How to Get Your Kids to do their Chores

Are chores a constant battle in your home? Do you have to ask a hundred times before things get done while “I’ll do it later” is what greets most of these requests? Chores are important because they help your children to understand responsibility, prepare them for the routine, mundane tasks they need to fulfill on a daily basis in order to make their lives possible and give them the skills they need to one day run a home of their own. For some parents, getting the chores done is often more trouble than it’s worth. Here’s how to get your kids to do their chores every day.

Kids resist doing their chores because routine maintenance tasks are boring and take them away from activities they should be doing. While a general reminder to do chores is fine, if you find yourself nagging, it’s time to change the behavior.

Stop the cycle

If you find your kids only do their chores if you nag them and stop once your attention is elsewhere, stop whatever activities they are doing. Whether it’s TV, games or time with friends, stop the distraction and talk to them about the situation. Explaining abstract ideas of responsibility is rarely a hit, so concentrate on what they have to gain by doing their chores now. That means that they can resume their fun activities once their chores are done.

Up the ante

If focusing on the positive consequences of completing chores doesn’t work, set time limits. For example, if chores aren’t done by dinner time, or if the dishes aren’t done in 30 minutes, then limit internet time or set an earlier bed time. I have a friend who nagged her children every day until they were old enough to get internet access. Now she changes the WiFi password every night and they only get the new one when their chores are all done. Now she never has to nag her kids to do their chores.

Rewards

Rewarding your child for chores completed is always preferable to punishment. You can offer extra internet or TV time or a later bedtime for chores that are done on time without nagging.

Another way to incentivise the chore routine is by linking it to their allowance. Each chore that is completed earns an extra portion of their allowance. If they don’t want to do their chores, siblings can opt to do their chores for them and earn more allowance.

This is a good way to teach children the link between working and receiving a salary. Take care that this doesn’t lead to a situation where your children won’t do anything without getting paid. If you find this is the case, rethink your strategy.

Don’t turn chores into punishment

The idea here is to get your child to do their chores without hating every minute of it. You can start by giving them a choice of what chores they want to do. Making a choice gives children a sense of control and they are less likely to complain. Don’t make chores a punishment or you will only add to their reticence to complete their daily tasks.

If you are in a bad cycle of nagging and fighting about chores, it’s time to change the routine. Speak to your children about ways in which they can work at being better about chores, ask them which chores they would like to do and when they would like to do them to give them a sense of participation in the process.

Should Your Child Repeat a Grade?

If your child struggled through the last year and the school is recommending retention, there are some very important points to consider. Studies show that repeating a grade can be harmful for students and grade retention is one of the biggest predictors of high school dropouts. Before you decide to keep your kid back a year, discuss alternatives with your teachers and school administrators.

Limited gains

Students who are held back may initially show improvement, but the gains they get from retention only last a year or two before they begin to fall behind again. When students are struggling at school, the answer may not be more school. Instead, speak with teachers about what is holding them back to solve their academic issues over the long term.

A study by Roderick and Nagaoka (2005) found that 3rd graders who had been kept back a grade struggled during the next year, had higher rates of special education placement, and showed no advantage two years later than those who had moved to the next grade. The study also found that 6th graders who had been held back a year had lower achievement growth than students with similar academic issues who were not retained.

Age concerns

Older students may have different developmental interests than the younger students in their grade. Bullying and lack of confidence can lead to behavioural and social issues which only compound the academic problems.

Long-term gains

Most studies which compare students which similar academic performance to see if retention helps to improve grades show that it is not effective in fostering positive academic growth. Holmes (1989) carried out a meta-analysis of 63 different studies that examined the academic impact of retention. Fifty-four of the studies concluded that students who were retained and students who were promoted performed at very similar levels. This means that retention had no significant effect on academic performance. In fact, students who had not been held back slightly outperformed their retained peers the following year (Norton, 1990; Walters & Borgers, 1995).

Solutions to poor academic performance

Whether you decide to promote or retain your child next year, this action alone is not enough to overcome academic problems. Perhaps your child needs to learn study skills, or maybe some fundamental building blocks are missing from their knowledge base. In both cases, academic losses will be compounded and they will drop further behind each year.

Discuss the underlying problems with your child’s teacher. They will be able to direct you to the causes, both academic and behavioural, that your child is experiencing.

Consider a personal tutor who will be able to adapt material to suit your child’s learning style, teach them the requisite academic skills they need to succeed and fill in the missing building blocks to their knowledge base. Taking a hands-on approach will help your child to succeed which will improve their self-confidence too.

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What we loved best - The independent evaluation, the matching process for my child to a tutor that best complements her needs and personality, the flexibility, the house call - We really appreciated everything !  

- Parent of Tori, Castle Rock Elementary, Castle Rock

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Volunteering in Metro Denver over the Holidays

Volunteering is a great way to give your child perspective and teach them to be generous, caring individuals. Give your child a sense of community and social responsibility through volunteering.

Volunteering helps to create well rounded individuals and encourages them to be grateful for the fortunate circumstances of their own lives. Volunteering should be fun, so take care to choose an activity that suits your child’s interests and age. Volunteering does not have to be emotionally draining either; every small act of kindness is usually met with such positive feedback that your child’s confidence and self image will be bolstered by the experience. Volunteering teaches your children responsibility and commitment and makes them feel needed. Holidays are an especially good time to spread the spirit of the season through helping others. There are many activities to choose from.

