The secret to the academic success of many Asian students starts in the home, with a study of schoolchildren suggesting a regular homework routine carries benefits into the classroom.

The research examined the study habits of three groups of Year 3 students and found that Chinese children spent more time on their homework, completed more work and did it on a more regular basis than Anglo or Pacific Island students.

The study by University of Western Sydney researchers and the NSW Education Department challenges the myth that Chinese students perform better at school because of a cultural disposition to study.

“There has been inadequate attention given to the ways educational attainment is founded on embodied capacities, such as productive stillness and quiet, which are crucial to sustained attention and application in intellectual endeavour,” the report says.

Cathy Garde, a Year 3 teacher at Berala Public School in Sydney’s west, agreed that less attention was paid in recent years to the practicalities of learning, and training young bodies to sit still.

“I often have to start the year teaching the kids work habits, the capability to sit down and focus,” she said. “Some children struggle to control themselves. They don’t have any self-discipline. You get children who come into the classroom and start walking around the room in the middle of a task.”

The report, Cultural Practices and Learning, involved interviews with parents, teachers and 36 students in six Sydney schools, as well as classroom observation.

The study found that 56per cent of the Chinese students spent more than one hour a night on their homework, compared with 24per cent of Anglo children and 35per cent of Pacific Islander students.

But the study says the time spent on homework was not as important as the study routine.

A greater proportion of Chinese students, 40per cent, did homework in their bedroom or study at a desk compared with 13per cent of Anglo students and 25per cent of Islander children, who tended to do their homework sitting on their bed.

Source: The Australian, Australia
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24115399-2702,00.html

The evidence from around the world is clear. Kindergarten and early education for very young children offer tremendous benefits for most children and great gains for society.

Thus the B.C. government’s look at full-day kindergarten and education for children as young as three is a bold step that could make the province a leader within North America.

The government is seeking comments on proposals for big changes to public education. In the February throne speech, it pledged to assess both full-day kindergarten for five-year-olds and the introduction of optional day-long kindergarten for four-year-olds by 2010 and for three-year-olds by 2012.

Quality early education benefits almost all children, but the greatest benefits flow to the disadvantaged. They are the ones most at risk of starting Grade 1 already behind their peers, wondering in those first school days — and for years after — why the other kids seem to know what to do and how to learn so much better than they do.

It’s hardly surprising. A child raised in an affluent home, perhaps with a stay-at-home parent and active involvement in preschools and play groups and reading programs, is likely to be well-equipped for school’s challenges. A child deprived of those experiences and facing other hurdles, like a weak grasp of English, starts at a great disadvantage.

Research indicates that early education provides social and academic benefits. Done well, it also strengthens families and prepares parents to play a more positive role in their children’s education and lives.

There are bound to be concerns. Staffing will be an issue. That can be addressed in part by avoiding unnecessarily restrictive qualifications.

Some parents will likely seek not just the right to opt out of the programs, but equivalent funding. Choice is likely advisable, but special funding arrangements would not be.

Cost will also be a factor. Extending kindergarten to children of three and four could mean 80,000 extra students by 2012 and some $400 million in annual costs.

That’s certainly affordable, especially given the payback in a more successful, educated population and the harnessing of talent that might otherwise be lost.

But if the price is seen as too high, then one answer is targeted programs focused on the kids who need the early help the most — in First Nations communities and poor neighbourhoods, for example. The Education Ministry has already shown what can be achieved with its StrongStart B.C. drop-in program for children and parents.

The government is seeking public comments on the idea, with an Aug. 15 deadline. A discussion paper and response form can be found at www.bced.gov.bc.ca/ecla/.

This is a positive step, for children and the province. It is a great tragedy to deny children the basic right to make the most of their abilities. They are damaged, and society loses, when their chance to contribute and succeed is limited by an accident of birth.

