Smart Strategies that help Students Learn How to Learn

What’s the key to effective learning? One intriguing body of research suggests a rather riddle-like answer: It’s not just what you know. It’s what you know about what you know.

To put it in more straightforward terms, anytime a student learns, he or she has to bring in two kinds of prior knowledge: knowledge about the subject at hand (say, mathematics or history) and knowledge about how learning works. Parents and educators are pretty good at imparting the first kind of knowledge. We’re comfortable talking about concrete information: names, dates, numbers, facts. But the guidance we offer on the act of learning itself—the “metacognitive” aspects of learning—is more hit-or-miss, and it shows.

In our schools, “the emphasis is on what students need to learn, whereas little emphasis—if any—is placed on training students how they should go about learning the content and what skills will promote efficient studying to support robust learning,” writes John Dunlosky, professor of psychology at Kent State University in Ohio, in an article just published in American Educator. However, he continues, “teaching students how to learn is as important as teaching them content, because acquiring both the right learning strategies and background knowledge is important—if not essential—for promoting lifelong learning.”

“Teaching students how to learn is as important as teaching them content.”

Research has found that students vary widely in what they know about how to learn, according to a team of educational researchers from Australia writing last year in the journal Instructional Science. Most striking, low-achieving students show “substantial deficits” in their awareness of the cognitive and metacognitive strategies that lead to effective learning—suggesting that these students’ struggles may be due in part to a gap in their knowledge about how learning works.

Teaching students good learning strategies would ensure that they know how to acquire new knowledge, which leads to improved learning outcomes, writes lead author Helen Askell-Williams of Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. And studies bear this out. Askell-Williams cites as one example a recent finding by PISA, the Programme for International Student Assessment, which administers academic proficiency tests to students around the globe, and place American students in the mediocre middle. “Students who use appropriate strategies to understand and remember what they read, such as underlining important parts of the texts or discussing what they read with other people, perform at least 73 points higher in the PISA assessment—that is, one full proficiency level or nearly two full school years—than students who use these strategies the least,” the PISA report reads.

In their own study, Askell-Williams and her coauthors took as their subjects 1,388 Australian high school students. They first administered an assessment to find out how much the students knew about cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies—and found that their familiarity with these tactics was “less than optimal.”

Students can assess their own awareness by asking themselves which of the following learning strategies they regularly use (the response to each item is ideally “yes”):

• I draw pictures or diagrams to help me understand this subject.

• I make up questions that I try to answer about this subject.

• When I am learning something new in this subject, I think back to what I already know about it.

• I discuss what I am doing in this subject with others.

• I practice things over and over until I know them well in this subject.

• I think about my thinking, to check if I understand the ideas in this subject.

•When I don’t understand something in this subject I go back over it again.

• I make a note of things that I don’t understand very well in this subject, so that I can follow them up.

• When I have finished an activity in this subject I look back to see how well I did.

by Annie Murphy Paul

Is Homeschooling Right for You? 10 Things to Consider - Part 1

The prospect of homeschooling is a daunting task as it has many advantages and disadvantages. We know you want what is best for your children, and so if you are thinking of homeschooling, here are some things you should consider before making your final decision.

Why homeschool?

There are always a number of schooling choices in every neighborhood, so you need to have a really strong idea of why you want to homeschool. Homeschooling takes an enormous amount of your time, requires organization and a whole lot of work on your behalf, so having really strongly formed reasons for why you want to embark on this is important to keep you going.

What are the legal requirements?

Contact your local school boards for curriculums and the legal requirements you have as a parent. Each school board has materials and books for homeschooling that make it easier for you to create and follow a curriculum that covers everything your child needs to learn in each semester.

Join homeschooling groups in your area as they will have a wealth of information too. Register your family for homeschool and ensure that you know your legal responsibilities.

What is your homeschooling style?

As homeschooling develops, so does the number of homeschooling styles. From classic to eclectic to unschooling, select your style and ensure it fits with your child’s learning style.

Who will help you?

Most people have academic strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps you and your husband have different talents and can share the workload or perhaps you will need one-on-one tutors to guide your child through those subjects that you don’t excel at. Ensure that you have a plan that covers the entire curriculum and don’t be afraid to ask for help; you don’t have to do everything on your own.

Another possibility is to share classes with other homeschooling families in a homeschooling co-op. This will help to reduce your work load and will ensure that your children are getting a great education from likeminded individuals.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

It’s really important to be honest about this; sure we would love to do everything ourselves, but we have to provide the absolute best for our children. If you are poor at discipline or schedules, then ask for help making one that the family has to stick to. Know your strong points and play to them; know your weaknesses and illicit help from your family members, homeschooling community and tutors.

What is your support base?

Create a support base for yourself that will create a community of learning that supports your children. Friends, family members and other homeschooling families will help you to create a community in which your children are free to learn, grow and play. This community is also there to help you and to provide the support you need to enjoy your homeschooling experience and to provide advice and ideas that you can adopt so your homeschooling practice evolves and grows with your family.

Studies show Many Benefits of Parental Involvement

We get it; you are so busy with work and family life that it really is difficult to find the time to get involved with school activities too. However, research shows that the benefits of parental involvement in education are legion. According to one study (Henderson and Berla, 1994), parental involvement was the most accurate predictor of student achievement winning out over social status and income.