Toy Drives

Many children live in circumstances that render it unlikely that they will receive gifts for Christmas. Get your children to donate toys to a worthy cause. Most toy drives take toys up until January or February for the next Christmas. You can get your child to donate some of the toys they got for Christmas to the toy drive. Your children can also ask family members to donate money that they would have spent on Christmas and birthday gifts to a charity of their choice. Your child can help to sort and label or wrap toys for distribution or they can work with teachers and classmates to organize a school toy drive.

Care 4 Colorado Toy Drive

CBS4 has teamed up with King Soopers, MIX 100.3, and the University of Denver Athletics and Recreation to collect new toys and cash donations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver’s 2013 Care 4 Colorado Toy Drive. King Soopers will collect new toys at all Front Range locations from Friday, November 29 through December 24. Visit their website at www.bgcmd.org/toydrive

Helter Shelter

Most shelters appreciate volunteers who can walk the dogs every day. This will be a great way for your children to get some exercise while learning more about pets. If you have no shelter near you, your children can offer to walk pets for the elderly residents in your neighborhood.

Dumb Friends League. Please visit http://ddfl.org/ways-to-give/get-involved for more information.

Buddy Center: 4556 Castleton Court, Castle Rock, CO 80109

Clean Green

If your children enjoy the outdoors, contact your local municipality for parks or trails that need to be cleaned. Your children can go on hikes and pick up trash as they go. This will not only help to beautify your area, it also helps to protect wildlife.

Food Banks

Food banks need volunteers to sort food, check expiry dates and make up food packages. Kids can also collect coupons from newspapers and magazines to help food banks stretch their budgets. Work with schools or other community institutions to collect food for foods banks, especially over the festive season.

Ansar Pantry: Aurora, CO 80010 (303) 459-2153

A study by the Search Institute found that children who volunteer for one hour a week are 50% less likely to use drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. Volunteering is also a great activity to do together as a family. Encourage your children to volunteer and spread some joy this festive season.

5 Simple Strategies for Encouraging Shy Douglas County Students

Shyness is a complex emotion that is sometimes difficult to understand. What’s important to remember is that it usually elicits feelings of anxiety, fear, embarrassment, apprehension and tension in your student. Being confrontational only exacerbates the problem, but there are ways in which you can help your student to build confidence and participate in class activities. When your students don’t participate, they miss out on vital social and academic skills.

Be Understanding

Students aren’t shy because they choose to be. Accepting their feelings as valid is the first step to overcoming them. According to family therapist, Rose McAloon: “Be sure not to criticize your child for being shy. And don’t compare her with other kids or her siblings who may be more socially adept. Instead, respect her feelings and fears and work around them.”

Discuss ways in which shyness can be practically overcome. Role-play scenarios like how to start a conversation with someone your child would like to get to know better or how to deal with bullies. Having an arsenal of prepared responses will help your child to feel more confident. You can also ask them about situations which made them uncomfortable in their daily interactions at school. Discussing the ways in which your students could have responded will help them to feel more prepared.

Meeting strangers

If you bump into a friend and want your child to greet them, but they are too shy, don’t apologize. Preempt this behavior by chatting with your friend for a few minutes before you introduce your student. When your student sees that you are comfortable, they are more likely to respond or make eye contact.

Small groups

Most shy students find large groups intimidating. Instead, arrange for one-on-one meetings with new people or new friends.

Preparing your student for large events will help to ease their discomfort. If they have to perform at a school concert, practice their part until they know it by heart. Then get them to perform it in front of your family, then add some friends so that they are accustomed to performing in front of a crowd.

Get them to visualize their performance, the stage, and all the people in the audience. They should visualize themselves giving a successful performance and feeling confident. The same technique can be used to great effect when preparing for presentations.

Small challenges

Try to give your student small, confidence-building challenges every day. Be sure to only give them challenges that they can cope with as failure only helps to reinforce shy behavior. Be patient and understanding and never push them too hard. While you should encourage them to move outside of their comfort zones, let them move at their own pace.

Always build their confidence with praise. Focus on the positive and don’t be over critical. Focus on their positive attributes and help to build their confidence.

Get a tutor

If your student is not participating in class, you can help to build their confidence by getting an in-home tutor. Here they can work in the comfort of their own homes which helps them to feel secure and confident. They can overcome gaps in their knowledge and feel more confident when answering questions in class.

How Creating the perfect homework station can improve academic performance for Highlands Ranch Students

One way to avoid the daily struggle to get homework done and to help your student to improve their academic performance is to create a dedicated homework area. Here your student will be able to work in an atmosphere conducive to study and do their homework in a quiet, comfortable setting.

Elements of a good homework station

There are several factors that go into creating an environment conducive to study. The homework station should be quiet and out of the way of the general hustle and bustle of your home.

The homework area should have excellent lighting and an abundance of fresh air. If there is poor or stale air, fatigue and lack of concentration occur. Ensure that you clean out your HVAC filters every month to keep the air in your home fresh.

Reduce distractions by ensuring that there are no toys, pets, snacks and games nearby. The study station should only contain items pertaining to homework.

The homework area should be neat and organized with an abundance of stationary and everything your student needs for creativity.

Homework stations also have to be comfortable so ensure that your student has enough space and that the chair and table are at a comfortable height.

Tutor friendly homework spaces

If you have an in-home tutor, then the homework area should be big enough to accommodate your student and their one-on-one tutor. This reinforces the homework area as an academic space where positive, constructive work occurs.

The study station should be a quiet zone

The study station should be a dedicated area in your home where homework happens. When one of your students is in the study station, they are off limits to the rest of the family. Here they are not to be interrupted or distracted and should be left in peace.