Source: Times Colonist, Canada
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=96920524-3558-41aa-9973-e6e56c3f27be

I’m not talking about C++ vs. Fortran here. I’m talking about actual spoken languages. I bring it up in this column for a couple of reasons: first, one of my kids really struggled with French this past year and I’m wondering if there are alternatives that might come more naturally for him (he’s high on the autistic spectrum, so language is a real challenge). That being said, we actually have a high proportion of kids in our school with language processing difficulties.

The other reason that is far more germane to technology is that the advent of Virtual High School and services like ePals mean that schools are no longer limited to a small number of languages in which teachers have expertise.

My European counterparts are probably scratching their heads right about now. Just to clarify, language instruction here in the States is generally treated as an elective; a couple years of a language and the average student is done, never to speak it again. In other parts of the world, it’s a given that students will learn English from an early age and will probably be able to speak in at least one or two other languages with some fluency by the time they graduate from secondary school.

If you live in Europe, this just makes sense (when you’re a couple hours by train from people who speak a different language, and might like to actually travel or conduct business someday, learning a foreign language is a basic skill). Similarly, in countries where different dialects exist (Mandarin versus Cantonese, for example), fluency in common languages like English is quite necessary.

We in the States are finally coming to grips with the fact that everyone else in the world doesn’t speak English and that we just might encounter the occasional non-English speaker. Geographically, Spanish seems like a no-brainer for us, although French is spoken just over that other border (and acts as a nice primer for Spanish). This being an increasingly global economy, Mandarin Chinese seems like a darn fine choice, too.

I took Japanese in high school and, although I’ve forgotten way too much of it, I have a much better understanding of Asian culture than I would have otherwise (IMHO, Asian cultures are far more difficult for the average American to understand than European cultures; a bit of insight into the way Asians think and do business should probably become one of those basic skills, too).

So what should we teach? Can Latin please die? There are just too many other good languages out there, whether available locally or via Web-based services to still teach Latin. What works best in your schools and what has been the most useful to your students? Folks outside the US, please feel free to chime in since we’ve only started getting a clue in the last week or so.

Source: ZDNet
http://education.zdnet.com/?p=1785

Address reading and speaking concerns early to prevent damage to a child’s academic career, say developmental experts at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Drs. Sherry Vinson and Adiana Spinks-Franklin, both assistant professors of pediatrics - developmental pediatrics at BCM, said concerned parents should enroll their infants in an early intervention program if they suspect their child is behind on core developmental milestones such as speech and language.

“Children should meet three key milestones by their first birthday,” said Spinks-Franklin. “They should say one recognizable word, walk one step and follow a one-step command with gesture.”

Behaviors to Watch

Vinson and Spinks-Franklin outlined alarming behavioral characteristics to watch for in children:

- Not responsive to the parent’s command (”sit down”).

- Not self-initiating (saying “mama”) and not following a one-step command given with a gesture (e.g., handing the parent what the child has in his/her hand when the parent holds out a hand and says a command “give that to me”) at one year.

- Not self-initiating conversation, saying approximately 50 words, and spontaneously putting two words together (”go home”) plus following two simple commands put together without gesture (”touch your nose then clap your hands”) at two years.

- Following directions appropriately at one and two years, but not self-initiating the words.

There are significant challenges children with language and speech delays will have later in life if parents do not address the situation, they say. “Language allows them to become strong in so many important areas including academics, reading and social skills,” said Spinks-Franklin. “Children with well-developed language skills are overall more productive and perform much better in school.”

Reading, they say, can be a huge hurdle for these children but it is crucial for them to master. “If you cannot talk, then you cannot read,” said Spinks-Franklin. “These children will have significant reading disorders that will damage their academic career if they are not appropriately addressed at an early age.”

Early Intervention

Many states have resourceful, funded programs that evaluate a child’s strengths and weaknesses and devise a plan for enhancing their skills.

Vinson and Spinks-Franklin, who are also pediatricians at the Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital, refer parents to early childhood education programs available to children from birth to three years-old. The programs help children improve all developmental skills in a natural setting. Kids work with a variety of specialists including, speech pathologists, physical and occupational therapists and social workers and also provide psychological, educational and family support.

