How to cope with autism

How will I deal with this diagnosis? 

It's not easy to hear the news that your child has autism, and realize that your life will be utterly different than you had expected it to be. Daily life with a special-needs child presents many unique challenges. How do you come to terms with the fact that your child has autism? How do you cope once you get over the initial shock? We aim to help you by providing regular features on topics ranging from how autism affects your family to day-to-day survival strategies. 

You are never prepared for a diagnosis of autism. It is likely that you will experience a range of emotions. It is painful to love so much, to want something so much, and not quite get it. You want your child to get better so much you may feel some of the stages commonly associated with grieving. You may “revisit” these feelings from time to time in the future. Part of moving forward, is dealing with your own needs and emotions along the way.

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Stages Associated with Grieving 

Shock 
Immediately after the diagnosis you may feel stunned or confused. The reality of the diagnosis may be so overwhelming that you're not ready to accept it or you initially ignore it. You may also question the diagnosis or search for another doctor who will tell 
you something different. 

Sadness or Grief 
Many parents must mourn some of the hopes and dreams they held for their child before they can move on. There will probably be many times when you feel extremely sad. Friends may refer to this as being “depressed,” which can sound frightening. 
There is, however, a difference between sadness and depression. Depression often stands in the way of moving forward. Allowing yourself to feel sadness can help you grow. You have every right to feel sad and to express it in ways that are comfortable. Crying can help release some of the tension that builds up when you try to hold in sadness. A good cry can get you over one hurdle and help you face the next. 


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The importance of private education

Any society has a right to expect positive and productive contributions from its citizens. Private schooling, when given the opportunity, plays a significant role in achieving this expectation. In addition to producing students with strong academic achievements, private schools focus on producing productive citizens who contribute significantly to the broader well-being of their societies.

Private schools also reduce the financial burden on government for the education of its citizens. Private schools achieve these benefits most effectively when they function from a firm philosophical foundation, when they partner with parents who have the opportunity to choose such alternative educational programs for their children, and when they educate from a basis of conviction for the overall academic, social, physical, emotional and spiritual development of their students.

Education plays a key role in strengthening society. Although education has taken various forms to address the desires and needs of a given culture, community or society, it is generally agreed that an appropriately educated society will be more productive. Its people will be more conscious of cause and effect, and thus more socially aware, and they will take greater responsibility for the well-being of others and the preservation of their country’s environment and natural resources.

An educated society promotes a sense of personal and national identity that results in greater social stability, a stronger sense of community, and a willingness to sacrifice in times of necessity. Positive cultural values enrich any society, and an educated society helps to perpetuate such values by developing students’ historical understanding and communicating the morals and ethics that the society chooses to promote.

The United States has a rich heritage of private schools, many of which originated years before the official founding of the nation. Throughout their country’s history, Americans have been aggressive and assertive about providing education for their children. One example occurred over 100 years ago in the western state of Idaho. A band of settlers in the Boise Valley had begun clearing the sagebrush to prepare the land for the crops they envisioned growing there. The settlers soon built their small church, and since the public schools were too far away, almost immediately developed a private school.

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Helping children with learning disabilities

This documentary, shown on American Health Journal on PBS, describes the use of brain research in order to help people with learning disabilities solve their learning problems. Physio-Neuro Therapy, the recently discovered learning technique, has shown incredible success in improving learning ability for children and adults with a learning disability like Dyslexia, Hyperactivity, Attention Deficit Disorder, and more. 


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Reading to children daily improves achievement and behaviour at school

The Institute of Education's study found a correlation between mothers who believe it is important to teach their toddler the alphabet, to count, and read to them regularly and the child's achievement at the age of five.

The Government-commissioned study looked at the foundation stage profile, a teacher's assessment of a child's achievement after one year at school, and assessed the cognitive abilities of just over 8,000 five-year-olds.

It also used a questionnaire to assess each child's behaviour.

The study focused on which factors are associated with achievement at the age of five, and took into account "parental variables" such as how much time is spent with the child reading, teaching the alphabet and counting, watching television.

It concluded: "Reading to the child every day and having a mother who thinks it is important to stimulate young children are positively associated with all cognitive outcomes and negatively with problem behaviour." It said that reading to a child every day "appears to lower behavioural

Children who were read to daily did better in the naming vocabulary test, which involved the children being shown a picture and asked to identify the object.

They also performed better in the foundation stage profiles and had higher behaviour scores.

Youngsters whose mothers thought it was important to talk to them and teach them the alphabet did better than their peers in a number of other tests, and also had better foundation stage profiles.