Benefits of Parental Involvement for Children:

• Regardless of race, parent’s education level and socioeconomic status, children whose parents were involved in their education tended to achieve more.
• Children were more consistent in handing in assignments and completing homework.
• Children had better attendance records.
• Students had higher test scores and better grades.
• Students had better self-discipline and higher self-esteem.
• Children were better motivated and had a more positive attitude towards education.
• Students had fewer behavioral issues and required fewer disciplinary measures.
• Students made better transitions when changing to new schools and were less likely to drop out.
• Parents were able to recognize when students were struggling and offered help before the problems reduced confidence or caused a drop in grades.

Benefits for Teachers

• When parents were involved and had positive relationships with teachers and helped to alleviate their workload, the staff had higher morale and improved job satisfaction.
• When parents were involved, there was better communication between teachers and parents which led to more positive relationships and fewer conflicts.
• When parents were involved, teachers had a greater understanding of cultural diversities and were better able to accommodate student’s needs.

Benefits for Parents

• Involved parents had a better understanding of their children’s social, intellectual and emotional needs.
• Parents enjoyed better communication with their children.
• Parents gained insights into their child’s development and tended to rely more on positive encouragement rather than punishment.
• Parents enjoyed higher levels of confidence in their decisions and parenting skills.
• They had a better understanding of school curriculums. This made them more likely to help when teachers asked for volunteers or when teachers asked parents to participate in homework activities.
• Parents were more likely to support and participate in school policies and activities when they had been made part of the decision-making process.
• Parents were better able to help with academic needs and homework.

Benefits for the School

• When parents participated, schools were able to create an educational community that was better able to support the needs of their students.
• School with parental support enjoyed better reputations and community involvement.
• Parents were more likely to support school fundraising activities when they were part of the programs.
• Having volunteers meant that schools could make their tight budgets stretch even further.

How Big is too Big? Class Size and its Impact on Education

Studies show that class size is linked to academic performance. Researchers Spyros Konstantopoulos and Vicki Chung: “Class size reduction appears to be an intervention that increases the achievement levels for all students while simultaneously reducing the achievement gap.” Their findings show that low teacher-student ratios have beneficial effects on academic performance throughout a student’s school career.

The study also found that when class size was reduced, students who were struggling the most got the biggest benefits. The National Education Association (NEA) recommends an ideal class size of 15, but with dwindling education budgets this is an unattainable ratio for most school boards.

The Facts

The Tennessee STAR class size reduction program discovered students in small classes performed better in math and reading tests by the end of kindergarten. They also displayed better behavioral patterns and were better at socializing.

Wisconsin’s SAGE class size reduction program, targeted at low-income schools, found students outperformed their peers with higher student-teacher ratios.

David Zyngier’s 2014 study found overwhelming evidence that small classes reduced the achievement gap.

A 2011 study by Dynarski, Hyman and Schanzenbach: “The study concludes that attending a small class increases the rate of college attendance, with the largest positive impact on black and poor students.  Among those students with the lowest predicted probability of attending college, a small class increased rate of college attendance by 11 percentage points. Attending a small class also increases the probability of earning a college degree, and to shift students toward earning degrees in high-earning fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), business and economics.”

What can you do?

You can opt for private education and select a school where the teacher-student ratio is more favorable. But for most parents, private education is beyond their budget. There is much you can do to effect change within the school system and help your student to achieve despite large class sizes.

Support the National Education Association lobby to reduce class sizes: You can follow their link here to take action and become a cyber-lobbyist for change and education reform.

Volunteer:  Help out with class activities and field trips. This not only gives the teacher some much-needed relief, but it also means you get to see what happens in the classroom. Volunteering helps to build a positive relationship between teachers and parents and creates a community of learning.

GET A TUTOR - If smaller class ratios have such a positive effect on learning, imagine what personalized, one-on-one tutoring can do for your student. 

How to Deal with Conflict in the Classroom

Every child has one; those teachers they just can’t get along with. Being a student is no cake walk, parenting is difficult and teaching isn’t the easiest job in the world, but with a little empathy and understanding, we really can all learn to get along.

Be fair

It’s easy for students to blame teachers rather than taking responsibility for their behavior and academic performance. This means that when they get bad grades, their first go-to is to blame the teacher. Students can be harsh critics so try to get a better idea of what is really going on in the classroom before you confront the teacher.

Ask your students for examples of how the teacher didn’t help or when they were inattentive or unfair. If you decide to talk to the teacher, its best to keep an open mind and allow them to share their views on bad grades or personality conflicts rather than being confrontational.

Get involved

Being involved in your child’s education is the best way to form a positive relationship with teachers. Volunteer to help in class a couple of hours a week, help out on a field trip and always attend teacher/parent conferences. Get involved in after-school activities and special events so that you can see what’s really going on. This will give you better insight and will help you to more effectively deal with the situation.

Be a good example

No matter how frustrated you feel, always be polite with your teachers and try to resolve situations rather than making them worse. Remember that if you are confrontational, your child may suffer the consequences.