“The earlier the parents contact a program, the earlier the child can receive services,” said Spinks-Franklin. She also added that children do not have to be referred by a doctor to qualify for the services. “Concerned parents should call to have their children evaluated by an educational program.”

Clear Benefits

The benefits from evaluation programs are clear, say researchers who have followed the program for years. “Children with developmental delays who are enrolled in an evaluation program perform much better in school than those who are not,” said Spinks-Franklin. “We continue to follow them through elementary school, and they continue to do well when compared to children with developmental delays who do not receive early intervention services.”

Children involved in early intervention programs are more likely to live independently and graduate from high school, said Spinks-Franklin.

Risk Factors

A variety of factors may cause a child’s developmental delay, including genetics, prenatal environment (exposure to tobacco, alcohol or drugs) and premature birth (neurological development occurring outside the womb), they say.

The time it takes to overcome delays depends on the severity of the case. “If a child is challenged in several areas–language, speech, social and motor skills–it is going to take longer to develop language skills than for a child simply dealing with a speech delay,” said Spinks-Franklin.

Parental Participation

Most significant is parental participation. “Most programs make house calls only once or twice a week,” said Spinks-Franklin. “It is the parent’s duty to continue working with their children the rest of the time.”

Spinks-Franklin said parents should actively label their child’s environment by pointing out objects and colors to help develop certain areas of the brain. Another vital exercise for parents is reading to your child, Spinks-Franklin said.

Children over the age of three can be placed in preschool programs before kindergarten and if they continue to need services after preschool, they should receive special education services from the school system. Private speech and language disabilities programs are also available, including a variety of programs from Texas Children’s.

“Early intervention is very beneficial for these children’s overall development and quality of life,” said Spinks-Franklin. “The involvement and commitment from the parents makes this happen.”

Source: BCM News, TX
http://www.bcm.edu/news/item.cfm?newsID=1171

My daughter will turn five years old two days before the new school year starts.

I didn’t think about this much when she entered her first year of preschool, but now as she is about to start kindergarten I suddenly started questioning whether or not she is truly ready.

It all started when I was chatting with some of the other preschool moms one day. We were comparing our children’s letter writing.

I was pretty surprised to see that many kids in my daughter’s class had much better handwriting and easily kept those letters between the lines.

Geez. Addie doesn’t really enjoy writing her “sight” words over and over. And I don’t really enjoy trying to get her to do it. I want her to have a love of learning and be excited about it, not moan over writing sight words.

After that day, the stage was set for my next worry project. (My husband thinks I purposely think of things to worry about and move from one worry to another.)

I remember getting all those birthday invitations last year for kids who were turning five in October and November. Addie had just turned four. That’s a big gap, and at this age I think it makes a big difference.

I am not worried about my daughter socially. Verbally, her vocabulary rivals mine. She uses words like “unfortunate” and “afforded” in the right context.

But she doesn’t always count to 20 perfectly. And counting beyond that is kind of a mess. Other kids in her class are counting to 100.

Her letters need some work, but I think she’s doing well.

I worry that if I make the wrong decision, Addie will struggle in school.

The Internet is full of articles about kindergarten readiness and forums where parents support both sides of “redshirting” or not.

My aunt held my cousin back and she ended up being the valedictorian of her high-school class. Impressive, but would she have had that title if she started on time?

All this worrying hasn’t really gotten me anywhere, so I turned to the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

In a survey, public school teachers ranked physical well-being, social development and curiosity as more important for kindergarten readiness than knowledge of skills.

Of the almost 1,500 teachers surveyed, more than half said it is not very important to know the alphabet or count in order to be ready for kindergarten.

Sounds good, but learning all seems to be moved up now. Many children learn to read in kindergarten, not first grade like I did. I notice one boy in my daughter’s class is doing math that seems to be on at least a first-grade level.

So what’s a parent to do? Are there any long-term effects of starting my early birthday kid in kindergarten on time? Is it better to be the oldest or the youngest in a grade?

