Learning difficulties are not just a challenge for kids – they can be challenging for parents, too. Is there anything you can do to help your child succeed in school? Here are some strategies for concerned parents for helping their children with learning difficulties do well in school.

1. Don’t look for a cure

As a parent, it may be tempting to try and make the learning difficulty “go away.” While there are things you can do to minimize your child’s struggles, the fact that he or she has a learning difficulty is not going to go away. This is all the more reason to learn coping strategies. Your child needs to be taught how to work with his or her disability, not ignore it.

2. Think beyond school

When you help your child with homework, read books with him or her, and generally engage your child to help his or her learning, you are setting your child up for success beyond school. Children who understand their difficulty and have learned how to confront and deal with it may be more likely to succeed than those children who see themselves as helpless victims of an unfair challenge.

3. Be honest

Well-intentioned parents may try to keep a child’s learning difficulties secret. After all, they don’t want their child to be “labeled,” or they may want to avoid the possibility that their child will use the difficulty as a crutch or excuse. However, some experts believe that keeping the learning difficulty secret may send a message of shame and inadequacy. It’s said that the best approach is to honestly accept the difficulty, face it, and help your child understand and accept it also.

4. The whole person

You can help your child overcome his or her learning difficulties by providing the healthiest lifestyle possible. In fact, experts have pointed out the direct impact that diet and exercise can have on a child’s developing brain. So look into giving your family whole, organic foods, providing playtime and exercise, and practicing the principles of fitness and health.

5. Limit screen time

There have been multiple studies showing the negative effect on the brain that excessive exposure to screen-based media (television, computer screens, etc.) can have. Limiting the time your child spends watching television, DVDs, YouTube, or playing computer games helps get his or her brain in the mode to learn.

Original post can be found here: Learning Difficulties in Children – How Can You Help

For those parents who live in an area where language immersion programs are offered, it may be difficult to make the choice as to whether or not their kids will benefit. Here is a list of some questions to consider, and some pros and cons based on the experiences of others and the nature of immersion programs themselves.

First of all, just what is a language immersion program? This refers to a type of learning that involves total immersion in a foreign language. A variety of subjects are taught in the language, rather than teaching the language as a separate subject. In other words, your child won’t have Spanish, French, German, etc. class; he or she will have math, social studies, etc. class taught in the foreign language. The language being learned is spoken almost all the time during the program.

Questions to Consider

1. How does your child deal with his or her native language? If your child struggles with language concepts, you might want to consider the possibility that a foreign language could be very confusing.

2. How important is learning a foreign language to your family? You may have special reasons for having your child learn a foreign language, such as your location, relatives, or friends. Learning about another culture may be important to you as well.

3. Is your child an experiential learner? Some children learn best on paper; others by experience. In language immersion, your child will be experiencing the language first-hand. This really appeals to some children and helps them learn the language easily.

Pros of Language Immersion Programs

* Children tend to become fluent in the language, even if it’s not spoken at home.

* A child’s understanding of his or her native language may be enhanced, as he or she begins to see the roots of English words that are present in many foreign languages.

* Language immersion may make it easier for your child to learn other languages in the future.

Cons of Language Immersion Programs

* Children with dyslexia or other language-based learning disabilities are purported to have trouble with this type of language program.

* The “sink or swim” approach, where your child is “forced” to learn the language to survive the class, can be intimidating to some kids.

* Terminology in the subjects taught in language immersion programs, such as math, may present a problem for some kids when they are presented with those terms in their native language.

Original post can be found here: Language Immersion Programs – Is It Right for My Child?

Look around department stores and you’re bound to see expensive, pre-made Easter baskets filled with toys and candy. Some children beg their parents for the most expensive baskets and gifts. If you’re looking for frugal Easter gifts, however, try some of these ideas.

Who says an Easter basket has to be in an actual basket? Find a toy pail or box with a lid which will be usable after the holiday has passed. Using odd containers also makes filling them much more fun.

Chocolate bunnies are almost expected during Easter. You may choose to buy one bunny for each child in your family but there’s no reason you have to purchase a lot of candy to fill a basket. You can also make your own Easter food baskets for children to enjoy, including some of the following:

* Rice cereal treats made with marshmallows. Use colored marshmallows to change the taste. You may also want to dip them partially in chocolate as an added surprise

* Easter cookies in the shape of eggs, chicks, bunnies, or crosses. Decorate the cookies with icing, sprinkles, and candies

* Hard boiled eggs which have been dyed

Rather than putting toys into the basket, why not give the children something educational? When you find inexpensive books your children will enjoy throughout the year, store them in a closet. Then you’ll have them available for other gifts when needed as well.

Many small children enjoy coloring, so coloring books and crayons might be a good choice to place in their Easter basket. These can usually be purchased from discount or dollar stores for around a dollar.

Bubbles are also a good choice for children’s baskets. You can purchase bubbles for little money but you can also make your own with 1 cup dish soap (Dawn or Joy are most often used), 12 cups water, and 3/4 tablespoon glycerin which is available at most pharmacies.

