July 4th, 2010 by Karen.
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Wouldn’t it be great if, instead of the NCLB, we had an ECHS…Every Child Has a Strength? Our education system sometimes seems so focused on the academic end of education that it forgets other types of education. Not every child is going to be an academic, not every child is going to feel successful in the classroom, and not every child is going to attend college. The dropout rate nationally is roughly 25%, and of those who do graduate, depending on what source is used, only 30-50% of them go on to traditional college. So, maybe it’s just me, but shouldn’t we be shifting some of our focus to what students can do and foster growth in those areas? We seem to have no trouble having AP and IB classes for those that are absolutely college bound. But what about the student who does abysmally in reading, writing and ‘rithmatic, but is gifted artistically, musically, mechanically, or is a great cook, or wonderful with hair, or…well, I could go on and on. Unfortunately, it seems our system only truly encourages those that, along with these types of talents, also succeed in academics. Even with schools that focus on specific areas such as high schools for the arts, or high schools where science is the focus, everything seems to still boil down to the high stakes testing. How does this make sure no child gets left behind? Now I am going to step down off my soapbox to offer some examples of very talented kids who have a huge struggle with academics.
One of my students is very talented artist. She paints and sews. The wolf (or dog…not sure which) painting on the left she did a couple of years ago when she was 9. I’m not sure when she did the dragon. This is a wonderfully creative young lady that deserves to be allowed to foster this talent within the system.
The next example is from a student, a now seventh grader, who has already decided he will need me all the way through high school. This young man has the potential to be a successful illustrator some day. And he is already pretty darn good at the piano. But school work…not so much. Together this summer, our tutoring sessions are focusing on being original in his artwork and developing stories to go with his illustrations. Is this going to help him pass high stakes testing? Probably not, but it could lead to greater things later in his life.
And lastly, this little gal is a pretty good little athlete. She adores basketball and keeps track of everything the franchise here does. She knows everything about them. But school is a disaster. Luckily, she doesn’t seem to be aware of how tough school is for her. She has a pretty healthy self-esteem. She also does well at horseback riding and playing the marimba. And she is only going to be in the fifth grade. Here she is putting one in the bucket…nothing but net!
These are just three of the children I work with. All of my students have strengths in different areas. Yet, for most of them, the focus is on what they can’t do, not what they can. If we don’t want any of our children left behind, maybe we should swing some of the focus around to the “can” and not so much the “can’t”.
June 27th, 2010 by Karen.
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I will say up front that tutoring is my passion. With high stakes testing and teaching becoming the norm, there is increased pressure for everyone to succeed…teachers, students, parents. And this high stakes testing has been at the crux of education for, how long now? When was the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) enacted? 2001…almost 10 years ago. And many states had implemented high stakes testing a few years prior to that, knowing what was coming down the pike. Yet, the tests results in my state for the 2008-2009 school year show that at least 30% of the state’s elementary students still could not pass the state tests. So, who is getting left behind? Those students with even slight learning disabilities, those students who have a different learning modality, those students who don’t have parental support, those students who are at a lower economic level than the norm. I could probably go on, but why? The fact is, there are many of our children being left behind. So teaching, and thus, tutoring, becomes a pressure cooker. Get those kids caught up or else.
Now, that being said, this is why I love tutoring in the summer. Much of that pressure brought on by high stakes testing is, at least temporarily, suspended. During the summer the majority of the parents just want their kids to keep from losing anything they gained during the school year, and maybe get a bit of a bump. It’s a much more relaxed time. Children are in and out of tutoring due to vacations and camps, so some of the structure I try to maintain through the school year pretty much goes out the window. During this time I try to take advantage of teaching moments, often veering off the lesson to pursue something of interest to the student. (Really, isn’t that what education should be.) With some students, a unit on a book they have been wanting to read may be the summer project. Two of my students have been interested in reading “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, so that is what we are doing. I have another student who has a great deal of difficulty with most academics, but he loves to draw and is pretty darn good at it. So his assignment for the summer is to create a character, give him a story, and make a comic book. What a fun way to fuel writing! This is the type of thing I can’ t do through the school year. But summer?…That’s another world…one that gives both my students and me the chance to cool down and have fun with learning.
June 19th, 2010 by Karen.
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This is the time of year I receive an increase in inquiries about my tutoring services. Many parents are looking to get a little extra help over the summer for a struggling student. Some are simply trying to enrich their child’s education. And many are trying to avoid the “summer slide” that so many students experience over the summer. Teachers often spend the first month of school reviewing subject matter the students should already know, but due to lack of brain exercise over the summer the knowledge is lost. Personally, I feel these are all excellent reasons to secure a tutor for the summer.