Set homework times

Homework is best done when your students are refreshed and alert. The best time for this is usually after a short break when they have returned from school, but you and your students should work out a time that best suits your family schedule. Having a set homework time helps to establish a routine and reduces the incidence of incomplete homework.

Floral study friends

Studies show that indoor plants reduce stress, absorb sound and create fresh air. Placing a few pot plants around your student’s study area will help to create a positive atmosphere and provide a source of fresh air.

When planning and creating a study area, be sure to consult your student. Together you can create a space that best suits their study needs. Creating a space that is free from distractions and interruptions from siblings, phone calls and pets is a great way to encourage your students to complete homework tasks and study for exams.

How to Come Up with a Great Science Fair Idea

A successful science fair project can do wonders for your grade point averages and can even catapult you to stardom in the way that it has for some of our young entrepreneurs. The biggest hurdle for science fair projects is coming up with an original idea. Once you have your idea, you will follow the scientific method for determining the outcome.

What is the scientific method?

A good place to start is to examine the scientific method itself so you can understand where you’re headed.

• Step 1: Based on something you have observed, formulate your question.
• Step 2: Predict the answer you think most likely and formulate this as a hypothesis.
• Step 3: Create an experiment that will show whether your answer (hypothesis) is true or false.
• Step 4: Analyse the results of your experiment and decide if your hypothesis is valid or invalid.

Let’s look at an example: If I observe that the plants in my room grow better than plants in the rest of the house, I can ask the question: “Why do the plants in my room grow better than the plants in other rooms of my house?”

I then formulate an answer or hypothesis: “The plants in my room grow better because I play music in my room.”

Now you design an experiment to test your hypothesis. This will involve two plants who have exactly the same growing conditions where one is exposed to music while the other one is not. You will record their growth rates over the stipulated period.

Analysis of the data should lead you to confirm or reject your hypothesis.

If you have time, you can do further experimentation. For example, you can test whether different kinds of music have different effects on plants.

Formulating a hypothesis

Once you understand the scientific method, you can see how easy it is to ask questions about anything in the world around you. Start by thinking about your favorite hobbies and interests; is there a question you can ask about these? You will be spending a lot of time with your science fair project, so it may as well be about something you like.

Look online: Sure, we know that you want an original idea, but looking at other science fair projects can really inspire you. Perhaps you will look at the experiment above and decide to test whether tap water or boiled water will help plants to grow better, or maybe you will want to test whether yelling at plants or complimenting them has an effect on their growth. You can take an existing experiment and put your own spin on it.

Start thinking about your science fair project now so that you have tons of time to come up with a great idea. Remember that science fair projects are only as great as the original question. Here are some resources that offer ideas for science fair projects. Use these to get inspiration for your original science fair project idea.

Science Buddies

Education.com

Science Bob

Science Kids

Buzzfeed

Scholastic

All Science Fair Projects

Helping Teens to Resist Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is tough for teens to deal with. While you can’t spare them from exposure to peer pressure, you can provide them with the skills to deal with it. Learning to deal with peer pressure will be an invaluable life skill for your teens to learn.

Why teens are less responsible

If you are frustrated that your teen doesn’t seem to think of the consequences of their actions, then you are not alone. Teens act in the heat of the moment for a very good reason; their prefrontal cortex has not completely developed. The prefrontal cortex is what we use to make responsible decisions and react in acceptable ways to peer pressure. From the US Department of health: “This brain region [prefrontal cortex] is responsible for cognitive analysis and abstract thought, and the moderation of “correct” behavior in social situations. The prefrontal cortex takes in information from all of the senses and orchestrates thoughts and actions to achieve specific goals. The prefrontal cortex is one of the last regions of the brain to reach maturation. This delay may help to explain why some adolescents act the way they do.”

While this medical fact does explain why teens take longer to be responsible, it doesn’t mean that they are incapable of thinking through their actions or considering the consequences. These are learned responses, so persevere in your attempts to instill a sense of responsibility and help your teens to consider the consequences of their actions for themselves and the people around them.

5-step method

Start by helping your teen to identify their physical and natural reactions or ‘gut’ feelings. When they feel anxious or uncomfortable about a suggestion that a friend or classmate proposes, they should take a minute to think before acting. Learning to identify these triggers will help them to institute their 5-step program. Giving your teens tangible steps to avoiding trouble in the future is far more likely to have a positive outcome.

1. Count to 10: When a friend or classmate suggests something that your teen is not comfortable with, they should not answer right away but should take a minute to think about the idea before agreeing.
2. Consider consequences: Teach your teen to ask themselves questions like: What could go wrong? Will this hurt anyone? How will this affect me and my loved ones?
3. Suggest an alternative: Easier than refusing, suggesting a reasonable alternative will make it easier to switch the focus and move on to a less damaging activity.
4. Say no: This is tough, but if all else fails, help your student to find the words they need to say no. Role-play different scenarios with them so that they are ready when these situations present themselves. When they do mess up, be understanding and discuss ways in which they could have extricated themselves from the situation without losing face. Remind them that standing up for themselves is far more likely to earn respect.
5. Be the bad guy: Have a code word that your teen can text to you that tells you to call them. That way they can take a call from you and ask advice about situations that they are feeling uncomfortable about. You can also have a code word that lets you know they need help. You can pick them up and be the ‘bad guy’ while they save face with friends and avoid dangerous situations.

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Are Sports Good for Your Student?