According to Deborah Stipek, dean at the Stanford School of Education, I might be putting a little too much thought into this decision.

“It probably matters much less than parents believe. Most of the research suggests that any differences in achievement associated with age that are seen in the early grades disappear within a few years,” she said.

“‘Unless your child is very immature or is developing language unusually slowly or something like that, there is probably no harm in sending her on,” Stipek said.

OK. That makes me feel better.

Stipek added that what happens to children depends a lot of how good their teachers are at providing differentiated instruction that is appropriate for all of their students, regardless of skill levels and learning styles.

So for now I’m putting my worries aside, and next month, ready or not, it’s kindergarten here we come.

Source: The Canadian Press, LAS VEGAS
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hIf7t7_qrjR_OkFxr7-qca7hZITg

From the moment a child is born, he or she begins developing cognitive skills.

According to the Bush Administration’s Early Child-hood Initiative, found at www.whitehouse.gov, developmental scientists have found that the brain obtains a great amount of information in the first year of life. Long before babies can talk, they are learning about language.

“By the time babies utter or understand their first words, they know which particular sounds their language uses; what sounds can be combined to create words; and the tempo and rhythm of words and phrases,” the Bush Administration said.

The opportunity of success later in a child’s life is greatly enhanced by the development a child undergoes early in life, according to the Bush Administration.

“For example, infants who are better at distinguishing the building blocks of speech at six months are better at other more complex language skills at two and three-years-of-age and better at acquiring the skills for learning to read at four and five-years-of-age,” the Bush Administration said.

“When young children are provided an environment rich in language and literacy interactions and full of opportunities to listen to and use language constantly, they can begin to acquire the essential building blocks for learning how to read. A child who enters school without these skills runs a significant risk of starting behind and staying behind,” the Bush Administration said.

Parent’s are a child’s first and most important teachers, according to the Bush Administration. For this reason, the Bush Administration said it is important for parents to be provided with support in educating their children.

The USD 234 school district and the USD 235 school district in partnership with the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, Greenbush has been offering support to some parents by providing a 4-year-old preschool program. The free program, which is funded by grants through the Kansas Department of Education, provides 4-year-olds opportunities and experiences that will prepare them for school success. In addition, it develops their social-emotional, physical, cognitive and language skills.

The 4-year-old preschool program is designed especially to meet the needs of children who are economically or environmentally disadvantaged, according to www.greenbush.com.

According to Greenbush. Early Childhood Director Cassandra Elsworth, the preschool program operates the same schedule as the regular school schedules. The preschool sessions are half-day sessions, Elsworth said. Most classes contain about 14 students.

The preschool program offers much needed support to parents and children by preparing children for kindergarten, Elsworth said.

“This free preschool will provide fun-filled, hands on opportunities and experiences to enhance a child’s cognitive, language, social, emotional and physical development in preparation for kindergarten,” a press release from Elsworth said.

According to the Bush Administration programs like the 4-year-old preschool are essential in the effort to improve early childhood learning.

“Efforts to improve early childhood learning will not work unless they involve States and school districts, which shoulder the primary responsibility for providing public education,” the Bush Administration said.

“Since States and districts are directly responsible for student learning and achievement in school, preparing children to learn before they start school is in their best interest.

“This is particularly true now that the No Child Left Behind law requires standards and accountability for every school in America. Many States and districts have already taken concrete steps in recognition that, in order for students to succeed once they reach school, they must come prepared to learn.”

Source: Fort Scott Tribune, KS
http://www.fstribune.com/story/1446042.html

Your child starts kindergarten next month, and you’re worried.

Is she prepared?

Does she know everything she needs to know?

How does she compare to other kids?

We consulted educators and compiled a list of the top 10 things a child should know before she starts kindergarten. Don’t worry if you haven’t nailed all of these — you still have time to catch up, these teachers said.

But don’t wait, because these skills are important.

If a child is behind, it can affect her attitude toward learning, said Melinda Wyssmann, kindergarten teacher at Mark Twain Elementary in Springfield.

