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Apr 2008
Anaylize difficulties with new perspectives
April 29, 2008 12:00 PM Filed in: All Levels
After several
years of home-schooling, we enrolled our eighth grade
son in a private school this year. Before attending
the new school, our son excelled in academics – he
started algebra in sixth grade and reads voraciously.
His verbal skills are extraordinarily developed, and
he converses with adults in ways that astound them.
His passions are physics and art and their combined
influence on architecture and inventions throughout
history. Unfortunately, this past year has been a
disaster. He has experienced difficulty with tests,
homework and deadlines, and as the year comes to a
close, he could end up failing the grade. What should
we do?Read
more...
Don't let pressure lead to ADHD drug abuse
April 22, 2008 12:00 PM Filed in: All Levels
My
daughter is a junior in high school who is preparing
to take the ACT. She is an excellent student with a
3.75 grade point average, and she wants to apply for
early admission to college. Given this background,
you can imagine my surprise when she asked that I
take her to the doctor to get a prescription for ADHD
medication. I was blown away. She says many “smart”
parents have their children tested and diagnosed with
attention deficit disorders so the students have the
advantage of prescription medicine and un-timed
standardized tests. Is this really a trend in
education?Read
more...
Assessments should find gaps not hurdles
April 15, 2008 12:00 PM Filed in: All Levels
My
son is a struggling learner who is experiencing
difficulties in school. I am a teacher who has raised
two other very bright children, but my youngest son
has proved to be my greatest challenge. He is
completely unmotivated to learn, rarely ever talking
in school. To make the situation even more
confounding, he is a "big talker" at home with a
vocabulary beyond his years. My son says that the
students don't talk about anything that interests
him. His teachers say, and he confirms, that he would
rather daydream. I think my son lacks motivation -
how can I inspire him to learn? Read
more...
Teach love first, all else will come
April 08, 2008 12:00 PM Filed in: All Levels
My
11-year old daughter gets straight As in school and
receives high marks for conduct. She is a
perfectionist and obsessed with making the best
grades and being the best athlete. However, problems
arise when I ask to see her homework. She tells me to
leave her alone and gets so upset, even if I just
want to check it. She screams at me and is very
disrespectful. Do you think this is an issue, or am I
being an over-concerned parent?Read
more...
Keeping track of those grades before it's too late
April 01, 2008 12:00 PM Filed in: All Levels
Our family has
just returned from a great Spring Break vacation, and
we loved being together. But when school starts back,
our relationships always become so strained. After
the break, my son’s teachers finally updated his
grades on the school’s website, and he had numerous
zeros for homework. Unfortunately, I don’t find out
about the zeros until he already has been labeled a
“C” student. He simply does not see the purpose of
the work. He says he will worry about it when he gets
to the ninth grade – “when it counts.” How can I help
to change his mind? Read
more...
