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	<title>The K Through 12 Connection</title>
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	<link>http://www.k12connection.org</link>
	<description>Educational Activities</description>
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		<title>Get Orange County CA Expert Plumbing Company Service</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/get-orange-county-ca-expert-plumbing-company-service.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/get-orange-county-ca-expert-plumbing-company-service.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:08:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=568</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are your pipeline is troubling you? Or you have some leakage problem in your kitchen or bathroom? Now free from all such problems by hiring the services of the Orange County CA plumbing company. There are many plumbing companies available that would provide you with the plumbing repair and replacement services. They would provide with [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are your pipeline is troubling you? Or you have some leakage problem in your kitchen or bathroom? Now free from all such problems by hiring the services of the Orange County CA plumbing company. There are many plumbing companies available that would provide you with the plumbing repair and replacement services. They would provide with the excellent services that would help you in getting rid from all sorts of the plumbing problems. The Orange County CA plumbing company has trained staff who supervise the problem area and then provide with the effective repairing solution. They would satisfy their customer needs accordingly.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you face any plumbing problem at your home then an effective way to get information about Orange County CA plumbing company is to browse online. Through online you will get the details of the plumbing company, the services provided with them etc. Also through online you could also compare their service cost. You could also browse the yellow pages to find the plumbing service of Orange County. Look for the licensed company that would provide with the effective and quality services. Make sure that the company has skilled ad experienced staff so that you will get the entire work done well.</p>
<p>If you have decided to consider the services of the Orange County CA plumbing company then it is important that you ask some questions that would help in knowing about the service they offer. Find out how much work is required to be carried out to complete the work. Tell what problems you faced that would help the plumbing service to solve it. After letting them knowing about your problems, ask them what they will charge you for the repairing work done by them. This is an important thing that could not be avoided.</p>
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		<title>What Makes a Good Teacher</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/what-makes-a-good-teacher.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/what-makes-a-good-teacher.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:19:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=572</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Every parent with a school-age child understands how much a good teacher can influence a child. For most kids, their motivation comes from wanting to please the teacher. It&#8217;s why they complete assignments and it&#8217;s why the student strives to do well on it. If the child doesn&#8217;t like the teacher, it [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; width: 310px; margin: 1em;"><img style="border: none;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Special_ed_teacher.jpg/300px-Special_ed_teacher.jpg" alt="A special education teacher assists one of her..." width="300" height="202" /></p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
<p>Every parent with a school-age child understands how much a good teacher can influence a child. For most kids, their motivation comes from wanting to please the teacher. It&#8217;s why they complete assignments and it&#8217;s why the student strives to do well on it. If the child doesn&#8217;t like the teacher, it may be very hard to motivate him or her to do well.</p>
<p>But there are other reasons why good teachers are important. Teachers who love their students can help boost their students&#8217; self esteem and show them that they&#8217;re special. Teachers can also help their students gain a love for learning. For kids who don&#8217;t have the best home life, a good teacher can create an environment where these kids want to be — a haven that is safe and comfortable.</p>
<p>So what makes a good teacher? You&#8217;d think the most important thing would be a teacher who teaches well, but in reality, a good teacher is one that loves his or her students. It&#8217;s a teacher who loves teaching and wants all of the students to succeed.</p>
<p>Another important quality is understanding. There are many teachers who don&#8217;t get that sometimes no matter how hard students try, they aren&#8217;t able to get a concept or aren&#8217;t able to concentrate in class. This could be because of a learning disability such as dyslexia or because of having ADD.</p>
<p>Students need to know that they can approach their teacher and ask questions without being made to feel unimportant or stupid.</p>
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		<title>4 Ways to Teach Your Children the Value of a Dollar</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/4-ways-to-teach-your-children-the-value-of-a-dollar.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/4-ways-to-teach-your-children-the-value-of-a-dollar.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:26:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning Activities & Games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=563</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let’s face it; every parent wants their kids to have a better life than they had. One of the most important ways to help ensure that happens is to make sure your kids attend college. But college isn’t cheap, neither for the students nor their parents. Even those brainiacs who manage to land full-ride scholarships [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Let’s face it; every parent wants their kids to have a better life than they had. One of the most important ways to help ensure that happens is to make sure your kids attend college. But college isn’t cheap, neither for the students nor their parents. Even those brainiacs who manage to land full-ride scholarships could tell you that the off-campus expenses add up fast. Here are a few ways you can help your kid bear the expenses of college.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.k12connection.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/piggy-bank-money.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-564" title="piggy bank-money" src="http://www.k12connection.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/piggy-bank-money-300x281.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="281" /></a></p>
<h3>1. Instill a Lasting Monetary Values System</h3>
<p>Teach them the value of money and hard work long before university applications are being filled out. The absolute best way for any young person to learn to value money is to earn it themselves. Most jobs for young people don’t pay extraordinarily well, so each dollar earned is hard won. They’ll be far less likely to spend frivolously on wasteful things if their own sweat went into earning their spending cash.</p>
<h3>2. Reward Good Behavior and Effort</h3>
<p>Some people view an allowance as something to give to very young children, but that’s not the only way to handle these things. College is a busy, stressful time. Not every kid has time to work his or her way through with a full time job in addition to classes. A small allowance can help your student get out to have a little fun when cash from his or her summer job runs thin.</p>
<h3>3. Give Children an Occasional Surprise Financial Boost</h3>
<p>If your student has been working since early on in high school, learned the value of money, and is well on the road to being masters of his or her own checkbook, give a financial boost once or twice a year. Send money with the Reach card, which allows you to preset the spending limits. Unlike a regular credit card, you need not worry about your kid going out and spending money in an uncharacteristically un-thrifty fashion.</p>
<h3>4. Show Children How Money Has Evolved with Inflation Over Time</h3>
<p>The penny is nearing extinction daily. Some stores already have opted to &#8220;ban the penny.&#8221; That’s not because pennies are too small to be worthwhile, but because it actually costs more to create a penny than a penny is now worth. Inflation is to blame for this. Teach your kids to value dollars, and don’t worry too much about teaching lessons based on coinage. With inflation continuing from today’s levels, even nickels may well be banished in coming decades!</p>
<p>By teaching your kids to handle money with the sincerity of a banker, they will develop a respect for the green stuff. That doesn’t mean they can’t have fun along the way, but it does mean you will have helped to create financially responsible young adults. And those financial lessons will last a lifetime, even when some things they learn in college are long forgotten. After all, do <em>you</em> remember what you learned in Philosophy 204?</p>
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		<title>Keeping Arts in the School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/keeping-arts-in-the-school.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/keeping-arts-in-the-school.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:19:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Activities & Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mixed media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=571</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Discussions crop up here and there about whether it&#8217;s worth funding the arts in schools. There is so much that needs to be paid for, is it worth providing art classes, music classes, and drama classes? The answer is a resounding yes! If anything, the arts are currently underfunded. So why do [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; width: 310px; margin: 1em;"><img style="border: none;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Hannah1.jpg/300px-Hannah1.jpg" alt="Artwork" width="300" height="200" /></p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
<p>Discussions crop up here and there about whether it&#8217;s worth funding the arts in schools. There is so much that needs to be paid for, is it worth providing art classes, music classes, and drama classes? The answer is a resounding yes! If anything, the arts are currently underfunded.</p>
<p>So why do we need the arts? Too many of our students today lack in using creativity. Instead of learning how to creatively solve problems, they are instead given problems to solve that don&#8217;t require much thought. When outside of school, they are entertained by video games, movies, TV shows, and computers.</p>
<p>But creativity is essential to success. Even those students who don&#8217;t end up as artists or musicians still need creativity. You&#8217;ll find that the most amazing business leaders are ones that are able to look at a problem that seems unsolvable and figure out a solution that benefits all those who are involved. Creativity is used in every aspect of our lives. Even parents need creativity in thinking up fun activities for their children to do or creative ways to teach children what behavior is expected of them.</p>
<p>And the arts can lay a foundation for other learning. Did you ever think about how much math is needed for music? At the beginning of each song is a fraction that is used to determine which notes get the beat and how many notes are in each measure. And that&#8217;s just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much benefit to having arts included in the curriculum.</p>
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		<title>Using Dramatic Play in Kindergarten</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/using-dramatic-play-in-kindergarten.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/using-dramatic-play-in-kindergarten.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:18:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kindergarten]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=570</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Many worry that with so many children watching TV that dramatic play, or using your imagination, is dwindling in today&#8217;s kids. Too many rely on outside stimulus for entertainment. Creativity is important for many adults, and with this quality shrinking, it&#8217;s important to find a way to re-introduce kids to their imagination. [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; width: 310px; margin: 1em;"><img style="border: none;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Children_in_a_Primary_Education_School.JPG/300px-Children_in_a_Primary_Education_School.JPG" alt="Group of children in a primary school in Paris" width="300" height="225" /></p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
<p>Many worry that with so many children watching TV that dramatic play, or using your imagination, is dwindling in today&#8217;s kids. Too many rely on outside stimulus for entertainment. Creativity is important for many adults, and with this quality shrinking, it&#8217;s important to find a way to re-introduce kids to their imagination. How can this be done?</p>
<p>One way is by using dramatic play in schools, especially with kindergarteners. Most five-year-olds aren&#8217;t able to sit and pay attention for very long anyway. By using dramatic play, kids are able to basically play but are able to learn at the same time. For example, you could set up a situation where the kids run a restaurant. Each child is given a specific role in that situation such as server, manager, chef, patron, etc.</p>
<p>In each of the role, the children are given specific tasks. For example, the patron might need to take the total of the check and count out play money to pay for the bill. He or she will need to understand what money represents what and add up the totals in order to know what to pay. For older children, they could even be told to give a 15 percent tip and would have to figure out that amount.</p>
<p>There are a lot of principles that can be taught through dramatic play, but as long as it&#8217;s structured, student will be able to learn the information that the teacher is teaching the children. And yet it&#8217;s fun for the children as well.</p>
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		<title>Preparing the Senior High Student for College and Beyond</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/preparing-the-senior-high-student-for-college-and-beyond.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/preparing-the-senior-high-student-for-college-and-beyond.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:48:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adolescence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=548</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image via Wikipedia As your child enters senior high, a whole new world is going to open up to them. Puberty, being on the cusp of adulthood, and the countdown to college years has begun. However, a parent needs to guide their child through these years with tact and discipline. Many kids find that [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; width: 310px;"><img style="border: medium none;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Central_High_in_Little_Rock_11.jpg/300px-Central_High_in_Little_Rock_11.jpg" alt="The Reflecting Pool was restored during the 20..." width="300" height="225" />&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