We are all confronted with people we struggle to get along with. Perhaps it’s a neighbor, a manager or a work colleague that you don’t like. Teaching your child how to navigate these relationships and resolve conflict is a wonderful life skill to have. This means you have to be a good example so try to resolve the situation without losing your cool.

Step back

Listen carefully to your child’s complaints and express your solidarity. Try to get a very good idea of what the problem is. If your child says: “She hates me,” ask for more specific details. Once you have established what the problem is, discuss possible solutions with your child and role play scenarios. For example, if you realize that the teacher is getting frustrated because your child is disruptive, or they aren’t focusing, ask your child to concentrate more in class. Ask the teacher to move them to the front of the class or away from the window so that they have less distractions.

Try to let your child solve the problem for themselves. Learning to deal with difficult situations is an important life lesson. Try to avoid being confrontational with teachers; instead work together to resolve the situation. If you see any attempt at resolution from the teacher or student, offer appreciation and encouragement.

Dealing with Competitive Parents

From tiger moms to competitive sports dads, parents can sometimes put undue pressure on their children and on teachers. They can also make other parents feel judged and inadequate. When this happens, the community and support system that is essential to raising healthy, happy children is eroded. Understanding what motivates competitive parents and learning how to deal with them can help to establish a supportive and caring infrastructure that creates the perfect environment for students to learn and grow.

Why parents compete

Understanding why some parents are competitive can go a long way to helping you to deal with them in an understanding and constructive way. Parenting really is the most difficult job because it doesn’t come with a manual. Every day, parents make decisions on how to raise their children which they understand will have far-reaching consequences. It’s intimidating and some parents need to reassure themselves that they are making the right decisions by justifying their positions.

Unfortunately, some take this too far; to the point where only their ideas on parenting are validated and they may be a little aggressive in defending them. Family therapist, Mary Beth McClure explains: “Because there’s no external system of reward, we can always feel like we’re not doing enough, no matter what. So becoming competitive with another mom can be an unconscious way of trying to prove to ourselves that we are doing okay.”

Dealing with judgment and competition

Understanding that competitive parents could actually be insecure about their own parenting decisions may help you not to take their judgments personally.

Avoid having these conversations around your children as they should not be made to feel bad when another parent is bragging about their child’s achievements.

The best way to promote a positive parenting community is to be a good example. Compliment other parents on jobs well done or on the achievements of their children.

When parents brag or judge, tell them they are doing a good job and then change the subject. Praise given in front of peers or authority figures like teachers, coaches and principals is even more rewarding. A recent study by Make Their Day and Badgeville found that most employees would choose recognition in front of their colleagues over a pay raise. This helps to highlight the importance we place on getting recognition and praise.

Avoid gossiping about other parents and don’t encourage this behavior in others.

When you feel like a parent is being judgmental or competitive, explain gently how they are making you feel—you may be surprised at their reaction. Most parents really don’t realize that they are acting in a negative way and they may appreciate the head’s up.

Forming cohesive, supportive parenting communities can be a wonderful asset for parents, tutors, teachers and schools. When we work together, we can create a caring environment for families that helps them to thrive and grow. So try to be open-minded about other parent’s techniques and foster friendships and community among your school’s parents.

Lack of Sleep Leads to Poor Academic Performance

Latest studies show that teens just aren’t getting enough sleep and this has far-reaching consequences. When teens don’t get enough downtime, they suffer from physical ailments, poor academic performance, and mental health and behavioral issues. We all know that young children need sleep and routines and so we have bedtimes. But, as children get older, we tend to forget that their brains and bodies are still growing and that they need more sleep than adults.

Studies show that teenagers need 9-10 hours of sleep. Without proper sleep, memory and the ability to concentrate as well as higher cognitive functioning is severely affected. This means that when your teen pulls an all-nighter to study for exams, they are setting themselves up for a poor performance on exam day.

A survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that 60% of high school students suffered from extreme daytime fatigue which caused them to regularly fall asleep in class. They attributed this to the average of 6.5 hours of sleep that the students we getting.

Dr. Avi Sadeh, a lecturer at the University of Tel Aviv, conducted a study to find out just how much sleep deprivation affected academic performance; “A loss of one hour of sleep is equivalent to [the loss of] two years of cognitive maturation and development.” What this means practically is that a sleepy eighth grader will perform academically closer to a sixth grade level.

Lack of sleep also reduces the efficacy of immune systems and that leaves students vulnerable to all the illnesses they are exposed to at school. Missed school days also contribute to poor academic performances.

One of the reasons teens tend to stay up late is biological. Sleep researchers Mary Carskadon, at Brown University, and Bill Dement at Stanford found that at certain times of our life, our biological clocks keep us up and make us resistant to sleep. This phenomenon is called ‘phase delay’ and occurs before and during puberty. That means that your poor teen doesn’t feel in the least bit sleepy despite the fact that they really need their rest.

One way to encourage students to sleep is by taking a melatonin supplement just before bed, by encouraging exercise and healthy eating and by getting your teens to avoid computers, games and academic tasks at least two hours before bedtime.

A Harvard study discovered that the brain continues to learn even after you fall asleep. This is when it consolidates information and works through processes or steps you have learned the day before. Have you ever found that you were struggling with something, but then after a nap or a good night’s sleep, you suddenly got the hang of it? That’s because while you are sleeping, your brain was working on the problem without the noise and distractions of the day.