“If they can’t read or write or do the math like other boys and girls, they start feeling frustrated and not wanting to come to school,” Wyssmann said. “It can set a pattern of how they feel towards academics.”

The academic rigor in kindergarten has increased, and parents aren’t always prepared for it, she said.

So here’s what your little one needs to know and how you can help her learn:

1
Know the alphabet. Just because your preschooler knows the alphabet song doesn’t mean he knows the alphabet, said Wendy Russell, a kindergarten teacher at Bingham Elementary who has been teaching for 26 years.

Children should know the alphabet without singing it, said Mea Childers, kindergarten teacher at Espy Elementary in Nixa who has been teaching for 15 years.

Children need to understand that the alphabet is made up of letters and that letters make up words. It’s just as important that he can grasp that concept as recite the song, said Russell.

What you can do: Talk to them about this concept, and practice the alphabet without singing it.

2
Know the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters. On the first day of school, most children write their name in all uppercase letters, said Debbie Hightower, a Wanda Gray teacher who taught kindergarten for four years.

It’s important to teach both upper and lowercase, these teachers said.

What you can do: Buy or make your own flashcards with upper and lowercase letters, Wyssmann said. Leap Frog products are great for teaching letters, she said.

As you read to your child, point out the difference between lowercase and uppercase letters, Hightower said.

3
Counting and number recognition. Your child should be able to count to 10 at a minimum, although 20 is becoming more mainstream.

Thirty is ideal, Russell said.

It’s also important that numbers are not an abstract concept. Children should understand the difference between one spoon and three spoons, Wyssmann said.

What you can do: Numbers can be a hard concept for kids, so take every opportunity to count with them, suggested Jennifer Newberry, former kindergarten teacher who now teaches preschool at the Nixa Early Learning Center.

A mother of three, she counts when she cooks, when she reads to the kids, when they look at the stars.

Use objects to demonstrate numbers: one cookie, three spoons, four plates etc., Wyssmann said.

4
Random letter recognition. This means your child actually knows her letters, instead of just memorizing the order of the alphabet, said Karen Evans, Wanda Gray teacher who taught kindergarten for six years.

She may know ABC, but does she know FSQ?

What you can do: Buy alphabet magnets and work with your child to identify letters. This is also good for learning upper- and lowercase, Wyssmann said.

You can also give your child random letters to trace or shape out of modeling dough, Wyssmann said.

5
Pencil grip: If your child learns improper pencil grip, it’s hard to unlearn it.

Improper grip affects the neatness of a child’s handwriting, Hightower said.

What you can do: Practice and demonstrate it for your child. He should grip the pencil with the pointer finger and thumb, resting on the middle finger, Hightower said.

More things your kids should know

6
Social skills: Social skills are almost more important than the academic, said Childers.

The reason: when school starts, the teacher knows she will have children on different academic levels.

“What makes it more difficult is if they are not mature enough, not ready to sit still, can’t take care of personal needs. Probably a parent’s most important job is to make sure their child is ready to come to school,” Childers said.

Russell agrees.

“I always tell parents the academics are very important, but even more important is that they learn good social skills: how to get along, how to make decisions, how to cooperate, take turns. Those are life skills,” Russell said.

What you can do: Make sure your child knows she will have to share toys, take turns, line up, take care of bathroom needs, zip her own pants, etc …

If your son has never seen one, the urinal can be surprising for boys, so parents should talk to sons about this in advance, Newberry said.

Children also need to be able to express their views and listen to other people’s views without arguing, Newberry said.

Talk to your child about each of these social skills and practice scenarios in advance.

7
Be able to focus: Listen and sit still for at least 15 minutes.

Children do this when they watch television, so it can be done, Hightower said.

What you can do: A good way to teach this is by reading to your child or telling your child stories, Hightower said.

“Reading to them helps them clam down and focus and pay attention,” Russell echoed.

Also try making your child sit at the dinner table, Childers said.

8
Responsibility: Children need to be responsible for their belongings, Childers said.

If she has 18 students, she can’t help all 18 put on their coats or track their jackets.