Sports can be a contentious issue, especially with students who don’t wish to participate. If you are wondering whether to persist, the answer is definitely yes. Sports help to hone motor skills, they instill confidence and help students develop physically. Exercise helps to develop healthy lifestyles and keeps childhood obesity at bay. Sports also teach a number of healthy social skills like teamwork, practice and discipline.

Benefits of sports
Childhood obesity is growing as our society becomes increasingly sedentary. Video games, computers and TV keep us stationary and prevent healthy activities which help to keep weight down. Sporting activities help to get students outside and moving. Find a sport that suits your student. There is so much to choose from and if the school sports don’t interest them, opt for out of school choices like archery or diving.

Does your Student want to quit?
US research found 70% of students who play sports quit by the time they are 13 because it is no longer fun. There are various reasons for this including too much pressure from parents or coaches, poor relationship with teammates, academic pressure and body image issues. You can encourage your student to stay by finding solutions to their problems. Perhaps you need to back off a little, or find a team outside of school if the coach or other players aren’t getting along with your student. Students play sport to have fun and spend time with their friends so winning shouldn’t be the focus.

Be a good example
The best way to get your students involved in sports is to be involved yourself. Being a good example will help to encourage your students to be active. You should also be a good example when it comes to the social skills that sports teach. This means that you should always be fair, be a good sport and treat authority figures like teachers, umpires and coaches with respect. Instill good sportsmanship in your students and teach them to be a team player.
Bob Cook from Forbes Magazine says the key to enjoying your student’s sporting activities is to not care about the outcome of the game: “I didn’t care whether what was happening on the field would affect my daughter’s future prospects as a softball player. None of it mattered — and, as a result, I am enjoying the sports parent experience so much more.” Cook says the key to sporting success as a family is to be supportive and enthusiastic, but not to stress yourself or your kids out.

Discipline
If your students want to succeed in life, they will have to be disciplined. Discipline will help them to stay dedicated to their goals and give them the strength to work hard. Discipline will help them to overcome adversity and get them through tough times. This means that you have to be a good example when it comes to discipline and encourage them to go to sports practice regularly.

Enroll your students in a sporting activity today and they will reap many benefits both physical and emotional. Allow them to develop at their own pace and don’t put too much pressure on them. Find a sporting activity that they enjoy and excel at to help build confidence and be a great example.

7 ACT Test Strategies that Work

The ACT is a daunting test and the outcome has serious consequences for every student. While there is no substitute for working hard, you can optimize your chances of succeeding in the ACT test by learning strategies for answering questions effectively. Learning to navigate the landscape of an ACT will ensure that you get the best possible results.

Practice makes perfect

Practice tests are available online for you to try. Practice subject tests prior to writing your ACT test in order to familiarize yourself with the way questions are asked. You should also study the instructions for each subject test prior to writing. Since time is such an important factor in your ACT test, knowing the instructions beforehand means you won’t waste time reading them more than once during the exam.

Prioritize your questions

Read through the questions before you start writing. Order them from easiest to hardest and start with the easy ones. Getting the easy points done is a great way to ensure the best score. Doing the easy questions first will also help to build your confidence and get you in the right headspace to take on the more difficult questions.

Shake it off and move on

If you get to a question you just can’t find an answer to, move on. Don’t waste any time getting bogged down on difficult questions. You can come back to it if you need to at a later stage. As you are working through questions, make notes in the margins. You don’t need to hand in a pristine paper, use every inch of paper to make notes and jot down thoughts. That way, when you come back to the difficult questions, you can see what you were working on before.

Don’t know the answer? Guess!

Never leave an answer blank. The ACT test doesn’t penalize you for incorrect answers, so taking a guess may just render the right answer.

Bubbling with care

Take great care when bubbling. It’s easy to accidentally colour in the wrong bubble even when you have the right answer. While you may be working through the answer quickly, double check that you have filled in the right bubble. It’s best to get a couple of answers ready and then fill the bubbles in at the same time to make it faster. Ensure absolute accuracy by saying the question number and the answer in your head as you fill out the bubble grid: “24, F and 25, C.”

Take it easy

This may sound like the worst idea ever when time is such a crucial factor in a successful ACT test, but taking the time to read questions carefully will prevent misinterpretation. Some answers will try to trick you and if you rush through, you will fall victim to these partially right answers.

Stay positive

Adopting a defeatist attitude will result in a poor test score. Tell yourself you can do it, take a deep breath and start with the easy questions so that you can build on your confidence before tackling the more difficult ones.

How to Encourage Class Participation in Shy Students

Shy students are often a teacher’s dream as they work hard to avoid drawing attention to themselves. While this may be easier to deal with, no teacher wants your student to miss out on educational opportunities. Participating in class, asking questions and being part of school activities will help your student to have a richer educational and social experience. Students who apply what they have learned in class exercises are more likely to reach a deeper understanding of the material and retain more of the information they have garnered.

Talk to your Teacher

If your student is shy, speak with your teacher about this and discuss ways in which to encourage participation. Teachers can ensure that shy students are seated at the front of the class so that they are more visible. Shy students may need a little longer to feel confident enough to answer questions or participate and teachers who understand this can be more accommodating.

Teachers can work to build a rapport with your student and can work one-on-one with them wherever possible. They can also encourage your student to participate and join in class activities.

Get a Tutor

The effects of student peer pressure are great and most students are shy because they don’t want to be embarrassed in front of their peers. Fear of failure may stem from the fact that they don’t know the answers to questions, feel overwhelmed by course materials or simply just don’t understand. You can overcome these academic issues by getting an in-home tutor.