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Private schools may shut as parents turn to state sector

The recession is making almost a third of private school parents rethink plans to pay for education, according to a major survey published today.

A poll of just over 2,000 parents reveals that 29 per cent are either scrapping plans to send children to private schools or reducing the amount of money they will spend. Such an exodus would have a devastating effect on the private sector, prompting school closures. The sector educates around 600,000 children from 300,000 families – the number is higher once pre-school nurseries are taken into account.

The poll, carried out by Schroders bank, surveyed parents who spend money on private education for children of all ages. Experts from the independent sector conceded yesterday that some parents were facing financial difficulties, although their numbers had fallen by a marginal 0.2 per cent in an annual census. The true picture for this academic year will not emerge until next April's census.

There is already evidence, though, that parents are being more selective about how many years their children spend in private schools.

"I think it's the parents who are contemplating private education who are holding back on a decision," said Neil Roskilly, chief executive of the Independent Schools Association. "They may be being more selective in terms of the key stages they may put their children in for private education. Some believe the basic skills are all important, introducing their children to private education at nursery level or the early years; others think the most important thing is entrance to university

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Helping children with Dyslexia

Proficient reading is an essential tool for learning a large part of the subject matter taught at school. With an ever increasing emphasis on education and literacy, more and more children and adults are needing help in learning to read, spell, express their thoughts on paper and acquire adequate use of grammar.

A dyslexic child who finds the acquisition of these literacy skills difficult can also suffer a lot of anguish and trauma when they may feel mentally abused by their peers within the school environment, because they have a learning difficulty. Much can be done to alleviate this by integrating the child into the class environment (which is predominantly a learning environment) where he/she can feel comfortable and develop confidence and self esteem.

Class teachers may be particularly confused by the student whose consistent underachievement seems due to what may look like carelessness or lack of effort.

These children can be made to feel very different from their peers simply because they may be unable to follow simple instructions, which for others seem easy. It is a class teacher's responsibility to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning for all pupils within their class.

Class teachers need to have an understanding of the problems that the dyslexic child may have within the classroom situation. Hopefully, with this knowledge, a great deal of misunderstanding of a child's behaviour can be prevented. In a positive and encouraging environment, a dyslexic child will experience the feeling of success and self-value.

Of particular importance is an understanding of the problems that poor auditory short term memory can cause, in terms of retaining input from the teacher.

Examples of poor auditory short term memory can be a difficulty in remembering the sounds in spoken words long enough to match these, in sequence, with letters for spelling. Often children with poor auditory short term memory cannot remember even a short list of instructions.

The following items should provide useful guidelines for teachers and parents to follow and support :

Read more: http://www.dyslexia.com/library/classroom.htm#ixzz1YOfPYppL

Helping children with autism

Early intervention is the key to improving the outlook for a child with autism, a neurological disorder that impairs communication and social skills. Here are several strategies you may want to consider.

To complete this How-To you will need:

A medical workup
A gluten-free, casein-free diet
Speech, occupational, and alternative therapies
School enrollment
A nutritionist or dietitian (optional) (optional) (optional)

Step 1: Take your child for a complete medical exam. Some behavioral problems associated with autism, like temper tantrums, can sometimes be reduced if physical problems common in children with autism, such as gastrointestinal issues and allergies, are alleviated.

Step 2: Put your child on a gluten-free, casein-free diet, which means no barley, rye, oats, wheat, or dairy. Many families of children with autism have had good results -- but only if the diet is followed to the letter, no exceptions.

Tip: To make sure your child is getting the proper nutrients despite these restrictions, consult a nutritionist or dietitian.

Step 3: Get your child started on speech therapy as soon as possible. If your child is nonverbal, try PECS, which stands for Picture Exchange Communication System. This technique, which uses picture cards, may encourage them to speak.

Step 4: Get your child sensory-integration therapy, which has been proven effective in helping children with autism become less sensitive to light, sound, and touch.

Step 5: Hire an occupational therapist to help them with skills they'll need for an independent life. Depending on the child, this can be anything from physical coordination to anger management.

Step 6: Use applied behavioral analysis, or ABA, the only intervention approved by the Surgeon General's Office. ABA is a one-on-one approach to teaching children how to react appropriately to everyday social situations with the help of rewards. Parents can either hire an ABA-trained therapist or learn the technique themselves.

Step 7: Try other therapies. Most children with autism benefit from a combination of treatments.

Tip: A popular exercise is "floortime," in which the parent or other caregivers get on the floor with the child and mimic how they play, to encourage them to let others join in the fun.