<p>As your child enters senior high, a whole new world is going to open up to them. Puberty, being on the cusp of adulthood, and the countdown to college years has begun. However, a parent needs to guide their child through these years with tact and discipline. Many kids find that as they reach their senior year, their desire to stay focused is lessened. A parent has to do what they can to help maintain focus.</p>
<p>About midway through senior high, kids are faced with decisions to make. This is the time to start looking into colleges as well as figure out what field they want to study in. Grades need to be kept up, loans and grants are going to have to be applied for, and most likely part-time work is going to be sought out. All of these issues combine into one gigantic wad of stress for parents and children alike.</p>
<p>The key to surviving these years intact is to find a balance. Grades are the first and foremost important issue. A lesser grade makes or breaks the ability to get into the school of a teenager&#8217;s dreams. So while they may want to work in order to have money, you as the parent need to decide if work should win out over grades. Certainly supporting a teenager&#8217;s newfound habits are on the expensive side, but no one said children are cheap.</p>
<p>Ultimately you will do what makes the most sense for your family situation. However, no matter how much a teenager will tick you off, support them in whatever they do because they still need you.</p>
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		<title>Dealing with the Tween Years of Junior High</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/dealing-with-the-tween-years-of-junior-high.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/dealing-with-the-tween-years-of-junior-high.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:44:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning Activities & Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=547</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image by cseeman via Flickr A child reaching junior high is on the cusp of the first big change in his life. Sixth grade is probably the last year of sanity before puberty strikes, bringing with it many changes. A parent needs to exercise great patience in order to get through the tumultuous years. [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; width: 250px;"><img style="border: medium none;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2131/2150001541_76b15f99ed_m.jpg" alt="Middle School Theater Program (Saline)" width="240" height="180" />&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by cseeman via Flickr</p>
</div>
<p>A child reaching junior high is on the cusp of the first big change in his life. Sixth grade is probably the last year of sanity before puberty strikes, bringing with it many changes. A parent needs to exercise great patience in order to get through the tumultuous years.</p>
<p>Up until this point, it was easy for the student to focus on their school work without much distraction. The hormones still haven&#8217;t set in and life tends to be much simpler. However, once puberty starts in, the ability to focus on schoolwork starts becoming trickier. The temptations to distraction need to be battled, especially considering that the junior high years can make or break the student&#8217;s chances to get into a top high school. And even in systems where there is only one high school to funnel into, study habits need to be formed at this stage to overcome the next set of changes.</p>
<p>This is the stage of life where parents need to sit down with their children and have frank talks with them. Their child&#8217;s world is changing, and if there is no parental context, it can be a confusing time. The major issue to deal with is the fact that emotions go all over the map at this point. Having a talk about the consequences of their actions is extremely important.</p>
<p>Eventually, this too shall pass as it has for untold number of tweens. Parents that do their due diligence by working and talking with their children survive intact, as do their kids.</p>
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		<title>Are Exectations too High for Kindergarten Students?</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/are-exectations-too-high-for-kindergarten-students.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/are-exectations-too-high-for-kindergarten-students.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:44:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Brain Teasers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kindergarten]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image via Wikipedia Kindergarten used to be a place to introduce five year olds to the school system, while allowing them to act their age. No more. Now schools are using kindergarten as an educational experience instead of introducing them to the world that they are going to experience for the next thirteen years [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; width: 310px;"><img style="border: medium none;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Kindergartenfrankfurt.jpg/300px-Kindergartenfrankfurt.jpg" alt="Kindergarten in Frankfurt" width="300" height="215" />&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
<p>Kindergarten used to be a place to introduce five year olds to the school system, while allowing them to act their age. No more. Now schools are using kindergarten as an educational experience instead of introducing them to the world that they are going to experience for the next thirteen years of their lives.</p>
<p>The idea that 5 year olds should start their first year with a bunch of skills that they may not have the ability to master is a bit ludicrous. Certainly teachers say that they have children show up who don&#8217;t have much education beforehand. However, it seems that more and more school systems are expecting children to come equipped with information that is beyond them at five years of age.</p>
<p>It is still the norm for many school districts to require that a child have learned specific information in order to move onto first grade. However, if parents don&#8217;t push back against the idea that a child needs to come to kindergarten with the information in place, they will find their child burned out before they finish their first year of school.</p>
<p>Too much emphasis is placed on ensuring that children measure up to a set of standards by certain ages. These standards do not take individual learning curves into account, and can label an intelligent child as slow for their age. Therefore the idea starts that this child needs to work harder in order to test better the next time around.</p>
<p>Parents need to let their children be children and expect that the school system will as well.</p>
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		<title>Giving Students Virtual Access to Their Work</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/giving-students-virtual-access-to-their-work.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/giving-students-virtual-access-to-their-work.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2011 17:50:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Computer lab]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=475</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Computer technology is changing education every single day and teachers benefit from learning how to keep up with those changes. Often, new technology is made available by districts looking to impress parents and business leaders, but they fail to properly train staff on how to use new tools like electronic tablets and interactive whiteboards. The [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Computer technology is changing education every single day and teachers benefit from learning how to keep up with those changes. Often, new technology is made available by districts looking to impress parents and business leaders, but they fail to properly train staff on how to use new tools like electronic tablets and interactive whiteboards. The students of today who grew up in a digital age love these gadgets and teachers need to embrace them as well.</p>
<p>One tool that has become extremely popular is online grade books. Students can go to a website and see their grades for that quarter and their current average in every subject. Many districts also require teachers to keep information on the site about assignments and upcoming tests. The next logical step is an Internet based site where they can get virtual access to their work. There are a number of companies hard at work developing a virtual computer lab, so that students can remotely access what they have been working on in the computer lab at home.</p>
<p>The implications of a virtual computer lab are huge. In a college setting, students can do from their dorm what they used to have to walk across campus to the lab to do. In high school, if a student is out sick or school has to be cancelled for a few days for bad weather, students can continue to work on their projects.</p>
<p>When schools have made the switch to virtual labs, they have learned that not as much supervision is needed in the computer lab and the district doesn&#8217;t have to spend as much on computer hardware for the lab.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Navigating Conferences: Advice for Teachers</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/navigating-conferences-advice-for-teachers.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/navigating-conferences-advice-for-teachers.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2011 16:52:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Classroom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=479</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image via Wikipedia A primary education isn’t easily earned: texts can be obscure; facts can bore; and statistics can blur together, offering nothing but tedium. Young students can find themselves overwhelmed by knowledge, seeking refuge in wild behavior to end the monotony. This &#8212; of course &#8212; can lead to problems within classrooms, and [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; width: 310px; margin: 1em;"><img style="border: none;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/LACAS_parent_teacher_meeting.jpg/300px-LACAS_parent_teacher_meeting.jpg" alt="A session in parent teacher meeting at Lahore ..." width="300" height="225" />&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
<p>A primary education isn’t easily earned: texts can be obscure; facts can bore; and statistics can blur together, offering nothing but tedium. Young students can find themselves overwhelmed by knowledge, seeking refuge in wild behavior to end the monotony. This &#8212; of course &#8212; can lead to problems within classrooms, and teachers will then be forced to address them with parent conferences.</p>
<p>This is a concept that worries most instructors &#8212; if only because they’ve learned to expect the worst from parents who are more interested in defending their childrens’ honors than listening to reason. Emotions can rise; arguments can occur; and the problems of the classroom can be exacerbated, simply because they&#8217;re not solved.</p>
<p>It’s imperative therefore to shape each conference to neutrality to keep them from devolving:</p>
<p><strong>Avoid Accusations</strong></p>
<p>Parents are all too easy to offend &#8212; any perceived slight against their children will lead to conflict. Teachers must try to avoid any argumentative tones or words therefore. There should be <em>no</em> accusations, only an identification of concerns.</p>
<p><strong>Offer Examples</strong></p>
<p>Proof is the foundation of all sciences. It’s also the burden teachers must face in conferences. Examples will be required before parents will accept an issue: be certain then to list <em>specific</em> instances. These should be presented as facts and not as condemnations.</p>
<p><strong>Provide Answers</strong></p>
<p>The success of a conference is measured not in the identifying of a problem, but instead in its resolution. Teachers must have plans prepared &#8212; with parental involvement highly encouraged.</p>
<p>Conferences are challenging, too often becoming sources of contention rather than support. It’s vital therefore that instructors frame each attempt with patience, careful words and strategy.</p>
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		<title>The Education Distinction: Junior High and Middle School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/the-education-distinction-junior-high-and-middle-school.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/the-education-distinction-junior-high-and-middle-school.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2011 16:52:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elementary school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=478</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image via Wikipedia It’s an easy certainty: the ideas are interchangeable; the concepts are the same. Junior high and middle school are identical principles, you believe. There are no distinctions between them, just the casual trade of their names. This is incorrect. Junior high is not the same as middle school, just as middle [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; width: 310px; margin: 1em;"><img style="border: none;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Central_Middle_School.jpg/300px-Central_Middle_School.jpg" alt="Central Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts." width="300" height="225" />&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
<p>It’s an easy certainty: the ideas are interchangeable; the concepts are the same. Junior high and middle school are identical principles, you believe. There are no distinctions between them, just the casual trade of their names.</p>
<p>This is incorrect.</p>
<p>Junior high is not the same as middle school, just as middle school is not the same as junior high. They are instead two separate formats: each with their own rules and requirements. It’s imperative to recognize this, if only to discontinue the assumptions.</p>
<p>The simplest &#8212; and most obvious &#8212; difference between these systems is their student demographics. Junior highs are defined by teens, favoring only the seventh and eighth grades (composed typically of individuals who are 13 and 14). Middle schools, however, include those who are in the sixth grade. This allows younger children to enter the educational population. This is the greatest distinction between these notions and can be traced back to their conceptions.</p>
<p>Junior high began as a way to bridge the distance between elementary schools and high schools. It was intended for students not yet able to enter their freshman years and was divided into more advanced academics.</p>
<p>This was not enough to satisfy many districts, however. The format was deemed too rigid and middle schools were formed to compensate &#8212; with younger students allowed to attend and the curriculum tailored to <em>their</em> needs.</p>