An in-home tutor can work with your student one-on-one in an encouraging and safe environment. As your student fills in the gaps in their knowledge, their confidence will grow. When they understand what is happening in class, they will feel confident enough to ask questions and participate in activities.

Social Skills

Encouraging your student to participate in activities outside of the classroom will help them to gain the confidence to get involved inside the classroom. Sports, extra mural activities and social events are great places for them to mix with other students and form friendships. Social bonds are important in improving confidence.

Preparation

When students feel prepared, their confidence improves. Get your students to prepare some questions or read up on possible topics prior to class.

You can also role play with students so that they are more able to deal with possible situations that arise.

Be very encouraging and help to bolster their self-confidence by focusing on the positive rather than dwelling in the negative aspects of their social interaction and academic performance. You can improve their confidence by rewarding small successes and focusing on their achievements.

How to Choose the Right Tutor for your Student

Struggling academically or doing a little extra tutoring to bring up a grade point average is a natural part of growing up. Most students need a little extra help from time to time and getting a professional in-home tutor is the best choice for improving grades. One-on-one tutoring will mean that your student gets the all the help they need. There are so many benefits to tutoring, but you must find the right tutor to suit your student in order to for them to get the best out of the situation.

Benefits of tutors

• Tutors are able to identify the gaps in your student’s knowledge and fill in the building blocks for them.
• Tutors focus on teaching the skills your students need to excel, rather than just disseminating information.
• Each student has a learning style. Tutors are able to identify the learning styles of each student and then present information in ways that your student understands.
• The one-on-one tutoring gives your student the opportunity to answer without fear of embarrassment which helps them to build confidence and improves performance.
• Tutors teach students study methods that work for them. They can help students to study for exams and tests, help with homework, help them to effectively manage their time and compile study schedules that leave enough time to study for each subject.
• In-home tutors come to you and fit in with your schedule, so you aren’t inconvenienced.
• Confidence gained through tutoring will help reduce the anxiety your student feels in academic situations.

Choosing the right tutor
Start by talking with your student and their teacher. This will help you to ascertain exactly what difficulties your student is having. Knowing exactly what the problem is will help you to find a tutor that is the right fit.
The success of a tutoring program depends on your student, so get their opinions and input so that they are part of the process.
Once you have established your student’s needs, contact your local Tutor Doctor for a list of tutors in your area. Ensure that the tutors have the right qualifications to teach your student. Ask about their experience levels and what experience they have with the grade your student is in and the kinds of problems they are having.
Work with your student, teachers and tutor to set very clear goals. Ensure that the academic goals are realistic and achievable.
If the tutor isn’t a good fit for your student, feel free to ask for a different tutor. Getting the right tutor will exponentially improve your student’s performance.
In-home tutors are able to give your student their undivided attention, but there are alternatives like extra classes which are given at the tutoring center, online courses or phone tutoring which reduce the costs of tutoring for families.

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Teens who are changing the world

You’re never too young to make a difference and these inspirational stories show that young people can have a profound impact on the world. Teens the world over are mobilizing to make the world a better place, to protect the environment and save endangered wildlife species.

Julien Leitner

Julian started his charity with only $2. He started the Archimedes Alliance and asked 1 million people to donate just $2. “It hit me that I might not be able to do something on my own, but there has to be a billion other people like me who want to make a difference but feel they can’t,” said Leitner. “I thought, ‘What if everyone just pooled their resources?’”

He was right and he has managed to raise over $19,000 through online donations already. He has also given donors the opportunity to select the charity they would most like to support. When his total reaches the 2 million mark, he will donate the money to the charity with the most votes.

Leitner’s charitable concept originated from the Greek mathematician, Archimedes, who said, ‘Give me a lever long enough, and a place to stand, and I can move the Earth.’Leitner believes that asking a lot of people for a little donation is the way to go. Leitner is hoping that his campaign goes viral and that this helps to spread the word. Watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XITpmGqLDkU&feature=player_embedded

Lexi Allen

This spunky 16-year old from Sarasota started a charity called Art 4 Niños. As an artist herself, Lexi felt that all students should have access to art. She supplies impoverished children in South America with art supplies. You can make donations of money, art supplies or frequent flyer miles here.

Cheryl Perera 

This Toronto teen is the creator of the OneChild organization which supports victims of the international child sex trade. She started the organization when she way just 16 and has raised enough money to build two rehabilitation centers in the Philippines for children who have escaped the sex trade.

Hannah Tailor

Hannah started her first charity when she was just 8. The Ladybug Foundation has raised an incredible $2-million and has helped 54 shelters across Canada. Hannah said: “I honestly believe my generation is a hopeful one. And I believe very strongly in something my friend Steven said to me: ‘Don’t be afraid of homelessness. Be afraid of a society that doesn’t care.’ He was homeless at the time. Now he has a job, and a physical home as well. He’s now 25.”

These days, the younger students are leading the way when it comes to driving charitable causes. Instilling empathy and caring for community is a great way to make the world a better place. Encourage your students to get involved with volunteer opportunities and to help others wherever possible.

Tutoring: Is it Right for your Student?

Every child goes through a difficult academic time. It could be that they are having issues adjusting to a new school or a new grade, perhaps they are having personal or social problems or maybe they don’t get on well with their teacher. With so many factors playing a role in academic performance, you need to carefully weigh the situation to determine whether your student needs help.

Cause and effect

Always keep a close eye on your student’s grades and keep in regular contact with their teachers. If you or your teacher notices a change in academic performance act quickly. Nipping problems in the bud will make them so much easier to deal with.

