The Educators' Royal Treatment

Thinking Like a 5th Grader

by Ken Royal

“I didn’t know it needed to be turned in.”

I was talking to a parent about school conferences, grades, and technology. She was saying that her son could have done better if he had handed in all his extra credit math homework. Turns out he had done it, and left it in his school backpack. Her son said that he didn’t know it had to be handed it, and thought that just doing the practice work was enough. I nodded understanding and told the parent that this was a familiar tune. Now, I won’t go so far as to say that doing the work was enough for him, and that the goal of a grade change wasn’t, but thinking a little like a 5th grader makes stories like this more understandable.

How's your son with computers?

Turns out he was great with computers. The parent reported that her son was upset with her, and very concerned about her virus software updating procrastination. Turns out the auto-reminders kept popping up on the home computer, and even after bugging his mother about the importance of updates—she didn’t see the importance, and neglected them. The son had also been asking his mother to do all the Microsoft updates necessary to keep the computer running safely and smoothly, but she hadn’t done that either. She really didn’t see the importance of completing those tasks, nor did she want to take the time to do them.
 
Meaning Here?

The parent said that she was going to e-mail her son’s teacher—not for the credit, but to at least let the teacher know that her son had done the math work. I just thought it interesting that her son knew the importance, and implications of not renewing virus software, and installing computer updates on time, but handing in the completed assignment wasn’t—and it was left in the backpack. Now, I’m not saying that I have the answer here, but let me suggest pop-up reminders with math and all assignments for 5th graders, or at least some e-mail check-ins along the way. And a little more thinking like a 5th grader when it comes to maintaining technology—can’t be bad either.

A Teacher’s Guide for Parents

by Ken Royal

A parent e-mailed me to say that I was always offering tips to teacher, but I hadn't offered any to parents. Well, here's a few things parents can do early in the school year to help make the journey a bit easier, as well as a bit more organize. I'm sure there's more, so I may add to the list.

1.    Homework? Is there a policy, what can be expected? Hopefully, this is uniform for all teachers, but it might not be. Know what individual teachers expect.
2.    Snacks and Recess? Is there a time for a nutritious snack each day? And will there be a recess time?
3.    Contact numbers and e-mail? How can parents contact the teacher? There will be a time when you need to do it, so find out early.
4.    How can you request a parent/teacher meeting? It’s always a good plan to meet early with a teacher, beyond a meet the teacher day. There’s nothing like talking across the table. Many teachers will have a sign-up sheet for this at open house, or meet the teacher day/night.
5.    Information? Web site? Friday folder? How does the teacher get information to you in a timely way? There’s nothing wrong with waiting for the Friday folder, but if there’s more, you need to know how to access it. Web sites are great, because you can get there often.
6.    Subject area goals? Hopefully, this is part of an early open house, or a meet the teacher night. If subject goals aren’t mentioned, with a few examples, ask the question. The teacher may have missed it, and will thank you for the reminder. Don’t put anyone on the spot. If there isn’t time, suggest sending a short outline home, or posting it to the site. It’s nice to know what to expect, so you can bone up on your math, and practice your vocabulary. It’s also good conversation when your son or daughter learns the word bored, and begins to use it. Sharing something cool that’s going to be learned, down the road, may save the day. Looking forward to something most always makes things better.
7.    Home Help? What can a parent do to help at home? Find out all you can do at home to help with practicing and reinforcing what’s happening in school. Ask if weekly, or unit tips go home. It’s possible that you may give the teacher an idea.
8.    School tools? Books to computers, find out what’s needed, and what your child needs to use. You may not be a computer pro, but it’s never too late to learn. Be open to new learning tools, and check them out yourself.
9.    School, and Class rules? You want to know the rules, and procedures from illness to homework excuses. Usually there’s a school guide for this. There might even be an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for technology use.
10.    Class helpers, room parents, volunteers? If there’s a sign up sheet, get your name on what you can comfortably do. It’s best to check with your son or daughter on this, too. He or she may be comfortable with you on a field trip, but not as a math tutor.
11.    Daily schedule? Get the schedule. Find out if it’s online. Hang the paper one on the fridge, and make sure the right one is posted in your son or daughter’s notebook. It’s OK to help with reminders, not forgetting sneakers, and pep talks at home.
12.    Handouts? Make sure you collect everything, from forms to permission slips. Keep the information for referral throughout the year.
13.    Mix and mingle at any parent gathering, as much as you can, to introduce yourself to other parents. Good for the “guess whom I met” conversation at home, but beyond that it’s good to know for confirming classroom requests and verifying information. And if this is your first or only child, you may also learn a few tips from parents, who have been there before.
14.    Online grading? Parent portal? Does the school or district share student progress online? An example would be something like PowerTeacher by Pearson http://www.pearsonschoolsystems.com/products/powerteacher/, which is quite an elaborate extension of the classroom and school communication.
15.    If your son or daughter has more than one teacher, make the rounds, and know them, at least by name, and what they do. Don’t’ forget the specials staff—music, art, P.E, because it may helpful later. It’s also nice to know what’s happening in these classes, too.
16.    Make time for a daily talk, and don’t ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Learn how to talk, use what you know about the class, and assignments to make the talk interesting. Do it without the TV on, and without any other distractions. You might want to take notes, or explain something, so paper and pencil is a good idea. It also make it easy for you to say “Show me.”
17.    Realize that no list can completely prepare you for all the parenting skills and help you’ll need in a school year, let alone after each school day. Have plenty of patience, you're certain to lose some, but it's normal. Don't be a helicopter parent, but be there!

