By Julie Williams

It's a minor miracle. Every morning, kids swarm into school shouting, running, dropping things, and shouting some more. Ten minutes later, coats and backpacks hang on hooks, and kids are calmly seated. And the teacher didn't yell once! If you're like most parents, you're wondering how those teachers do it. Martial law, maybe?

Not exactly. But it isn't accidental either. Especially in elementary school, but the in the later grades as well, teachers use specific, systematic tools for keeping order, and many of these can help at home. Looking for tips? Here are my top four, tested over many years of teaching:

1. Routine. Every morning, the teacher says, "Take out your notes and let's get started." And the kids do. Why? The first few times, it's because the teacher insisted. But then came a crucial message: "We'll do this every day. I will expect you to follow this routine, and I know you can do it." Once the routine is established, it takes over and does your job for you. The key is specific, measurable steps which you teach and repeat, one by one. Dinner's over? Set a routine of clearing plates, and model exactly how it's done. Reinforce the lesson daily for the first few weeks. Then all you have to do is point.

2. Picture, Place and Word Reminders. Take a look at a typical classroom and you'll see specific homes for everything: Homework Basket. Bathroom Pass. Cozy Corner. You can parallel this system at home by making sure, for example, that library books always go on the same shelf, or towels live in one closet. And for those crazy mornings, consider a list on the back of your child's door. For big kids, you can use words; little kids may need simple pictures. Either way, it's a daily reminder of what kids needs to remember and it's one fewer time you'll need to nag.

3. Loud Voice/Quiet Voice. Even the calmest classrooms have moments of Total Kid Pandemonium. Here's a teacher trick: Get attention with a voice a notch louder than the kids. Keep it short"Hey!"and then quickly drop your voice below theirs. How can they hear you? They'll have to shush!

4. Freeze. Ever give directions, only to have your kid pretend you never spoke? Take a tip from the teacher book: Slow down! Not just your wordsbut your whole body. Start by getting your child's attention. Look each other in the eye, and be still. Give the directions clearly, and give your kid time to ask clarifying questions. Don't move for at least fifteen secondsyou are transferring responsibility, and your kid needs to take it on. Follow up with a sincere question: "Do you think you can do this?" The conversation will not end until the child says a confident "Yes."

Of course, none of these tools will guarantee you smooth sailing. Teachers will be the first to tell you that they, too, sometimes feel like screaming. But slowly and surely, these tools can make a difference. Your child will see you take clear authority and provide guidance; and with luck you may even find time for a cup of coffee in the morning.

Source:http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Four_Teacher_Tricks/

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Carol Wooten, winner of a presidential teaching excellence award, shares her insights with parents whose kids are having trouble reaching their full potential in school.
by Patti Ghezzi

Whether your son has always been an A student and suddenly brings home a C+ or your daughter spends too many hours getting through her homework, it's hard to watch your child struggle.

We asked 5th grade teacher Carol Wooten, a winner of the 2008 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, for her advice on helping troubled students. She teaches at Hunter Gifted and Talented Magnet Elementary in Raleigh, N.C.

Some kids try hard but still have a tough time keeping up in school. How can parents keep these kids from giving up?

Look at your child's learning style. I am a visual learner, so I graph and color-code everything. Other kids learn by doing or learn by listening. See how your child learns best and find ways for him to be successful. Think beyond paper and pencils. If your child learns by being hands-on, he might like to make a creature out of geometric shapes. This appeals to the kids who love fantasy. Help kids find their niche. Many kids love learning games, which can be found on the Internet. Also, take advantage of all the resources available at the school.

How would you suggest a parent help a child who says she feels dumb compared with other kids in the class?

Be positive with your child and provide opportunities for your child to be successful. Talk to your child and find out why she feels this way. Get to the heart of the matter. It may be a lack of test-taking skills. Set realistic progress goals together. When the goal is achieved, do something special together to celebrate the accomplishment.

