I believe in public education. I want our children to learn from one another and grow — together — in excellent public schools. I want our children to be well-prepared for college, work and citizenship. But this is a fantasy as we alternately ignore, decorate or hide one of our country’s biggest obstacles to creating excellent public schools: ineffective teachers and leaders.

In a profession based on relationships and people performance, it’s surprising that we’ve let this issue sit there, rather comfortably, for so long. Why? Because we have no system in place that evaluates effective teaching and leading…

“Teachers, Schools and Academic Achievement,” a recent study led by economist Eric Hanushek at Stanford University, found that teacher effectiveness outweighs any other factor, including socioeconomic status, in determining student academic success. The study asserts that children from low-income communities could overcome the academic achievement gap by having “outstanding” teachers for five consecutive years…

Source: Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003682649_kimberlylasher27.html

Effective foreign language learning in school requires the presence of a good teacher and textbook combined with appropriate methodology.

Qualified English teachers are lacking in Indonesia, therefore, schools will often use teachers who have very limited English language skills. The textbook then becomes the only language source in the classroom.

If language is learned solely from a book, we can assume that only reading and writing skills in the target language will be learned. Speaking and listening will not be taught, thus, students will not learn to communicate orally. Furthermore, locally produced English textbooks frequently contain many errors. But the greatest drawback in the classroom is when the teacher does not speak English and fails to engage their students in speaking practice. English then becomes a drudgery of bookwork and grammar rules instead of a way to communicate interesting ideas…

Source: Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20070428.E03&irec=2

Parents who spend hundreds of pounds on toys, books and gadgets for toddlers may be wasting their money, according to a Government-backed study.

One-to-one interaction and outings to the shops or park have more impact on development than gifts, it is claimed.

Researchers from the Institute of Education in London studied the way parents treated their children and assessed its effect on the way youngsters grow up. In a report yesterday, academics said a home packed with toys, books and other interesting objects stimulated children when they were very young but the effects did not last.

Devices such as pre-school computers and electronic activity boards, which connect to a television and teach toddlers numbers, shapes, colours and language, are among the fastest selling gadgets for young children. But researchers found they were largely unnecessary and said children craved personal attention.

Dr Leslie Gutman, the report’s lead author, said: “Toys and books have their place and do help children develop but what is important is having the parents interact with the child. To have parents read to their children is much more important than having a hundred books - that’s great, but if you are not reading to your child, that is not engaging with the child.”

The research forms part of a long-term study into the development of 12,500 children born between 1991 and 1992. Children’s behaviour and that of parents was examined when the child was aged six months, 18 months, 30 months and 42 months. Academics found that children whose mothers took them to the shops, park or on other outings had substantially better social skills and were better at activities such as using a pencil, knife and fork or tying shoe-laces.

The report also said that mothers who were themselves better educated and had more family income interacted more with their children.

Middle-class mothers took part in more of these outside activities and provided “more stimulation and teaching in the home environment”. The study recommended that the Government target resources on mothers without a good education, helping them to raise their children.

Dr Gutman said: “If you look at the figures for mother-child interaction, the difference according to education is really greatest at six months. Probably the higher educated mothers are the ones that are reading books to their children at six months, playing with their children at six months. The early experiences are very important.”

The findings reflect recent Government policies which have focused on improving parenting to crack down on out-of-control children.

Earlier this week, the Department for Education and Skills unveiled plans for a national “parenting academy” to lead research into the best ways to bring up children.

The Institute of Education study contradicts research by Judith Rich Harris, revealed in The Daily Telegraph yesterday, that parents who heap attention on children and spend time playing with them have no effect. It said that peer pressure has more impact on how children grow up.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/27/nedu27.xml

Toddlers

Why they do it: Early talkers whine like babies cry. Some experts say that whining tends to peak in a child’s development when she’s feeling out of control and overwhelmed — emotions that pretty much sum up toddlerhood. She lacks the vocabulary to articulate her frustrations, and that whimpering is the natural default noise. Certain triggers, such as hunger and fatigue, can also cause breakdowns (true for kids of all ages), so keep that in mind the next time you take your toddler grocery shopping close to naptime.