<p>And this difference remains today, with these concepts operating independently of each other (often within the same cities). They are not &#8212; and will never be &#8212; the same. This must be understood to avoid switching their names and branding them educational twins.</p>
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		<title>A History of Grammar: Education</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/a-history-of-grammar-education.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/a-history-of-grammar-education.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 May 2011 16:52:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grammar school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=477</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image via Wikipedia Education is forever changing &#8212; truths are redefined; statistics swell; and facts are shuffled within texts, their histories revealed with time. The principles of the past are dictated to new standards. And children are always learning what their parents never even considered. Parents shouldn&#8217;t fear, however. There are some changes that [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; width: 310px; margin: 1em;"><img style="border: none;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Latin_Public_School.jpg/300px-Latin_Public_School.jpg" alt="Public Latin School of Boston" width="300" height="225" />&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
<p>Education is forever changing &#8212; truths are redefined; statistics swell; and facts are shuffled within texts, their histories revealed with time. The principles of the past are dictated to new standards. And children are always learning what their parents never even <em>considered</em>.</p>
<p>Parents shouldn&#8217;t fear, however. There are some changes that can be easily grasped &#8212; such as the use of grammar schools within America and what they once represented.</p>
<p>Independence had been achieved: a new society was born. The United States was free from imperial rule, was trying to carve out a reputation within the world. Such a reputation couldn’t be earned without knowledge, however. The century was progressing, and each country had to keep pace. Grammar schools were used to do this.</p>
<p>These institutions &#8212; which had first arrived within the colonies in 1635 but had not spread beyond the borders of Boston &#8212; began to dot the eastern coastline. They were intended to offer a classical education, providing young adults (always boys, never girls) the foundational information they needed to succeed in universities. Their curriculums were highly specified: with Latin, Greek and other ancient languages taught. This was to grant an understanding of mathematics and literature; and the schools flourished during the developmental years of the United States.</p>
<p>Their popularity eventually declined, however. Education soon evolved and students of all social classes and genders were demanding knowledge. Grammar schools were deemed too limited in their appeal and were replaced with elementary organizations &#8212; which still dominate today.</p>
<p>The notion of grammar schools is one stuffed with elitism, and <em>that</em> was a sensibility never destined to last.</p>
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		<title>Fresh Ideas for Your Child&#8217;s Show-and-Tell Day at School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/fresh-ideas-for-your-childs-show-and-tell-day-at-school.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/fresh-ideas-for-your-childs-show-and-tell-day-at-school.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:03:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aunt Sally]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mexico]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=442</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Show and tell is a great classroom activity, and a fun way to introduce children to public speaking . While the classic show and tell items kids bring year after year are nice, how about putting a fresh spin on the schoolroom tradition? Here are three new ideas to get you started: Idea #1: Costumes [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 168px"><img title="Boy dressed as pirate" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Pirate_Boy.jpg" alt="Boy dressed as pirate" width="158" height="279" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Wikipedia</p></div>
</div>
<p>Show and tell is a great classroom activity, and a fun way to introduce children to public speaking . While the classic show and tell items kids bring year after year are nice, how about putting a fresh spin on the schoolroom tradition? Here are three new ideas to get you started:</p>
<h3>Idea #1: Costumes Make Events Come Alive</h3>
<p>Kids love to dress up, and what better way to tell about the family trip to a historic site or an interesting relative than historical costumes? Clothing not normally seen every day instantly draws curious attention, and costumes make history come alive. Family history is a great place to start; who wouldn’t love to show off in a Scottish kilt just like great-great-great-grandpa wore?</p>
<p>●      For more classroom fun, your child can act like their favorite historical figure; fielding questions like they imagine Pocahontas would—and being confused when asked about modern things—encourages lots of fun interaction.</p>
<p>●      Your child’s costume doesn’t have to go too far back into history. If a favorite relative was your child’s age in the fifties, they can don the same “historic” look Aunt Sally would have worn to school.</p>
<h3>Idea #2: The Mystery Show and Tell</h3>
<p>Sometimes a little mystery is exactly what’s needed to pique a child’s interest. Mix things up a little bit by having your child bring a special item hidden in a paper bag. Classmates will have fun guessing what’s inside based on clues your child gives about the item. Whoever guesses correctly can help show the item while your child tells why it’s special to them.</p>
<p>●      To make things more interactive, bring an object in a bag or box that classmates can take turns reaching into and feeling as your child shares facts about what’s inside.</p>
<p>●      Use smell to make the show more interesting. Items like a slice of Grandma’s famous bread your child helped make, a seashell and sand fresh from a beach trip, or spices brought from a faraway land make for a unique way to learn about something that may not even be new. Place the item in a bag and have your child instruct their classmates to close their eyes and take a sniff!</p>
<h3>Idea #3: Bring Faraway Lands Closer</h3>
<p>Foreign countries and exotic cultures are filled with scenes and ways of life children find fascinating. Why not take a little bit of a distant country and make it come to life with show and tell? If your family recently returned from Europe or Canada, or you have friends or relatives from Australia or Mexico, your child can share their culture connection with objects, foods, and pictures.</p>
<p>●      If you have a relative from a foreign country, ask if they will write a letter to your child’s classroom talking about what school is like in their country.</p>
<p>●      Your child can share phrases and words from foreign countries and have fun using them for the rest of the day. An English schoolboy would have chips for lunch, and a German girl would ask “Wie ghet’s?”</p>
<p>Show and tell looming? Get together with your child and start brainstorming! How will you add fun to show and tell?</p>
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		<title>Advantages of Private School Education</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/advantages-of-private-school-education.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/advantages-of-private-school-education.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:39:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Private school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[State school]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=431</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Private schools are thought by many to provide a more quality education to students. While it can be costly, many parents might not mind paying for it, since the value of learning has no price tag. Each generation of young people become the next generation of adults and experiences within the classroom can offer a [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Private schools are thought by many to provide a more quality education to students. While it can be costly, many parents might not mind paying for it, since the value of learning has no price tag. Each generation of young people become the next generation of adults and experiences within the classroom can offer a percentage of who they become.</p>
<p>Some people consider private education to be a monetary privilege rather than an academic right. Since parents are paying for their children&#8217;s experience, they can have the opportunity to intervene in how they learn and are disciplined. In many cases the teachers and students are aware of appropriate protocol. Poor behavior is typically handled with individual students immediately. Expulsion is often a final consequence of ongoing misbehavior, making behavioral problems in general less likely.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not uncommon for children within the private school settings to surpass their peers who attend public school because students are expected to be more responsible for their own academic success. The tuition which parents pay covers the cost of many textbooks and the curriculum offered can allow students to achieve greater educational success. Some college-level coursework is offered in many private high schools, while public school honors programs can be less advanced in some cases.</p>
<p>Since the class sizes are typically smaller in private schools. There may be more opportunities for students to get to know their peers and their teachers better. With this in mind, teachers can help to refine and build a curriculum geared for a student’s individual needs. The private school learning environment is still competitive, but more on the premise of academic achievement. Popularity and fashion are thought by some not to be an issue (at least not during school hours).</p>
<p>Although many students can thrive within various academic settings, they may receive higher testing results and may choose to drop out less often. Whether we choose private schools or not, it’s worth looking into.</p>
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		<title>Grammar School Children and Homeschooling</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/grammar-school-children-and-homeschooling.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/grammar-school-children-and-homeschooling.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:39:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeschool]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=430</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many parents opt for homeschooling their children from grammar school age and up  because they&#8217;d like to spend more time with them while having an active role in their learning. For some parents, putting the children in school offers a minor sense of relief and a much needed break when life becomes busier. While there [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many parents opt for homeschooling their children from grammar school age and up  because they&#8217;d like to spend more time with them while having an active role in their learning. For some parents, putting the children in school offers a minor sense of relief and a much needed break when life becomes busier. While there are many good schools nationwide, it might not seem as safe to some of us.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re interested in homeschooling your child, it can be a challenge with many rewards that can last for both yours and their lifetime. Please be sure to research homeschooling carefully, as each state and territory will have its own set of laws pertaining to education.</p>
<p>One of the first places to investigate might be online support groups that specialize in homeschooling within your area. You might even want to use your library card that&#8217;s been collecting dust in your junk drawer, since many books can be found on the subject. Certification may be necessary before getting started.</p>
<p>Contrary to some beliefs, homeschooling doesn&#8217;t cause our children to be any more or less sheltered than their peers. Quite a few students seem to enjoy it since homeschooling can provide more flexibility and less pressure overall. While each school subject is important, it isn&#8217;t necessary for all grammar school-age students to perfect all of their math skills. Parents who want to teach don&#8217;t have to master every topic and it is possible for their children to enroll in classes for the subjects that seem uncomfortable.</p>
<p>If parents lack the time to teach, some children enjoy learning solely from schools online. Additionally, many parents like teaching some of the course work and they divide the time with e-learning classes.</p>
<p>Parents can integrate education and socialization by taking field trips in the same manner as public and private school settings. Whenever you do, remember to keep a balance between learning and free time. Offer rewards for good work.</p>
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		<title>How to Choose the Right High School for Your Child</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-choose-the-right-high-school-for-your-child.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-choose-the-right-high-school-for-your-child.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:39:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grade (education)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=429</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;ve recently moved to a new area and high school will be in session again in two short months, it would be advisable to decide where your child will be attending in a timely manner. Keep in mind what you value most with your child&#8217;s education. You might want to consider what your son [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;ve recently moved to a new area and high school will be in session again in two short months, it would be advisable to decide where your child will be attending in a timely manner. Keep in mind what you value most with your child&#8217;s education. You might want to consider what your son or daughter enjoys as well.</p>
<p>While academic reports might lack importance for the student body, moms and dads typically like to get a glimpse of what the curriculum may entail. Many people want to be sure their children will be intellectually stimulated in the classroom. Some parents may even decide to discuss grade point averages (in general) and ongoing testing to further ensure that students are challenged. We&#8217;ve all had to do things we didn&#8217;t like in school, but that doesn&#8217;t mean learning should be a total snooze.</p>
<p>Instead of watching your child admire other renowned sports figures you can inquire about sports offered at the high school’s campus. Some students enjoy the concept of running around like maniacs on the field playing lacrosse, football, basketball, baseball, soccer and golf. Of course every team needs a cheerleader. Some of us view sports in a negative fashion while others are open-minded.</p>