However, I had an interesting email come across my computer the other day. A mother with a pre-schooler and a child entering first grade in the fall wanted me to tutor her children to increase their “basic skills.” Really? A three year old needs tutoring? Now, I realize that NCLB and The Race to the Top has put increased pressure on teachers, parents, and students alike. But this was just too much for me. I politely declined and suggested she get them involved in a summer reading program at the local library, take them on excursions to the zoo and museums, and just spend the majority of time reading to and playing with them. She thanked me for reminding her of all the things she could do herself with her children…as we all should be doing.
As I reflected on this mother’s request, I realized there are possibly other parents in the same quandary. “How do I help my child be prepared for school when it resumes in the fall and not forget what he/she was taught last year?” So I decided to go on a Google treasure hunt. Below are some helpful resources that can be the impetus to parents making their own summer programs and camps…without spending an arm and a leg…as well as helping your child avoid the “summer slide.” Here’s to a fun and educational summer!
http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1146.html
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3748163
http://www.kidsource.com/education/summer.activities.art.html
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/23428
http://www.alpine.k12.ut.us/phpApps/genericPage.php?pdid=700
And these are just a beginning. Just let your imagination be your guide, and take every opportunity to make each experience a teaching moment. After all, parents are the child’s first teacher.
October 14th, 2009 by Karen.
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Every Monday I have the marvelous pleasure of having my 15 month old grandson for the day. It is a privilege I have waited a long while for, and I thoroughly look forward to it. And I believe he does, too, because he never wants to take a nap when he’s here. It’s as though he’s afraid he will miss out on something. By mid afternoon he is tired, but doesn’t want to give in and go to sleep. So we cuddle up in Grandpa’s recliner (which also rocks) with a big fleece blanket and a stack of books. What a glorious hour or so we have looking at the brightly colored pictures, touching the pages that are sensory enhanced, and talking about what is going on in those pictures. I talk, he jabbers, although the words are beginning to come.
As I spend this time with my special little boy I think back to participating in this same activity with his mother, aunt, and uncles. I have warm memories of a little one in my lap and a few more on either side of me reveling in the joyof a beautiful child’s book. Not a day went by that we didn’t read together. And I started reading to my children from birth. Sure, they didn’t understand what was being said, and probably couldn’t see the pictures. But that didn’t matter. It was the bonding and the developing of pleasant memories associated with books.
My husband and I are are both avid readers, so there were always books in our home. As the children came, so did the children’s books…and the bookcases…and the trips to the library. My children, in turn, became devourers of books. I remember reading an essay somewhere, maybe in Redbook magazine, by Judith Viorst (Alexander’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) about the importance of children possessing books. She advocated the 3 Bs…books, bookcase, bedlight so they could read when they went to bed. I never forgot that, and I made sure my children had the three Bs. And as it turned out, none of my children ever balked at the idea of reading for school. They all became very proficient readers and lovers of books. My eldest is so possessive of books the family learned it was an exercise in futility to ask to borrow one. Both of my sons have extensive libraries. And I attribute this love for the printed to word to early introduction to books.
There are numerous reasons to begin reading to your child at birth.
- Bonding
- The pleasant memories the child will have of the physical closeness of a parent during the reading of a book
- Language development…don’t just read the words, talk about what is going on in the pictures, the colors, the shapes, the figures in the picture…everything
- Phonemic awareness…a crucial skill to successful reading. Rhyming books are wonderful for this especially Mother Goose.
- They learn to listen.
- They get to experience beautiful art and wonderful stories.
- And they learn reading is fun.
The most important thing to remember, is that children imitate us. IF you want your child to develop a love of reading, she needs to observe you reading. That old adage “monkey see, monkey do” holds especially true here. And this is the one behavior you want your child to imitate.
So grab a book and your child and have fun!
September 28th, 2009 by Karen.
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Don’t let the title of this post mislead you. This is just the beginning of the blog portion of this website. I just felt the need to have a place to wax philosophical about education, to share tips and articles for parents, and to share the occasional humorous story about my adventures in tutoring. Of course, names will be changed to protect the innocent.
As a new school year starts, I would like to share a few ideas that might help your child have a more successful school year, although kids don’t always see the wisdom in the things we choose for them to do.
- If your student is using a planner, check it for homework assignments.
- Establish a system for returning completed homework to school. I make sure my students have what we call a homework folder. One side is designated for papers coming home, the other is for assignments that need to be returned. And then check the folder before your child leaves for school.
- Establish good communication with teachers so missing assignments don’t come as a surprise a month later.
- Establish a set daily study time. Even if the student doesn’ t have homework, he still should use that time to re-read assignments, study vocabulary, make flashcards, work on math facts, or even just read. Making sure that study time is a routine will help ensure the completion of homework.
At first, many students, especially middle and high school age kids, will balk at what they perceive as interference. But as they become more proficient at taking care of homework issues themselves, then you can gradually turn the reigns over to them. And getting homework turned in on a consistent basis, will improve their grades and cause feelings of…wait for it…SUCCESS. And isn’t that what we want for our children?