On the flip side, how can parents light a fire under the child who is very bright but just doesn't seem to care about grades?

Set a high expectation and model it at home. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but it might be helpful to work on time-management skills. Set time parameters. Set a goal to reach during that time. If your child meets the goal, give him a choice of what activity he wants to do.

Some kids want Mom or Dad to sit next to them and help with every step of their homework. How can parents encourage homework independence?

During homework time, check in with your child. Some kids need more oversight than others. Use a timer to help your child stay focused. Help your child break a task into manageable chunks. Tell your child she needs to work for 30 minutes and then she can have a five-minute break for a snack or some activity she enjoys, though not video games. There is no such thing as five minutes on a video game! For projects, help your child create a timeline so all the work isn't left until the night before.

When a child has a hard time with homework assignments, at what point should the parent talk to the teacher?

When it becomes a consistent problem, we need to work together as a team. We need to find out the cause of the problem. Does he not understand the concepts? Is the class too fast-paced? Or is he misunderstanding the assignments? Maybe an intervention strategy is called for. Maybe the child needs one-on-one time with the teacher or a tutor. I would rather the parent go ahead and speak up when the problem first surfaces. There are so many ways to communicate with teachers these days, including email and parent-teacher conferences.

source- http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/article/10804-a-teachers-advice-for-struggling-students

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Author: Susan W. Haugland

Whether we use technology with young children-and if so, how-are critical issues facing early childhood educators and parents. This Digest discusses questions about when children should start using computers; developmentally ap-propriate computer activities in preschool, kindergarten, and early primary classrooms; benefits of computer use; integration of computers into classrooms; and teacher training.

When to Introduce Children to Computers

Many researchers do not recommend that children under 3 years old use computers (e.g., Hohmann, 1998). Computers simply do not match their learning style. Children younger than 3 learn through their bodies: their eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and legs. Although they may return over and over again to an activity, they are full of movement, changing focus frequently. Computers are not a good choice for the developmental skills these children are learning to master: crawling, walking, talking, and making friends.

Developmentally Appropriate Computer Activities

Unfortunately, computers are used all too often in ways that are developmentally inappropriate. One study (U.S. Congress, 1995) found that while "schools are steadily increasing their access to new technologies . . . most teachers use these technologies in traditional ways, including drills in basic skills and instructional games" (p. 103). Clements (1994) makes a similar point, noting, "What we as early childhood educators are presently doing most often with computers is what research and NAEYC guidelines say we should be doing least often" (p. 33).

Papert (1998) stresses that computers have an impact on children when the computer provides concrete experiences, children have free access and control the learning experience, children and teachers learn together, teachers encourage peer tutoring, and teachers use computers to teach powerful ideas.

Developmentally appropriate ways to use computers with 3- and 4-year-olds are different from the ways we use computers in kindergarten and the primary grades.

Computers and Preschoolers. Children 3 and 4 years of age are developmentally ready to explore computers, and most early childhood educators see the computer center as a valuable activity center for learning. Timing is crucial. Chil-dren need plenty of time to experiment and explore. Young children are comfortable clicking various options to see what is going to happen next. Teachers may want to intervene when children appear frustrated or when nothing seems to be happening. Frequently, just a quick word or two, even from across the room, reminds children what they need to do next to reach their desired goal. Providing children with minimal help teaches them they can operate the computer successfully. In addition, by observing what children are do-ing, the teacher can ask probing questions or propose prob-lems to enhance and expand children's computer experiences.

Computers for Kindergartners and Early Primary Children. As children enter kindergarten and the primary grades, it is important that they continue to have access to a computer center with a library of developmentally appropriate software. Children need opportunities to make choices about some of their computer experiences. In addition, kindergarten or primary-grade teachers will want to use the computer for more directed activities that match their learning objectives. For example, to enhance language skills, children can compose a letter to a friend or relative using the template provided in ClarisWorks for Kids or similar software.