Step 8: Consider verbal behavior intervention, which is designed to develop language skills through motivation and reinforcement.

Step 9: Test the TEACCH approach, which customizes an education program to the child's strengths and weaknesses. Because children with autism tend to be visual learners, the program is structured around visual clues.

Tip: Some autism experts think the TEACCH system tries to incorporate too many interventions, and winds up diluting them.

Step 10: Consider becoming trained in Relationship Development Intervention, or RDI, which suggests everyday things parents can do at home to help their child adapt to changes and be more open to interacting with others.

Step 11: Enroll your child in school when they turn three. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that states provide special education services to children with disabilities, beginning at this age.

Step 12: Stay up-to-date on autism research; new therapies are being tested and developed all the time.

Help your kids learn to speak

CHILDREN are reaching the age of three without saying their first word, according to a new YouGov poll.



Although the average age for babies' first words is ten to 11 months, almost one in six parents reported their children had problems learning to talk and four per cent had not spoken by the age of three.



So what should you do if your little one says precious little?



Clare Geldard, director of I Can, the children's communication charity, says your first job is not to panic: "All children develop at different rates so don't compare your child to others.



By following simple tips, you can bring their speech on in leaps and bounds."



Here are Clare's top tips to get tiny tongues wagging.

1) Talk to your baby as soon as they're born. Parents often feel silly doing this but it's surprising how quickly you'll get some kind of response or noise back if you say something and leave a pause after it.

2) Have fun. Your child will learn better if they're enjoying interacting with you. Learn action nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty or Hickory Dickory Dock, clap your hands or practise animal noises together.

3) Learn together as you go about your everyday life. Use everyday tasks like putting the shopping away to teach the names of things.

4) Good communication is all about eye contact – get down to your child's level to talk to them.

5) Repetition is key to good language skills. Try singing a nursery rhyme to your toddler and leaving the last word out for them to finish.

6) Give children time to respond. We live in a fast-paced world so often think everything should be instant. Kids need time when they're learning to process what they've heard and what they want to say back.

7) For children under three use short, uncomplicated sentences. Don't say: "Right, let's go and find your coat, hat, gloves and scarf and then we'll lock up, get in the car and go to the supermarket." Break all that information down into chunks by starting with: "Go and find your coat. Where's your coat?" When they bring it back to you or point it out, move on to the next thing.

8) Children learn the names of things quickly but there are many more words they need under their belts – from adjectives to verbs. The best way to teach these is by being physical. Jump up and down to show jumping, shiver if something is cold etc. Use all senses from touch to smell to help words make sense.

9) Storybooks are fantastic. Build up to complicated stories and don't be afraid to start showing your child pages from about three months onwards. Books with actions you can copy such as We're Going On A Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen, are a great place to start.

10) Play games and go large on the facial expressions. Games like Peekaboo that rely on funny faces will increase your child's attention to you, and what you say.

11) Don't use the TV as a childminder – watch it with your kids and ask them about what they've seen.

12) Forward-facing pushchairs are not as bad as people think. Just stop and kneel down every so often to chat to your child at eye level.

