Academics and Studying Article Archive

School Life

• Have a Conversation About School - Get beyond one-word answers and find out what your child really thinks and feels about school.
• School Clothes: Winning the Battle - Solutions for negotiating some of the most common parent-child school clothing disagreements.
• Internet Safety Tips for Parents - Kids need to use the Internet; these tips will help you keep them safe.
• MySpace and Facebook: What You Should Know - Social networking sites keep growing in popularity. Here are 10 things to get parents up to speed.
• Moving Up to Middle School - The step from elementary to middle school can be a big one, but these tips will help ease the transition for both parents and children.
• What Kids Are Wearing - New trends in school clothes are a way for children to express themselves.
• 20 Questions To Ask Your Child - Finding out how things are going in your child's life sometimes takes a bit of strategizing. These tips and questions can help you get the conversation started.
• Kindergarten Social Changes: What To Expect - For kindergartners, school is all about having fun and making friends.
• 1st Grade Social Changes: What To Expect - Observant 1st graders love to share their developing sense of humor.
• 2nd Grade Social Changes: What To Expect - Kids in 2nd grade become more independent at home and school and more selective about the friends they make.

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Learning & Achievement

• Talking With Teachers About Student Progress - Don't wait for the report card to find out how your child is doing in school; a veteran principal offers tips for parents to keep in touch all year long.
• School and the Internet: What You Should Know - How students are using the Internet at school, and precautions you should take at home.
• Better Grades—You Can Help! - Make sure your child is ready to learn and achieve at school with these 10 smart tips on what you can do at home to prepare her for success.
• Grade 1 Curriculum Quiz - Are you as smart as your 1st grader? Take this quiz and find out what he’ll be learning this year.
• Grade 3 Curriculum Quiz - Are you as smart as your 3rd grader? Take this quiz and find out what he’ll be learning this year.
• Grade 5 Curriculum Quiz - Are you as smart as your 5th grader? Take this quiz and find out what she’ll be learning this year.
• Grade 2 Curriculum Quiz - Are you as smart as your 2nd grader? Take this quiz and find out what he’ll be learning this year.
• What Is Your Child’s Learning Style? - Understanding how your child learns can reduce frustration and improve achievement.
• Learning Styles Quiz - Get insight into how your child learns best.
• Can Food Help You Learn? - Eating certain “brain foods” might make your kids smarter...but research shows they’ll be better off with a balanced diet, a good breakfast, and regular physical activity.

View all 'Learning & Achievement' articles.

Homework & Studying

• Homework: Be a Stage Manager - When it comes to homework, your role is to create a situation where your child can succeed, not to do his work for him. This expert advice tells you how.
• Homework Without the Fuss - Take the tension out of homework time with these tips to establish and maintain a routine that works for you and your child.
• School and the Internet: What You Should Know - How students are using the Internet at school, and precautions you should take at home.
• Homework 911 - You don’t have to feel like the homework police. Avoid emergencies with these expert tips.
• Teacher's Tips: How Parents Can Help - Practical advice for working with your child’s teacher.
• Everyday Ways To Make Homework Meaningful - Every time kids sit down to do their homework, they ask the same question: “Why do I have to learn this, anyway?
• Homework Hints for Latchkey Kids - Today’s kids don’t live in a “Leave It To Beaver” world. A growing number are home alone after school.
• Avoid Homework Power Struggles - Without some perspective, homework can become a daily battle between parent and child.
• Homework Styles for How Your Child Learns Best - As a parent, you know many things that make your child unique—including how he learns best.
• Daily Homework Rituals Reduce Hassles - Homework rituals help children regroup and prepare for their study sessions.

