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The original idea for using time-out with children was adopted from time-out in sports, and the initial purpose of time-out for children was to temporarily separate a child from the environment where inappropriate behavior was occurring.
Time-out can be an effective strategy when dealing with difficult behaviors if the parent/professional thinks through how to use time-out as a brief time-away from an unpleasant situation rather than punishment.
Time-out can give both adults and children some needed time away from a challenging situation. Some children need only a brief time away in order to make better choices. Proper use of time-out can help a child to learn self-control.
On the other hand, time-out can be used ineffectively and can easily become punishment, or feel like punishment to a child. Below is my personal list of do’s and don’ts, followed by a list of issues to think about before using this strategy.
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Many parents struggle with helping their child(ren) with solving math word problems.
Following are some strategies and key questions that you can share with your child as you work together to solve word problems. Keep in mind that different problems may call for different strategies and, depending on your child’s learning style, some strategies may or may not be helpful.
Read and work to understand the problem.
Ask your child to read the problem aloud.
Suggest that s/he try ignoring the numbers at first and focus on the story.
Try to find a way for your child to relate to the problem.
Can s/he rewrite or retell the problem in his/her own words?
Can s/he use a formula that s/he already knows?
Look for and highlight clues and key words.
Read more on Strategies for Solving Math Word Problems…
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Common problems that lead families and schools to seek testing include: learning and academic difficulty, speech and language issues, neuromotor, behavior and social skill deficits.
Parents who consider having their child tested, quickly discover that there is a large amount of specific, unfamiliar vocabulary used by testing professionals that they need to learn in order to be a better advocate for their child(ren).
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Do you remember what you had for dinner last night? How about two Sundays ago? Do you remember where you were when your spouse proposed to you? Could you recall where you were when your accountant called to ask a routine question?
Unless you have a photographic memory for food or just really, really love your accountant, you probably don’t recall exactly what you had for dinner two Sundays ago or where you stood when you last spoke to your accountant. However, chances are good that you know what you had for dinner last night and that you could name the exact day, time, and place your spouse proposed. That’s because we remember things that happened recently, and we remember things that had a major impact on our lives. Making memories is a very important part of the human thought process, and it’s a very important part of learning. Read more on Remember This: Helping Students Improve Their Memory…
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Sometimes, as tutors and as parents, we have the tendency to vilify the Internet. "Stop wasting so much time on the computer," we might tell our students. In many cases, though, this is the wrong thing to say. While it's true that students can get distracted by playing games or watching videos online, it's also true that the Internet is a powerful learning tool — and a powerful teaching tool. In the mid-1990s, researchers at San Diego State University developed a highly adaptable online teaching mechanism called a WebQuest. Not only do WebQuests work wonderfully in the traditional classroom, but they also make a great addition to nearly any tutoring repertoire.
At its most basic level, a WebQuest is a lesson that gives students support as they develop research skills. WebQuests are frequently utilized in differentiated-learning environments, as the levels of support can be increased for students who need additional help and, conversely, decreased for students who are working above their grade level. A tutor can create a WebQuest for a student on nearly any topic although science and social studies lessons can make for particularly robust WebQuests. For example, if a student is studying the plant and animal kingdoms, a WebQuest could require him to name the levels of taxonomy and to share interesting facts about certain members of each species. A more structured WebQuest would provide clues about where to look, while a less structured WebQuest would leave it up to the student to choose the appropriate sources. Read more on Let's Go on a WebQuest…
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Billy's pictures and patterns changed as he used ChalkTalk
Today’s post is a follow-up to a previous post about the risks and benefits of sharing an iPhone with a young child. I am sure that I am not alone in wanting to be protective of my phone, but after communicating and reinforcing specific guidelines, have shared this handheld learning tool with my five year old nephew. I carefully found and downloaded several learning apps for Billy, and enjoyed watching his response, with the goal of informally discovering what app(s) resulted in the most learning.
Although he was presented with some of the best learning apps that I could find for his age level, along with some “fun” games, Billy’s FAVORITES were ChalkTalk and Flick Fishing. I believe that that the MOST learning resulted from his interest and motivation to keep using the programs that HE wanted to use. It seems that it is more motivating for Billy to engage in games that are more challenging and/or games that invite creativity and extra options with an added element of surprise.
With ChalkTalk, Billy created patterns with the stamp feature. The feature of creating a background, and then adding stamped patterns held his interest – and his funny patterns changed and improved. The sound effects of each different stamp added to the fun of creating pictures and patterns. When prompted, he had a silly story to go along with each of his pictures. With practice, he learned to “screen capture” his art, and enjoyed reviewing and comparing his pictures/stories.
Read more on The Risks and Benefits of Sharing An iPhone With a Five Year Old (part 2)…
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There are hundreds of different reasons why a child might benefit from tutoring; there are myriad goals that can be accomplished through one-on-one instruction. Many tutoring sessions are designed to produce very specific outcomes, such as learning to use the quadratic formula or gaining understanding of a basic grammar rule. Other tutoring goals, however, are broader. One such goal is the ability to work independently. This is an invaluable skill that proves useful in primary education, secondary education, college, and the professional world.
But just how can you help your child become an independent learner? You can't — or, at least, you shouldn't — just plunk a big pile of books in front of her and expect her to teach herself useful skills. Rather, you (or another good tutor) should guide her toward independence.
Think of it this way: A student who struggles with addition problems is unlikely to automatically understand complex algebraic equations. Rather, he can only come to an understanding of more complicated math by taking smaller steps and receiving structured help. This same approach works for students who are learning to be independent in their thinking and studying. Read more on Yes, Independence Can Be Learned!…
