Children cannot succeed in school
if they don't attend regularly. In this twenty-first century every person needs
at least a high school diploma in order to find a job, start a family, and lead
a fulfilling life.
In North American schools, where
public education is available to everyone, why would any child not attend
school? Following are some of the possible reasons:
1. Academic Problems
If a child is placed in a grade
where the curriculum is too difficult, he may become so frustrated and unhappy
that he will seek to avoid classes at any cost. He may feign illness, play
hooky, or just walk the streets until he can return home without be questioned.
Similarly, if he is very
intelligent and bored by the program in which he has been placed, he will see
no need to attend school. He may seek challenge and adventure elsewhere and
possibly get into trouble by doing so.
The solution to either of these
problems is to have the child tested, either by the local school system or by
an independent agency, and insist that he be placed in a program which meets
his needs.
2. Social Problems
If a child is harassed on a daily
basis, humiliated before his peers, or fearful for his physical safety, who can blame him
for skipping school? It is vital that parents keep the lines of communication
open, so that their child will confide in them when he is having trouble
relating to his classmates.
At the first sign of trouble,
whether it be lack of friends, isolation or bullying, Mom and Dad need to
become advocates for the child, seeking help from the teacher, the principal,
even the director of education, if necessary. An education is too important to
be hindered by social problems.
3. Health Issues
Health problems, whether physical
or mental, can disrupt a child's educational progress. When the trouble is a
contagious disease or a broken bone, most school systems provide an in-home
tutor who will insure that the child does not fall behind his classmates.
However, when a child suffers
from a learning disability, depression, autism, or another mental or emotional
disorder, early and ongoing intervention and treatment by health and
educational professionals is essential. There are many treatments and
strategies today which can enable a student to attain his or her maximum
potential despite having to cope with mental or emotional disabilities.
4. Home Conditions
When a child has to deal with
turbulent conditions at home, school concerns will become unimportant. If the
parents are constantly fighting, going through a separation or divorce, or if
one or both are alcohol or drug addicts, the child has more to worry about than
educational matters.
Similarly, if the parents view
education as unimportant, if they pay no attention to report cards, fail to
attend parent-teacher conferences, and do not question the child's unexplained
absences from class, the child won't care either. Parents are a child's first
and most important role models.
5. Bad Companions
As a child approaches
adolescence, his peer group assumes primary importance in his life. He needs to
fit in, to be "cool", to be accepted and respected by the others. If
he lacks self-confidence, or strong self-esteem, if he's a follower, rather
than a leader, he may fall in with a group of which his parents do not approve.
Bad associates can wreck havoc with a teen's education and his parent's dreams
for his future.
Wise parents will start early to
monitor their child's playmates, and school friends, and encourage healthy
relationships while they still have the influence to do so. If the child gets
involved in team sports, Boy Scouts or Girl Guides, or a church's youth
activity programs, chances are that these beneficial friendships will continue
through the teenage years.
Few children are gifted enough to
become super sports figures or entertainment
stars, but even these individuals will need an education to negotiate
contracts, to oversee banking and investments and avoid getting scammed by
unscrupulous agents and managers. Education is a vital component for a
successful and fulfilling life in whatever career a child chooses. It is the
duty of every responsible parent to see that their child receives one.
Most parents will agree that
their child is their most precious possession. They will take every precaution
to ensure the little one's safety. One of the greatest risks to a young child's
life and health is the possibility of being involved in a traffic accident.
According to the National Center
for Statistics and Analysis, nearly 250,000 American children are injured every
year in car accidents.
Here are some helpful tips which
will enable parents to keep their child safe in the family car during those
important first years of life:
Infants
* Like a crib, a car seat is a
necessity. If possible, purchase a new one . This is not an item on which to save
money. Second-hand car seats may have been damaged in an accident, or may be
cracked or worn in a vital area, not readily visible to an observer.
* As you are removing the car seat from the box, check to see that all the
necessary hardware has been included.
* Fill out the registration card
and send it in. If there is a recall, the manufacturer will be able to notify
you.
* Install the seat before the
birth, so the baby will be able to ride home from the hospital safely.