<p>With tomorrow creeping up on us, it might be best to enroll your future high school student in a more college preparatory educational program. In many academic institutions, teachers can deduct up to a full grade for tardiness. It&#8217;s not unusual for homework to take up to five or six hours to complete- much like college course work. Since 2000, it&#8217;s become increasingly more of a commodity for many schools to place value upon community service. If your child is motivated and self assured about his or her future, there are schools that permit students to declare a major within their junior or senior year. You could wait, but why?</p>
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		<title>The Importance of Child-Based Organizations</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/the-importance-of-child-based-organizations.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/the-importance-of-child-based-organizations.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Mar 2011 06:45:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Theories & Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charitable organization]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=410</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Children are often cited as an important element within society. You will find children the subject of discussion on any level, from presidential campaigns to anything less than that. Certainly, children are an important consideration when it comes to ensuring their well-being and proper development. Education is often synonymous with children when it comes to [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Children are often cited as an important element within society. You will find children the subject of discussion on any level, from presidential campaigns to anything less than that. Certainly, children are an important consideration when it comes to ensuring their well-being and proper development.</p>
<p>Education is often synonymous with children when it comes to politics and issues within society in general. This is an obvious concern that should be addressed on any level. For some children in difficult areas and troubling situations, it is not that simple.  Organizations and charities that support children in need are extremely important. Take Kars for Kids, for example. This organization helps children receive educational mentorship. Along with other valuable organizations, there are many important avenues to help children receive one of the most important assets to their well-being: an education.</p>
<p>Take note of organizations in your area that help children receive an education. Chances are that there are a number of them around you.  Supporting these types of organizations is very important. You can have a big difference in the efforts of charities that support children in these areas. Consider the ways that you can help children in conjunction with these charities. For instance, you can become involved with Kars for Kids to see the amazing work that it does.</p>
<p>Take some time to evaluate how you can help children. Take note of opportunities to devote your time, resources or anything that you have to offer. Certainly, the children that are negatively affected are worth the effort.</p>
<p>As these organizations continue to play an important role in the lives of children, perhaps, the educational outlook for these children may be improved. Don’t overlook how important these organizations are to the children. And, remember to evaluate how you can play a role in all of this.</p>
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		<title>Sex Education: Where do we Begin?</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/sex-education-where-do-we-begin.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/sex-education-where-do-we-begin.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:39:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=428</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The letter “e,” sandwiched by “s” and “x” may be scary for us when our children begin asking questions. Many parents are often left with a void of what to say in their responses and the concept of sex education provided by the school system may be missing some imperative knowledge. This of course depends [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The letter “e,” sandwiched by “s” and “x” may be scary for us when our children begin asking questions. Many parents are often left with a void of what to say in their responses and the concept of sex education provided by the school system may be missing some imperative knowledge. This of course depends on who&#8217;s teaching the school’s health curriculum and how precisely the information is presented to students.</p>
<p>Ideally educators should provide sex education at the dawn of puberty, which for girls this can begin between the ages 9 and 13. Boys can enter puberty between ages 10 and 12. While it&#8217;s true that students may giggle, it&#8217;s important information for them to be aware of. When students are still in elementary school girls and boys health classes are typically separated and the nature of instruction has to do with bodily changes that will occur with each gender.</p>
<p>For parents the task of introducing the birds, bees or life&#8217;s continuation can be daunting, but it&#8217;s necessary to provide the facts regardless of age. Many of us shudder to think of what can result when we have a talk with our children about this very topic. Many more of us worry what will happen if our children are not properly informed on the subject. It&#8217;s been a debate for many decades, but we should be open to any questions and remember to answer them honestly and clearly to ensure were understood. The stork species is still in existence, but we’re all aware that they have nothing to do with dropping babies off on the doorstep or through the fireplace.</p>
<p>Curiosity makes us human, but many believe that certain television programs and magazine advertisements peak interest. As parents and educators we should consider encouraging knowledge, but through accredited sources since certain TV shows and magazines can instigate mythical beliefs. Children need reliable sources to go to with their questions. Being uncomfortable doesn&#8217;t matter here.</p>
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		<title>Self-Esteem Education for Children</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/self-esteem-education-for-children.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/self-esteem-education-for-children.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:39:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Theories & Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self-esteem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=427</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Although many people believe that self-esteem is something we’re born with rather than taught many others feel that parents and teachers can intervene at an early age. When it comes to teaching children the skills to improve or increase self-esteem, education can be last for a lifetime if it’s done properly. Parents can let their [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Although many people believe that self-esteem is something we’re born with rather than taught many others feel that parents and teachers can intervene at an early age. When it comes to teaching children the skills to improve or increase self-esteem, education can be last for a lifetime if it’s done properly.</p>
<p>Parents can let their children know (at a young age) that all of us have more than one important role in our lives. We can be someone&#8217;s brother or sister while also being someone&#8217;s friend, cousin and hero. Additionally, we can be talented in more than one area. Some of us are good teachers and writers. Others have an eye for every detail and make good party planners, cooks, and interior decorators. Most young people don’t require complicated explanations and usually just want to know the facts.</p>
<p>With many of the nation&#8217;s children being in the care of school settings for much of the time during the week, many parents seek the assistance of teachers. Activities that encourage self-esteem are offered within many classrooms. Some instructors like to give their students a written assignment at the beginning of the year and they discuss what they like about themselves. Nothing negative is included and upon completion of this assignment, teachers will keep students papers until later in the second semester of school. Ideally, this kind of activity should occur during elementary school. This gives an opportunity for reflection and personal growth.</p>
<p>Interviews shouldn&#8217;t just be left to career-hopefuls or post-graduate students. Many have suggested the interviewing process as a means of getting to know others of all ages in just a few short minutes. We all have different personalities and unique quirks that set us apart from others. This means that not everyone will get along and interviews can offer more education about someone else. We may not acquire a best friend by interviewing each other, but we can teach tolerance and self-esteem.</p>
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		<title>Helping Students Avoid Peer Pressure in Junior High</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-students-avoid-peer-pressure-in-junior-high.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-students-avoid-peer-pressure-in-junior-high.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:39:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peer pressure]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=426</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Although peer pressure begins way before junior high, it seems to be when it initially becomes more of an issue in children’s lives. Some of our children are particularly strong and have no problem speaking their mind. For more assertive students, the word &#8220;no&#8221; can be heard often without regret. Still, parents and teachers can [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Although peer pressure begins way before junior high, it seems to be when it initially becomes more of an issue in children’s lives. Some of our children are particularly strong and have no problem speaking their mind. For more assertive students, the word &#8220;no&#8221; can be heard often without regret. Still, parents and teachers can reinforce certain guidelines to help them steer clear of undesirable situations.</p>
<p>For many students who are of middle school age, it can be helpful for them to contemplate about negative scenarios that could play out when peer pressure wins. Parents should not be afraid to talk to their children at any age. State the facts about the harm of drinking, smoking and drugs. Many people feel that anything interfering with bodily and mental health isn&#8217;t an acceptable means of getting into the limelight of popularity.</p>
<p>It seems that the term “friend” is so widely and loosely used. For some students in junior high, who they are unfortunately can equate with how their peers perceive them. Maybe it would be useful for parents and faculty members to ask children to differentiate between friendship and popularity. As many of us are aware, popularity doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean the same as wholesomeness. Consequently, some schools hold mandatory workshops several times within the school year.</p>
<p>Our children can mirror us early on in life and although morality cannot be taught, we need to practice good teaching, parenting and role modeling. In addition it&#8217;s important to discuss personal values with kids. Many of us want to be well-liked but we don&#8217;t always stop to think about other people&#8217;s behaviors.</p>
<p>As adults, we should surround ourselves with others who have things in common with us and come from a good background. As we age, super-stardom may seem irrelevant. True friendship and self-respect remain in their own realm. if there are no boundaries set, than peer pressure might as well win the war for life.</p>
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		<title>Teaching Basic Math Skills</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-basic-math-skills.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-basic-math-skills.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:22:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tutoring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mathematics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=400</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you think you are not educated enough to teach your child basic mathematics? Basically to teach your child mathematics you do not need to be college educated. You just need to find out how you can start the lessons. Using math, out loud, in every day situations is a great start. Suppose you are [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Do you think you are not educated enough to teach your child basic mathematics? Basically to teach your child mathematics you do not need to be college educated. You just need to find out how you can start the lessons.</p>
<p>Using math, out loud, in every day situations is a great start. Suppose you are cooking in the kitchen and your child is playing next to you. Have your child help you measure. You can multiply a recipe and ask for their help. You can talk about ratios, fractions, and many other math related ideas just while making dinner.</p>
<p>Also, have a coin bank for your child. When your child asks to buy something at a store, instead of buying it immediately you can ask them to note down the amount. Make deals for them at home so that you can start paying them in change and ask them to save it inside their bank. Ask them to keep on counting as the money grows up inside the bank until it reaches the price of the game or toy that they wish to have. You can use almost any type of coin bank for this, but the best ones can be seen through, so a jar may work better than a piggy bank. This not only teaches them patience and basic math skills, it also teaches them how to save and budget money.</p>
<p>You might not have thought about these small things before, but everything in this world can be related to mathematics. There are many ways through which you can help your kid to learn math and get good grades in school. Parents just need to find the proper trigger inside them to make the child want to explore math. Once they start learning this subject using real-world scenarios, they will begin to grasp it much better.</p>
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		<title>Using Property Management to Build a Better City</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/using-property-management-to-build-a-better-city.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/using-property-management-to-build-a-better-city.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:42:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=340</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cities are never going to be perfect things. When it comes to the effective use of the space that a city has available to it, you have to have people who know how to make a space work to its utmost level, such as a professional property manager. For one thing, if your school systems [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Cities are never going to be perfect things. When it comes to the effective use of the space that a city has available to it, you have to have people who know how to make a space work to its utmost level, such as a professional property manager. For one thing, if your school systems are less than ideal, you are going to reach a level of de facto segregation, because of a variety of different land use factors. Things like white flight from the urban areas will also contribute to a general loss of the well off and educated, which causes businesses to fail, and hopelessness to become the way things are. This is something which a good property manager can help to avoid before it even begins to happen.</p>