Help your child learn to write

. In order for any child to write meaningfully, he or she must first build up their fine motor skills. Art projects, working with play dough, measuring and pouring sand and water, and practicing writing are excellent ways to improve fine motor skills.The skills along the path to writing are: Scribbling with crayons. Have plenty of paper and writing materials on hand for your child. Place paper pads and pencils throughout the house. Encourage all efforts to write. Making circles and other basic shapes. Again, put plenty of paper and writing materials around the house. Point out shapes in the house and try to draw them together (be encouraging). Have stencils available for your child to trace. Discuss your child's attempts with him/her in a positive way. Encourage your child to look at and talk about their work. Gaining more control of small muscles through... Squeezing activities. Let them move water from bowl to bowl with a sponge. Provide play dough. Squeeze a small ball or bean bag. Pinching activities. Move water with an eye dropper. Use tweezers to move beads from one dish to another. Make collages together with materials you buy, collect, or find together. Using scissors (with your supervision). Cut pictures from magazines. Cut play dough. Cut plain paper or lined paper. Cut collage pieces. Lacing and stringing. Lacing cards are available in toy departments. Have them practice lacing and then tying shoes. Use shoe laces to string beads or macaroni. Tracing activities. Draw lines on a page and have them trace the lines. Draw a simple path to help Goldilocks find her way home and have them trace the path (children seem to live activities like this). Find a book with simple mazes for your child to trace. Spray some shaving cream on your bathroom or kitchen counter and let your child play with it like finger paint. (It's fun and you'll have a clean counter, too.) Beginning to make drawings of real people, objects, and events. Encourage all efforts (stick people are beautiful when your child draws them). Ask your child about his/her work. Keep samples and encourage your child to look at and talk about their work. Hang your child's art in their room or on the refrigerator. Beginning to recognize letters. Write your child's name on a card so they can look at it often. Find the letters in their name in other words. Encourage your child pick out letters they know. Talk about the letters in your child's name. Point out and talk about capital and lower case letters. Play letter lotto (a Bingo type game using letters). ONLINE ACTIVITY: Learn to recognize letters through visits to the Alphabet Soup Cafe in Fun with Letters. Read alphabet books. Here's a list of great ones. Beginning to recognize written names and some words. Work with your child on picking out words they recognize in magazines and books. Together, notice similarities and differences in words (bell & dell, wall & walk). Make a word box with a word and a picture of that word when possible. Encourage your child in their efforts. Realizing the permanency of words (r-u-n always spells run). Write down a story your child tells you and reread it every day. ONLINE ACTIVITY: Our Young Writers Workshopprovides over thirty illustrated story starters and helpful instructions. Read familiar books with only one or two lines on a page. Notice word labels on boxes; reread them to reinforce their permanency. Buy a first words dictionary and use it together. Beginning to imitate letters in writing. Provide writing materials. Have word and picture cards on hand. Have letter cards and stencils on hand. Encourage letter writing and hang up their paper. Make shoe strings into letters with your child. Use play dough to make letters. Provide sandpaper for letter tracing (the feel of the letter helps you remember). Provide chalk and a chalkboard. ONLINE ACTIVITY: Learn how to make letters by watchingSpinner the Writing Spider. Attempting to write their name. Do not worry if the letters are out of order or backwards. You write their name and encourage them to copy it. When your child says they can write their name alone - let them. Encourage all efforts. Provide plenty of writing materials. Beginning to write other words. Encourage all writing. Be ready to write words for them to copy when they ask you. Show pride in their efforts. Write stories with your child and put them with your child's other books. ONLINE ACTIVITY: Print letters on an egg and move them about to make words. Improving through practice and positive feedback. Encourage children to write letters to family members, thank you notes, notes to their favorite character in a book. Help them write rhymes. Have them write reminder notes to you about anything they want you to remember.

Helping Your Child at Home with Vocabulary Building

Parents are the first "language models" for children. The language children use is modeled, or based, on what they hear from their parents. Parents need to create an environment that enriches what a child hears. The words he hears, he will use with encouragement.

To start, take a look for a moment at the words you use-and how you use them, Children who repeatedly hear, "I seen it" will imitate that language. And the probability is great that if they speak that way, they will write that way.

Encourage family discussions. Turn off the TV and talk. One of the best places is the dinner table. That's one of the few times an entire family is together. In a sense, it's a "captive" audience. Set up some ground rules, such as "No eat and run," and "Everyone will have something to talk about" during and after supper. It's a kind of "hear and tell" time. What to talk about? Things going on in the neighborhood, what happened at school, events that are coming up, family plans, family decisions, et cetera. But remember the conversation should be pleasant and relaxing. This is NOT the time to bring up sins of omission or commission.

If your child has started formal spelling at school, post the list on the refrigerator door. Use those words with your child as discussions arise. Encourage him to use them in his responses.

If you have a cassette recorder, make a tape of words. Say the word, define it, and then use it in a sentence. (Select words that he will find interesting.) Better yet, have the child do the taping. Encourage regular use of the tape. (If he's studying for a spelling test, he can also spell it on the tape.)

"Word of the Week" is a family game-like activity. Each person selects a word taking turns each week. For example, the first week it might be Mother who writes a word on a card and puts it on the refrigerator door. Everyone must use that word as much as possible that week. The next week it's Dad's turn, and then the children's turn, and so on until it is Mother's turn again. As the words are used, they are posted on a cabinet door to stimulate continued Usage.

"Ten Questions" is a game that promotes several teaming skills, chief of which is reasoning with words. One family member thinks of something, which the other players must guess with no more than ten questions. The first question always is "Is it animal, vegetable, or mineral?" This covers virtually every possible thing the child could think of. Then, question by question, the field is narrowed to likely possibilities. After the first questions, the following questions must be asked so that they can be answered by "yes" or "no."