If you want to help your student to excel academically and be healthier and happier, then more sleep is definitely the answer. Move your Zzzzz to A’s this semester by making sure your students are getting all the sleep they need.

Money Lessons All Children Should Learn

Teaching your children how to effectively work with their money provides them with an important life tool that is essential for their future success. You can start from an early age to teach them how to effectively budget, how to save and how to focus on providing for their needs before spending money on things they want.

Budgeting

Learning how to create a budget and live within it is arguably the most important financial lesson any kid could learn. Luckily, it’s an easy one to teach. It’s never too early to start teaching kids to stretch their finances to accommodate their lifestyles. Start with an allowance that should cover all the ‘I want’ requests.

Lori Mackey, author of “Money Mama and the Three Little Pigs” suggests a 10-10-10-70 system for teaching kids to budget.

“When your child gets their first dollar, we suggest that you teach them to save 10 percent, invest 10 percent, give 10 percent and live from 70 percent. When you give them a dollar, you give them two quarters and five dimes and then you sit with them and say this dime is for something that is important to you or that you want to help,” she says. This money can go to a charity or school drive or to a family member who needs assistance.

The Value of a Dollar

Once your kids start getting the hang of budgeting, give them some practice. This could mean that they have to take care of their own budgets. Here you can give them a weekly or monthly budget and they have to use this to pay for all their own expenses like school lunches and trips, stationary, internet and phone bills.

You can also allow them to participate in the family budget. This means they can be responsible for planning the family meals for one week to fit into a budget. They can also do the grocery shopping so they get a better idea of what things cost and how much money is spent on day-to-day living.

Wants versus Needs

An important concept that goes hand-in-hand with budgeting is the idea of wants and needs. Helping your child to identify the difference between these is a lesson essential to effective money management. They must learn to identify their needs and budget to cover these before spending money on things they want.

Saving

Encouraging saving is a slightly more difficult idea as the deferred gratification can seem too far away for impatient children. One way to help is to have a piggy bank or jar. Watching the jar fill with savings each week is a good visual and tactile representation of the rewards of saving.

It also helps to have a goal to save towards. Start with short-term goals that are more attainable so that your child gets rewarded before they get bored or lose interest. Then help them to select bigger and more long-term goals when they get the hang of it.

Investing

The last 10% of their allowance should go towards long-term investments like college funds. You can also teach older kids how to invest their own money so that they understand how to do so for the long-term.

Encouraging Girls to be Leaders

There’s a reason we have so few women in leadership positions; they aren’t always encouraged and empowered to step up. Women make up more than half the population, but in the US, they make up only 18.5 percent of congress and 24.2 percent of state legislatures. Ever noticed how boys are encouraged to lead while little girls are often called ‘bossy’? Studies show that the gap in confidence starts around middle school. Here’s how to create a culture where little girls are free to lead.

Ban Bossy

The organization Ban Bossy is on a mission to change the way we describe leaders. While boys are often described as ‘charismatic’ or ‘confident’, girls get the ‘bossy’ label when they have a take-charge attitude. This organization is encouraging parents and educators to be more aware of the language they use when addressing girls so that we can create a culture that encourages young girls to lead.

Even Beyoncé’ added her support with her video: “I’m not bossy, I’m the boss.”

Watch it here.

Build Confidence

Remind your daughters and students every day that they are valued and capable. Resist doing things for them or taking over tasks that they are not doing well; this sends the wrong message. Instead, encourage them and help them to do things themselves.

“That’s for boys’

Ban this phrase from your vocabulary. If she wants to play with mechanical toys and cars, perhaps she will grow up to be an engineer. If she wants to play sports, that’s a great way to learn to be part of a team. In fact, playing a sport or belonging to a club is a great way to encourage leadership.

Don’t always Let Her Win

A good leader is able to overcome adversity; where others see problems, a good leader sees a challenge. As much as you want to shield your children from disappointment or failure, see these as teachable moments that will help them to deal with tough times. Encourage a ‘can do’ positive attitude and be a good example.

Foster Independent Thinking and Decision-making

Wherever possible, encourage your daughters to find their own solutions to problems and to make their own decisions. Of course you will be there to guide them, but try to let them make up their own minds; it shows that you have faith in their abilities.

Love Her Just the Way She Is

This may sound intuitive, but often we tend to validate only those traits that represent the people we want them to be. Recognizing each person’s unique gifts, talents and personality traits for what they are is essential in building self-confidence.

Teach Her About Money

Ensure the she has a good understanding of how to manage her finances effectively. It’s never too early or too late to teach the value of savings, investments and deferred gratitude.

Pursue Passion

Foster passion in all areas of her life and encourage her to follow her heart, to set goals and to create plans on how to achieve them.

Does your Child Need Glasses?

It’s tough to tell if your child needs glasses; accustomed to the blur, they may not realize they aren’t seeing as well as they should. Poor eyesight may mean that they are missing out on notes the teacher puts up. Not having great vision can also be an impediment to fast reading and may prevent them from excelling in sports. Luckily there are some signs that can alert parents to the need for a trip to the optometrist.