* Read the car seat installation
instructions and the relevant information in your vehicle owner's manual
carefully before you start the installation process. Follow the directions carefully.
* Babies under one year of age,
and those weighing less than twenty pounds, require a rear-facing car seat. The
safest place to install it is in the middle of the back seat, away from air
bags.
* After installation, holding both sides of the car seat near the middle, give
it several firm tugs from side to side. It should not move more than an inch
either way.
* The safety harness straps must
fit snugly over the shoulders and down, without causing breathing difficulty.
If you can slip one or two fingers under the straps comfortably, near the
baby's collar bone, it should be just about right.
* The chest clip should be about
the level of the baby's armpits.
* Add nothing to the seat that did not come with it. It is engineered to
function best without any add-ons, such as pillows or neck supports. Also, be
aware that adding to or adjusting the seat in any way, can release the
manufacturer from liability in the event of an accident or injury to the child.
Toddlers
* When the child is a year old
and weighs more than twenty pounds, he may ride in a forward-facing car seat.
* Some infantseats are
convertible to forward-facing. When attempting this procedure, be sure to
follow instructions carefully, attaching the tether strap to the tether anchor
in the car as directed.
* The shoulder straps should be
at or above the child's shoulders.
* The safest placement for the
seat is still in the middle of the back seat, away from air bags.
* Be sure to secure the child
snugly each time, before you buckle yourself into the driver's seat.
* Never leave a child alone in a
car.
Preschoolers
* When child reaches a weight of
forty pounds, he is ready for a booster seat. These devices raise the child up
so that regular seat belt functions effectively.
* The seat belt must be the
combination type which crosses both the lap and shoulder.
* The child's head must be
supported either by the top of the booster, or the car seat.
* The shoulder strap must lie
across the child's shoulder and middle of his chest. The lap belt must cross
low over the hips .
* When the child turns eight
years old, or weighs eighty pounds, he is ready for a regular seatbelt.
Special Needs Children
There are specially-made car
seats for children with specific medical conditions. If your child has cerebral
palsy, wears a cast, has a behavioral disorder, or other specialized problem,
inquire what is available.
Today's children will undoubtedly have many opportunities to travel on their
own in the future, but now they are small and very vulnerable. It is up to
loving parents, family and friends to do everything possible to keep them safe
and secure during their early journeys. Traffic accidents can happen in a split
second, but their calamitous effects can endure for a lifetime
Two months is a long time for
children to remember the intricacies of the various academic skills. This is
especially true when summer days are filled with fun, excitement, travel,
friends and new experiences which keep them busy from morning until night. Then
suddenly, in September they find themselves back in the classroom, expected to
continue from where they left off in June. It hardly seems fair, does it?
When I retired after thirty-five
years teaching, I missed contact with the children. Don't misunderstand, I
didn't want a whole room full, all day, every day, anymore, but I missed the
special moments, the one-on-one interaction, when you could actually see
learning taking place in one little mind. Accordingly, I began tutoring during
the school year. The process usually involved helping with homework, noting the
weak areas, and giving extra help where needed.
Soon, I was receiving requests
for lessons during the summer. My first inclination was to refuse. The poor
little tykes had worked their hearts out during the year. They deserved a
break, didn't they? Then I started remembering the unhappy scenes in the
classroom every September. Not only were the children dejected about being
cooped up inside again, many were anxious and frustrated because they had
forgotten much of last year's work. Maybe a few lessons during the summer would
be helpful after all.
We usually arrange an hour a
week, a time that's suitable to parent and child. The cost is nominal, just
about enough to cover the cost of books, which I supply. I know which ones have
worked well for me through the years. The Teachers' Supply Store usually has a
good selection of these, plus any new ones that seem worthy of a trial.
I ask to see the child's final
report card and note the strengths and weaknesses. Good and average students
begin the next grade's curriculum, and move ahead, week by week, at their own
pace. The goal isn't to cover a great deal of next year's work, but rather to
retain the skills and knowledge from the completed grade and maybe receive a
little head start on the Fall term.
The children who need review or
reteaching of the previous grade's work will receive it before moving ahead.