For some youngsters, "Ten Questions" might be too demanding, so make it "Twenty Questions. " One of the values of the extension is that additional reasoning and logic can be expressed. Stretch the game as much as possible. You can show, for example, the process of moving from broad-based questions to more discrete ones. In this way, your child will team to ask questions such as, "Is it located in the Northern Hemisphere?" "Is it in the Western Hemisphere?" "Is it in the United States?" "Is it land based?" and so on. This becomes an exercise not only in vocabulary development but also in geography.

Encourage the use of a "log" or "diary. " And Pen Pal Clubs are easy to find and join.

Enter a subscription to a child's magazine. There are many of these, and they cover practically every interest area of children: cars, sports, computers, the out-of-doors, et cetera. (Information from the articles makes an ideal subject for family discussions.)

If distant family members have cassette players, send "letters" on tape. Each family member has his or her "say," and then the tape is mailed to the distant relative to listen to on his tape recorder. That person then adds some comments and either returns it or passes it on to another family member.

Play games with homonyms - words that sound alike but are spelled differently and mean something different, as in "sun" and "son." For example, on the versatile refrigerator door, post train rain- or "reign-rain" or" pray-prey" or "flower -flour." Ask family members to add to the list. You'll be surprised at how many homonyms they will uncover

Another way of encouraging vocabulary development is the penny game," which can be played even if your child is having difficulty with reading. You might use a comic book, the comic strips or sports pages in your local newspaper, or a magazine article- To play the game, the child must know that some words start with a consonant followed by a vowel-for example, "say, look, go, pay," et etc. that other words begin with two consonants (called a blend) such as "grow, plate, tray, brush," etc. (Note: Some words do start with two or three consonants but are not true blends because one letter is silent, as in "white". gnat, pneumonia," etc.) Tell the child you'll give him a penny for every word he underlines that starts with a blend.

A follow-up to the "penny game" is to list words in "teams," such as fog/frog, bake/brake, pay/play, say/stay," et cetera.

A guessing game can be fun. "I'm thinking of a word that starts with "br" that is something you use to paint a house." (Brush) "I'm thinking of a word that starts with "tr" that is something we do to the bushes when they get too large." (Trim)

A traditional game that most children enjoy is "My father owns " Example: "My father owns a grocery store, and in it he sells something that begins with the letter B. " If the child does not know the alphabet, letter sounds can be used.

Revolving blend- is another family game in which someone gives a common blend-for example, "tr"--and, in sequence around the table or room, everyone must think of a word that begins with that blend-"train, truck, truffle, try, tray, trumpet, truce." et cetera. When the list is exhausted, the last person begins another blend, such as "st"--"stay, start, stick, stuck, star," etc.

Word origins or facts about words can be fascinating family fare. For example, the word "salary" had its origin in "salarium," which is Latin for salt. Roman soldiers received their pay in salt. Ask your librarian to help you find books that will provide other interesting examples of the origin of common words.

Suffixes are clues to word meanings. For example, "er" or "or" at the end of a word suggests "one who." Example: conductor-one who conducts; trainer-one who trains, etc. Each week a new suffix can be selected to create words.

The "Take a Walk" game is an activity that brings family members together in an enjoyable, relaxing way. It takes at least two people. A walk is taken around the neighborhood or perhaps around a local shopping area. On one trip the thrust may be, "Let's name everything we see that begins with the letter B." On another walk, it might be naming everything that begins with the letter G. Or everything that is the color purple. You might add an element of fun by saying, "We'll get one point for every word we name. Let's see how many points we can get." (Involves arithmetic as well as vocabulary.)

A rhyming game is always fun, particularly for young children because they can say any "word," nonsense or sense. Start with things the child knows, such as parts of his body, and say, "I'm thinking of something on your face that rhymes with (sounds like) rose." From this point, once your child gets the idea, you can play it just by saying words, such as "what's a word that rhymes with car?" (jar, bar, star, far, et cetera) "How about a word that rhymes with junk?" (bunk, skunk, trunk-but even runk lunk zunk as nonsense words). Nor only does this quick little game build vocabulary, but it also teaches the child some fine-tuning for the sounds of words.

Children listen, then use words, then read them, and, finally, write them. What they team at home about words supports success in school. A great deal of the learning that takes place at home is effective because it isn't a repeat of school. Once it becomes too formal and too "school-like," it will lose its appeal.

Parents who talk to their children, and who encourage interaction win lay a healthy platform for academic success. And children will quickly realize that words need not be drudgery but can be exciting and interesting.

