Quantcast

ADVERTISEMENT
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for Your Parenting Info's Weekly Newsletter

 

Archives for

Big Kids»Elementary»

ADVERTISEMENT
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for Your Parenting Info's Weekly Newsletter


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

I’m Redshirting My Child

by Margot F. March 5th, 2014 | Big Kids, Elementary, School
redshirtThe term “redshirting” in academics refers to delaying an age-eligible child from starting Kindergarten. The practice can be controversial. How does a parent decide when to redshirt a child?

If the child is recovering from a serious illness or has been diagnosed with a developmental disability then it seems reasonable to give them a year to catch up to their peers. When my younger son was not talking by age four, it was easy to postpone his entrance to school. At the time, the government paid for speech therapy until Kindergarten and my son could attend a daycare where he
Read More

3 Tips for Sports Safety

by Ronald A. Rowe February 26th, 2014 | Big Kids, Elementary, Safety
kids soccerIt is a mystery as old as organized youth sports. How do we keep our kids safe when we turn them over to a coach whose goal it is to mold them into peak athletes capable of beating the kids on some other coach’s team? My lovely wife’s initial plan of wrapping our children in bubble wrap until they turn 18 wasn’t exactly practical. So short of that, what can we can do to minimize the risk of sports-related injury?

Stretching
Most kids hate pre-practice stretching because it is boring and it is the only thing standing between them and the
Read More

Behavior Decoded: Learning Disabilities

by Lori Sciame February 12th, 2014 | Behavior, Big Kids, Elementary
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASome disruptive or strange behaviors exhibited by elementary age children may be caused by a learning disability that has not yet been diagnosed.  Here's an example:

Eight-year-old Johnny can't sit still at the table. He says his shirt makes him jumpy, and that his socks make his feet tingle.  He struggles to take a bite of hot mashed potatoes, but soon after, he can't stop his head from shaking back and forth.

"Stop it!" his dad screams.  But it's not that simple.  This is because his child is suffering from Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Children with this condition have trouble using
Read More

Transitioning to Kindergarten

by Margot F. February 5th, 2014 | Big Kids, Elementary, School
kids on playgroundThis time of year, some parents start wondering about enrolling their child in kindergarten for the coming September. Is your child ready for kindergarten? What guidelines are there to help make a decision?

Most school districts post suggestions to consider when registering a child for kindergarten. Is the child’s birthday before the cut off date for your area? In Canada, the child must turn five by December 31st of the year of enrollment. Some districts set the cut off as of September 30th.

Has the child attended preschool or daycare? Consult with the teacher regarding your child’s readiness to start at
Read More

Sleepover Safety

by Ronald A. Rowe January 15th, 2014 | Big Kids, Elementary, Safety
girls n tennis ballsMany parents worry about their children going to a sleepover at a friend’s house. But not as many give proper thought and concern to safety issues surrounding having your child’s friends sleep over at your house.

There are liability issues, among other things. You need to be concerned with not only the safety of the visiting children, but also the impact their all-night presence is having on your child and the potential issues it can present for you as well. The degree of danger depends on a variety of factors, including how well you know the family of the visiting
Read More

Kids in Charge?

by Lori Sciame January 8th, 2014 | Behavior, Big Kids, Elementary
bowlingOn a recent family outing, I noticed an elementary aged child put in charge.  While it's great to give a child this age a chance for self-expression, it's another thing to let him or her run the show.

Think about this example,  a group of 40 or so family members planned to go bowling together; however, because of one child's wants, the long-scheduled event morphed into a different outing all together.  All the adults and teens who had anticipated this fun event now had to change gears and do something else.  What kind of message does this send the child?
Read More

Reading – Parents Can Help

by Margot F. January 1st, 2014 | Big Kids, Elementary, School
mom n girl reading“I hate reading!” Whether these words are exclaimed directly or indirectly through evasive behavior, encouraging an older child to read can be challenging, but possible.

The term “reluctant reader” refers to pupils who struggle with reading. There can be many reasons, including poor ability to decode words, problems comprehending the material, and lack of motivation to learn how to read. Regardless of the reason, there are a few ways to help your child.

Setting aside a specific time each day to read to your child will show that reading is important and give a chance to share quiet time during a
Read More

Safety Training at Home

by Ronald A. Rowe December 18th, 2013 | Big Kids, Elementary, Safety
boys on porchVirtually all parents are concerned about the safety of their elementary-age children but few know what to do about it. Worrying doesn’t do much to keep our children safe. Despite the fervent wishes of more than a few moms that I know, we cannot wrap our children in bubble wrap and keep them secure from all harm until their eighteenth birthday. They will be out of our sight and control at some point no matter what we do.

I have spoken to so many parents who are deeply concerned about protecting their children but overlook one simple but important step
Read More

How to Survive Your Tween’s School Projects

by Tania Cowling December 12th, 2013 | Big Kids, School, Tweens
science fair usaSchool projects can be overwhelming to students and even parents. Teachers are looking for creative ideas, but don’t always present necessary instructions. Then tweens may want to present a huge project of their dreams and not have a clue how to begin. This is where parents come into play.

As a mother of three, I've supervised many projects over the years -- from science experiments to social studies presentations and more. We (and I use this word because middle school tweens can’t always do these projects alone) have made volcanoes, battlefields, and replicas of famous buildings, just to name a
Read More
Page 1 of 1312345...10...Last »