Early Elementary Article Archive

• 7 Things To Tell the Teacher - Sharing key information about your child can help teachers make a connection.
• 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.
• Have a Conversation About School - Get beyond one-word answers and find out what your child really thinks and feels about school.
• Eating, Sleeping, and Learning - Establishing healthy habits now can ease the transition to a new school year.
• Summer Amnesia: Avoid the Brain Drain - Kids lose academic ground in the summer. Use these tips to keep them from falling behind.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Summer Reading List - These books will capture your kids’ imagination, and they’re perfect for reading aloud.
• Parents Are Teachers, Too - Use these simple ideas to reinforce learning at home and develop your child’s academic skills.
• What Is Your Child’s Learning Style? - Understanding how your child learns can reduce frustration and improve achievement.
• 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.
• 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.
• How To Read With Your Child - You have a big influence on your child when you spend time reading together. Learn how to make the most of this special time.
• How Boys Learn - Many boys need opportunities to move around and like competitive situations.
• How Girls Learn - Girls like to collaborate and often create strong relationships.
• 10 Questions About Your Child and School - The more you know about how your child deals with challenges and what's expected of him, the better you'll be able to help him achieve. Start by asking these key questions.
• Talk With Your Child About All The Things That Make Her Special - All adults and children have qualities that make them special, and it’s important to talk about them together.
• Build Your Child’s Self-Confidence, Teach About Trust - Throughout childhood, kids learn about trust from their parents.
• Giving Attention Is Another Way To Recognize Your Child’s Efforts - What children really need is acceptance. The best way to give this is to give your child your full attention.
• Too Much Praise Can Harm Your Child’s Self-Esteem - Parents can boost their children’s self-esteem with praise.
• Give Specific Instructions To Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem - The best self-esteem comes from within your child when she realizes she is a capable person—that she can do things on her own to help herself and other people.
• 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.
• Children Who Like Themselves Exhibit More Self-Confidence - Liking themselves is critical to children’s self-esteem.
• Boost Your Child’s Self-Confidence - One of parents’ most important jobs is helping children develop a healthy sense of self-esteem.
• It’s Important To Remind Children They’re Wonderful - Everyone needs to be told how special they are, especially children.
• Confident Children Are More Likely To Succeed in School - Confidence is one of the most important characteristics you can instill in your child.
• Build Self-Confidence in Your Child With Lots of Pretending - Did you know that pretending builds self-esteem?
• Positive Self-Image Will Help Your Child Succeed in School - Children with high self-esteem feel capable and are more likely to tackle new tasks.
• Encourage Your Child To Be Caring in All Actions - Caring, showing concern and kindness for others, is important to instill in your young child.
• Teach Your Child How To Share With Family & Friends - Show your child that it’s fun to share with friends and family.
• Teach Your Child Values With Gifts From the Heart - Teach your child to give as well as receive.
• Create a Wish List, Play Games When Your Child Wants It All - Are the holidays over, but your child still has the “gimmes”?
• Even Young Children Need to Learn To Face Consequences - Punishing children isn't the best discipline.
• Take Time Daily To Teach Your Child Responsibility - Teaching your child to be responsible is not a single skill that you can demonstrate in a short period of time.
• Simple Steps Can Help Make Chores Productive - Giving children household duties is important because it prepares them for future responsibilities.
• Prepare Young Children To Be Responsible Members of the Community - Children are more successful in school if they are prepared to be responsible members of the classroom community.
• Teach Good Habits During National Nutrition Month - March is National Nutritional Month.
• Boost Your Child’s Responsibility for Success in School - Encouraging your young child to become more autonomous now will pay off later.
• Use Chores to Teach Your Child Responsibility, Important Skills - Some experts say giving children responsibilities does more than just help them become self-reliant.
• Simple Chores Can Teach Even Young Children Responsibility - You probably know that helping around the house does wonderful things for a child.
• Age-Appropriate Chores Help Teach About Responsibility - Parents shouldn’t burden young children with tasks they’re not ready to handle.