Eye strain often results in headaches. If your child complains regularly of a headache, try to ascertain what they were doing leading up to the symptom. If they have been busy with schoolwork or reading, consider having their eyes tested.

Don’t mistake red eyes and tears for allergies; children who rub their eyes while reading, watching TV or working on their computers could need a pair of glasses.

Another telltale sign is children who sit really close to monitors and TV screens or need to hold books really close or far away in order to read effectively.

Short attention spans and struggling with the hand-to-eye coordination that is required for sports and arts and crafts may also be indicative of a visual impairment.

You can test your children regularly throughout their lives in order to ensure that they are not suffering from poor eyesight which can prevent normal development.

Babies should have their eyes tested at 6 months and then every two to three years by a registered optometrist.

An epidemic of myopia (shortsightedness) is sweeping Asia. 80 to 90 percent of students need glasses during their school careers and a small percentage of these (10-20%) will have high myopia which could result in blindness.

Myopia can be caused by a lack of sunlight or from too much time reading or sitting in front of computer and TV screens. Ensuring that your children eat a healthy diet and spend at least two hours outside every day will help them to develop and maintain excellent eyesight.

Eye exercises are also helpful in maintaining healthy eyes. A really easy and effective exercise to do is this one:

Sit in front of a window. Hold your finger six inches away from the tip of your nose. Focus on your finger and keep looking at it for ten seconds. Now look out the window and focus on an object in the distance for ten seconds. Repeat this exercise ten times. Do this every day to help improve eye function.

Speak with your optometrists about exercises you can do at home to help improve eye health. If your child does need glasses, ensure that they wear them regularly to prevent further deterioration.

Going to a University . . . For Free!

Thousands of the top universities are offering a range of courses online for FREE. That’s right, you can get access to amazing courses from universities from around the world in an incredibly wide range of topics. Although the courses don’t give you credits and you can’t qualify for a degree, this free library of resources in an asset to the curious and those who like a challenge, no matter your age.

Free online courses offer prospective students the opportunity to peek into the fields they are considering for a career. If you want to listen in on a lecture by an esteemed professor or at a top school, you can do so with an online course. This is also a great way to get a sneak peak at the top contenders when you are deciding which school you want to go to.

If you would like something to show for your efforts, some of these online universities offer a diploma course is you are willing to make a payment.

There is also a wealth of information for school students who are struggling to meet stringent college standards. We have included some math and science online universities which offer courses and course materials for free.

Here is a comprehensive list of courses you can enjoy for free online.

ALISON – over 60 million lessons for self-paced study

Coursera –Learn from over 542 courses on a wide range of topics

Carnegie Mellon University’s 15 Self-paced courses online including biology, logic, French, and statistics

Stanford Online: Enjoy free online courses through this Ivy League school

Princeton See streamed lectures on iTunes channels and enjoy audio lectures, notes and online textbooks too

MIT Open CourseWare – Free access to MIT courses including video lectures, audio lectures, online textbooks and notes. Many courses available in a variety of languages

Open YALE Courses – Introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale

Khan Academy – Watch thousands of micro-lectures and enjoy courses on school and university subjects

Zooniverse – Take part in a huge variety of interesting courses which explore nature, science, and culture

TUFTS Open CourseWare – TUFTS offers courses in all areas of interest. It’s a great place to try out your college courses before you commit to a field of study

Harvard Medical School Open Courseware Choose from Harvard courses on a variety of medical subjects, enjoy video lectures from top teachers

Maths & Science – Courses, tests and learning materials about mathematics and science for students from first to twelfth grade

edX.org – Free courses by MIT, Harvard, Barkley, Georgetown, Boston University, University of Washington, Karolinska Institute, Kyoto University and many more

Duke U – Duke offers a wide selection of free courses on iTunes. You can search on iTunes for other university courses from prestigious schools

Kutztown University’s free courses – More than 80 free business online courses which are especially good for the budding entrepreneur

Ten Tips to Hassle-Free Homework

Do you and your children fight constantly about homework? You nag them incessantly while they procrastinate until you are all stressed out and unhappy. Some families have daily homework struggles that can be mitigated with a few steps from the pros.

Start by getting involved with your child’s homework schedule. Communicate regularly with teachers and tutors so you know what tests and assignments are coming up. There’s a temptation to help with projects or even to do homework yourself, but teaching effective executive skills like prioritizing, organizing, studying and memorizing will only come with practice.

If your child is smart but scattered, consider a tutor who will help them with executive skills so that they are organized and can excel academically. Honing their executive skills will allow them to become effective independent learners who can cope on their own and will put an end to your daily homework headaches.

Ensure that your child has a good place to do homework that is free from distraction or disturbance. It should be well-lit and comfortable and there should be no TV, texting or other time-consuming distractions.

Choose the right time of day. Asking your child to do homework right after school may be a little much and it’s understandable that they will want some time to decompress. Doing homework too late at night when they are tired is also a bad idea.

Help your child with time management so that they factor in enough time to complete homework, assignments and bigger projects to avoid the last minute panic. Encourage them to do the most difficult tasks first.

Food can play a big part in your child’s mood. Ensure that they eat healthy meals so that they have the energy they need to concentrate and avoid too much sugar.