How to stop it: Patience becomes the first rule when confronted with these early bouts of whining. When her son, Matthew, who’s almost 3, melts down because he can’t wait 10 more minutes for dinner, Rae Sullivan of Durham, North Carolina, gives him a little extra attention, like five minutes of lap or snuggle time. Those five minutes are well spent if it means she can finish cooking without another whinefest. Tossing him a few crackers to eat in the meantime doesn’t hurt, either…

Preschoolers

Why they do it: Like toddlers, the 3-to-5 set has a low threshold for frustration. Plus, they’re going through a lot of changes — such as starting school, facing a new baby sib, or graduating to a big-kid bed — that make them extra hungry for your attention, even if it’s the negative kind…

How to stop it: The great thing about preschoolers is that they can still be distracted by a clever trick. For instance, Debbie Granick of St. Louis uses a “whine” cup, or bowl or bucket or whatever’s at hand…

Source: CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/parenting/04/26/par.no.whining/

It’s never too early to take steps to prevent tooth decay…

“Children can grow up cavity-free. That’s a reality,” said health promoter Anna Rusak. “Too often, parents think that cavities are just a natural part of growing up. But it doesn’t have to be that way and prevention can start even before your child’s first tooth arrives.”

Early childhood tooth decay can occur when sweet liquids such as milk, formula, breast milk and fruit juice stay in a child’s mouth for a long time.

“Adults should help a child brush their teeth until they are able to write,” said Debbie Dean, a dental hygienist with the health unit. This way, the practice becomes well ingrained and parents are on hand to make sure it’s not only being done, but being done correctly. “And you should always brush for two minutes, regardless whether it’s an electric or a manual toothbrush.” …

Source: Lindsay Daily Post
http://tinyurl.com/266n2u

You tell them they are beautiful, talented and special - and they believe it. But in the long term, compliments and encouragements could be damaging your children. Researchers in the United States claim telling children they are special too often is creating a “self-centred” generation, who are more likely to grow up into narcissistic people who suffer failed relationships, lack emotional warmth, react violently to criticism, lack empathy and commit infidelities…

Children nowadays were more self-centred than previous generations and blamed it on the rise of the “self-esteem movement” in the 1980s when its importance was championed by parents and child-carers, the researchers said…

Professor Twenge, author of the book Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled–and More Miserable Than Ever Before, said it was time to stop telling kids “they are special” or that they can do or be anything and instead help them set more realistic goals in life.

But the consequences of the other extreme - not enough praise, appreciation and encouragement - can be equally, if not more, damaging. Research says people with low self-esteem are more at risk of destructive behaviour including alcohol and drug abuse, violence and crime.

According to Hong Kong mother and author Shirley Yuen, children with low self-esteem will lack the self-confidence they need to succeed in life.

“They will either turn out to be timid and fearful because they think that they are not good enough to survive in this world, or they will be self-centred and arrogant because they want to cover their fear by barking around,”she said.

Yuen, the author of The Three Virtues of Effective Parenting: Lessons from Confucius on the Power of Benevolence, Wisdom, and Courage, believes that a narcissistic generation as outlined by the US researchers is not something Asians particularly Hong Kong Chinese have to worry about. Instead, she says in general the opposite is true with many parents suppressing a child’s self-esteem development.

“They do this for three reasons,” said Yuen. “First, they are afraid that if they allow themselves to build the self-esteem of their children, their children will have ‘a mind of their own’, which will intimidate their authority as parents.

“Second, they are afraid that once a child has high self-esteem, he or she will not be ‘humble,’ which according to Chinese culture is an important virtue. Thirdly, Chinese parents tend to focus much more on the ‘negative’ side of their children than their ‘positive’ side.” …

Shirley Yuen says the key is teaching children benevolence and to see the world from other perspectives. Professor Twenge agrees, saying building “empty self-esteem and narcissism” lacking in empathy is the problem…

Source: EARTHtimes.org
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/55954.html

Science has proven that the first three years of a child’s life are critical for brain development. But science has not yet recognized the creature arising from this research: the helicopter parent — one who hovers over a child directing every activity, well beyond those first three years.