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Tips to promote speech and language therapy for your child

The communication skills of a newbon are astonishing. In fact, speech and language development visibly occurs immediately after birth. Moments after the birth of my daughter, I looked into her eyes and said "Welcome, Rebekah. We have all been waiting for you." Then, through body language, she communicated back to me. Searching with her little mouth she instantly and non-verbally expressed that she was hungry. As she began to nurse, I knew that we had begun to communicate.

Research in Speech and Hearing Sciences recognizes the communication skills of newborns and even the developing fetus during the last trimester of pregnancy. Nonetheless, parents tend to concentrate on the physical growth of their young child as he or she develops. While physical development is very important, communication skills are equally important. In fact, these two areas of development are interdependent for a healthy child.

The following are ten ways you can nurture the five different areas of speech and language development in typically developing infants and toddlers.

Social Language

1) Eye contact. When communicating with your child, look at his or her face and eyes as often as possible. This helps your child learn that it is appropriate to look at people during communication. Children learn a lot about you through facial expressions and acquire articulation skills by watching the movement of your mouth.

2) Taking turns. Talk to your child and then pause to give them a moment to verbalize. This teaches them the art of turn taking. This skill can also be accomplished during play, using objects and toys.

Expressive Language

3) Give your child space. When your child is trying to communicate with you and you know what they want, give them a few seconds before you instantly meet their needs. This will give them the opportunity to vocalize (coo and babble), point, or attempt a word.

4) Give your child choices and then let them express their choice by pointing, vocalizing, or attempting words. The feelings of confidence a child gains by expressing their own choice are building blocks for further exploration of expressive language.

Receptive Language

5) Get your child to follow instructions. Start with simple requests that only involve one element, such as "smile" or "kiss." Then increase to two elements when one element becomes easy for your child (i.e. "Hand up," or "Touch your nose," and so on).

6) Read simple books to your child with one or two pictures on each page. Ask them questions that can be answered verbally or by pointing to the correct picture. Try not to put too much pressure on them. If your child does not respond after about 10 or 15 seconds, model the answer for them with a positive tone of voice.

Vocabulary Development

7) Reinforce and demonstrate. If your child produces a verbal attempt that resembles a word, praise them with a pleasant tone of voice and then model the word that you think they attempted. For example, if the child says "ba" for ball, say "You said ball. Yes, it is a ball!"

 Explore. There are wonderful opportunities to model vocabulary out in the community. A simple trip to the market can be a great chance to name items for your child.

Articulation

9) Observe how often other people understand your child's speech. This will give you an idea of how clear his or her articulation really is (parents usually understand their children more than an outside listener). Don't worry if your toddler is not producing all the sounds in the English language. Many sounds may not develop until four years of age or later. However, you should consider consulting a speech pathologist if it is extremely hard to understand your child's speech at 3 years of age.

10) Articulate your words clearly when you communicate withh your child. Speak slowly and remember to look directly at your child's face.

While speech and language development varies with each child, there is no question that positive daily involvement from a parent and/or a loving caregiver makes the process much smoother. You, the parent, are the "super model" for your child's speech and language development. Taking time to put these tips into action can give you a thoughtful approach as you interact with your amazing little communicator.

Karin Howard is a practicing speech/language pathologist in Los Angeles. She has taught "Mommy and Me" classes that emphasize speech and language to aid parents of typically developing infants and toddlers. She is also the creator of "Exploring Language through Song and Play," a CD set with an accompanying lyric and activity book. You can learn more about this CD set here. There is also a Buy Now button on the upper right side bar of this website if you wish to purchase this CD set.

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Seven steps to improving your child success in maths

If you were to single out the one subject that discourages children AND also sets the stage for their success for years to come, what curricular subject comes to your mind? So many of our children today are discouraged by that four-letter “m word” –MATH! According to PF Kanter (1994), The United Kingdom is the only advanced industrial nation where people are quick to admit that “I am not good at math.”

Life is all about attitude. Instilling a positive attitude in our children in all areas of their lives is critical to their developmental success. Having a good attitude means having more fun - so let’s make math more fun and accessible to our children. Albert Schweitzer tells us that we should teach by example. Educational research also shows us that children learn best by imitation, games and by example. With these ideas in mind, here are seven things you can do to improve your child’s success in math.

1.Music Lessons/Exposure to Music

Brain research is now telling us that early exposure and stimulation are the most critical factors in a child’s future learning potential. Studies have shown a positive effect between early musical training and a child’s brain development. It has been suggested that it can have a positive effect on a child’s academic achievement, especially in the area of mathematics.

Good mental stimulation in the first few years of life can increase a child’s IQ by up to 20 points (Beck, 1996). Research has found that the corpus callosum was significantly larger in musicians who trained from an early age than non-musicians (Shreeve, 1996).