What you can do: Make them demonstrate responsibility at home by taking their plate from the dinner table to the sink, Childers said.

Have them do daily tasks, such as putting their toys back, and picking up after themselves, Evans said.

Give them different instructions and have them practice, Evans said.

9
How to use classroom tools. It’s surprising how many children haven’t used basic tools such as scissors, pencils and paper, said Russell.

Parents sometimes fear their child may cut themselves or color on the wall, but children need to know how to use those tools.

What you can do: “Let them cut things out of magazines and make collages. That develops their fine-motor skills, which in turn helps with handwriting,” Russell said.

10
Confidence. Children are more confident when they are familiar with something, teachers echoed.

What you can do: If you haven’t already, take your child to his school, let him play on the playground, meet the teacher, walk the halls, Childers said.

Talk to him openly about school and familiarize him with school as soon as possible, Newberry said.

When he has these skills, he will be more ready to learn as an individual and a class.

“Then they will absorb everything I throw at them,” Childers said.

Source: News-Leader.com, MO
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008807150318

Back to school – it’s a hectic time full of shopping, preparation and new routines. But just because children are headed back to school doesn’t mean that parents should stop teaching their children. And just because life is hectic doesn’t mean you can’t make time to improve their literacy skills.

Sharon Darling, president & founder of the National Center for Family Literacy encourages parents to take a minute – literally – to engage their children in learning activities while they go about their daily routine.

“A minute buys enough time to complete a task, take a deep breath, or prepare a response to a child’s question that caught you by surprise,” Darling said. “But a minute also can be used to increase vocabulary, expand reading skills, and add an extra dose of fun to an otherwise routine day.”

You may feel that there isn’t enough time to add more activities to an already packed 24 hours. But these ideas take just a minute:

• Choose a letter of the day. Look for the chosen letter in any printed materials you see: the newspaper, labels at the grocery store, street signs, billboards, or advertisements on TV. Make up a silly sentence using only words beginning with the letter of the day (Cats can cuddle. Dogs don’t drive. Amy always acts awake.)

• Singing songs is certainly a literacy activity. Try this twist: Sing short songs like Row, Row, Row Your Boat several times, leaving off the last word each time until there are no words left. This activity always produces giggles from children and parents alike.

• While you’re waiting for the bagel to toast, have your child look for the letter B on any items on your kitchen counter or table. Count as many as possible before the toaster pops.

• Play “Guess Who.” Describe a cartoon character, celebrity or historical figure. Allow a guess after each detail is disclosed. Expand your child’s vocabulary by using unusual words, and then explain their meaning. Take turns. Listen carefully to your child’s descriptions, especially his choice of vocabulary. Encourage him to paint a picture of the character with his words. At the end of the game, compliment him on any unusual or new words used.

• While stuck in traffic, describe the view from the car by taking “word turns.” The activity is as easy as the name suggests. Parent and child each add a word until the scene is described. (A…yellow…convertible…with… a… golden… retriever… in… the… back… seat… is… next… to… our… car.) This activity works well on a walk around the block or while waiting in line at the check-out counter, too.

• Talk to your child about his day. Pretend to be a television reporter. Try questions like “what was the most surprising (curious, funny, eventful) thing that happened today?” Or gather news for the local paper. “If your day’s activities were an article in the newspaper, what would the headline be?” You are giving your child opportunities to increase vocabulary, recall and reflect, and you are receiving a more detailed version of the time you spent apart. Be prepared to answer the same questions. You and your child will begin looking for events to report to each other.

“Children spent five times as much time outside of the classroom, so learning shouldn’t be confined to the classroom,” Darling said.

The National Center for Family Literacy, the worldwide leader in family literacy, has raised more than $115 million for literacy efforts since its founding in 1989. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. For more information, contact 1-877-FAMLIT-1 or visit http://www.famlit.org.

Source: Newswise
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/542479/

I can’t believe what I just read. We are going to spend millions for our teachers to teach our children how to be lazier.