As a parent, I recognize the temptation to give a child every advantage. I’ve also started to notice the comic side of that tendency.

How do you know if you’re a helicopter parent? To borrow a page from Jeff Foxworthy (since he’s busy with fifth-graders), you might be a helicopter if you:

• Never put your infant down, even during nap time (yours or hers).

• Marvel at the contents of your child’s diaper while changing it.

• Insist on walking your second-grader to the school crosswalk, which is just across your backyard.

• Videotape all your child’s activities, including visits to other children’s birthday parties.

• Never allow your 10-year-old to play at a friend’s house without being there to supervise.

• Constantly use that computer connection that lets you monitor your child’s activities at junior high.

• Fill out your child’s college applications.

• Distribute your child’s resume at job fairs.

• Consider it a privilege to do your adult child’s laundry…

Source: The Olympian
http://www.theolympian.com/109/story/88756.html

When do you start teaching your children about healthy foods?

“Nutrition begins with the parents. Some studies indicate that a child’s taste starts to be established based on what a pregnant women eats,” says Shari Barkin, professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University.

“Make your baby’s first foods real foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Select the foods you most want them to eat as older children and begin these foods early on. This helps children acquire a taste for real, wholesome foods … Then, when they get into preschool and the real world of junk food, their tastes have already been shaped,” says William Sears, pediatrician and co-author of The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Ten Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track…

“You can teach your children about good nutrition by what you decide to prepare and serve. They learn to eat the same foods that you eat,” says Joanne Sorte, director of the Oregon State University Child Development Center…

Lead by example, and try and try again. Research has demonstrated that a child may have to try a food up to 15 times before liking it. “It helps to offer new food items relatively frequently. This makes the concept of new food seem routine…

“By using sweet rewards as motivators, adults are pretty much acknowledging that they are out of control of the situation,” says Sorte. Parents need to come up with other options and not fall into the food-reward trap…

Source: NorthJersey.com
http://tinyurl.com/ytl6vd

“The State of Black America 2007: Portrait of the Black Male,” a 260-page document, released this week. “It’s a problem with a major rippling effect. Not only does it impact individual Black men. It also hurts their families and communities. It’s not just a problem for the African-American community. It’s a problem for everyone in this nation.” …

“The absence of the Black man in the Black family will only lead to greater poverty for our community as a whole,” states Morial. “It helps exacerbate the disparities already existing between minorities and Whites in the United States.” …

Despite the obvious crisis among Black males, there were key positives pointed out in the report.

“A higher percentage of young black children are enrolled in early childhood education programs such as Head Start than young White children – 66 percent compared to 64 percent,” the report states. “And the youngest blacks have made strong improvements in the areas of school readiness – scoring at 94 percent of that of Whites, up from 81 percent in 2006.” …

The report outlines five specific solutions for the problems facing Black America; especially Black males:
Universal Early Childhood Education, especially for children “from disadvantaged backgrounds, a leg-up when they start school.”

Greater experimentation with all-male schools, longer school days and mentoring. The combination of “mentoring and longer days help keep young boys focused on their education and away from distractions that could lead them down the wrong paths,” the reports states…

Source: New California Media
http://tinyurl.com/2amdmx

Care advocates say the benefits of early learning are critical to a child’s future success. The most profound changes in language, cognitive development and social skills take place from birth to age 5, according to Smart Start Kansas, a state program that helps provide school readiness and prevent child abuse…

Play is intrinsic, and movement is the No. 1 growth process for the brain. It’s important for center directors and staff members to understand how children learn.

“This is one of the most complex systems that you can work in,” Prendergast said. “We tend to see sporadic quality across the board mainly because people haven’t been given information about child development.” …

Quality care is important for parents that may be deciding on child care for the first time. Patty Boresow, director of the St. Luke’s Hospital Child Care Center, said parents should ask what their child will be doing and how they will be disciplined.

Source: Kansas City Star
http://www.kansascity.com/194/story/81192.html