The positive effects of early musical training are also showing themselves in the College Entrance Examination Board test. Students who had music appreciation classes and music performance classes scored on an average of 56 points higher on the verbal portion and 43 points higher on the math portion than students with no musical experience (Mahlmann, 1996).

Music also fosters creativity, imagination, cooperation, flexible ways of thinking, discipline, better concentration and self-confidence; all of which are invaluable to college entrants, no matter what their intended course of study. Music should be thought of as an investment in a child’s future and a required integral part of every child’s education – not an extra curricular activity for the chosen few.

2.Recognizing Math Vocabulary in Everyday Events

Take time to point out math situations and especially math vocabulary in print in your everyday lives. Start with the breakfast cereal box and read the ounces and servings on the box.  Open a bank account for your child and teach them how to make deposits, count money, balance a checkbook, sort and classify. While at the grocery store talk about what you see on package labels and point out the abbreviations for ounce, pint, quart, gallon and pound. There are endless teaching opportunities throughout the course of a day to reinforce math vocabulary and skills.

3. Form a Close Relationship With Your Child’s Teacher(s)

Let teachers know you support them. Volunteer to help out on a weekly basis, if possible. If this is not feasible,  then sign up to go on a fieldtrip with your child’s class or ask the teacher if there is anything you can help out with at home – like cutting out art materials. Also, ask the teacher for activity suggestions for you and your child to do at home to help improve and reinforce your child’s understanding of schoolwork. Parents and teachers should work together to benefit students.

4. See What’s In Your Local Teachers Store

Teachers stores are not just for teachers. They are a great resource for parents, as well. They carry many supplemental materials/games for home to help reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. Look in your phonebook under “School Supplies” or check the Internet for local listings. Take your child with you. Both of you will have a wonderful time exploring fun activities that you can do together.

5. Cooking

Cooking is all about math - and what a great way to spend some quality time with your child. Make chocolate chip cookies together. Have your child help you with dinner, all while throwing in a pinch of math. Here are some examples:

Have your child help read the recipe – In step 7 of this article you will read about the importance of math vocabulary exposure. This is a perfect opportunity.

• Divide your recipe in half or double it, and have your child help you figure out the correct measurements and proportions.
• Talk about how many cups in a pint, how many pints in a quart, etc.
• Have them set the table. Use multiplication to figure out how many utensils will be on the table. Example: If each of the four people at the table have a knife, fork and spoon, how many utensils are on the table? (4 x 3 = 12)
• If you put 7 dinner rolls on the table and each person has one, how many will be left over?

Math mastery is all about being able to apply it to everyday life. Cooking is one of the best opportunities to achieve that mastery.

6. Always Have a Positive Math Attitude

Never say things like, “Our family is just not good at math.” Children are like sponges and will also adopt that attitude. In her writing, Math: Facing an American Phobia, Marilyn Burns says, “Math is a phobia right up there with snakes, public speaking and heights.”

Massachusetts and Washington published a study about parents helping their children with their math homework. Here are some of the results:

Question: Do you personally find it easier, harder or about the same to help your children with math homework as with other subjects? (38% of parents inMassachusetts and 41% of Washington parents said they found it more difficult to help their children with math homework than with other subjects.)

Question: What kept you from helping in math? (The number one response was, “I was never very good in math.” 42% of Massachusetts parents and 32% ofWashington parents chose this answer.) (Mass Insight Education and Research Institute, More Math Please, April 2004)

7. Vocabulary Flashcards /Exposure to
Math Vocabulary in Print

Math tends to be a subject where we focus more on the numbers, as opposed to the written word. Computation and appropriate sequencing of steps is often emphasized, instead.

Second graders actually encounter such extremely difficult vocabulary words as oblique line segment, commutative property, Venn Diagram and multiplication. Most of us would be thrilled if our second graders knew what each of these concepts mean, much less be able to proficiently read such difficult vocabulary language at the young age of seven.

When a new math concept is introduced in the classroom, a superb teacher will write some of the new vocabulary on the board. Excellent – now the child has seen the word in print one time. Not nearly enough – children need to be exposed to words and skills multiple times – repetition, repetition, repetition! Five months later, on standardized testing day, your child is not going to remember that one time he/she saw commutative property on the chalkboard. Chances are extremely high, that they will miss many questions on the standardized test because they are not able to read such difficult vocabulary words. Oh yes, they have definitely mastered commutative property (4 + 3 = 7 or 3 + 4 = 7). What a shame they may not be able to fully demonstrate what they know on the exam because of lack of exposure to such difficult vocabulary words and phrases.