Children could also work in small groups. For example, one group might use software such as Scholastic's Magic School Bus Explores the Rainforest to compare two of the seven ecozones in the program. Using software such as Edmark's Kids' Desk: Internet Safe, other small groups can investigate these two ecozones on Internet Web sites selected by the teacher. The groups might then merge to share their discoveries and write a report on the ecozones, illustrating each with pictures drawn by members of the group or downloaded from the Internet sites. Through exploring computer experiences, these children build memory skills, learn how to seek out information from multiple sources until they have a clear understanding of ecosystems, and integrate their knowledge of how each ecosystem functions. In the process, they learn to delegate responsibility, interact with others, solve problems, and cooperate to reach a goal.

Benefits of Computer Use

Research has shown that 3- and 4-year-old children who use computers with supporting activities that reinforce the major objectives of the programs have significantly greater developmental gains when compared to children without computer experiences in similar classrooms-gains in intelligence, nonverbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, manual dexterity, verbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills (Haugland, 1992).

The benefits of providing computers to kindergarten and primary-grade children vary depending upon the kind of computer experiences offered and how frequently children have access to computers. The potential gains for kindergarten and primary children are tremendous, including improved motor skills, enhanced mathematical thinking, increased creativity, higher scores on tests of critical thinking and problem solving, higher levels of what Nastasi and Clements (1994) term effectance motivation (the belief that they can change or affect their environment), and increased scores on standardized language assessments.

In addition, computer use enhances children's self-concept, and children demonstrate increasing levels of spoken communication and cooperation. Children share leadership roles more frequently and develop positive attitudes toward learning (Clements, 1994; Cardelle-Elawar & Wetzel, 1995; Adams, 1996; Denning & Smith, 1997; Haugland & Wright, 1997; Matthew, 1997).

Integration of Computers into the Classroom

Early childhood programs serve diverse populations and have different schedules, curriculums, staffing patterns, re-sources, and so on. Goals for computer use and the steps that schools take to integrate computers into their class-rooms may be completely different but equally successful.

A viable beginning is for teachers, administrators, and parents to share magazine, journal, and newspaper articles they have seen regarding children using computers. A study group of all the individuals who have expressed interest in children using computers can then be organized. The next step is to summarize the benefits of using computers with young children and to discuss goals for the year, including the cost of computers and teacher training.

A first goal may be obtaining computers. The ratio of computers to young children is important-at most 1 to 7, preferably 1 to 5. If this ratio cannot be met with the resources available, it is far better to use a set of computers in a classroom for a month, quarter, or semester and then rotate them to another classroom. Equal access for children is essential; even the most talented teacher will have difficulty integrating computers into his or her classroom with only one computer.

To help in computer selection, the study group can seek out mentors who have expertise using computers. These mentors might be teachers currently using computers, a professor at a college, or leaders in business. The study group may also want to brainstorm possible fund-raising activities and explore the possibility of obtaining used computers from businesses-making sure the computers have the capacity to run software that is currently being marketed for young children.

Teacher Training

Teacher training is essential for computers to be an effective teaching tool. A recent report reveals that only a few teach-ers in a relatively small number of schools have been trained to maximize technology use in classrooms (Gatewood & Conrad, 1997). Training opportunities enable teachers to build skills and confidence and learn strategies to integrate computers into their curriculum. Epstein (1993) identified four critical components of training: practical experience, work-shops, models and mentors, and supervisory follow-up.

As a first step, teachers can explore software that is develop-mentally appropriate for their classrooms. Teachers can then discuss the potential learning objectives of the programs and activities they could use to integrate particular software into their classrooms. Teachers can also participate in workshops that integrate the developmental theory and research regarding computer use with hands-on experiences. Mentors can also provide teachers with affirmation, support, and suggestions for classroom use.

As teachers implement technology in the classroom, their vision of the role of technology in teaching and learning will undoubtedly change. Administrators need to continually support teachers in their quest to discover how technology can best enhance children's learning.

Source: http://library.educationworld.net/a4/a4-44.html

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