<p>With a good property manager on the case, you can do an awful lot with a city in its early planning stages. You can arrange the entire place so that people can move through easily, and structures and land can both be used to the best of their capacity. Property managers in growing cities are worth their weight in gold because of how they can keep your city on the upward path. They can recommend things such as charter schools which focus on improving the equality of the educational system (and help students get to a point in their education where a profession seems attainable and all but inevitable).</p>
<p>In a well designed urban environment, people of all races can live together in relative peace. When everybody has decent things, good jobs and they know that their kids are going to good schools, people tend to be a lot more reasonable with one another. Long Beach property management is just one example of being in a city where proactivity is prized, and planning to use spaces well can be the difference between a city prone to white flight and segregated schools, and extraordinary prosperity.</p>
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		<title>Importance of a Daily Routine</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/importance-of-a-daily-routine.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/importance-of-a-daily-routine.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:22:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homework]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reinforcement]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=399</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You would think that half way through the school year a third grader would be able to keep track of the homework paper that has been an every night assignment since the beginning of the year. But if he or she has not developed good homework habits and a daily routine, it is unlikely that [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You would think that half way through the school year a third grader would be able to keep track of the homework paper that has been an every night assignment since the beginning of the year. But if he or she has not developed good homework habits and a daily routine, it is unlikely that he or she will be able to remember that homework paper every single day.</p>
<p>Bad habits form easily when there is nobody pushing a child to build good habits. Even if there is someone pushing for positive habits, sometimes children rebel and avoid positive habits just because it can be a source for conflict, a way for them to throw their own weight around. Stick with it. Forming a daily routine is one way to help your child become more responsible.</p>
<p>After a child begins a routine and sticks to it, they will start to enjoy the positive reinforcement that comes with being responsible. The lessening of school punishments alone is a great start. When a child becomes used to missing recesses and spending time in detention, actually getting to participate in activities with the class can be a great lifter of the spirit. Besides being allowed to participate in school activities, a teacher may want to give an extra reward to a child who is struggling but still remembers his or her work daily.</p>
<p>If your child is having a hard time pulling together a daily routine and sticking to it, try some positive reinforcement outside of school too. This could mean earning stickers for getting work done, and using stickers to buy something he or she wants, or it could mean getting out of a certain hated chore after a week of doing what he or she is supposed to do at school. In any case, home reinforcement is just as important as school reinforcement of this lesson in responsibility.</p>
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		<title>College Student Necessities</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/college-student-necessities.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/college-student-necessities.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Feb 2011 19:47:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=328</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When heading to college for the first time, new students may not know exactly what items they need. When moving from their parents’ home to living on their own for the first time, there are many things were always available that may be taken for granted, and these things must be on the list when [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img title="My sophomore dorm room. (Sharp hall, Universit..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Sharp_Hall_Dorm_Room.jpg/300px-Sharp_Hall_Dorm_Room.jpg" alt="My sophomore dorm room. (Sharp hall, Universit..." width="300" height="237" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Wikipedia</p></div>
</div>
<p>When heading to college for the first time, new students may not know exactly what items they need. When moving from their parents’ home to living on their own for the first time, there are many things were always available that may be taken for granted, and these things must be on the list when preparing to outfit a dorm room or apartment.</p>
<p>First, students must remember everything for the bedroom: an alarm clock is a necessity, as well as bed linens for the size of bed that will be in the room, a stereo, television set and DVD player if desired, hangers for the closet, a laundry basket or bag, and (since roommates often can’t agree on a temperature) a fan and space heater.</p>
<p>Depending on the apartment or dorm room setup, students may need to bring a microwave, quarters for on-site laundry facilities, a mini-refrigerator, and furniture such as couches, chairs, and kitchen sets. For the kitchen, every student will need a set of dishes and silverware, since some roommates prefer not to share. It also makes the process of moving out simpler, since the sets can be kept separate if desired. Dish soap, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, towels, medications, and vitamins, as well as toiletries, a shower caddy, and flip-flops (especially if using a shared shower that is separate from the apartment or dorm) will also be necessary.</p>
<p>A sewing kit may also come in handy if a button falls off or an item of clothing tears and needs a quick repair. New college students always enjoy decorating their new home to reflect their personal style, so posters, photographs, rugs, lamps, and other unique pieces can add color to a room. Every student will also need to be prepared with school supplies and a computer and printer to make sure they can do research and print assignments to make sure everything is turned in on time.</p>
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		<title>Using the Internet to Raise Funds</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/using-the-internet-to-raise-funds.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/using-the-internet-to-raise-funds.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:42:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crowdrise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Edward Norton]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=311</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In years past, the only way to raise money for your local charity was to hold bake sales and car washes, put together a charity event, or place donation boxes at local fast food restaurants. Those events are all pass鮠Now all you need is an internet connection and you can find people all over the [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In years past, the only way to raise money for your local charity was to hold bake sales and car washes, put together a charity event, or place donation boxes at local fast food restaurants. Those events are all pass鮠Now all you need is an internet connection and you can find people all over the world who might be willing to help your cause through the idea of crowdsourcing— a term typically used for outsourcing work to a &#8220;crowd,&#8221; but which applies well to this idea too.</p>
<p>There are many websites that were created to help those who are trying raise money. One such site is Crowdrise, a site started by Edward Norton and Shauna Robertson where philanthropists can feature their charities to those who are looking for a charity to donate to. Another site is Kickstarter, which is unique in that those looking for donations set a specific amount that they want to raise. If that amount is reached, then that person receives the money. If it&#8217;s not reached, then it goes back to those who donated. It&#8217;s typically used for raising money for startup companies and the like.</p>
<p>For teenagers who are looking for a way to help their communities, starting a micro charity is a great way to get involved. These charities could be started to help someone in the community with a need (a family needing money to pay for a child&#8217;s medical treatments, money to fix a home harmed by a natural disaster, and so on). By creating a micro charity, the teen is able to help someone in need, gain experience with internet marketing as he or she markets the charity online, and have a remarkable experience that can be added to college applications and resumes. It&#8217;s a win-win situation, and something that will stay with that teen throughout the rest of his or her life.</p>
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		<title>Increasing Reading Skills</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/increasing-reading-skills.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/increasing-reading-skills.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:22:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tutoring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basic skills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Computer program]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tutor]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=398</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you or someone you know has trouble with basic reading, advanced reading, reading quickly or any other aspect of literature or reading, look into some easy ways to help build reading skills online or at your child’s school. There are several computer programs now available that help develop the basic skills required to be [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you or someone you know has trouble with basic reading, advanced reading, reading quickly or any other aspect of literature or reading, look into some easy ways to help build reading skills online or at your child’s school. There are several computer programs now available that help develop the basic skills required to be an excellent reader, most of which can be purchased for under fifty dollars and can be understood by even the most computer-challenged.</p>
<p>If you need ways to help build reading skills for yourself or your child, it can be a very expensive process. Some people hire private tutors or teachers to work individually with them, in order to focus specifically on what they are having trouble with. This is costly and time-consuming, and requires finding the right person for the job.</p>
<p>Many reading skills software programs are customizable, and in addition to providing a good educational experience for anyone struggling with reading they are engaging and entertaining, holding the attention of the user for longer than the average tutor or classroom setting can. Having trouble with reading can really hold a person back in life, since after the academic world ends reading is one skill that persists through life.</p>
<p>There will always be documents to quickly read and sign, from important contracts and agreements to instruction sheets and manuals for expensive appliances. Anyone with difficulty reading should do some simple research on the ways to help build reading skills, many of which can be done at home and at no cost.  These techniques include memory exercises, quick symbol recognition exercises designed to make your brain a bit faster at recognizing letters and words, and comprehension questions designed to train your eyes and brain to read more accurately, with a better eye for the true meaning of the words.</p>
<p>Most importantly, take the time to read with your child every single day. It really does make a difference in the long run, and it is something they will remember forever.</p>
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		<title>Great Gifts for School Teachers</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/great-gifts-for-school-teachers.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/great-gifts-for-school-teachers.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:22:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=396</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Teachers make a great impact on the life of their students. They can be compared to a potter who moulds beautiful pottery. They initiate children into the world of words. They build the future hence when it comes to gifts for them it too has to be special. What could we possibly give a teacher [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span id="answer_long0" style="display: block;">Teachers make a great impact on the life of their students. They can be  compared to a potter who moulds beautiful pottery. They initiate  children into the world of words. They build the future hence when it  comes to gifts for them it too has to be special. What could we possibly give a teacher to show our appreciation?<br />
</span></p>
<p><span id="answer_long0" style="display: block;">In the Indian tradition the teacher is considered as a god. When I think  of a special gift for a teacher the first thing would be giving the  respect and reverence he or she well deserves all the other gifts come  secondary. But when presenting something as a token of appreciation  there are many things that can show your love to your teacher.</span></p>
<p><span id="answer_long0" style="display: block;">A copy of his or her favorite book, or a DVD that contains your  teacher’s favorite songs or movies. But there is nothing more special to  a teacher than something that has a personal touch to it. If you have  good writing skills, put pen to paper and gift a poem or a short story describing your  teacher and what he or she means to you. </span></p>
<p><span id="answer_long0" style="display: block;">Make a PowerPoint presentation  as a class letting your teacher know how she has influenced and inspired  you. You could also borrow a DVD of a classic like “To Sir with Love”  and watch it along with your teacher.   Make a card with each student writing a few words of gratitude. Bring  out the best in you to give the best to your teacher. There is nothing  more dear to a teacher than the love and affection of his or her  students it’s something they look forward to and cherish. Let the  teacher know that his or her efforts are acknowledged, appreciated and  valued by you as a student and/or parent. </span></p>
<p><span style="display: block;">If you do not know the teacher well, consider giving classroom supplies. Your child&#8217;s teacher likely has to buy many of the items that are in his or her classroom. Some sets of markers or a case of glue sticks could be very beneficial.<br />
