Back to School Transitions
Tips for Parents
Getting a new school year off to a good start can influence children’s attitude, confidence, and performance, both socially and academically. The transition from August to September can be difficult for both children and parents. The degree of adjustment depends on the child but parents can help their children manage the increased pace of life by planning ahead, being realistic, and maintaining a positive attitude. Click here to find out more.
Homework: A Guide for Parents
Despite mixed research on homework effects, many teachers believe that assigning homework offers other benefits besides contributing to school achievement. Homework teaches children how to take responsibility for tasks and how to work independently. That is, homework helps children develop habits of mind that will serve them well as they proceed through school and, indeed, through life. Specifically, homework helps children learn how to plan and organize tasks, manage time, make choices, and problem solve, all skills that contribute to effective functioning in the adult world of work and families. Click here to find out more.
Teaching Young Children Self-Control Skills: Information for Parents and Educators
Self-control is an important skill for all children to learn. It refers to having power or control over one’s own actions. It also means that an individual knows right from wrong. The skill of self-control will allow children to know that the right thing to do is to be tolerant of others despite their differences. If students are taught self-control at an early age, they will feel better about the choices that they do make. Click here for more information on how to help teach your child self-control skills.
Motivating Learning in Young Children
Young children learn from everything they do. They are naturally curious; they want to explore and discover. If their explorations bring pleasure or success, they will want to learn more. During these early years, children form attitudes about learning that will last a lifetime. Children who receive the right sort of support and encouragement during these years will be creative, adventurous learners throughout their lives. Children who do not receive this sort of support and interaction are likely to have a much different attitude about learning later in life. Click here to learn more.
Positive Behavior Supports: Tips for Parents and Educators
The goal of Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS), also called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), is to help parents and school staff create and maintain a safe, supportive, learning environment, promote positive life skills, and reduce negative behaviors so that all children can succeed in school. PBS focuses on both individual behavior and environmental factors and has proven more effective than punitive discipline strategies, such as suspension and expulsion. PBS programs can address issues such as bullying prevention, social skills development, resiliency building, and discipline strategies. Click here to read more.
How to prevent problems when helping your child with homework
Homework problems often can be avoided when families and caregivers value, monitor and guide their children's work on assignments. Sometimes, however, helping in these ways is not enough. If you have problems, click here for some suggestions for how to deal with them.
Resources for Parents of Gifted Children
* Your toddler is inquisitive, seemingly never gets tired, and is highly sensitive to her slouchy socks and the tags in her clothes. * Your child has just been accepted into the gifted program at her middle school, but you wonder what that means and how to know if it is a quality program. *Your high schooler is getting ready to apply to colleges, but is so overwhelmed by choices of what to study, he can't move forward. Welcome to the world of gifted children. NAGC works to provide you the tools you need to help your child succeed. Click here for more information.
Temper Tantrums: Guidelines for Parents
Every teacher of young children and every new parent can expect to witness some temper tantrums in children from age 1–4 years. On average, temper tantrums are equally common in boys and girls, and more than half of young children will have one or more per week. At home, there are predictable situations that can be expected to trigger temper tantrums, such as bedtime, suppertime, getting up, getting dressed, bath time, watching TV, parent talking on the phone, visitors at the house, family visiting another house, car rides, public places, family activities involving siblings, interactions with peers, and playtime. Other settings include transitions between activities, on the school bus, getting ready to work, interactions with other children, directives from the teacher, group activities, answering questions in class, individual seat work, and the playground. Click here to learn more.
What Parents and Students with Disabilities Should Know About College
Parents raising children with disabilities may wonder what their child’s postsecondary options are. Click here to read more.
Safe and Affirmative Schools for Sexual Minority Youth: Information for Families and Educators
School climate is a significant determinant of whether an environment is healthy and conducive to learning. Schools have a legal, ethical, and moral obligation to provide equal access to education and equal protection under the law for all students. For many sexual minority youth, schools are unsafe and survival, not education, is the priority. Due to prejudice, harassment, and discrimination in schools, sexual minority and gender nonconforming youth are denied basic rights such as a free and appropriate public education. Click here to find out more about the challenges sexual minority youth experience in schools and how to help.
Building Resiliency
Adversity is a natural part of life. At some point, we all face difficulties, such as family problems, serious illness, a personal crisis, or a painful loss. Being resilient is important to dealing with adversities like these. While most parents hope that their children never face extreme adversity, successfully facing tough situations can actually foster growth and give children the skills to be more resilient in the future. Click here for more information on how you can help build resiliency in your child.
Preventing Youth Suicide: Tips for Parents and Educators
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth between 10 and 19 years of age. However, suicide is preventable. Youth who are contemplating suicide frequently give warning signs of their distress. Parents, teachers, and friends are in a key position to pick up on these signs and get help. Most important is to never take these warning signs lightly or promise to keep them secret. When all adults and students in the school community are committed to making suicide prevention a priority — and are empowered to take the correct actions — we can help youth before they engage in behavior with irreversible consequences. Click here for more information.
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