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Special Education

• Reading Problems May Signal Other Learning Troubles - Learning disabilities often become evident when otherwise good students have trouble keeping up with reading and writing.
• Following Directions: An Important Kindergarten Skill - If a child is to succeed in school, he must be able and willing to follow directions.
• Reduce Fear of Tests for Learning-Disabled Children - Taking tests can be extremely frustrating for children with learning disabilities.
• All Children Can Be Encouraged To Be Productive - "Output failure” is caused by subtle breakdowns in neuro-development and can affect memory, language, motor function and organization skills.
• You Need to Be an Effective Advocate For Your Child - When kids need special education, parents must sometimes become advocates.
• What To Do if You Think Your Child Has a Learning Disability - What do Albert Einstein, Woodrow Wilson, Greg Louganis, and Cher have in common? All had learning disabilities. So do millions of kids today.
• Disabled Teenagers May Need Special Test Accommodations - Teens today have to take many important tests—from college entrance exams to state tests.
• Help Teens With Learning Disabilities Build Self-Esteem - What parents of children with learning disabilities can do to make sure these children develop a positive sense of themselves.
• What Is an IEP? - Explanation of what the “individualized education program” is.
• Address Learning Challenges Early - Potential learning problems don’t have to hold back your child. If you’re worried, speak up early to enlist help from teachers and support staff.

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College Prep

• Your Teen’s Résumé Can Be Enriched With Summer Classes - Many teens have interests that go beyond what they can take in high school.
• Help College Applicants Focus on Acceptance, not Rejection - The envelope you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. But instead of reading “Welcome to our newest freshman class,” the letter starts with “We’re sorry.”
• College Courses May Motivate Some Bright, Bored Teenagers - Bright but bored. Teens who fit this description often start to “turn off” from school.

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Bullying

• Bullying: How Parents Fight Back - Kids are often reluctant to talk about bullying. Here’s how to spot it and what to do if your child is a victim.
• If Your Child Is the Bully - What to do when the school says your child has been involved in bullying.
• What Should You Do if Your Child Is Being Bullied? - Victims of bullying often develop serious problems.
• Teach Empathy To Eliminate Name-Calling - “Nerd.” “Sissy.” “Fatso.” “Geek.” Kids have called each other names for centuries. They put someone down in front of a crowd to look cool to onlookers.
• Parents Can Help Children Avoid Bullying - Elementary schoolchildren are the most frequent targets of bullies, say experts. But children are less likely to be victimized if they appear confident and resourceful.
• Take Action if Your Child Is Being Bullied - Your child comes home with torn clothes again. He’s very hungry after school, even though you gave him lunch money. He can’t sleep. He could be the victim of a school bully.
• Be Aware of Possible Bullying Behavior - Experts say many parents and teachers seem unaware of bullying behavior. Yet 10 percent to 15 percent of school-age children are regular victims of a peer’s teasing, swearing and hitting.
• Help End Bullying at School - Parents often think bullying is just a part of life. But it should be taken seriously. Bullied children become anxious. Some end up not wanting to go to school.
• Parents Can Help Prevent Bullying - You don’t want your child to be bullied...or to be a bully.
• Understand Bullying Behavior To Stop It - Most parents probably remember being bullied as a kid, making fun of someone else, or both.

View all 'Bullying' articles.

Mathematics

• Help With Math Even If You Don’t Understand It - You want to help your child with homework. But to tell the truth, you’re not sure you understand it any better than she does.
• Calculators Can Help, Not Hurt - Calculators are easy to use and so inexpensive that nearly every home has at least one, and often several.
• Make Math Part of Everyday Life - In the home, math is involved in everything from keeping a budget to making a recipe.
• Help Your Child Learn To Enjoy Math - Today, skills in math are more important than ever.
• Encourage Girls To Study Math, Science - Today, math courses are often the key to higher paying jobs. Yet many girls don't take the math they'll need for these careers.
• Small Allowance Teaches Children Big Lessons - A small allowance can help a child develop responsibility.
• Help Your Child Learn About Money and Values - Tips for helping your child understand the value of money.
• Use an Allowance To Teach Children the Value of Money - Guidelines help ensure that an allowance teaches good money management skills.
• Create a Home Environment That Promotes Math Success - Your child will do his best at math if you let him know that you think math is important, highly useful, and even fun.