This is a necessary strategy. Starting a new year's work without having
mastered the former grade's curriculum is a recipe for frustration and failure
throughout the next ten months. No child should experience that; it could
negatively affect his or her entire educational career.
The summer schedule is very
flexible, students may disappear for a few weeks at the cottage, visits to
grandparents and other special occasions and activities and that's quite all
right. There's a lot of learning that must take place out in the real world,
and summer's the ideal time for that. Because when I'm considerate of their
priorities, my students don't seem to mind giving me an hour an week. Besides,
at the end of the lesson, there's always a Popsicle or a box of Smarties as a
reward for hard work.
I never assign Homework for
summer lessons, with one exception. Every child chooses a book of fiction to
read, one that catches his interest and is well within his comfort level for
word recognition, vocabulary and comprehension. We spend the first few minutes
of each lesson discussing the plot and the characters in the book. He is
responsible for reading at least one more chapter before the next lesson. Those
who finish the whole book will receive a new one at the next lesson. All books
are theirs to keep.I really hope, through the summer lessons, to foster a love
of reading in the children. I believe literacy is the basis of all education.
You may wonder why a parent cannot do what I do with the children. It is
certainly not rocket science. Believe it or not, I've had parents who were
university graduates who could not prevail upon their child to sit and complete
a homework assignment within a reasonable time, never mind attempt to teach
them anything new. Sometimes, children just work better for a stranger,
especially one who can pull a stern "teacher" look, when it is called
for.
Are summer tutoring lessons
helpful? Yes, I believe they are. For the good and average students, they will
keep the knowledge and skills of the previous grade fresh and sharp and provide
a head start on next year's work. For a struggling student, they can be a life
raft, saving him from sinking into a morass of new work for which he is not
prepared.
Tutoring lessons need not be
expensive. Seek out a college student saving up for an education, who is
perhaps planning to become a teacher. You might even find a retired teacher who
misses her contact with children and is anxious to practice her craft on your
little one. With a little luck, all the parties involved will enjoy the
experience, and it will be a memorable summer for everyone.
What are some of your favorite
memories of Autumn when you were attending public school? If you're like many
people, you'll mention the class Halloween party near the top of the list.
Everyone enjoyed it, and it was good for the children for many reasons. Here are
a few which spring to mind:
There may have been new children
who entered the school during the summer. This was one of the first
opportunities for them to socialize for an afternoon with their classmates,
without the specter of schoolwork looming in the background.
Some children exercised
imagination and creativity in coming up with original costumes. Those who
didn't care to, could just throw an old sheet over their heads and be ghosts.
No one was excluded from the excitement.
Often the party included a walk
around the neighborhood in costume. The teacher could review all the safety
rules beforehand to a motivated class, because everyone was anxious to leave
the confines of the school yard and show off. The neighbors liked it too. They
would sit on their porches and smile and wave as the Halloween parade passed.
The upcoming party provided an
opportunity for lessons on nutrition and the best choices for healthy snacks.
Everyone knew there would be lots of candy around at the party, but what other
treats would be better choices for snacks at other times of the year?
Depending on the grade level, the
teacher might use the party as a springboard to introduce a unit of study on
the digestive system. What happens to the candy after you swallow it?
The walk around the neighborhood
provided the children with an opportunity to notice signs of Fall: colored
leaves falling, gardens being readied for Winter, birds flying south, and
cooler weather, among other things. These observations provided the bases for
Science classes in the following days.
The party and Halloween itself
provided motivation for enthusiastic literature appreciation. Everyone loved
spooky tales throughout the month of October. The anticipation of a class party
on the last day of the month added to atmosphere of expectation. From
"Casper the Friendly Ghost" to "The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow", every scary library book was signed out as quickly as it was
returned during October.
The party and the neighborhood
parade required parent volunteers to ensure safety and to help with supervision
of the children. It was often the first chance for teacher and parents to meet
on an informal basis, certainly a less stressful occasion than at the first
report card interview.