Dramatic Growth in # of Students with Autism Impacts Districts Nationwide

by Sandy Fash

In the last ten years, five times more children have been diagnosed with autism than in prior decades.  This dramatic growth of students on the autism spectrum requiring treatment or special education services is greatly affecting school districts nationwide.  The additional support needed is straining district budgets and resources – affecting the overall treatment and education of all students.

As an example, in 2000, there were 93,000 students with autism attending U.S. schools.  Now, there are more than 300,000 cases, and many industry professionals expect this number to increase to 500,000 by 2010.

The cost of educating a developmentally delayed child, like those classified on the autism spectrum, continue to climb, and are generally considered to be four to 10 times that of other children (approximately $40,000 to $80,000 per year).  In addition, districts are often confronted by well-prepared parents who are armed with resources that can force districts to provide quality education, which when placed offsite via a court order can cost more than $100,000 per child per year.

Few districts have the infrastructure to support the growth in students entering the school system who are diagnosed with autism.  Most important, most general education teachers are insufficiently trained.  And, intervention for children with autism is no longer a “one-size-fits-all” answer.  This places a great deal of pressure on district leadership to design and implement differentiated instruction plans that meet the expectations of all parties.

“What our school districts need are ways to demystify autism for the general education teacher and frontline educator – those people that work directly with students with autism,” said Kevin Custer, CEO of Virtual Expert Clinics.  “Teachers and district administrators need full-time access to evidence-based resources that can provide solutions to complex issues.  They need an efficient way to monitor and track the progress of each student.  And finally, they need a solution that can effectively communicate the status and progress of each student to all people involved – teachers, special education teams, parents, and administrators.”

Virtual Expert Clinics, Inc., encourages district administrators nationwide to reach out to local organizations, such as their regional chapter of the Autism Society of America or to national organizations, such as AutismSpeaks.org, to access up-to-date information about this critical issue.  For more information, check out AutismPro.com.

Millionaire Brightens Back to School for NY Kids

Back to School New York: a Real Stimulus Boost

What would you do for kids, if you had a lot of money? Well, businessman George Soros has donated $35 million that will go into New York state's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance funds for low-income families. "When I was a student after World War II, I had no money. I received financial help, and I remember how important that was to my education," said Soros.

There are no strings attached to the one-time $200 grants that will be given to low income families for students 3 - 17 years of age. The state will also receive $140 million in additional money from the Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families fund (Federal Stimulus).

Retailers joining the Back to School partnership are Payless Shoes, Princeton Review, Staples, and Target. More are expected to join in, so watch the stores for Back to School NY posters.

Soros' charities: The Open Society Institute and Soros Foundation Network

10 Tips for Building Your Classroom Library

by Wendy Zachrisen

1. Don't Only Include Books
Research says that it doesn't matter what kids read--they just need to read a lot and on the right level. Books are great, but so are magazines, comic books, online text, postcards, catalogs, text on cereal boxes--whatever!

2. Select Books at Correct Reading Level
Cater to students' diverse reading levels. For independent reading, each child should read books right on, or a little below, her reading level. Plus, you'll want books at a slightly higher level for guided reading groups. Aim even higher and also make sure to have books on hand that advanced peers (or you) will read to other students. Kids may progress rapidly, so ensure your collection is large enough to "grow" with your class.