Exercise may be just what the doctor ordered. Exercise helps to relieve stress and elevate mood, improve concentration and stimulate higher cognitive functions. If your child is struggling to get motivated or battling with an academic task, get them to do a little exercise.

Offer rewards and reinforce positive homework habits. If homework is done by the stipulated time and without you having to ask about it, offer rewards and praise.

Don’t let homework drag on all night. It may be good to let your child take a break and come back to it or to face the consequences of not turning in homework on time.

Be patient; changing ingrained habits can take time. Always work with the teacher and tutor who will both have great suggestions on how to get your child motivated. They can also let you know what your child needs to work on in order to improve their academic performance.

Exercise Can Relieve ADHD Symptoms

ADHD can cause students to have trouble staying focused and impedes their academic performance. For about two thirds of those suffering from ADHD, prescription drugs may bring some relief of symptoms, but the side effects can be severe. New studies show that exercise can help to relieve the symptoms of ADHD for many students and help them excel academically.

Exercise as an alternate ADHD medication

The Pediatrics research journal recently published the results of a study which showed that children who exercised regularly displayed improved brain function and cognitive performance. Their executive functions improved and they even scored better on their tests, especially for math and reading comprehension.

Executive functions are essential in combating the symptoms of ADHD as they allow the student to resist distraction. An improved executive function will allow students to maintain focus and will improve their working memory. Executive functions also govern a student’s ability to move from one task to another which is called cognitive flexibility.

John Ratey, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard, has suggested that exercise be prescribed as a medication to combat the effects of ADHD because it causes the release of dopamine and serotonin. These two ‘feel good’ hormones boost academic performance and improve mood. “Think of exercise as medication,” says Ratey. “For a very small handful of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD ADD), it may actually be a replacement for stimulants, but, for most, it’s complementary — something they should absolutely do, along with taking meds, to help increase attention and improve mood.”

Exercise also has a wealth of benefits that go beyond the classroom and it has no bad side effects! The biggest problem for most parents is getting sedentary students away from TVs and computer screens and outdoors where they can exercise.

Get your kids moving!

The best way to get your kids moving is to make it fun rather than a chore. You can take walks around your neighborhood; just 30 minutes four times a week will do the trick. Encourage your kids to participate in outdoor activities and get them to join a club or sports team, bike to school and go for hikes on the weekend. Be a good example for your children and find fun and exciting ways to get them moving every day.

There are many local resources for parents like Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign which offers parents advice on how to get their kids moving. The British Heart Foundation offers tips on how to encourage exercise and how much exercise children need. Canadian families can get a tax cut called the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit. Parents can claim up to $1000 per child for expenses related to fitness, sports and exercise.

Ways to Better Parent-Teen Communication

Do you sometimes find your teens difficult to reach? Teens are often reticent to talk about their day at school or about their lives in general. Your questions may be met with ‘I don’t know’ or monosyllabic answers that make conversation a chore. However, it is essential that you ask questions and remain interested to keep those lines of communication open. There are ways you can encourage sharing and help facilitate conversation.

Listen more than you talk

Your natural instinct is always to offer advice, to comment or to criticize in order to help your teens make the best choices. Their lack of desire to converse may be because they don’t want your advice right now. One of the best ways to encourage communication is simply to listen, without offering any kind of judgment or advice unless these are specifically solicited.

Clear the path

Another good way to encourage communication is by making time for the two of you. Offer to go shopping, watch a movie, have brunch, play a sport or participate in any activity that your teen loves without other family members. Just making time for the two of you will help your teen feel like you are really interested in them and that you are taking an interest in their lives.

Timing is everything

Bombarding your teen with questions after a long school day is probably not going to end well. Teens are tired when they get home and may need some time to recharge before they are ready to talk. If they seem uncommunicative, let them unwind a little at home before you fire away.

Ask the right questions

If general questions like: “How was your day?” render only superficial answers, try asking more specific questions.

You can ask about specific friends and classmates and how they are doing. Ask about teachers, assignments or classes. Show that you really do listen by bringing up previous conversations for example: “I know you were worried about how Mr. Smith would react to your science fair idea. Did he like it?”

If school topics are fraught with tension, talk about other subjects and things that are of interest to your child.

Mutual respect

Most teens have a tendency to be self-centered or perhaps they are just a little too touchy or emotional for you. But you must remember that their feelings are very real and valid. Whether you agree with their opinions or reactions, always be respectful. Dismissing their feelings will only serve to alienate them and make them feel like you can’t relate. As with all situations and people, teenagers will respond best to patience, kindness and love.

Tips ForTeaching Gratitude To Your Children

You want your children to have everything they need and so it’s only natural that we do all we can to keep them happy. Unfortunately, the result of this generosity is all too often a sense of entitlement and dissatisfaction. Instilling gratitude in your children is a wonderful gift. Knowing and really feeling how lucky they are will make them happier and healthier.

Why should kids be grateful?

While you may prattle on about how children in Africa don’t have new toys or vegetables to eat, it’s completely understandable that this has no effect on your children. They don’t really understand how lucky they are because their only points of comparison are the other children and families in your neighborhood.