View all 'Mathematics' articles.

Reading

• Summer Reading List - These books will capture your kids’ imagination, and they’re perfect for reading aloud.
• Back-to-School Books - Reading about going back to school is a great way to ease the transition. Especially with younger children, as you turn the pages together, you can talk about their real-life hopes and fears as well as discuss the wonderful characters in these books.
• Reading together can develop thinking skills - Reading together can help your child become a better reader and a better thinker.
• Use Questions After Reading To Develop Thinking Skills - Parents can help children develop thinking skills just by asking questions.
• Reading All Summer Keeps Skills Strong - “No more lessons, no more books” begins the old rhyme. But during the summer, it's important for kids to keep on reading even if school's out.
• Read Aloud To Build Other Skills - Even if your child knows how to read, continue reading aloud to her.
• To Get Your Teen Thinking, Read the Daily Paper Together - Reading the newspaper every day, even an article or two, is one of the most valuable things your teen can do to improve in school.
• Stress Reading, Grammar To Build Skills - Good reading, oral language, and writing skills will help your child in all his school subjects and beyond.
• Is Your Teen a Troubled Reader? Watch for Signs - A reading problem is the source of many school problems.

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Science

• Using Water, Encourage Your Child to Think Scientifically - To get your child to think like a scientist, experiment with water.
• Create Crystals for Hands-On Science Fun - When water mixes with salt and then the water evaporates, crystals are formed.
• Teach About Weather During March's Wide Variety - March is often a great time to help your child become more aware of the weather.
• Watch for Changes in a Special Plant or Tree - March brings hints of the spring that will be coming soon, including changes in trees and plants.
• Outdoor Activities Teach Children To Appreciate the Environment - April is a natural time to explore outdoors with your child.
• Learn About Rainbows After April Showers - The beauty and color of rainbows seem magical to younger children.
• Gaze at Constellations Inside Your Home - You don’t have to live outside the bright city lights to see the stars.
• Investigate Science and Nature With Your Child - You don’t need any special equipment to introduce your child to science.
• Science Lessons With Trees - As trees lose their leaves in the fall, they become a great source for learning.
• Winter Learning Fun With an Indoor Garden - Gardening is an inexpensive way to introduce children to the world of science, nature, and wonder. It also promotes patience and nurturing instincts.

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Social Studies

• Celebrate Martin Luther King Day With Diverse Activities - The United States marks Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on the third Monday in January each year.
• Introduce Your Child to Geography - Geography is a key school subject, but many students don’t like it.
• Inspire Your Child With the Story of a Hero - The stories you tell your children can help inspire them to do their very best.
• Geography Understanding Starts With Child's Street, City, and State - Students study geography in school and read about far away places, but they need to know about close-to-home places, too.
• Ideas To Help Children Study Geography - Part of the study of geography is helping children understand movement.
• Teach Math, Geography With the Weather Page - You don’t need textbooks to teach your child basic skills.
• Make History Exciting With Family Activities - Memorizing names, dates, and places can be a real drag to kids. These often have little meaning to them.
• Teach a Real History Lesson—Put Time in a Bottle - History isn’t just something from a book.
• Make Geography Come Alive - Geography is much more than learning about rivers, capitals, and principal products.
• Help Middle Schoolers Put Time and History in Perspective - Middle school kids are still developing their sense of time. They learn about many historical events. But they often can’t put them into historical perspective.