Sit down with your student and their teacher to ascertain what the problem is. Everyone has a bad test or a poor assignment score from time to time and one poor grade does not a disaster make. If your student got a bad grade, ask them what went wrong and how they can remedy the situation in the future. Two bad grades on consecutive tests or papers means that there is possibly a miscommunication. Go through the paper with your student to ascertain exactly what went wrong and discuss how to fix it.

If the academic problems persist, it may be time to look at the bigger picture.

Causes of poor academic performance

Speak with your student to find out exactly how much time they devote to study and what else if going on in their lives. Poor academic performance can be the result of several factors:

• Too many sports/after school activities
• Health issues
• Social problems or bullying
• Personal or family problems
• Learning disabilities
• Poor diet
• Poor relationship with a teacher
• Gaps in academic knowledge or skill

Resolutions

Only once you have clearly established the cause of academic discord can you work on a solution. Include your student in any discussions about their future or about possible solutions to the problems they are having. Inclusive practices make it more likely that they will participate in the proposed solutions.

If your students don’t have extraneous reasons for poor academic performances, it may be time to get an in-home tutor. One-on-one tutoring is the very best way to get your student’s academic performance back on track. Tutors are able to establish gaps in your student’s knowledge or skill set and can pinpoint issues that need the most attention. Tutors can also present information in ways that suit your child’s learning style so that they are able to understand the work better.

Tutors can help your students to study for exams and to complete homework and assignments on time. Tutors are experts at study methods and they can help your students to study in an effective and efficient way.

Tutors work with your students on an individual level, so there is no anxiety about answering or asking questions. As they get back on track, their confidence grows and the anxiety they feel at school will be reduced.

5 Things Teachers Wish Parents Knew

When I was teaching, it always amazed me to see the way in which my student’s behavior changed when their parents were around. The presence of parents has a profound influence on the way students behave and teachers have a unique insight into the way students act around their peers and how they perform academically. When parents and teachers work together, they can really lean a lot about their students. Parents can learn about things that influence their student’s behavior and academic performance while teachers can get invaluable insights into their student’s personalities from the people who know them best. Here are some things that will help parents and teachers to work as a team.

Let’s talk

Teachers love the opportunity to connect with parents. When you are able to talk about your students in a constructive and supportive manner, everyone benefits. Keeping each other up to date on new developments will help you both to adjust behavior and will help you to deal with situations better. Teachers appreciate your support more than anything. If you don’t have time for teacher/parent meetings, use email to keep in touch.

Get involved

Always show interest in what your student is doing at school. Even if you don’t understand trigonometry, showing interest and offering support is a great start. If your students need help you can’t give them, consider getting an in-home tutor. Discuss projects that your student is involved in and chat about social situations and sports. Showing an interest and staying involved helps your student to feel important.

Be organized

This is a great lesson for your students to learn and keeping your child organized will really help your teachers. Returning tests and notes sent home for signatures, making sure that your student has school supplies, ensuring that deadlines for assignments are met and checking that your students have sports uniforms will save your teachers a bunch of time and effort.

Get reading

Instilling a love of literature is an invaluable gift. Your student will have to read their way through school and college. When you instill a love of reading, you make that process easier for you and your teachers. When your students read, they learn all sorts of general knowledge facts, they learn good grammar and they learn to express themselves in writing; a fact that any teacher who has to grade papers will appreciate.

We’re on your side

Shifting the blame for poor academic performances to the teacher is every student’s natural reaction. While not all teachers are created equal, give yours the benefit of the doubt. Speak with her about your child’s academic performance and work together to find a solution. It’s best to speak with the teacher in question first. Only if you can’t find a solution to academic issues should you then meet with an administrator or with the principal.

A little appreciation goes a long way

Teachers work really hard and rarely get the appreciation they deserve. If your teacher is doing a good job, let her know. You will help to motivate her to keep giving 110%.

Environmentally Friendly: Making your School Greener and Leaner

Greening your school carries a wealth of benefits; not only do you educate your students about the environment, why we should preserve it and how to do so, but creating a green school makes for a healthier school environment and saves on costs. Spending less on utility bills and materials will mean more money for cash-strapped schools.

Dealing with waste

Recycling can help to reduce the amount of waste that your school sends to the landfill. When you recycle large volumes of paper, glass and cans, you can get paid for your recycling efforts. Adding another source of income to your coffers while reducing your waste is an excellent way to go green.

Compost your vegetable waste and create a valuable resource for your own gardens. You can also provide parents with compost or donate compost to your local community garden.

Conserve

Make your school as paper-free as possible and print on both sides when you need to make hard copies. Switching to electronics like tablets will carry high initial costs, but you will have an excellent return on investment as you will not have to buy books or print out notes.

Turn out lights when you are not using a room. Use motion-sensitive lights at night rather than leaving lights on for security reasons and try to reduce energy and water consumption wherever possible.

Community Garden

This is a great way to get a source of locally grown, carbon footprint-free food. If you avoid pesticides and use the compost you create from your vegetable waste, you can grow organic fruits and vegetables too. Community gardening can really teach students about healthy eating, nutrition and the biology of flora. They will be more enthusiastic about eating salads and vegetables if they have grown the produce themselves.

Cleaning products

Use vinegar and water to clean windows and other surfaces. Vinegar is a great antibacterial and can be used to create great cleaning products (see more here) that are healthier too. When you use chemical cleaning products, they leave a residue which then releases harmful toxic fumes and makes your school’s indoor air unhealthy for students.