Giving your children a real sense of gratitude means changing their outlooks and attitudes and studies show that it makes happier children. “When kids recognize that the things they own and the opportunities they have come from someone other than themselves, it helps them develop a healthy understanding of how interdependent we all are — and they may be more inclined to treat others with genuine respect,” says Andrea Reiser, happiness coach. Being appreciative also improves your kid’s manners and their relationships to other people.

How to instill gratitude

Count your blessings: Every day, encourage younger students to list a couple of things they are thankful for and why. Get older kids to keep a gratitude journal. Make this a part of your daily routine over dinner or on commutes so that you highlight gratitude as a daily necessity.

Be a good example: Be gracious when accepting gifts and constantly talk about all the things you are grateful for. You should also make it a regular occurrence to remind your children that you are grateful for them so that they understand how wonderful it feels to be appreciated.

Less is more: I know you want to give your kids everything, but resist the temptation. When you shower your kids with too much stuff, gifts lose their value and they never seem quite satisfied. Instead, resist the urge to spoil them and get them to pitch in for the things they really want.

Learning to give: It really is better to give than to receive so encourage your kids to give generously to friends and family members and to people less fortunate than themselves. Getting them involved in volunteering, charity drives or holiday toy collections makes their good fortune far more tangible. When they are working with or helping people less fortunate, they have something new to compare their lives to that helps them to realize how fortunate they are.

An ‘attitude of gratitude’ is a wonderful way to make your kids happier, healthier people who have great relationships with others because they are able to express appreciation and sincerity.

Brain Foods that Actually Make You Smarter

No matter what age you are, your brain can keep growing and developing; all it needs is some exercise and the right fuel. Just like your body, your brain needs the right nutrients in order to keep functioning properly. Your brain uses about 20% of your daily calorie intake. If those calories are high in complex carbohydrates and refined sugars, your brain won’t be functioning at its peak.

If you want to be firing on all cylinders for school, work or exams, there are foods that help to boost brain health and give your grey matter the fuel it needs to succeed.

Glucose

One of the things your brain needs most is glucose. Without a constant supply, memory loss and an inability to concentrate effectively will leave you scrambling for answers. Healthy sources of glucose include grains, fruits and vegetables.

Unhealthy sources of glucose can be found in candy, soda and products which contain a lot of refined sugar. Consuming too much sugar can negatively affect your ability to concentrate and may prevent you from effectively accessing your memory. These refined sugars also negatively affect your blood pressure. When this spikes and drops, you will be left feeling lethargic and too tired to think straight.

Keep a constant supply of glucose flowing to the brain by eating regular meals. Avoid skipping meals (especially breakfast) and try to eat small, healthy meals every couple of hours. Always aim to get seven servings of fresh fruits and veggies a day.

Iron

Brains love iron and this can be found in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach. You can also find a ready supply of iron in red meats and some grains. Brains are particularly fond of vitamins from the B-family. These can be found in whole grains, wheat germ, organic eggs, bran, whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice and nuts.

Omega-3

Foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids are really good for brain health. You can find these in oily fish like wild salmon. Walnuts are brilliant brain food as are edible seeds like flax, hemp and chia.

Anti-oxidants

The anti-oxidant properties of berries are legendary and can be found in acai and blueberries. Acai berries are also a great source of Omega-3.

Magnesium

Magnesium is also an important nutrient for healthy brains. You can find magnesium in Swiss chard, spinach, potato skins, quinoa, peas, yogurt, cheese, soy products, tofu, fish, nuts and lentils.

Luteolin

A plant compound called luteolin helps to reduce the effects of aging on the brain as well as brain inflammation. Luteolin can be found in carrots and is also instrumental in promoting good memory.

Pets can be Good for Colorado Kids

If your kids are keen to have a pet, but all you can think about is how you will have to feed and care for their furry and feathered friends, there are some benefits that you may not be considering. Having a pet will invariably mean that you have more to keep an eye on and there are inevitable expenses, but there are also a wealth of benefits and learning opportunities that having a pet provides for your family.

Learning about Responsibility

This is the obvious one, but having a pet really does teach your children to consider the needs of others when making decisions. They also understand that while being responsible isn’t always fun, it is very rewarding.

Children also learn to plan their day and follow a routine so that they are always home to feed and exercise their pets. This helps them with time management and learning to fulfill obligations and responsibilities.

Health benefits

Being introduced to pets from an early age can actually boost immune systems which mean that children have a lower chance of developing allergies and are less likely to have asthma. Interacting with pets is also good for your health which is why healthcare facilities encourage visitations from dogs. Interacting with a pet lowers blood pressure and releases serotonin which elevates mood.

Having to walk a dog can encourage children to get moving and helps them to control their weight. It can also provide companionship and comfort and improve feelings of wellbeing.

Give it a trial run

Before owning a pet, ask a friend or family member if you can take care of their pet for a couple of days. This will help you to gauge your child’s readiness to accept the responsibility of a new pet.

You can also encourage your child to volunteer at a local shelter or just offer to walk the neighbor’s dog a couple of days a week.

Be cognizant also of the time it takes to care for pets. If your child is already struggling to juggle academics and after-school activities, then opt for a low-maintenance pet that doesn’t require a lot of love and attention.