Having difficult math vocabulary words and phrases exposed to them in print is key to their math and standardized testing success, including word problem mastery. Vocabulary cards may be used for other reading skills such as alphabetizing, clapping syllables, usage in a sentence and drawing a picture of the vocabulary word – anything for added exposure to the written math vocabulary words.

Today, great emphasis is being placed on our children’s standardized test scores. The pressure is felt by the classroom teachers, students and parents. Application of math skills and exposure to difficult math vocabulary words and phrases is key to their math and standardized testing success.

Math affects all aspects of our daily lives. Try to make it more fun than just standing over your child’s shoulder while he/she completes their math homework. Then, everyone is a winner.

Improve your child maths score

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07438574927

Tips for helping your children with homework

Reading with your child is vital. Research shows that it's the single most important thing you can do to help your child's education. It's best to read little and often, so try to put aside some time for it every day.

Think of ways to make reading fun - you want your child to learn how pleasurable books can be. If you're both enjoying talking about the content of a particular page, linger over it for as long as you like.

Books aren't just about reading the words on the page, they can also present new ideas and topics for you and your child to discuss.

Tips for helping your child to enjoy books:

• Encourage your child to pretend to 'read' a book before he or she can read words.
• Visit the library as often as possible - take out CDs and DVDs as well as books.
• Schedule a regular time for reading - perhaps when you get home from school or just before bed.
• Buy dual-language books if English isn’t your family’s first language - you can talk about books and stories, and develop a love for them, in any language.
• Look for books on topics that you know your child is interested in - maybe dragons, insects, cookery or a certain sport.
• Make sure that children’s books are easily accessible in different rooms around your house.

for further information 

contact john 

07438574927

Free schools will not be run for profit, says Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg will today rule out the possibility of the Government's new free schools being run for profit as he seeks to reassure Liberal Democrat sceptics that the policy will improve social mobility.

As the first wave of the new-style schools prepare to open this week, the Deputy Prime Minister will insist that he would "never tolerate" them becoming "the preserve of the privileged few".

In a speech this morning, he will say that they will be incentivised to attract under-privileged pupils and set up in areas of high deprivation or with shortages of school places.

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Education policies 'risk stifling creativity'

Artistic expression among school pupils is being left to die by the government's education reforms, say leading artists
Creativity in UK schoolchildren risks being stifled by the government's education policies, a coalition of leading artists, entrepreneurs and educationalists has warned.
In a letter to the Observer, the group, which includes the actor Sir Patrick Stewart and film-maker Lord David Puttnam, says it is vital that the skills of the next generation are nurtured to ensure that the UK's strong creative industries continue to create jobs.
The group says that current policies appear to be heading in the wrong direction. "We are concerned that recent developments, including the phasing out of teaching grants for arts degrees, send out the wrong message.
"We urge ministers to adopt policies which will ensure that creativity is at the heart of what our education offers."
They add: "For many young people, their passion for learning is ignited when they're provided with the opportunity to express themselves."
Ivan Lewis, shadow culture, media and sport secretary, said the group was sending a clear message: "Supporting creativity should be an integral part of striving for the highest educational standards. It is also central to the future success of our economy and society.
"Education reform rooted in high standards must ensure young people are supported to develop their creative talent and prepared for the opportunities of the digital age. David Cameron should not allow ill-conceived ideology to trump the national interest."

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Head teachers to offer discounts on school dinners

Headteachers will be allowed to offer discounts on the price of school meals in an attempt to ensure more children benefit from a nutritious lunch in the middle of the day, under proposals to be debated by MPs this month.

Ministers hope to coax more children into school canteens by introducing flexible pricing. The aim is to improve the standard of food consumed from an early age. The move, part of the Government's Education Bill, will target groups including children in their first months at school; older pupils who have fallen into poor eating habits; and poorer families whose incomes put them just above the threshold that would make them eligible for free school meals.

The proposal comes amid growing concern over insufficient take-up of school meals, the standard of food consumed by thousands of British schoolchildren and the impact that has on their capacity to learn. The Independent on Sunday revealed earlier this year that rising costs were putting many hard-pressed families off school meals, with the average price rising by 10 per cent in a year.

The Bill will return to the House of Commons as new research reveals that lower prices would make families more likely to switch to healthy school meals. A survey by the School Food Trust (SFT) found that almost six out of 10 parents whose children didn't already have school meals said they would be prepared to try them this term if they were on offer at a reduced price