Newsletter April 2010
April 16, 2010
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We strive to bring you the most helpful and up to date information every month, and this month's newsletter is no exception.
You can scroll down through the articles below, or you can click on a headline you like to go directly to that article.

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This Month's Headlines:

Finishing the School Year Strong
Building Vocabulary Over Vacation
Confidence in the Classroom
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Finishing the School Year Strong

It’s getting closer every day: summer! With less than 75 days left in the school year, it’s crucial to make sure your child is prepared for the whirlwind days that wind down the academic year.

Here are some tips to help your child be prepared for the days ahead, and to keep their spirits and focus high before summer days are upon us.

Ducks in a Row
Perhaps most important in finishing up the school year strong is that students should really take this time to reflect upon the past year and the course material. A good, simple way to start is to take a look at what is on your child’s plate. Make a list of all the final projects and assignments, and their due dates, so your child can begin to plan their schedule accordingly and avoid cramming last minute or rushing important projects with heavy grade value.

Stay Focused
This is also the time of year where teachers are figuring out and assigning final grades, so it’s very important that students show their best efforts and continue to participate in class and follow up on anything they don’t understand. One easy way to help your student stay focused is to keep an emphasis on their school days as the year winds down. Continue to ask about what they learned each day, what exams they are nervous about, and what material they feel they’ve aced. This kind of continued effort to be involved reinforces the importance of these last school days, and helps students realize summer is not here just yet! Also, remind students of any special goals they set earlier in the year. Did they want to bring their math grade up, or get better feedback on their essays? Whatever the goal, show them that you are there to help them achieve it.

Plan of Attack
Make sure students pay special attention to any courses where they have struggled in the past, and particularly those where they are trying to bring their grades up as much as possible before the year ends. It’s very likely that students will have final tests and exams that cover the scope of material learned throughout the entire year. This can seem daunting, especially with subjects or lessons they struggled with early in the year that seem far away to them now, but with a little review—whether with your help or the added help of tutoring sessions—children can feel confident with their grasp of the course material. Maybe your child needs the benefit of extra tutoring sessions, to help drive lessons and course material home and help keep their frustrations down. This kind of help can work wonders towards a positive approach to the last weeks of school and avoid the common burnout students face anticipating the freedom of summer.

Summer Schooling
Finally, it’s a good idea to not give students the impression that once the final school bell of the year rings, learning is on a hiatus until fall. Make it clear that your child will need to continue to learn over summer, and that keeping their scholastic skills up to par will benefit them next year. Be clear on any plans for summer tutoring, or other academic-related activities they have on their plate. They should be looking forward to summer, but not expecting to spend their days wasting away in front of the TV or computer. Make plans for summer reading, to visit museums or special camps, libraries, and other educational, but fun activities.

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Building Vocabulary Over Vacation

Vocabulary is one of those less-discussed topics when it comes to academics. Often mathematics, writing and reading comprehension take center stage when talking about areas where students might need extra attention. But vocabulary is an important part of a child’s knowledge, and is part of the foundation for future learning and success, particularly when it comes to language arts, writing and speaking skills.

According to Gabriel Miller, vice president of education and literacy programs at Reading is Fundamental, children pick up vocabulary on a daily basis from two places—talking and reading. Oral conversations provide the groundwork for vocabulary. Miller suggests parents make an effort to communicate with children every day, asking about the day’s events and sharing their own stories.

Miller also points to reading time as a crucial vocabulary builder. When parents and children read together, the parent can help the child navigate through any difficult passages or words, introducing them to new vocabulary they may not have otherwise encountered.

Because students typically have more free time during the summer, it’s a great time to work on vocabulary with your children. Here are a few tips, courtesy of Education.com, for ways to help your child develop their vocabulary without much effort.

Ask questions while talking
Open-ended questions go a long way toward encouraging children to reach for words to explain their ideas. “What do you think about ___?” forces children to use more descriptive words and go beyond one-word answers.

Use Synonyms
Introducing students to synonyms helps them figure out language on their own, and rely on root and word relationships to decipher an unfamiliar word. It’s helpful to describe something using a more common word such as “big”, and then reiterate the statement with a lesser-known or used word like “gigantic.” Often the child will make the connection between the two words without any explanation necessary.

Make Connections
When reading with your child, take time to think about the story from his or her perspective. If you think a word might be confusing, try to walk your child through it step by step. For example, if the author describes a person as being “elated” after receiving good news, you can ask questions like “How do you think the character feels learning this good news?” Again, you are allowing your child to analyze words and situations, and make connections on their own, a discipline they will definitely rely on as they continue to build their vocabulary and communication skills.

Don’t forget to have fun. Children learn from experiences and from observing those around them. If you enjoy reading and talking with your child, and discovering new words, chances are they will too!

Source: Weinstein, Anna. “Don’t Let Vocab Take A Vacation!” education.com.
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Confidence in the Classroom

Some children have no problem expressing themselves in class. However, many children hesitate to participate in class, to answer questions, or ask the teacher to review something. Whether they fear looking “dumb” or just aren’t sure quite how to articulate their thoughts, it’s important to help boost your child’s confidence so they can ask the questions they need answered, and feel comfortable contributing to the classroom.

Spiritual coach and bilingual special education professional Claire Milam says that trust and patience are crucial in helping a child build his or her self-esteem. Many other parents and teachers agree that listening to your child, especially with regards to a new area of interest, helps build confidence. When children don’t have anyone to listen to them or bring new information to the table, they often start to feel indifferent and withdraw.

There are exercises and activities you can do with your child to build confidence. While obviously children are more comfortable and expressive at home, building confidence at home and in public can translate into confidence in the classroom.

Communication
Many children are subconsciously intimidated by the classroom setting. With the teacher at front, and many of their peers all around them, children can get nervous easily. The more they practice speaking up and speaking their minds in other settings, the less the classroom setting will scare them. Encourage children to ask for help looking for something in a store, or to order their own food at restaurants. Each thing that puts them out of their comfort zone a bit reinforces that it’s okay to speak up.

Don’t Be a Know-it-all
Even adults can feel nervous around that person who seems to be an expert in every subject. When people, and children especially, feel like someone around them may shoot them down or prove them wrong, they are less likely to take a chance or step out on a limb. It’s important to not set yourself up as too much of an authority with your child, as this can create a relationship where they look to you to figure out answers, instead of looking to you for guidance so they can figure it out for themselves. If a child asks you where a country is, get on the computer together and look it up instead of simply telling him or her. This suggests the powerful notion that we are in control of our intelligence and can ask questions and learn new information safely.

Encourage Peer Discussion
It’s often the case that if one student has a question about something, many other students share the same question. It can be helpful for your child to realize that they are not alone in their lack of understanding with a certain subject, homework assignment or lesson. When children talk about class with their peers, they can be relieved to discover this, and it can give them greater confidence in admitting areas where they are a bit unsure. You can encourage these revelations by talking to your child and his or her friend about class, whether in the car on the ride to and from school, or when friends come over for dinner and study sessions.

Confidence isn’t found overnight, but as children develop and become more aware of their sense of self, it continues to build little by little. You can help by supporting your children, fostering their creativity and curiosity, and demonstrating your own self-confidence in daily life.

Source: Lucas, Cheri. “How to Build Classroom Confidence.” education.com.