• Teach Children To Give Things They’ve Made Themselves - Most of our children are used to getting gifts.
• Work With Children To Help Them Face, Conquer Their Fears - How to deal with your child's fear.
• Prepare Your Child for School by Teaching Honesty, Healthy Habits - As your child prepares for school, he should be learning to take responsibility for what he says and for his own body.
• Teach Responsibility Using ‘When-Then’ Phrases - Responsible people complete tasks they need to do before turning to those they want to do.
• Outside Learning Important in Elementary School Years - Some of the most valuable learning your child may do this year could take place outside of school.
• Teach Your Child the Value Of Hard Work, Perseverance - Help your child learn to work hard and persevere.
• Make Resolutions To Bring Out the Best in Your Child - Resolutions that are virtually guaranteed to evoke better behavior from your child.
• Inspire Your Child With the Story of a Hero - The stories you tell your children can help inspire them to do their very best.
• Model the Behavior You Want to See in Your Child - Each action you take teaches a powerful lesson to your child about the kind of person he should be.
• STAR Method Helps Children Deal With Disappointment - Four steps that can give your child a way to feel in control, even during a hard time.
• Parents Influence Character As They Make Daily Choices - The choices you make will teach your child more about what it means to be kind to others than 100 lectures.
• Teach an Attitude of Gratitude To Have an Unspoiled Child - Teaching gratitude is the best way to spoil-proof your child.
• Teach the Importance of Treating Others With Respect - To help your child make friends, model the qualities that make it possible to attract and keep friends.
• Teach Your Child How To Be Unspoiled & Self-Reliant - Tips on raising an unspoiled child.
• Games, Activities Motivate Children to Care for Others -  To become caring, sensitive people, children must learn to see and think of others’ feelings and needs.
• Take Action To Help Your Child Be a Good Competitor - How to tell if your child is too competitive.
• Write Thank-You’s Together To Show Their Importance - Helping your child write thank-you notes.
• Breakfast Most Important Meal for Schoolchildren - Don't let rushed morning schedules keep kids from starting the day with something nutritious.
• Use Questions After Reading To Develop Thinking Skills - Parents can help children develop thinking skills just by asking questions.
• 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.
• Try Alarm Clock To Teach Children Responsibility - Activity to practice being responsible.
• ‘Mommy Checks’ Encourage Children To Be Responsible - Across the country, educators are learning the benefit of “catching kids being good."
• Calendar System Helps Motivate Children To Behave - Encouraging children’s good behavior is one of the most important jobs of any parent.
• Teach Your Child To Take Control of Relationships - Steps to help your child resolve conflict.
• Establishing Routines Helps Young Children Become Responsible - Tips to teach young children about calendars and "to do" lists.
• Small Allowance Teaches Children Big Lessons - A small allowance can help a child develop responsibility.
• Fun Games Can Help Your Child Develop Sense of Time - It’s useless to yell at kids about wasting time or not being on time when they haven’t yet developed a sense of time.
• Help Your Child Learn About Money and Values - Tips for helping your child understand the value of money.
• Expect Elementary-Aged Children To Do Some Chores - Small tasks that young children can complete.
• Teach Your Child Responsibility, Build Math Skills - How allowance can help with math skills.
• Assign Chores To Develop Responsibility in Your Child - A recent study by Public Agenda identified the most important traits parents believe kids should have, self-control, self-discipline, honesty, independence, and striving to do well in school.
• Afternoon Plan Ends Morning Catastrophes - Organization can make mornings easier.
• Don’t Do for Children What They Can Do For Themselves - Valerie Allen, a school psychologist who works with many families, knows how parents can help their children to become more responsible.
• Doing Chores Helps Your Child Develop Responsibility - Tips on ways you can use chores to teach responsibility.
• 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.
• A Card System Keeps Your Child Focused on Chores - Use a "Tickler File" to keep kids on task.
• Be Involved as Your Child Learns To Make Choices - We all want our children to learn how to make responsible choices.
• Help Your Child Learn To Tell Time, Be Responsible - Kids can’t learn to manage their time—until they learn to tell time.
• Show Children How To Make the Best Gifts Themselves - Most children don’t have the money to buy a gift for a friend or relative.
• This Holiday Teach the True ‘Gift of Giving’ - Ways children might share with others now and throughout the year.
• Do You Know Why Your Child Gets Bad Grades? - Your child has brought home a report card that’s less-than-perfect.