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Testing Tips

• Show Your Child How To Study for Tests Step by Step - While no child likes tests, they are a fact of life.
• Help Your Child Relax Before Tests - Kids get nervous before they take tests, especially big ones.
• Reduce Fear of Tests for Learning-Disabled Children - Taking tests can be extremely frustrating for children with learning disabilities.
• Strategies for End-of-Year Tests - The end of the year can mean lots of tests for your child. Although you can’t study for your children, there are things you can do to make test-taking a little less stressful.
• Good Students Can Follow Directions Carefully - Your child got a lower grade on the test because he didn’t write in complete sentences. His paper was marked down because he wrote in pencil, not in pen.
• Develop a Strategy for Test Success - Sometimes kids forget they have a test, they study the wrong material, or they study for the wrong type of test.
• Ease Anxieties To Help Your Child Do Better on Tests - Some children may get so nervous before taking a test that their anxieties cause them to fail.
• Have Your Child Try These ‘Be’s For ‘A’s on Tests - Believe it or not, taking a test can be enjoyable. That’s the message Peter Kline and Laurence D. Martel offer in School Success.
• Help Your Child Stay Calm and Confident on Test Days - Nobody likes to take a test. And some kids get what’s called “test anxiety.”
• Teach Your Child That a Grade of F Means ‘Feedback’ - Your child has just come home with a test or paper graded F. What can you do?

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Writing

• "Attitude of Gratitude" Can Motivate Writers - If you often groan about having to write a letter, you could be sending your child a message that writing is a chore.
• Keep interest in writing alive with storytelling - Children are natural storytellers.
• Improve your child’s writing skills, test scores - These days, students must do more than just fill in the blanks for achievement tests.
• Challenge your child to write a book this summer - Books don’t start out in libraries.
• Help Your Teen Get Organized For Writing Research Papers - Your teen has spent hours online and in the library.
• Writing Activities Help Build Communication Skills - From stories and journal entries to letters, many middle schoolers enjoy writing in their free time.
• Writing an Important Skill for All Subjects - It’s no secret that writing is a key part of language arts. But your child should know that writing also plays an important role in math and science.

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Physical Disabilities

• Disabled Teenagers May Need Special Test Accommodations - Teens today have to take many important tests—from college entrance exams to state tests.
• What Is an IEP? - Explanation of what the “individualized education program” is.

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Arts & Music

• Build Fine Motor Skills With "Sewing Cards" - Making sewing cards is a simple craft you can do with materials you probably already have on hand.
• Get Creative With Animal Art - Children love animals, so art projects that involve wildlife can be especially fun.
• Encourage Learning Through Artistic Expression - Children learn so much through art.
• Art Projects Provide Sensory Experiences - Creating art allows your child to use his senses and build his brain.
• Make a Summer Memory Box - When your child enters school each fall, he’s sure to be asked, “What did you do over the summer?”
• Autumn Finds Become Works of Art - Autumn is the season of change.
• Playing With Clay Teaches Children To Follow Steps - Your child probably loves making things with clay.
• Fun and Learning With Markers - Markers are one of children’s favorite art supplies.
• Make Art Exciting for Your Child With Different Projects - Coloring is a favorite way for children to develop control of their hand and finger muscles.
• Music Games Entertain and Teach New Concepts - Your child probably spends lots of time listening, singing, and moving to music.

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Building Attention Span

• Stretch Your Child’s Attention Span - A child’s normal attention span is three to five times his age.
• Learning About Time Helps Children Plan - Your child may be too young to tell time, but that doesn’t mean he can’t learn about it.
• Decreasing TV Time Can Increase Attention Span - If you want your child to be able to pay attention for longer and longer periods (a necessary skill for school), it’s a good idea to sharply limit TV time.
• Activities To Promote Attention, Concentration - Build concentration skills at home for children starting kindergarten soon.
• Simple Games To Practice Concentration - It’s normal for young children to have short attention spans.
• Parents Can Help Boost Attention Span - Children who can pay attention have the most success in kindergarten.
• Build Attention Span at Home - Children who can pay attention have lots of advantages in school.
• Turn Off the TV To Help Your Child Focus - U.S. children watch about four hours of television a day.
• Help Your Child Practice Staying Focused - The better children can pay attention, the more likely they are to do well in school.
• Improve Memory Skills To Build Attention Span - If it seems as though your child can’t pay attention for more than a few seconds, it may be because his mind is cluttered.

