parents are involved in their childrens' schoolwork. Even some of the families I tutor have parents who expect all the parenting part of schoolwork to be taken care of by the tutor. When your child sees that you value education, they too will take it more seriously. Be involved in your child's education!!!