</span></p>
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		<title>Famous Pathways to Higher Learning</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/famous-pathways-to-higher-learning.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/famous-pathways-to-higher-learning.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Feb 2011 01:03:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Theories & Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Distance education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Santa Monica College]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=321</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The entertainment industry is probably one of the most inflexible career areas for entertainers in terms of pursuing outside personal or academic goals, like furthering their education. For many stars, especially child stars who get into the business early on, the opportunity to complete their education is cut short or eliminated completely so they can [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The entertainment industry is probably one of the most inflexible career areas for entertainers in terms of pursuing outside personal or academic goals, like furthering their education. For many stars, especially child stars who get into the business early on, the opportunity to complete their education is cut short or eliminated completely so they can concentrate on growing their acting career. In these cases, tutors are sometimes brought in for very young children, and older children or young adults often pursue distance learning courses to complete their academic requirements or to pursue a degree.</p>
<p>There are several famous actors who have gone the route of distance learning, and with great success. In cases where the actors have attended online college or other distance learning, their actions have helped the distance learning industry further prove that individuals can pursue their career <em>and</em> their academic goals.</p>
<p>Arnold Schwarznegger, a famous actor turned politician, began his academic pursuits in the 70s when he started taking business classes at Santa Monica College. Because of other obligations, including the burgeoning of his now famous acting career, he was unable to continue his studies. He did, however, in 1976 earn an online degree in Business and International Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The overall perception about distance learning improves positively when people see that even famous celebrities were successful at pursuing their online educational goals.</p>
<p>Other famous names include Hilary Duff, who has pursued her academics in a virtual manner since the time she was a child actor and could not attend location-based schools. Also, the famous NBA basketball star Shaquille O&#8217;Neal pursued his bachelor&#8217;s and master&#8217;s degree through online courses at the University of Phoenix. Due to his success with his online courses in distance learning, he was also later given an honorary degree from another college which was attributed to that achievement.</p>
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		<title>Teacher Parent Communication</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/teacher-parent-communication.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/teacher-parent-communication.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:22:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=397</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Keeping the lines of communication open between parents and teachers is an important part of having a successful school year. While it is up to parents to help keep the communication going, there are some things that teachers can do to open the lines of communication. There are students who display issues within the classroom [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Keeping the lines of communication open between parents and teachers is an important part of having a successful school year. While it is up to parents to help keep the communication going, there are some things that teachers can do to open the lines of communication.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are students who display issues within the classroom early in the school year. Teachers should assume that, at some point in the year, a problem will arise. Start out by sending notes home telling the parents that the child has had an especially good day or has done something well in school. It shows the parents that you are taking notice of their child.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If a minor issue does arise, beginning any note or phone call to the parents with praise for the child in some area. Again, it helps lower the defenses of a parent as well as shows them that you care about the student enough to notice positive things as well.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When a major issue or an emergency comes up within the classroom for a particular student, call the parents right away. Do not hope or assume that the problems will de-escalate or just get better on its own.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Give the parents of your students as many ways to get ahold of you as you are comfortable with. Besides the school phone number and times when you are most likely to be able to take calls, a cell phone number and an email address are also very helpful.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lastly, always remember to use positive and open body language when talking to parents, even over the phone. Your body language can be conveyed through your tone. Parents respond less defensively when the teachers they are talking to do the same.</p>
<p>﻿</p>
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		<title>Cold Weather Classroom Strategies</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/cold-weather-classroom-strategies.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/cold-weather-classroom-strategies.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:22:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Theories & Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Classroom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=395</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When it is too cold to take the kids outside for recess, the air in the classroom seems almost electrically charged for most of the day. Everyone talks a little louder. Everyone play a little more roughly. Everybody makes you repeat what you said just one time more than usual. As crazy as everything is, [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When it is too cold to take the kids outside for recess, the air in the classroom seems almost electrically charged for most of the day. Everyone talks a little louder. Everyone play a little more roughly. Everybody makes you repeat what you said just one time more than usual.</p>
<p>As crazy as everything is, the school day must go on. Cold temperatures may last for days, and the class can&#8217;t go long without getting back to the work that needs to be done. How do you keep little minds focused on work and make the room a calming environment?</p>
<p>First, get some energy out. Find out if the gym is open for your class to do some running. Spend a few minutes playing games that involve jumping jacks and It may be a good idea to collaborate with teachers in nearby classrooms so that the excessive noise doesn&#8217;t bother their classrooms or interrupt them taking a test.</p>
<p>Second, try a few yoga poses or quiet stretches with the students. Also, try playing soothing music during quiet times. Soothing music not only quiets the class, but it relaxes them as well. Not only does this work while you are getting kids acclimated, but it also works throughout the day to help you keep them focused.</p>
<p>A snack can be a great bribe for good behavior, but it can also be disruptive as well. If you are making a snack for your class, try something natural and healthy, like half an apple. The less additives and sugar that are in the better you students will act afterwards.</p>
<p>Most importantly, be flexible. If your class is obviously not getting anything out of a lesson, take a break and come back to it later. Turn the spelling lesson into a spelling game. Change the math lesson into a game of whispering &#8220;Around the World&#8221; where the winner only gets to move on if they whispered the answer.</p>
<p>When you feel you are at your wit&#8217;s end, remember that spring comes every year! So does the warmer weather. Hang in there!</p>
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		<title>Giving Your Support For Overcoming Any Disabilities</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/giving-your-support-for-overcoming-any-disabilities.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/giving-your-support-for-overcoming-any-disabilities.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:54:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disabilities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disabled]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philip Davies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=378</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Having any form of learning disability or disability of any kind can be a very intimidating thing. Nonetheless, part of facing one&#8217;s own disability and conquering it, must be attributed to those. Who do give endless support and encouragement for overcoming any disability. Part of helping one to confront their disability is to be a [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Having any form of learning disability or disability of any kind can be a very intimidating thing. Nonetheless, part of facing one&#8217;s own disability and conquering it, must be attributed to those. Who do give endless support and encouragement for overcoming any disability. Part of helping one to confront their disability is to be a true support in every manner that counts. Because everyone needs support and this is especially true in a set of very challenging circumstances. Disabilities always do pose great challenges. However, this does not mean, they cannot be faced and overcome. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />Ignoring the presence of any disability. Does not work. Part of working towards a positive solution is accepting the situation and the special child for who they are. Disabilities require special attention in most cases and a special needs child should get all the attention they need. The support begins with giving support to the party that has the disability. Encouragement and hope are the two things that help everything to shine through in the long run. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />Special students and their parents should not feel hopelessness or despair when having to deal with disabilities. Because there is always help on how to handle them. The struggles need not be in vain or all alone. Progress is possible and begins with students taking on their disabilities personally. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />Emotional support and closeness also help a special needs child to face and overcome the challenges posed by their specific disability. They will gain faith and strength in themselves bit by bit. With determination to get past the fears and lots of hard work to make the future brighter. Anyone with a disability will be able to see a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This pot of gold will contain all of their happiness that is worth more than its weight in true gold.</p>
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		<title>How To Find Your Child’s Learning Style</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-find-your-child%e2%80%99s-learning-style.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-find-your-child%e2%80%99s-learning-style.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:54:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Theories & Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=377</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Each of us are born individually and with our own unique learning style. What is a learning style defined by definition? Well, it is no other than the specific ways, in which each person does learn the best. Therefore, in order to get the best learning possible overall. The best learning style is a requirement [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN"></p>
<p>Each of us are born individually and with our own unique learning style. What is a learning style defined by definition? Well, it is no other than the specific ways, in which each person does learn the best. Therefore, in order to get the best learning possible overall. The best learning style is a requirement that must be applied from childhood. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />We all are born equipped with a defined learning style. It is this specific learning style that helps each of us to be able to learn more effectively. By identifying one&rsquo;s own learning style. A person is able to capitalize solely on their strengths and learn how to benefit from these particular strengths. Children are no exception. If anything. They are the ones. Who can gain the most from their certain learning style in the world of learning. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />How to find your child&rsquo;s learning style involves exposing them to the ways that work for them in the world of learning. Parents do have a major role in helping to educate their children and to prepare them to face the world. Parents are the ones who know their child&rsquo;s uniqueness and they are people who encourage that uniqueness. Parents and teachers are the only individuals. Who can help children to see what their unique gifts are and how they can offer them to the learning process specifically. After these unique gifts of a child&rsquo;s has been identified. The next step is to nurture them as much as possible. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />Discovering your child&rsquo;s learning style will help to make these unique gifts blossom along with his or her maturity. <br class="atd_remove_me" />As soon as a parent can determine what his or her child&rsquo;s specific learning style is. The thing to do next is to inform their teacher of what learning their child is most receptive to in the learning area. Each child has their own set of strategies that work for them best in the learning department. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /></p>
<p></span></span></strong></span></strong></p>