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Critical Thinking

• Open-Ended Questions Stretch Your Child’s Thinking Skills - Whenever possible, ask your child questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer.
• Boost your child’s thinking skills with questions - Does your child understand intangible ideas?
• Problem-Solving Strategies Boost Thinking Skills - It’s not that I’m so smart,” said the great scientist Albert Einstein.
• Reading together can develop thinking skills - Reading together can help your child become a better reader and a better thinker.
• Ask Questions to Develop Your Child’s Thinking Skills - Parents can help their children develop their thinking skills by asking questions.
• Develop thinking skills by teaching decision making - Research shows that children who are constantly told what to do grow up with a problem making decisions for themselves.
• Offer puzzles to enhance critical thinking skills - A good puzzle is “brain food” for your child.
• Use Questions After Reading To Develop Thinking Skills - Parents can help children develop thinking skills just by asking questions.
• Teach Your Child To Ask Questions, Ponder Problems - Parents want their children to ask questions and think through problems.
• Ask Questions To Help Your Child Think on Higher Levels - Thinking skills are the basis for learning every subject, from reading comprehension to math.

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Peer Pressure

• Expect Your Child To Pay the Consequences for Stealing - And if you suspect your child has taken anything that does not belong to him, you need to make sure he knows just how big a deal it is.
• How To Respond if Your Child Is Caught Cheating - Your child has just come home with a note from the teacher that says she was caught cheating. Your first instinct may be to ground her for life.
• Suggest Many Different Ways For Your Teen to ‘Just Say No’ - Sometimes, “no” isn’t enough to stand up to negative peer pressure.
• Talk With Your Teen About the Qualities of True Friends - Here are some other qualities of true friends to discuss with your teen.
• Peer Pressure Can Be a Good Thing for Your Teenager - We often think of peer pressure as a negative force.
• Discuss Cheating Violations With Your Adolescent - Few teens want to seem out of step with their peers.
• Becoming a ‘Thermostat’ Helps Teens Deal With Peer Pressure - Peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing.
• You, the Parent, Are Still Your Teenager’s Greatest Influence - Parents of teens often feel like they are the people of least influence in their children’s lives.
• Help Steer Your Teen Toward Safe, Healthy Friendships - Many parents worry about negative peer pressure.
• Set Standards for Teens Who Want to Dress Like Pop Stars - Your daughter comes out of the dressing room in the mall.

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Gifted & Talented

• How Do You Nurture a Child Who Has Very Special Talents? - Do you think your child has world-class talent?
• Some Children Are Both Gifted & Learning Disabled - Your child is the family expert on computers. But he’s failing history.
• Is it a Good Idea to Let Your Child Skip a Grade? - A child who learns quickly can face as many problems in school as a child who struggles.
• Parents Can Help Their Gifted Girls Thrive in School - It’s hard to be a gifted student in high school. It’s even harder to be a gifted girl.
• My Gifted Child Gets Bad Grades—What Can I Do? - Sometimes, parents think that gifted children should earn all “A”s.

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Cheating

• Take Action To Help Your Child Be a Good Competitor - How to tell if your child is too competitive.
• Help Your Child Deal With Report Cards; Good or Bad - No matter how your child’s grades are, you can use the way you talk about her report card to help her do better in school.
• How To Respond if Your Child Is Caught Cheating - Your child has just come home with a note from the teacher that says she was caught cheating. Your first instinct may be to ground her for life.
• Simple Ideas Can Prepare Your Child for Any Test - Sometimes, it takes more than knowing the right answer to do well on a test.
• Talk With Your Teen About the Negative Effects of Cheating - In some schools, cheating is almost an epidemic. Nearly every student admits to cheating at one time or another.
• Discuss Cheating Violations With Your Adolescent - Few teens want to seem out of step with their peers.
• Are You Discouraging Cheating? - Studies show that most students have cheated at one time or another.
• Get Involved So Your Teenager Doesn’t Feel the Need To Cheat - Any teacher will tell you that there’s always been some cheating in school. But today, cheating seems to be at an all-time high.
• Help Your Middle Schooler See That Cheating is Just Like Lying - Kids today are cheating on assignments and tests more than ever.
• Find Out Why Your Child Cheated and Require Apologies - The teacher calls and says your child was caught cheating on a test.