School offers few occasions that
the children will remember in later years as just plain fun. Halloween parties
are just such celebrations and certainly should not be banned. The students
needn't be taught about the darker traditions surrounding the occasion, they
wouldn't care anyway. To them, October thirty-first means costumes, treats, a
party with friends, escaping the school yard and exploring the neighborhood.
They should not be deprived of this special day before the long, dull days of
winter arrive.
Every child in school should
learn at least one foreign language. Besides the practical benefits of being
able to converse with someone from another land and possibly a different
culture, the process will develop thinking skills and improve memory.
The lessons should begin early,
and during the primary years, they should be mostly oral. The children need to
assimilate the sounds, the inflections, and the rhythm of words and phrases in
the new language. This can be accomplished almost unconsciously by the very
young child.
The teacher begins by teaching
simple concepts: the days of the week, counting to ten, and the names of
objects around the classroom. She will say the words and have the children
repeat them. After the students become accustomed to sounds of their new
tongue, they can proceed to more difficult vocabulary.
It is important to have teachers
who are fluent in the new language. Children are amazing mimics. If the
teachers speaks the language with an English accent, it is certain that the students
will also. It is best, whenever possible, to hire a teacher who is a recent
immigrant, and a native of the country where the new language is spoken.
It is also important that the
parents have an opportunity to choose the second language their child will be
taught. You will then have family interest and support for the educational
program, a vital element in assuring the child's success.
Since Canada is officially a
bilingual country, every child, except those in Quebec, has to learn French.
This was a government decision and is not popular with many parents.
Strangely enough, students in
Quebec are not compelled to learn English. In fact, they are only allowed to
attend an English school if one of the parents has English as a first language.
When one of my tutoring students
receives a report card, I like to review it with the parent, to determine the
area in which to concentrate lessons for the next term. Often the child will
have a low mark in French. The parent's reaction is usually: "Oh, I don't
care about that; it's only French." Parental input into the choice of the
second language is vital.
Often the disinterest is
understandable. Our area has many children of Italian descent. They may have
difficulty speaking to their grandparents and other relatives in Italian, and
if they were to study that language, it would be of much more use to them. The
parents would wholeheartedly support the program, and see to it that the
children got the necessary practice at home. They would also be able to see to
it that the child got help with Homework in the later grades when it was
assigned.
When I was teaching, the children
would often ask me for help with their French assignments. Since it had been
years since I had taken the subject, with no opportunity to practice in the
intervening time, I was unable to help. I'd ask them if they knew any
French-speaking people they could consult, and answer usually was, "Only
the French teacher, and I don't know where she lives".
In choosing a second language, it
is very helpful if the child has some ongoing contact with persons who can
speak to him in that tongue, can help him with assignments, and give him
pointers about the maxims and platitudes peculiar to that language. Unless he
has the opportunity to practice his new tongue through frequent use, he will
soon forget it.
In today's world, with instant
communication, and widespread travel, we humans come into contact with people
of other lands, other cultures, and speaking foreign languages, much more
frequently than in former times. Today's children will be called upon to reach out
and embrace the world. Becoming fluent in a second language during their school
years is a worthwhile place to start.
Children, and indeed, the entire
family benefit when schools demand that all students wear uniforms. I speak
from experience. I wore uniforms from Grade One to Grade Twelve when I attended
all-girl schools in my youth.
Our day-to-day garb was as
follows: a navy-blue serge tunic with three fat pleats in front and three more
in back. There was a belt of the same heavy fabric which circled the waist and
fastened in front with a single navy button. Under the tunic was a lighter blue
cotton blouse, with long sleeves and a round Peter-Pan collar. The tunic had to
fall below the knees. On the legs we wore nylons with seams up the back. If the
seams weren't straight, we heard about it. On cool days in Spring and Fall,
there was a wool, navy-blue blazer which could be worn over top.
Individually, anyone wearing this
outfit could only be described as incredibly frumpy, but in a group, strangely
enough, we looked impressive, especially when we wore our chapeaus. Topping off
the ensemble was a navy pillbox hat, which had to be fastened on with a hat pin
or the slightest breeze would sweep it away like a Frisbee.