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		<title>How To Successfully Diagnose Learning Disabilities</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-successfully-diagnose-learning-disabilities.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-successfully-diagnose-learning-disabilities.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:54:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disabilities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=376</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are several disorders which are responsible for hindering or interrupting the normal learning capacity of a child. Nevertheless, this does not mean a special student is not special, each in their own ways. So a special needs student is one. Who is just that. They must have special requirements to rise to the daunting [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>There are several disorders which are responsible for hindering or interrupting the normal learning capacity of a child. Nevertheless, this does not mean a special student is not special, each in their own ways. So a special needs student is one. Who is just that. They must have special requirements to rise to the daunting task that education does pose to them. How to successfully diagnose learning disabilities is something that can happen. However, the right support, as well as determined intervention is something that must take place first. Before anything else. Children who do have learning disabilities can and will learn to be able to succeed in school. One of the very first steps towards diagnosing any learning disability is to be able to identify it particularly. This is because. There are different types of learning disabilities as a group and one type does vary greatly from the other as a rule.</span><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />Once a specific learning disability problem has been properly identified. The next step is to go about diagnosing it as much as possible. Part of the diagnosing process is for a parent to take their child to be looked over by a qualified pediatrician. A pediatrician will give the child a physical examination that is very thorough on all fronts. A medical examination by a pediatrician is required to make sure that your youngster does not have a valid eye or hearing loss problem. After a child has been examined by a pediatrician. The next step is to have a battery of tests done to confirm if the boy or girl does need have a real learning disability or not. These series of test extend from psychological to neurological to educational in detail. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />Some of the educational tests will focus solely on personality, intelligence, educational performance and function of the brain. Any or all of these tests combined will definitely display if a real learning disability is present or not in your child. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /></p>
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		<title>How to Find a Quality School in Canada</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-find-a-quality-school-in-canada.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-find-a-quality-school-in-canada.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:53:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=285</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It can be a troubling experience trying to find a quality school in your area in Canada. While there are plenty of institutions that provide this, the inevitable anxiety of this important task sets in. Whether you are looking for a public, private, or religious institution, there are some tips that can help you in [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It can be a troubling experience trying to find a quality school in your area in Canada. While there are plenty of institutions that <img class="alignright size-full wp-image-288" title="1272854_pile_of_books_1" src="http://www.k12connection.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1272854_pile_of_books_1.jpg" alt="" width="221" height="300" />provide this, the inevitable anxiety of this important task sets in. Whether you are looking for a public, private, or religious institution, there are some tips that can help you in your search.</p>
<p>Be sure to limit to your search to what is feasible. Obvious distance and financial limitations should be included in your search, so that you aren’t looking at difficult situations in candidate schools. You should also include specific conditions that you may have; for instance, you may be looking for a specific denomination in regards to a religious school. Specific elements, such as a denomination or type of program, should be explicitly noted for your search.</p>
<p>You need to find a school that has a solid reputation. This can be done based on statistics and reputation. Therefore it is good practice to look at how the school does in regards to test scores, and to search for as many local opinions as possible. You will need as much information as possible, both in pure data and in regards to opinions and how others feel about the school to make as accurate a decision as possible.</p>
<p>Canada 411 can help you in this search. You will be able to find local public, private, and religious schools. Canada 411 also provides links to websites of the schools so that you can do more research. It can be a valuable search for finding out more about which school for your child is best.</p>
<p>Remember to stay dedicated in your search and what is most important to you. Don’t get discouraged; try to make the most of tools that can help you in this process such as Canada 411.</p>
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		<title>How To Provide Guidance For Students</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-provide-guidance-for-students.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/how-to-provide-guidance-for-students.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 22 Jan 2011 19:54:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guidance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=375</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Teachers are very special people and trained professionals for a number of reasons. However, they are true heroes to their students, for meanings that go beyond their expertise. Students feel close to their teachers in class. Almost as close as they feel to their beloved parents. Teachers like parents do make a difference in the [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="title">
<div id="paper1" class="paper" style="height: 450px; overflow: auto;">Teachers are very special people and trained professionals for a number of reasons. However, they are true heroes to their students, for meanings that go beyond their expertise. Students feel close to their teachers in class. Almost as close as they feel to their beloved parents. Teachers like parents do make a difference in the life of impressionable youngsters. Who thirst for the taste of new experiences. Teachers not only lay the foundation for learning. They also arm students with valuable tools for the future. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />Parents are as important in providing guidance to children as are educators. This is because a child does look up to his or her parent or parents for guidance. Part of helping your child achieve academic excellence is to help them along the way. No one can get success in the beginning. It is something that takes time, determination, and most importantly practice. Help your child to pav&eacute; their way on the road to education. This preparation begins at home and goes from there. A parent can best give their youngsters guidance by being there to care. Every step of the way from start to finish. Students get guidance not only from school but also from home. Young minds do need direction and this direction can be given from both teachers and parents equally. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" />Providing a continual source of dedicated guidance to your child is advisable. Because it is the very thing that will help to propel him or her to learn as much as they can at school. Teachers also do inspire students every day in class. By freely giving of themselves to their students. The guidance that teachers do give is not only professional but caring in tone. Parents help to establish guidance by making sure their children do their homework. They also help them get organized and assist them with any real frustrations. Parents also know how to give praise and construtive criticism that works positively. <br class="atd_remove_me" />. <br class="atd_remove_me" /><br class="atd_remove_me" /></div>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Helping Students with Writing Disabilities</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-students-with-writing-disabilities.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-students-with-writing-disabilities.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:54:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Theories & Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing Disabilities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=374</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Students who have trouble expressing themselves through writing can find many aspects of school frustrating, from homework assignments to note-taking in class to tests. Writing troubles can make many subjects difficult for the student since so many subjects require essays or short answers. Finding ways to cope with writing problems are very important for future [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Students who have trouble expressing themselves through writing can find many aspects of school frustrating, from homework assignments to note-taking in class to tests. Writing troubles can make many subjects difficult for the student since so many subjects require essays or short answers. Finding ways to cope with writing problems are very important for future student success.</p>
<p>Students must learn that good writing isn&rsquo;t entirely dependent on grammar skills. Many students with writing disabilities can get frustrated when they see so many red marks on their papers. While mechanical skills are important to writing, teachers must help the students understand that writing is also about understanding concepts. Making this connection early in a students&rsquo; writing assessment is key to future improvements.</p>
<p>Students should also have a broader audience in mind for their writing. Most school writing is done with one person in mind &ndash; the teacher. Teachers must make an effort to help students understand that writing is important in many aspects of the real world, especially in work environments. Helping students understand real-world implications of writing can help them take writing more seriously instead of giving up in frustration.</p>
<p>Students must also understand that writing is a process and should not be done at the last minute. Many college professors see students who have great potential, but don&rsquo;t properly plan their writing. Learning the writing process early can help students who struggle with writing develop good habits for approaching their essays. This starts with brainstorming, drafting, and ultimately writing and revising. If students learn these good habits early enough, they&rsquo;ll spend more time thinking about the work and planning the essay and less time frustrated over a rushed assignment.</p>
<p>Working to develop good writing skills takes patience, but the benefits will help students throughout their academic career. They&rsquo;ll feel more confident and prepared to take on assignments in all of their subject areas.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Testing Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/testing-strategies-for-students-with-learning-disabilities.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/testing-strategies-for-students-with-learning-disabilities.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:54:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning Disabilities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=373</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For many students with learning disabilities, taking tests can be a nightmare. Timed testing environments can make many students nervous. Students with learning disabilities often are aware of their difficulties with reading and writing, so tests can be especially difficult. Here are some testing strategies for teachers to work with students with learning disabilities. So [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For many students with learning disabilities, taking tests can be a nightmare. Timed testing environments can make many students nervous. Students with learning disabilities often are aware of their difficulties with reading and writing, so tests can be especially difficult. Here are some testing strategies for teachers to work with students with learning disabilities.</p>
<ul>
<li>So the student can have a chance to show that they understand the material, have someone read the test questions to the student or write out the answers for the student. In a public school, this can be done by a teacher&rsquo;s aide or support staff in the resource room.</li>
<li>For students who have trouble with their sight, teachers should print some of the tests with larger print. It might also be helpful again to have someone read the test to them.</li>
<li>Allow for extra time for students with learning disabilities to take their tests. This can also occur with the help of staff in the resource room. </li>
<li>Make sure test questions are clearly worded. Students should be able to understand what is expected after reading the question.</li>
<li>For a better test-taking environment for all students, make sure distractions are eliminated from the classroom. This could mean no cell phones and no interruptions. That way, students can pay full attention to the task at hand. If students need quiet when it&rsquo;s not available, make sure there is an extra room available for them to take their test and concentrate.</li>
</ul>
<p>Making these accommodations for students with learning disabilities can enable them to achieve their true test scores. Celebrate successes in learning with all students, but especially with students who struggle with it. This can lead to greater confidence, which can then lead to better test scores. Work with students and their parents to develop strategies that can help them succeed in the future.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Teaching Reading Comprehension</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-reading-comprehension.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-reading-comprehension.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Jan 2011 19:53:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reading]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=372</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Reading comprehension is perhaps the most important skill a child can learn. It&#8217;s also one of the most common learning disabilities. If a teacher notices that a student is having a hard time remembering what they read, the teacher should implement measures in the classroom to improve overall reading comprehension. Students should engage in active [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Reading comprehension is perhaps the most important skill a child can learn. It&rsquo;s also one of the most common learning disabilities. If a teacher notices that a student is having a hard time remembering what they read, the teacher should implement measures in the classroom to improve overall reading comprehension.</p>
<p>Students should engage in active reading, which involves taking notes and highlighting. Notes can help the student remember key concepts while they read and provide information to look at after the reading is completed. Many teachers prefer Cornell notes, which challenge the student to consider different ideas while reading. The student must divide a sheet of paper into three areas: Key Words, Notes, and Summary/Questions. Students can write down key words they see throughout the reading, either words they don&rsquo;t understand or words they found interesting. The notes section could be used for their own thoughts on the reading or for writing down the main points. The last part should be specified by the teacher: either the student writes down a summary of the piece to show that they understood the main ideas, or the teacher assigns questions for the student to answer after they have read. These notes can provide the student with a study guide when they are tested on the material.</p>