Candles made from eggshells are popular with older children and teens. Poke a pin hole in the small end of an egg and then a larger hole in the larger end. Blow the egg out of the shell, clean it, and then let it dry. Put tape over the pin hole, pour melted wax into the larger hole, and then place a wick into the wax. When the candle has solidified, peel away the egg shell.

Write or find a beautiful poem to let your child know how much you love them. Print it onto springtime scrapbooking paper or use calligraphy to write it out on parchment paper. Place it into a handcrafted frame.

There are many ways you can find or make frugal Easter gifts for your children. It’s not necessary to buy the pre-made baskets which are so expensive if you use a little bit of creativity. You might be surprised to find your children actually prefer home-made baskets instead.

Original post can be found here: Frugal Easter Gifts

Choosing the right school is an important decision for most parents. We worry whether our children will be happy and safe, learn effectively and make good friends. Although choosing a school can be a daunting process, the better prepared you are the better your chances of making the right decision for your whole family.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing the best school for your child.

#1 – What’s right for one child may not be right for the other. While it’s nice to get feedback from friends and family about certain schools, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be a good fit for your child. Children come with a wide range of personalities and abilities, and a school that is great for one child may be quite the opposite for another.

By focusing early on the fact that the school you choose is best based around your child’s personal needs rather than the schools reputation or what the other moms say, you can make the best decision for your child. And if you do choose a school that seems just right on all levels but turns out not to be a good match for your child, take comfort in the fact that it’s quite a tricky decision to get just right. And it’s never too late to change schools if you’re not happy with your current one.

#2 – Visit the school. Reading school reports and talking to other parents is helpful, but nothing is a substitute for visiting the actual school your considering in person. If possible take your child along to get their feedback. Ideally, you will want to visit the school when it’s in full swing. This way you can see how children interact with each other and their teachers.

You may come away feeling a great energy about the school or perhaps feeling that something just wasn’t quite for you. By visiting several different schools early on, you can compare their differences and really see what is right for you.

#3 – Speak to the principal. The principal or head of the school is the guiding force behind everything to do with that school. While the teachers, staff members and children play a significant role, the principal may have the final say on policies and ethos of the school.

By speaking to the principal directly you can gauge what their thoughts are about education and other important matters. However, be wary of making a decision based on your personal thoughts about the principal as a person. They are just a person, after all. And although you may not particularly like their personality or dress sense, that doesn’t mean they won’t make a fantastic leader.

The key here is to see how well thought out their views about the school are. By speaking directly to the person in charge, you may be better able to make your final decision.

Choosing the right school for your child isn’t an easy task, but with a little foresight and planning the task is made easier. By knowing that your choice needs to be personal to your child, visiting the school and speaking the key people involved, you have the basis for making an informed decision.

Original post can be found here: Choosing the Best School for Your Child

Reading for children is an important part of their development. By developing their reading skills, your child will become better at spelling, understanding ideas and concepts and develop positive language skills early on.

Reading is also a lot of fun and a great bonding activity for parents and children. But how do you raise a good reader when you’re competing against a host of electronic devices?

Here are a few tips:

#1 – Read daily. Reading little and often is better than leaving large gaps of time between reading. By making reading a daily activity, you cement that reading is important and just a “part of life” in your child’s mind.

#2 – Visit the library. Many children today have never visited a library outside of school. There are so many other activities and things competing for your child’s attention that the library may be last on their list. But most kids respond positively to an outing at the library. Make visiting the library a regular activity and you’ll children will start to look forward to it.

The library can be a magical place for children and many have activities to help promote reading that are both fun and educational.

#3 – Start a book club. This can easily be done by joining forces with a few other parents. Meet weekly with the children to discuss a new book. This way the children not only see their parents getting involved, but also have the chance to develop grown-up conversational skills at the same time. Discuss the book and then enjoy a few treats; make it fun so that the kids really look forward to it.

#4 – Lead by example. If your kids see you reading from a young age, they may want to do the same thing mommy or daddy are doing. Show your kids that reading is a normal, fun part of life. Tell them about the latest book you’re reading and why you enjoy it. Show them the Sunday newspaper and explain how you learn what’s going on in the world by reading it.

#5 – Read at bedtime. Reading at bedtime is wonderful for both children and parents. It gives parents and kids a few minutes to connect at the end of each day. You can share a story and then discuss a few of the characters. Reading is a great way to unwind and will become a welcomed addition to your bedtime routine.

#6 – Let them choose. Reading tends to become less exciting as children grow. Give your children access to a variety of suitable reading materials to help them realize that reading is fun at any age. Whether it’s comics or “how to” books, by providing fun and informative reading material you’ll keep your child hooked and involved.

Another great option for older kids is to share their reading book with mom and dad. You can each read the same book together a few evenings a week. Your child can read one chapter out loud, then you read another and so on. This not only helps you spend time with your child but you get to enjoy a story together. There are some fantastic teenage mystery and action books that most young adults will really enjoy reading.

While raising a good reader may seem to be a harder job than it once was, it’s not too difficult a task. By exposing your children to books from a young age and creating an enthusiasm for reading, you’ll lead by example and help to raise a good future reader.

Original post can be found here: Ways to Raise a Good Reader