Rainwater collection

Use rain barrels on downspouts to collect valuable rain water which can then be used for cleaning and in your gardens. Reservoirs on rooftops can be utilized for flushing toilets too.

Get moving

Ask students to opt for greener ways to get to school like walking or riding bikes. This will also help you to get your students moving. In inclement weather or for students who live far away, the bus, train or carpooling will help to reduce the carbon footprint of their commute.

Green your scene

Plant trees to mitigate carbon footprints, put plants inside classrooms to improve the air quality and create large outdoor gardens. When making a garden, use indigenous varieties of plants that are accustomed to the local conditions and require little additional care or watering. Avoid lawns by using lawn alternatives. These lawn alternatives will reduce the carbon footprint of moving and reduce the need for watering while providing lush, green ground covering. 

Cutting Class: What Parents Should do When Kids Play Truant

Most parents have to deal with truancy at one time or another. Whether it’s your child saying they are sick to avoid school or if they are pretending to go to school and then going elsewhere, playing truant will result in poor grades and is dangerous as students remain unsupervised while their parents are at work.

Widespread problem

Skipping school is becoming a part of our culture and is a far more widespread problem than we would like to admit. The Get School Foundation recently investigated the issue and their report is disturbing. Their study showed that 15% of students miss 18 days or more of school a year. Most of these students cited boredom as the main reason why they skipped school.

Take stock

If you find out that your student has been skipping school or they claim to have fictional health issues that prevent them from going to school, its time to take stock. Find out what the underlying problems are. Many students are genuinely bored at school and can’t see the relevance of algebra or history to real-world applications. Here you need to outline the consequences of a poor education and how it limits choice. You may also try a more challenging course, class or school. Engaging a tutor to help students to find academic challenges is also a great idea.

Stop gap

If students feel overwhelmed and lost, they may also skip school. When they don’t understand what is going on, they may feel helpless and skip school because they fear that they may fail anyway. If this is the case, then you need to help them to catch up and understand what is going on in class. Get an in-home tutor to work with your student to help them to fill gaps in their understanding.

Bullying

Many students stay home because they are being bullied by fellow students or perhaps they don’t like a teacher they have been assigned. You can help by teaching coping techniques or changing classes or schools. All schools have anti-bullying policies that help to protect students, so speak with your teachers.

Always include your students in any discussions about their academic futures. You need to include them in the implementation of any strategy if you want them to participate. Try to understand the reasons why they are skipping school so that you can deal with these effectively or the behavior will persist.

Your school Councillors and teachers are a wonderful resource. They may have a better insight into the circumstances which your student faces every day at school and they can help with strategies on how to combat the causes of truancy.

Help your Student to Fit In at School

Of course you want your student to be an individual who is not a slave to peer pressure, but a sense of belonging is essential to the health and wellbeing of every student. If your student feels like they don’t fit in, there are ways in which you can encourage greater social interaction so that they feel part of a group and enjoy a happy social life. Students who do have a healthy social circle will do better academically.

A sense of self-worth

Foster a sense of self-identity in your student by providing positive reinforcement. Focus on their strengths and encourage them to find an identity through what they wear and what they think. Teach them that being generous and kind to everyone, regardless of the clique or group they come from, is the best way to make friends.

Active listening

As students mature, they may be going through difficult social situations or bullying without telling you because they fear your involvement. Often students don’t want advice or are afraid that you will take action that will embarrass them. Instead, practice active listening — listen to your students without offering advice or criticizing. Instead, try phrases like: “It sounds like you had a really bad day…”, “I’m so sorry that that happened to you…” or “I hear what you are saying…” Active listening is a great way to get your student to communicate; you can monitor the situation to see if they are experiencing any bullying or if they are managing on their own. Establishing communications can be really tricky with older students, so persevere. If your students ask for advice, be constructive rather than critical. Active listening is really challenging for parents as they want to make things better. Instead you have to separate your needs from what your student needs. Establishing a connection is more important so that your student will turn to you when they are in real trouble or in need of help. Resist the urge to solve problems or dispense advice in favor of creating connections.

Check in with teachers

If you notice a change in your student’s behavior or circle of friends, check in with their teachers to see if they are doing ok. Teachers and councilors can help you get an insight into events at school and how best to deal with them. Periods of not fitting in socially are completely normal. Perhaps your student has changed grades or schools or maybe they have had a falling out with their clique. Learning to deal with these changes and learning to fit in are all part of growing up. It’s difficult for parents because they often have insights they want to share or solutions to their student’s problems and they have a natural desire to want to help their children. It’s important to maintain a connection with your students, so often you will have to listen to them and resist the urge to get involved. That way, when they really need help, they know they can come to you and are more likely to do so.

Long Term Health Effects of Too Much Sitting

A sedentary lifestyle may not be what you think it is. If you sit for more than eight hours a day, you qualify as having a sedentary lifestyle. I probably just described about 95% of the population! Students and their parents spend most of their day at a desk. It’s simply the way our modern society is structured. Whether you are studying, in class or working on your computer, sitting is probably what you do most of the day, followed by a couple of hours sitting in front of the TV before you go to bed. Researchers now believe that all this sitting could be shaving decades off our lives. The detrimental effects of sitting on your health are profound and aren’t mitigated by the other activity you do.

