http://fauxreal.blogsome.com Education Only Makes A Man Perfect Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:51:55 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Visit the library often. Make sure your child has a library card. Include your child in family conversations and listen to what he/she has to say. Being listened to builds a child’s self-esteem and helps him/her learn. Read aloud to your child. Verbal expression helps with vocabulary development which is ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/11/04/ways-you-can-help-your-child-become-a-reader/ It seems like yesterday you were counting pennies, leaves, and gold stars with your first grader. Now she’s taking sixth grade math. It’s a shock to lots of parents—and kids, too. Here’s the good news: academic standards are designed to prepare children grade by grade and step by step. If ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/11/03/what-to-expect-in-6th-grade/   They’re long out of diapers but will have to wait before they get behind the wheel. And whether they’re starting first grade or are reigning queens and kings of their elementary schools, your kids’ minds, bodies and emotions are subtly changing to help prepare them for adulthood. Kids Today“This period ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/11/02/the-challenges-of-middle-childhood/ For many parents, it’s downright weird to have a fifth grader. Wasn’t it only yesterday that your kid was trembling at the kindergarten threshold? Suddenly, you’re the parent of a “senior” of elementary school. That means big gains in academics, and often growth spurts and hormone surges. Each kid moves ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/10/29/what-to-expect-in-fifth-grade/ One of the best parts of raising children is their love of exploration. And as children enter middle school, one of their favorite things to explore is power: who’s got it, how much do they have and how can I get some? Though this may be a difficult exploratory process ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/10/28/middle-school-power-struggles/ Remember back when your child was a toddler, and fourth graders looked so big? Well, as they move through school, only a year away from middle school, they’re starting to feel that way too. Early big leaps, like reading first books or mastering addition, are giving way to steady strides. ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/10/26/what-to-expect-in-fourth-grade/ Your child has scaled the cliffs of early reading, shot the rapids of adding and subtracting, and mined for gems in the world of writing. In other words, first and second grade are over. What could top all that? Well, in fact there’s a giant step waiting in third grade. ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/10/23/what-to-expect-in-third-grade/ Should be old hat, right? This may be called second grade, but really, counting kindergarten, it’s the third year of school. Your child has long ago mastered rugtime and lineup, recess and lunch. You’ve had the excitement of first grade reading and math, so now you’re probably looking forward to ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/10/22/what-to-expect-in-second-grade/ For most kids, first grade is thrilling.  Rarely, in fact, will school include so many “firsts”: the first time most kids attend full-day school; the first time they manage a page of math problems; and especially, the first time they read a book independently, cover to cover.   ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/10/21/what-to-expect-in-first-grade/ Kindergarten used to be all about developing social skills. These days, it’s more about learning to read and getting ready to tackle academic subjects in 1st grade. Still, a primary intent of kindergarten is to teach children to work together, share, accept each other’s differences, solve problems by communicating, and ... http://fauxreal.blogsome.com/2009/10/20/kindergarten-social-changes/