| All of you have had your children say this to | | | | something that they can relate to as an |
| you at one time or another, no matter what | | | | example instead of the wording in the |
| type of schooling they have had. | | | | question etc. Then say to the child, "Do you |
| | | | get it now? Was I any help to you? I know |
| What is the child REALLY trying to tell you? | | | | it's hard to understand, I didn't get it |
| | | | right away either!" This way the child knows |
| Do they hate school? | | | | that they aren't stupid, Mom or Dad (that |
| | | | always knows everything) didn't get it at |
| Do they hate learning? | | | | first either, but they figured it out. |
| | | | |
| Is it too hard for them? | | | | 2) Are they bored? Does it seem to the child |
| | | | like they are constantly going over the same |
| Is it boring? | | | | thing and they already gave the answer three |
| | | | times? |
| Watching your child as they learn or as they | | | | |
| are doing their homework should give you | | | | Some children catch on fast, but give the |
| clues to the answers to this problem. | | | | outward appearance like they don't have a |
| | | | clue what the answer is. They are bored! For |
| Most children will only give an adult 'hints' | | | | this type of child it is easier to rephrase |
| about what they really mean, they sure aren't | | | | the question a few ways and see if you get |
| going to come right out and tell you. Not | | | | the same answer each time; if you do, they |
| because they don't want to; they don't want | | | | have got it, go on to something else. |
| you to be disappointed in them. A child wants | | | | |
| to 'please' the parent and doesn't want them | | | | 3) Do you loose patience and after a while |
| to feel like their child is different in the | | | | just sit down next to them and say something |
| respect that the child can not learn fast | | | | like; "I am going to sit right here until you |
| enough. | | | | get your work done, so just get busy." OR |
| | | | Eventually you are so frustrated that you |
| For some children there are other reasons... | | | | 'give' them the answers. |
| Because they don't know how, They don't know | | | | |
| how to put it into words, They are afraid | | | | Sorry, both wrong things to do. No one sits |
| that you may get mad or They would rather | | | | next to them in school; no one will stand |
| ignore it than to make a big thing about it. | | | | next to them in the work place either. Help |
| | | | them to learn life as well as subjects and |
| So, where does that leave the parent? | | | | they will benefit double. |
| | | | |
| You have to figure it out for yourself; but | | | | 4) They can't concentrate! |
| this isn't as hard as it sounds if you look | | | | |
| at these factors. Kids will always give clues | | | | This is a problem with most kids; they seem |
| as to what is bothering them in ways that | | | | to get side tracked by the smallest thing. |
| usually only a parent will notice if you look | | | | Like my granddaughter says; Focus, Focus, |
| hard enough. | | | | Focus. She will just stop in the middle of |
| | | | what she is doing and close her eyes and say |
| If the child is constantly fidgeting while | | | | her 'magic words' and it seems to help. |
| they should be doing their homework: 1) They | | | | Usually this type of youngster is trying to |
| don't understand what they are supposed to be | | | | look at a whole picture instead of taking |
| doing 2) They are bored and think they are | | | | things in small pieces at a time. They are |
| wasting time, 3) They are waiting for you to | | | | worried that they won't get finished in time, |
| sit along side of them to help or give the | | | | or they are afraid that they will get to |
| answers 4) They have a problem | | | | something that they don't understand so they |
| concentrating. | | | | are looking ahead too much. Put a piece of |
| | | | paper under the words as they read them or |
| Now all you have to do is figure out which | | | | you do. This way you are only looking at a |
| one of these things it really is, but, you | | | | certain amount of words at one time and you |
| are the parent, and it may take some time, | | | | have to 'focus' to know what is coming next. |
| but you will make a major breakthrough when | | | | |
| you come up with the answer. It will make all | | | | It isn't easy for a child to organize their |
| of your teaching techniques from that time on | | | | learning, so the parent or teacher has to |
| much simpler. You will have broken the code, | | | | help them learn how. If you look at it in a |
| so to speak, and managed to find that special | | | | simple form: learning is organizing thoughts |
| bond that it will take for your child to | | | | and words that we will use at one point and |
| learn. | | | | time in our life and put in our memory banks |
| | | | for fast retrieval. It is their first step in |
| How do you go about this? | | | | learning to organize their lives and they |
| | | | will learn these basics in a lot of ways |
| 1) One of the most important things you can | | | | through out their lives. |
| do is to open communication with out pointing | | | | |
| a finger and making the child feel 'stupid' | | | | Make learning fun and a child will carry |
| as they put it. | | | | their education with them for a lifetime make |
| | | | it hard and boring and they will forget it |
| Ask them if they understand the question, | | | | tomorrow. |
| rephrase it several different ways, use | | | | |