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Does your child avoid homework because of writing difficulty? Perhaps the reason is due to difficulty with organizing ideas and thoughts. Does s/he still work hard with remembering how to form manuscript letters and/ how to spell simple words correctly? Is s/he overly concerned or overwhelmed with homework assignments that should only take ten minutes?
Read more on Listen to your Child's Homework Complaints and Excuses – Part 2…
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Understanding why children avoid homework is a topic of concern among parents as a new school year begins.
Listen, pay attention, gather clues, and if it helps, record your child’s exact words relating to homework. A pattern of complaints can help you and your child to identify problems. Recognizing reasons children avoid homework can lead to successful strategies and solutions.
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If parenting courses were required of all parents-to-be, “How to Advocate for your Child” should be a core course.
As a rule, parents intuitively understand that they are the best advocates for their child and naturally take on this role when the need arises.
Parents of children who have special learning needs should be prepared to advocate for their child to ensure that s/he receives the services s/he needs and deserves. Taking initiative to build a positive relationship with your child’s teacher, the principal, and the school before a problem occurs is a good way to begin the process of advocating for your child.
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What are some characteristics and challenges experienced by highly sensitive children?
How can adults respond to highly sensitive children in a way that is helpful?
Highly sensitive children have a heightened awareness of their surroundings and experience their environment more deeply than most children. They may have a great imagination and sometimes come up with thoughtful insights beyond their age. They may do well in academic subjects that involve details.
Overly sensitive children are more complicated than their peers and can present special challenges to their parents and teachers.
What are some characteristics and challenges experienced by highly sensitive children?
These children experience emotions more deeply and can be extremely sensitive to other people’s emotions. Some are able to read others due to their keen ability to notice subtle changes in their environment, in people and/or in animals.
They may respond to sadness by sobbing. They may scream with delight when happy and/or shout, bang or hit objects when angry. They may have a long tantrum over a seemingly minor issue.
Read more on Is Your Child Highly Sensitive?…
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Is your child able to easily recall basic math facts accurately and quickly?
Working with him/her to master math facts can help increase your child's self-confidence and improve overall math performance.
One of the most important jobs of parent/advocate for your child is to help him/her to be able to effortlessly recall basic grade-level math facts with accuracy. Students who are able to fluently recall math facts are able to direct their limited thinking capacity toward solving multi-step problems, paying attention to details and self-monitoring of their work.
The need to direct mental effort into figuring out basic facts can affect a child’s daily school success and performance on mathematics achievement tests. In addition, s/he is more likely to more errors when following step-by-step procedures and more likely to struggle to master advanced math concepts. Lack of success in math can affect a child’s self-confidence.
Why do so many students fail with mastering math facts? Lack of practice is one reason. Furthermore, it is not unusual for students to become overwhelmed with too many new facts to memorize at one time. It is also important that children are able to connect number facts to something meaningful. Number sense and an understanding of basic grade-level operations are pre-requisite skills that need to be considered before focusing on memorization of number facts. Read more on Math Fact Fluency…
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Repeated Failure in Math = Avoidance Behaviors + Lowered Self-Esteem
Is math a challenge for your child?
What are specific learning issues that can affect a child’s performance in math?
What are some strategies that parents can use to will help their child to experience more success in math?
Continue reading to find answers to your questions.
Specific learning issues that affect a child’s performance in math:
1. Mastering Fluency with Basic Math Facts
2. Confusion with Math Language and Concepts
3. Understanding Math Symbols
4. Visual-Spatial Processing of Mathematics
1. Mastering Fluency with Basic Math Facts: Math fluency and memorization of basic facts is a common challenge for many children.
Strategies:
- Repeated practice with learning facts through a variety of methods such as computer games, dominoes, card games, math raps and music.
- Teach child to consistently check work for errors
- Allow child to use a pocket -sized facts chart
- Avoid timed math tasks if this cases anxiety