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Dropout Prevention

• Teens Are Less Likely to Drop Out If Parents Are Involved - Your involvement in your teen’s education is always important. But if you feel your teen is at risk for dropping out, involvement goes from being important to being critical.
• Teens Who Feel Connected Stay In High School - Making a big change at school puts extra stress on teens who are at risk of dropping out.
• Students Who Skip Class May End Up as School Dropouts - When a teen drops out of school, it doesn’t just happen one day.
• What Makes a Student Drop Out? What Can Parents Do? - Out of a typical class of 100 ninth graders, 28 won’t make it to graduation.
• Talk With Your Child About The Importance of Education - Is your teen tired of school? Is he bored? Does she think she can get by without a formal education?
• Be Alert to Signs That Your Teen May Be Dropping Out - In many states, students are legally able to drop out of school at age 16.
• Parents Can Help Keep Latina Girls In High School - Dropout rates for Hispanic students are high. Only about six in 10 Hispanic students finish high school. Today, that means dropouts will never be able to get a high-paying job.
• Be on the Lookout for Warning Signs Your Teen May Drop Out - When a teen drops out of school, parents often wonder if they could have prevented it.
• Steer Your Child in the Direction of College - Parents and schools must work together to convince students to work harder in school
• Parents Can Help Make Sure Teens Stay in School - Even if your teen is not thinking about dropping out of school, doing these things will help ensure he doesn’t.

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School Cliques

• Parents Can Help Teens Deal With the Downside of Cliques - Walk into any high school and you’ll see groups of friends spending time together.
• Parents Can Help Ease the Pain of Feeling Unpopular - Today, popularity is just as important to kids as it was in the past. And when a child feels unpopular, it’s painful. Here are some ways you can help.
• Teach Your Preteen To Value Compassion Over Popularity - Being popular might be more important to your child than you think.
• Help Your Child Get Over Hurt Feelings - Some days, your child may feel as though you are the only friend she has. That’s especially true if members of a clique are teasing her or rejecting her.
• Ask Questions That Get Your Child Thinking About Friends - Parents often worry about who their child’s friends are.
• Dealing with the Tough Issues . . . Popularity and Friendship Problems - Some children have no problems making friends.

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Learning Problems

• Reading Problems May Signal Other Learning Troubles - Learning disabilities often become evident when otherwise good students have trouble keeping up with reading and writing.
• Would You Know If Your Child Had Trouble Learning? - You don’t need to wait for a bad report card to come home to find out your child is having trouble in school.
• Reduce Fear of Tests for Learning-Disabled Children - Taking tests can be extremely frustrating for children with learning disabilities.
• Dealing With Student Frustration - “I hate school!” “Math stinks!” “I’m dumb!” Statements like these are often signs of a child who’s frustrated with his schoolwork.
• Untreated Eye Problems Can Hinder Your Child’s Learning - September is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month.
• Some Children Are Both Gifted & Learning Disabled - Your child is the family expert on computers. But he’s failing history.
• Watch for Signs of Learning Disabilities in Your Child - Parents don’t always know when their child has a learning disability.
• You Need to Be an Effective Advocate For Your Child - When kids need special education, parents must sometimes become advocates.
• Parents Can Help Students Who Are Learning Disabled - It’s hard for parents to figure out if their child has a learning disability (LD).
• Parents Should Be on the Lookout for Vision Problems - About one in every four children have undetected vision problems. This can lead to poor grades and behavior.

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Foreign Languages

• Tips for Learning a Foreign Language - Learning a second language means learning new habits.
• Parents Can Help Children Learn a Foreign Language - If your child has started to study a foreign language—including English—there are some things you can do to help.

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