Many kids love to draw and want to learn how to draw better. What kind of help should a parent provide? There are currently many different kinds of drawing techniques available for children, ranging from highly structured to completely free form. • On the very structured side, there is Ed Emberly’s Drawing Book series. These […]
All young children are creative people. Nature seems to have endowed them with the ability to transform even the most commonplace circumstance into a novel event, full of joy and discovery. • One important task for any parent is to work to keep that creativity alive. You can do this best by nurturing your own
Many parents are confused about what kind of preschool or kindergarten to choose for their child. They hear about academic versus developmental programs and sometimes don’t really know what these schools actually provide. • Academic programs are paper and pencil oriented, with lots of emphasis on getting kids started with reading, writing, and math. These
Concern is growing among educators that we’re forcing preschool children to engage in academic tasks that they’re simply not ready for. Increasingly, preschools are demanding that kids do pencil and paper activities to prepare them for grade school. Unfortunately, this rush is creating a new malady – “the hurried child syndrome”. Warning signs can include
Your child’s eyes are one of the most important learning tools he brings into the classroom everyday. A child that can’t clearly see the chalkboard or read his workbook is missing out on much of what goes on during the day. If your child is having difficulty learning at school, frequently rubs his eyes, squints,
Our culture seems to be in such a hurry. We live in a world of fast cars and fast food and, unfortunately, seem to want our children to speed along as well. However, not all kids are willing or able to learn according to our timelines. Many perfectly normal children seem to need more time
Late bloomers are kids who learn and grow in a normal fashion, but take their time doing it. For example, while most kids learn how to read by the age of six or seven, the late bloomer may not actually read until about eight or nine or even later. It’s possible to late bloom in
Research suggests that what we expect from our children we get. Hence, to expect failure from a child is to breed failure. To expect success is to court success. However, it’s also important to realize that parents should also avoid placing unrealistic expectations on their children. One parent who has a musical child expects their
Tests, unfortunately, are becoming more and more common in our schools, creating test anxiety and learning blocks in our kids that get in the way of school success. However, you can help your child cope with the negative effects of testing by providing them with the necessary skills for coping with these stresses. Here are
Many kids have trouble learning, because they’re feeling too stressed out or anxious to concentrate. Here are some activities that you can do with your child at home to help him feel more relaxed before beginning any learning task. ⢠Have him sit quietly in a chair and take three deep breaths; then ask him