The main advantage, I imagine,
for most families was the reasonable cost. I had two tunics. While I wore one,
the other was at the dry-cleaners. There were three cotton blouses which my
mother washed and ironed every week. You only had to replenish your wardrobe
every three or four years as you outgrew them. Those tunics never wore out! The
blazers could usually go through a season with only one trip to the cleaners.
There was no competition or
jealousy because some girls had better or more expensive clothes than others.
We were more inclined to focus on outdoing each other in obtaining good grades.
It also cut down on the number of cliques that often form when girls congregate
in homogeneous groups.
Wearing uniforms also promoted
good behavior as we traveled from home to school and back again. We were
immediately recognizable as "St. Patrick's Girls" and any untoward
antics would be reported back to the school, and we were well aware of that
fact. The city wasn't so large in those days; we could well be reported by name
as well as by school.
In addition, we had many lectures
about stopping into the coffee shops, smoking, and talking to the boys, thereby
"disgracing the uniform". We were never sure which of these offenses
was the most serious, but we decided that, if we intended to indulge in any of
them, we surely wouldn't wear the uniform while we did!
The uniforms also promoted school
spirit. When you spotted one, even at a distance, you knew the girl wearing it
was a kindred spirit. Even if she was someone you weren't particularly fond of,
she was "one of us", and as such, merited recognition, consideration
and friendship. There were always topics for conversation: homework, teachers,
tests or upcoming holidays. We seemed to have more in common than the girls and
boys in public schools.
I think we formed closer
friendships because of the uniforms. Even today, more than fifty years later, I
still know where most of the girls in my class are and what they're doing. We
are almost like an extended family.
When my four children were ready
for high school, I chose to send them to one where the students wore uniforms.
They weren't too happy about the idea at first, but soon came to see the
advantages. Because they are close in age, we could never have afforded to
outfit them to match the stylish clothing standards of some of their friends.
Uniforms remove the disparity. Everyone dresses the same way; everyone starts
on an equal footing.
The young people will create
their own special identities through their personalities,their characters and
their abilities. These are better criteria on which to be assessed than on how well
their parents can afford to dress them. Uniforms make this fairer judgment
possible.
Every child is unique, one of a
kind, a special gift to his parents and family, to his city and country and
ultimately to the world. The school years are important. It is then that the
gifts and talents with which he will enrich the world during his lifetime, are
recognized and developed.
Because the child is human, there
will be problems and difficulties along the way. It is vital that they be
addressed in a timely and competent manner, so as not to interfere with the
evolving skills and talents that these years in school were intended to encourage.
Here a few tips to help
facilitate a child's journey through the educational system:
*The child should be assured that
parents and the school staff are working as a close, co-operative team, doing
everything possible to help him succeed.
*Few children excel in every
subject. If there is one giving particular difficulty, tutoring help for
several months may be worthwhile. Often retired teachers will help, on a
one-to-one basis, for a very reasonable cost.
*Parents should get to know their
child's friends and their families. The young people should be welcome in your
home. Join the parents' organization at school. If an issue with your child's
interpersonal relationships arises, you'll be able to confer with the adults
involved and offer informed comments to your young person.
*Volunteer with a group in which
your child is involved: a sports team, scouts, church group or wherever he or
she spends significant time outside of school. Watch how he interacts with
peers. Offer gentle guidance, if needed, to correct social faux pas.
*Be sure the child has a quiet,
comfortable, well-lit spot to do homework. Erect a notice board to help him
remember upcoming tests and assignments. Establish house rules that homework is
done before TV time.
*Encourage one or two
extracurricular activities each week, but don't structure every waking minute.
Children need time to dream, to explore, to socialize, to just "hang
out" and get to know the world on an informal basis.
*Take your child often to your
place of worship. Don't neglect his spiritual growth. Moral and ethical
development are necessary components of a well-rounded personality.
Raising children is a difficult job; they don't come with instruction booklets.
However, if a parent is attentive and available to the child and his friends
during the school years, chances are everything will turn out splendidly. When
the young adult you have nurtured and raised finally steps out into society on
his own, you will stand proud and tall knowing that the gifts he brings to the
world were formed and perfected by your faithful efforts.