3. Find Books on All Kinds of Topics
Book topics can make or break a child's love of reading. You may be able to anticipate some topic preferences based on age, but better yet, survey kids at the beginning of the year to find out what they like!

4. Explore the World of Non-fiction
Many children gravitate toward factual books, especially ones with beautiful, real-life photography rather than illustrations. Animal fact books are almost always a sure bet. Don't forget books that are functional and hands-on (cookbooks, how-to crafting books, and more).

5. Consult Online Booksellers' "Favorites"
Internet bookstores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble provide favorites lists created by customers--many of whom are experienced parents and teachers. Search these sites to find lists of books recommended for children who are the same age as your students.

6. Let 'em Make Their Own Books
Students love to read books that they, or peers, make! Kids can write stories and then draw pictures for each page. They can even personalize their homemade books with family photos. Collate the books using construction paper, a hole-punch, and yarn. Or, reduce required prep time by purchasing sets of Make a Story Journals. Hey, you join in and make a book for your classroom too! Your lil' admirers will clamor to read it. :)

7. Ask for Recommendations
Tap into friends and colleagues for suggestions. Ask other teachers, your librarian, parents, neighbors, and anyone else willing to give their 2 cents.

8. Think Big!
Add giant-size books to your collection. Big books are just a little more fun, and children are captivated by their jumbo nature. Of course, these "giants" make it easier for children to see pages during shared reading, but please let kids read them during independent reading time as well!

9. Cater to Special Needs
Simply put, all kids have special needs. Anticipate common issues like attention difficulties. Select some books that have very simple page backgrounds, a lot of empty (and preferably white) space around the words, and words that are printed in the same, predictable location on every page.

10. Give Easy Access
Squat down at your students' height and make sure you can reach books safely and easily. Many teachers store books (grouped by reading level) in milk crates or on low bookshelves. I'm a big fan of sling bookshelves for really young children. These shelves display books with the covers, rather than spines, facing out. It's almost as if the covers scream, "Read me!"

Sylvan Dell's Fall Line-up: Picture and eBooks

Sylvan Dell’s  Fall line-up of beautifully illustrated picture books are ready.
The books are also available as eBooks, and the audio can be played online in either English or Spanish. So, students can hold the books, or 2.0 view the books. In my opinion both options have value, and I'd do both. Try the online preview at Sylvan Dell Publishing to see what you think.

Pandas, elephants, giraffes, brown bears, and monkeys share how things add up in What’s New At The Zoo by Suzanne Slade.

In Mother Osprey, by Lucy Nolan, sort of an ocean Mother Goose, is familiar, yet different enough to make these nursery rhymes for Buoys & Gulls fresh.

Count Down to Fall, by Fran Hawk, is a counting book that uses animals from squirrels to owls in Autumn-themed pages.

And in Moose and Magpie, by Bettina Restrepo, Magpie and Moose swap riddles throughout, with plenty of animal facts tossed in as well.

Another, book Baby Owls Rescue is due out in early September.

3 Reasons Why Children Underachieve in School

Three Reasons
by Dr. Patricia Porter

Many children never reach their full learning potential. 

They are bright kids but for some reason they never seem to do very well.  Teachers always think that they can 'do better' if only they tried harder, finished their homework, stopped being lazy ... ...
Parents too get frustrated and upset because they do not know why their child is experiencing learning difficulties.  After all, their kid is bright and has been doing well in school so far. Then suddenly things start going sideways.  Marks go down, homework gets conveniently 'forgotten', and report cards become a nightmare.  What is going on?

In my experience there are three reasons children underachieve...

1. The child may not be ready to learn what the teacher is teaching. Children develop at different rates and if your child is not ready to learn something he or she will simply 'tune it out' and ignore the information. So, when the time comes to be tested on it your child has no idea what it is all about. Good teachers are able to account for different levels of development but it is always difficult to do and requires a lot of energy and commitment.
2. The child may be being taught in a way that he does not like to learn. All children have their own unique learning styles and if your child's preferred way of learning does not match the teacher's way of teaching he or she may not be able to understand the information. Many children cope with the differences in teaching and learning style but some do not. They stop learning, they become underachievers.
3. By far the most important reason that children underachieve, is that they do not know how to learn. They are missing or not using some of the vital foundational learning skills they need to be able to process the information they are being given. Children need to learn how to learn. They need a set of foundational learning skills that will get them through their lives and help them become life long learners. Once children develop these skills they not only understand why they - and you - have been frustrated with their progress but are able to do something about it.

Check Dr. Porter's Leading to Learning for more.