The question was, “How do you solve the turkey problem if you are a third grader who doesn’t know how to multiply?”

If the kids are really supposed to stretch their math muscles, you teach them the multiplication tables in the second grade. Are our children as smart as we were? A teacher told me they are not. They sit in the classroom and will not listen, will not work, and will not try. This is not a learning problem, this is a parental problem.

Out with the rules, in with the real world. That’s the problem to begin with. We have become so lax in our parenting that we are developing generations of lazy, unproductive, overindulged children. Their parents grew up the same way. They only learn what is fun for them. They can tell you all the words to every song on their Ipod but they can’t remember 5 X 5 = 25. They can’t spell because they use text message lingo and everyone accepts that. Parents, teachers and society do not demand excellence from an early age, so the children don’t demand of themselves.

There are too many parents who think children will learn by osmosis. They are so self-absorbed with themselves and by life outside the home they don’t see or care what happens inside.

On the other hand, there are caring parents who teach their children self-control, the importance of learning and how to work for something they want. There are good teachers who have their hands tied when they try to teach excellence. Many are getting discouraged and changing their profession.

And there are children out there who put forth the effort to learn and apply it to a productive life. They are the ones I hope will become the teachers and leaders of tomorrow. The rest will be draining our welfare system forever.

There are some special-needs children who require special learning skills. They deserve all the help we can give them. However, we are raising generations of “special needs” children because parents are neglectful, society accepts mediocrity and school boards look for expensive ways and new fads to educate rather than teach the basics.

5 X 5 equaled 25 in 1930 and in 1960, and it still does in 2008. New Math didn’t work in the 60s and it will not work now. Stop wasting our tax dollars.

I cannot support the school board anymore until they start coming up with ideas that make sense. My vote will be “no,” until they get back to teaching basic principles and build from there.

Source: Idaho Press-Tribune, ID
http://www.idahopress.com/?id=11471

Parents’ interactions with their baby during the first year of life can predict the odds of behaviour problems later on — as can the baby’s natural temperament, research suggests.

The study, which followed nearly 1,900 children from infancy up to age 13, found that children whose mothers gave them plenty of intellectual stimulation in the first year of life — reading to them, talking to them and taking them out of the house — were less likely to have serious behavioural problems.

At the same time, the odds of behaviour problems were also linked to certain measures of the children’s temperament during infancy — such as how “fussy” they were, or whether they had a generally happy or more moody disposition.

The findings suggest that both early parenting style and infant temperament are strong predictors of future behaviour, the researchers conclude in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.

The findings also point to the potential benefits of teaching new parents the skills they need, according to the investigators, led by Dr. Benjamin B. Lahey of the University of Chicago.

“The current findings are consistent with the hypothesis that interventions focusing on parenting during the first year of life would be beneficial in preventing future child conduct problems,” the researchers write.

The study involved 1,863 U.S. children and their mothers. When the children were infants, researchers visited their homes and observed their mothers’ interactions with them. Mothers were also interviewed about their babies’ typical temperament.

Overall, Lahey’s team found, babies who were often fussy or had unpredictable behaviour patterns — being hungry or tired at different times each day, for instance — were more likely to have behaviour problems later in childhood.

These problems included things like acting out or cheating at school, lying, bullying other children or disobeying their parents.

In contrast, children who were less fussy and had predictable moods as infants were at “very low risk” of future conduct problems, the researchers report.

A similarly low risk was seen among children whose mothers had provided them with plenty of intellectual stimulation in infancy — by reading to them or taking them out of the house regularly, for instance.

But stimulating activities during infancy might also allow facilitate language development — which makes it easier for children to communicate and socialize.

As for early-life temperament and childhood behaviour, it’s known that both are to some degree determined by genetics, Lahey and his colleagues note.

However, the researchers conclude, “much remains to be learned about the mechanisms through which infant temperament, parenting during infancy, and later conduct problems are related.”

Source: Canada.com, Canada
http://tinyurl.com/5bpqn8