If you aren’t ready for the full responsibility of a dog, start with a hamster or a fish to get your students accustomed to the routine and responsibility. This will help you ascertain whether they are mature enough to handle a pet. Do not get a pet unless you are absolutely sure that it’s the right thing for you and your family.

Dog Friendly Hikes Near Denver

Looking for good hikes for you and your dog? The truth is that you can take your dog with you on most trails near Denver–but there are exceptions. And there are some trails that just aren’t all that enjoyable for Fido. On each hiking trail profile we let you know if dogs are allowed, but here we try to point out the best. We’ve selected these hikes based on feedback from our thirteen year old, Black Lab, Francine. She’s confident that your dog will love them. Her favorite is Elk Meadows in Evergreen and it’s off-leash area with 3 miles of trails across 100 acres of beautiful Colorado. It should be noted that it’s good to assume that all these hikes require our dogs to be on a leash unless otherwise indicated.

How Getting a Study Group can help Improve your Grades

Remember that saying “two heads are better than one”? Just imagine how effective four or five heads can be! Study groups can really help you to improve your grades. Whether you are struggling at school of you need to up your game to get into college, study groups are really where the magic happens.

Study groups don’t mean sitting around texting, playing Wii and eating pizza. When a group of determined students committed to improving their academics get together, you can be sure that grades are going to be getting a whole lot better.

There are so many benefits!

Dividing reading among your study group means you can work through large swathes of material, get really comprehensive notes and present the information in a variety of learning styles.

When you present your share of the work, you are honing your presentation skills while really locking that information into your long-term memory. Teaching something really helps to reinforce your own knowledge and gives the group a chance to add to your understanding of the material.

Getting the perspectives of the other study group participants can broaden your knowledge. Together you can also get through the extra readings which you may not have time for on your own.

Start by picking the right team

Perhaps the single most important factor in starting a successful study group is selecting the right students. When setting up a study group, avoid choosing members based on friendship alone. Instead, find students who are able to contribute significantly, who are committed to working hard and who will be reliable. Study groups work best when they consist of people who are more or less on the same academic level.

Learning styles

Everyone learns differently, so divide your work up evenly among the group. Then ask each person to make comprehensive notes on the readings which they can share so you have something to use for studying. During your study group, each person gets a chance to present and explain their portion of the readings. You can use videos, mind maps, illustrations and infographics to help the visual learners.

When you have worked through the material, do some test exams together. Help each other with the questions you got wrong. Never erase an incorrect answer – instead take notes on where you went wrong so you don’t make the same mistakes again.

When you share your studying with others, you are able to get through more work. You can help each other with those parts you don’t understand and share notes and other leaning materials. Encouraging each other and helping each other to work though problems will improve friendships too.

Colorado Students Seeing an Upward Trend of Online Schooling

It’s not surprising that more and more schools are offering degrees earned entirely online, or that more and more university students are enrolling in web-based courses.

Considering the upward trend of online schooling, will physical colleges ever be rendered obsolete?

How Changing Attitudes Can Help Colorado Students Succeed at Math

Studies show that a natural math ability is not required for a student to succeed. Sure, natural talent does help some children get ahead and is especially evident in the lower grades, but a study by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim showed that the biggest predictor of success was practice and a positive attitude.

“You become good at exactly what you practice,” said Professor Hermundur Sigmundsson, of NTNU’s Department of Psychology. “Our study shows little correlation between (being good at) the nine different mathematical skills,” Sigmundsson said. “For instance there is little correlation between being able to solve a normal addition in the form of ’23 + 67′ and addition in the form of a word problem.”

Math is a subject that most students think that they can or can’t do. While they are happy to admit that other subjects require hard work to succeed, you often hear the “I’m not good at math,” refrain. Everybody can be good at math, but it does take perseverance, patience and hard work.

Start with a positive inner dialogue

Ask your child to change their inner and outer dialogue about math. Instead of thinking that they can’t do it or that they aren’t good at it, they should focus on the positive. “Well, I got pretty far on that one,” or “at least I got the beginning part right” are better ways to look at the situation. When sitting down to homework or to study for a test, a quick pep talk will do wonders.

Offer rewards for short and long-term goals

Offering big rewards for unattainable goals can actually be counter-productive as children feel that larger goals are just too difficult to achieve. Instead, set up a series of short-term goals that are manageable. For example; ask your child to improve their math grade by 5% and offer a reward that they can get excited about. Achieving short-term goals will boost their confidence and make them more inclined to believe that the long-term goals are also attainable.

When children do achieve goals, praise them and be sure to mention that it was their hard work and perseverance that led to success.

Avoid homework wars

If you have to nag and cajole your children to do their math homework or if working with you creates tension, then it may be time to switch tactics. Ask your children to speak with the teacher at least once a week. Here they should take in problems that they are struggling with and ask for help. Showing examples of their work will help the teacher to see where they are going wrong.

Consider getting an in-home math tutor. If your child is struggling with school math, sending them to a learning center where they will get more school math is probably not the answer. Instead, get a one-on-one tutor to set out an academic game plan for their math curriculum. This should include filling in gaps in their foundational mathematical knowledge and teaching study and organizational skills.

Remember that when it comes to math, attitude is more important than ability. You can use Einstein as an example; when he was nine, his teacher told his father that, no matter what career he chose, he would not succeed!