• Parents Can Help Children Get Along With Teachers - Students do better in school when they have a good relationship with their teachers.
• Report Card Time: 3 Ways To Help Your Child - A midyear report is a good time for you and your child to set goals for the remainder of the year.
• Watch for Signs of Learning Disabilities in Your Child - Parents don’t always know when their child has a learning disability.
• Dealing With Children's Shifting Friendships  - It is the nature of childhood friendships that they often come to an end. Interests change, groups form and reform.
• Avoid Overscheduling During the Final Weeks of School - At the end of the school year, children can often become overscheduled.
• Consider Having An End-of-the-Year Conference - Whether your child has had a great year, or one that’s not so wonderful, an end-of-the-year conference can help you learn some important things.
• 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.
• 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.
• If You Think Your Child Needs a Tutor - If your child is having trouble in a subject, you may have thought about finding a tutor. But first try talking with your child’s teacher.
• Offer Suggestions for Children Who Don’t Like Recess - For many kids, recess or P.E. is their “favorite subject.” But some kids dread this time of the day. It’s when they get teased, left out or picked on.
• Build Your Family’s Self Control - Once children reach elementary school, tantrums should be few and far between.
• Angry Reactions Can Be Controlled - Everyone feels angry sometimes, but not everyone expresses anger the same way.
• Having a Collection Boosts Academics and Self-Esteem - Starting or keeping a collection is a great after-school activity for your child.
• Show Your Child You Love Him Many Ways on Valentine’s Day - This Valentine’s Day and beyond, make sure your child hears your “I love you” message loud and clear.
• Stress Kindness, Courtesy & Other Positive Values - If your child shows upright character, she helps to make her school a better place to learn.
• Schools Rely on Parents to Build Their Children’s Character - How to build character in your child.
• Understanding the Value of Things Teaches Appreciation - Appreciation is a quality that must be nurtured in children.
• Let Conscience Guide Your Child When Making Decisions - People of good character are usually aware of their conscience, and act on it.
• Eating Breakfast Improves Behavior, Problem-Solving - The older children get, the harder it is to get them to eat breakfast.
• Ask Your Child To Be Your "Reference Librarian" - Here’s a great way to teach your kids how to look for information.
• Money Management Can Build Child’s Decision Making Skills - Throughout life, your child will have to make important decisions about money.
• Encourage Children To Listen to Their Inner Voices Before Acting - The ability to think things through is critical to good decision making.
• Give Children Advice So They Can Solve Their Own Problems - It’s hard to take a “hands off” attitude when kids are making less-than-perfect decisions.
• Help Your Child Use Five Steps for Making Decisions - Steps to helping your child learn to make decisions.
• Be Clear, Consistent When You Assign Chores to Your Child - Sometimes giving children chores can feel like a chore.
• Neatness Can Help Your Child Improve Grades in School - Checklist for improving homework neatness.
• Teach Your Middle Schooler the Importance of Being on Time - The downside of allowing your child to be late to school.
• Are You Raising a Child Who Is a Self-Manager? - Kids who do well in school are usually self-managers.
• Ten Ways To Help Your Child Deal With Peer Pressure - Tangible ways to help your child cope with peer pressure.
• TV Log Can Increase Student Awareness and Responsibility - A recent study found that eighth graders spent four times as many hours each week watching television as they did studying.
• Do These Three Things After A Good Or Bad Report Card - When we think about student report cards, we are usually concerned about how to handle bad grades.
• Help Your Child Adjust Socially - Finding the right niche can help your child feel happier at school.
• Understanding Grades and Grading - How you react to grades can affect your child’s success in school. It’s important to know what they represent—and what they don’t.
• What Kids Are Learning - Standards vary from state to state, but here’s a general look at what kids will be taught at each grade level.

1st Grade

• 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.
• 1st Grade Academics: What To Expect - This year, kids will learn to read and will begin to have routine homework assignments.
• 1st Grade Social Changes: What To Expect - Observant 1st graders love to share their developing sense of humor.

View all '1st Grade' articles.

2nd Grade

• 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.
• 2nd Grade Academics: What To Expect - This year, kids transition from learning to read to reading to learn.
• 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.

View all '2nd Grade' articles.