Why sitting is bad for your health

This means that if, like me, you get plenty of exercise, you will still suffer the negative health effects that are caused by years of sitting. A study by the Universities of Leicester and Loughborough found that over the 18 studies that they looked at involving 800 000 participants, those who sat for long periods during the day were 54% more likely to get heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Prof Stuart Biddle, of Loughborough University who was part of the study had this to say: “What is clear is that anyone who spends lots of time sitting or lying down would benefit from replacing some of that time by standing or walking. Aside from any direct effect reducing the amount of time you spend sitting down may have, getting more physical activity is a great way of helping maintain a healthy weight, which is the best way of minimising your risk of Type 2 diabetes.”

Prevention is better than cure

While you can take measures to reduce the amount of time you spend in front of the TV and include more physical activity in your daily life, it’s really tough to reduce the amount of time you spend working at your desk. This is true for parents and for students who have to put in the hours in front of their computers.

One of the solutions to this problem is the stand-up desk. These desks can elevate their surfaces so that users can stand while working on the computer or the level of the computer can be lowered so that you can sit and work.

It’s tough to get used to standing for long periods while working. I spend most of my day at a desk so I decided to try out the standing desk concept before I invested in a new desk. I put my laptop on a breakfast tray (the kind with the fold-out legs) so I could raise it or lower it as I liked.

At first, I could only stand for about 15 minutes before I started to feel uncomfortable, but I was surprised at how soon I adjusted. It’s a small price to pay to add a few decades onto my life!

The desks have become a popular seller at most furniture and office supply stores.

Back To School Traditions for a Great Academic Year

After the excitement and nervousness of starting a new school or a new grade has worn off, the new clothes have become old friends and your student is feeling more settled and at home, it’s time to start some new back-to-school traditions. New habits only take a couple of weeks to instill, but they will mean a happier home life and a better academic performance. Here are some back to school traditions that will help you and your students to have a wonderful semester.

Smooth Morning Routines

Get your family together and ask them to write down the things that they don’t enjoy about your morning routine. Perhaps they would like more bathroom time, or maybe they don’t like to rush in the mornings; whatever their gripes, write them down in a list.

As a family, find ways in which you can reduce the stress of morning routines. This means being more organized. If bathroom time is an issue, set out a schedule so that everyone has a fair amount of time. You can move hair and makeup to a different room so that the bathroom is free for showering.

If you don’t like rushing in the morning, get your students to start packing their bags and laying out their clothing the night before.

Make a lunch menu that everyone can enjoy and share out morning chores so that everyone has the same amount of stuff to do. If one of your students is a better morning person, they may want to take on more responsibility and chores in the morning and have a free evening.

Academic Goals

Knowing where you are going makes it so much easier to navigate. Get each of your students to set out clear academic goals for the year. You should provide incentives for the achievement of those goals in the form of rewards. Work with your student’s teacher and tutor to ensure that the goals are realistic. Short term and long-term goals will give a sense of accomplishment.

After School Activities

Discuss what activities your students wish to do after school and ensure that they have a healthy balance of work and activity. Try to encourage activities outside of their comfort zone so that they can meet new friends and get active. Sports help to foster friendships, teach discipline and teamwork and keep your students healthy and active while creative activities help relieve stress and develop higher cognitive functions.

Starting fun back-to-school traditions will mean that your students have set goals, rewards to look forward to and fun activities to anticipate. A little planning at the start of the semester will mean everyone develops habits that help to make this the best academic year ever.

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Student Inventors: Girl Power

Students can be creative innovators and inventors to whom we owe some of our most impressive technological breakthroughs. Today we honor three teen inventors who have achieved great success by thinking outside of the box.

Ann Makosinski

Ann has invented a hollow flashlight that is powered by the heat of your hand. Ann is a grade 10 student from St. Michael’s University School in Victoria, Canada who beat out hundreds of other entrants to get her flashlight into the finals of the Google Science Fair. “I’m really interested in harvesting surplus energy, energy that surrounds but we never really use,” said Ann.

Ann is interested in utilizing alternate energy sources for everyday tasks. While researching alternative energy sources, Ann stumbled upon Peltier tiles which create energy when they are heated on one side and cooled on the other.

She ordered some tiles off the internet and found that body heat produced more than enough energy to light an LED, but not enough voltage. Ann tried several transformers to up the voltage; she even built her own. Finally after months of research and experimentation (along with her regular schooling and extra mural activities) she finally found a circuit that worked.

You can see more on Ann’s invention here

Elif Bilgin

Elif comes from Istanbul, Turkey and is the country’s first winner of the 2013 Science in Action award at the Google Science Fair for her bioplastic which she developed from banana peels. It was a long process for Elif who tried 10 different iterations of plastics before she found one that didn’t biodegrade too quickly and was strong enough for commercial use. “Even Thomas Edison said, ‘I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work,’” Elif said about the long road of trial and error that eventually led to a successful prototype.

Elif hopes that her plant-based plastics will replace some of the petroleum-based plastics on the market and improve the environmental impact that plastics have.

Eesha Khare

Eesha is an American student who has invented a supercapacitor. This incredible device will replace conventional batteries in everyday electronics. Eesha’s electrochemical supercapacitor can be charged in 20 seconds, hold a charge for longer and lasts for more recharges than conventional batteries. Eesha’s invention can be recharged 10,000 times as opposed to the 1,000 charges a conventional battery is able to endure. Eesha hopes that her invention will help to reduce waste and improve the environment.

Student inventors remind us that a good idea and a lot of hard work mean that anyone can be successful at any age. Inspire your students to greatness for their next science fair projects.

See Eesha’s interview with Conan O’Brian here:

http://teamcoco.com/video/young-scientist-award-winner-eesha-khare-pt-1-06-13-13