<p>Teachers should also encourage their students to highlight important ideas in the reading. Teachers need to be careful that the students understand that they can&rsquo;t highlight everything; if they do, then nothing will stand out to them. But if the student comes across a key idea that they will need to remember later, they should highlight that idea in the reading.</p>
<p>Turning students into active readers can take years, but the benefits are numerous. For students with learning disabilities, they will learn to take the time to read and take notes. Students without learning disabilities will benefit from the deeper understanding they will gain by taking specific notes and highlighting.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Teaching Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-strategies-for-students-with-learning-disabilities.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-strategies-for-students-with-learning-disabilities.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:53:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disabilities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=371</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In an ideal world, students with learning disabilities would receive the attention they need in order to succeed in the public school system. In reality, teachers face classrooms full of students with different learning abilities and must implement different teaching strategies to effectively reach all students. The following strategies can help students with learning disabilities [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In an ideal world, students with learning disabilities would receive the attention they need in order to succeed in the public school system. In reality, teachers face classrooms full of students with different learning abilities and must implement different teaching strategies to effectively reach all students. The following strategies can help students with learning disabilities and all students learn the curriculum.</p>
<ul>
<li>When presenting handouts or materials on an overhead projection, teachers should read the material out loud. This will reinforce the ideas for all students and help students with learning disabilities take extra time if they are having trouble reading the materials.</li>
<li>Teachers should also thoroughly read through assignment directions out loud to the class. This will offer clarification of assignment guidelines and goals to all students and once again, help those students with learning disabilities understand the assignment and ask questions at the same time as the rest of the class. </li>
<li>When teachers engage the students in class discussion, clearly state the questions. Also, don&rsquo;t ask too many questions at the same time, as that can be confusing to many students. Be clear about what you&rsquo;re looking for and offer opportunities to talk about the answer.</li>
<li>To help all students, write clearly on the chalkboard or white board. Along the same lines, talk clearly during lectures and discussion. This can prevent discouragement in students who are trying to keep up and learn key concepts.</li>
<li>Discuss as a class how to take notes for the subject manner. More students will understand how to gain a deeper knowledge of the material. Discuss note-taking strategies often and emphasize their importance.</li>
</ul>
<p>Implementing these strategies can help everyone in the classroom, even the teacher. By clarifying assignments, materials, and presentations, everyone will have a better shot at understanding the lessons and objectives in the classroom.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Taking Time for Students</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/taking-time-for-students.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/taking-time-for-students.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:53:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=370</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With increasing budget cuts, teachers face more students each year. Cuts in the budget can lead to cuts in the number of teachers, or worse, cuts in the number of schools in the district. While shake-ups in schools and districts occur, teachers must carry on the task of teaching to a more diverse classroom, including [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With increasing budget cuts, teachers face more students each year. Cuts in the budget can lead to cuts in the number of teachers, or worse, cuts in the number of schools in the district. While shake-ups in schools and districts occur, teachers must carry on the task of teaching to a more diverse classroom, including diversity in student learning and achievement. What can teachers do to make sure all students are reached and can achieve in their classroom?</p>
<p>Teachers must offer various learning activities to students in order to accurately assess student learning. While some students are happy to listen to a lecture and work from the textbook, many students must learn by doing instead of learning by listening. This may add more work to an already demanding workload for teachers, but allowing students to learn through different styles can help the students understand their own learning better.</p>
<p>If a teacher notices a problem with a students learning or classroom behavior, they may single out the student and talk to them before or after class. This may make the student feel uncomfortable if other students do not receive the same attention. If a teacher makes a habit of talking with each student at various times during the school year, they can address issues concerning all students while reaching those who may have more severe problems in school.</p>
<p>Teachers must have the support of school administration if they are taking on extra work addressing student achievement. The added stress could affect teacher performance, so support from within the building and district can help the teacher focus on teaching. With more students to assess and more learning disabilities acknowledged, teachers may feel overwhelmed by their responsibility. But diagnosing and helping these students early can set them up for a lifetime of success.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Addressing Reading Difficulties</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/addressing-reading-difficulties.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/addressing-reading-difficulties.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:53:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reading]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=369</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Reading is a building block for learning. Reading can help us with language arts, social studies, history, science, and other subjects. Reading can help students follow along in class and do their homework later. When a student has a reading difficulty, all of their school work can suffer. How can teachers and parents help students [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Reading is a building block for learning. Reading can help us with language arts, social studies, history, science, and other subjects. Reading can help students follow along in class and do their homework later. When a student has a reading difficulty, all of their school work can suffer. How can teachers and parents help students who are having difficulty reading?</p>
<p>Parents can help by reading to their children at a young age, and as they grow, having their child read to them. Learning the alphabet and basic words before they enter kindergarten will give them a solid foundation for their education.</p>
<p>Parents can also help their children by encouraging reading outside of school work. They should make sure their children get their homework done, but also have books on hand to read for pleasure, so reading is an enjoyable experience for them. When a child starts having difficulty with reading their homework, it may be time to take extra steps to make sure that child understands reading basics.</p>
<p>Teachers should make reading a part of everyday activities. A student may not feel comfortable reading out loud in class, so teachers should create other opportunities for students to share their reading with others. If a student&rsquo;s test scores start sliding in reading, then in other subjects, teachers should address the students reading comprehension right away. Many young people will not come forward if they feel they are not understanding something, so teachers must pay close attention to homework and tests to make sure that student isn&rsquo;t falling behind in their reading.</p>
<p>A love of reading can last a lifetime and can help a student excel in all subjects. Teachers and parents must look out for signs that their student is struggling so that they can help that student achieve throughout their lifetime.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Teaching to Different Abilities</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-to-different-abilities.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-to-different-abilities.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:53:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disabilities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=368</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Students have always had different learning abilities, but more and more of these learning disabilities are being diagnosed and acknowledged in the school system. Teachers don&#8217;t only face a class full of bright, young faces ready to learn, but these faces represent different levels of comprehension. How can a teacher teach the same lesson to [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Students have always had different learning abilities, but more and more of these learning disabilities are being diagnosed and acknowledged in the school system. Teachers don&#8217;t only face a class full of bright, young faces ready to learn, but these faces represent different levels of comprehension. How can a teacher teach the same lesson to so many students with different capabilities?</p>
<p>Teachers must communicate with parents of younger students (grades 5 and below) if their student is not advancing as much as the other students. Teachers must be open and honest with parents about the student&rsquo;s skill-level and classroom behavior in order to determine what course of action to take to better reach that student.</p>
<p>Teachers must also closely observe classroom behavior. While many boys have trouble sitting still through a class, if one is particularly antsy and disruptive, the teacher must talk to the student and parents about that behavior. One disruptive student can lead to distractions for other students, so this kind of behavior must be addressed early on to prevent a classroom from falling behind. Teachers should implement different learning activities to reach students&rsquo; different learning needs.</p>
<p>Administrators must also be available to parents to talk about their children&rsquo;s achievement. If a parent cannot find the support through the child&rsquo;s teacher, an administrator may be able to assist the parent in finding a better learning environment for their child. If the administrator finds multiple problems with student achievement, they may be able to change the curriculum for a new approach in their school.</p>
<p>Student achievement is based on a number of factors, including learning environment, presentation of material, and support from parents, teachers, and administrators. Adults must pay attention to trends in grades at the individual student level, the school level, and the classroom level to ensure that all students can learn and flourish within their system.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Helping Students with Disabilities Achieve</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-students-with-disabilities-achieve.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-students-with-disabilities-achieve.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:53:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disabilities Achieve]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When a teacher has a student with learning disabilities, there are many options for that student to receive the help they need in order to succeed in school. Most learning disabilities involve reading, writing, and speech, so these tips are geared towards these areas. Teachers should always work with both parents and support staff in [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When a teacher has a student with learning disabilities, there are many options for that student to receive the help they need in order to succeed in school. Most learning disabilities involve reading, writing, and speech, so these tips are geared towards these areas. Teachers should always work with both parents and support staff in order to develop the best education plans for their students.</p>
<p>Many students with learning disabilities may need more time to take tests and finish assignments.&nbsp;Test taking should be accommodated by support staff in the resource room. If a student will be handing in late assignments, the teacher must be in constant, positive contact with the student&rsquo;s parents.</p>
<p>Students with learning disabilities may find it helpful to have assignments broken down into smaller tasks. Sitting down with the student and explaining the overall assignment, then the steps that need to be taken to get there, can help the student feel confident about completing the assignment instead of overwhelmed by it.</p>
<p>Students can also benefit from having a designated note-taker in class or borrowing notes from another student. Some students with learning disabilities can find it frustrating to keep up with the teacher during a lesson and can miss key concepts if they&rsquo;re not taking notes fast enough or if they&rsquo;re not writing down the important information. Designating another student or classroom aide to take notes can help that student listen to the teacher and have the information they need when they study by themselves.</p>
<p>The school may decide on a number of accommodations to help the student succeed. It&rsquo;s important for teachers and other school staff to keep in contact with the student&rsquo;s parents so they can have a consistent learning environment. The student should feel comfortable studying and learning at both home and school so they can feel confident about their education.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Balancing Children&#8217;s Learning With Learning Disabilities</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/balancing-childrens-learning-with-learning-disabilities.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/balancing-childrens-learning-with-learning-disabilities.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Dec 2010 10:41:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Theories & Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=281</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When dealing with K-12 students the basic role of teachers is to make sure that every kid they are in charge of is learning to the best of their individual abilities. Of course some teachers are more able to diagnose learning disabilities easier than others and the difficulty in the diagnosis is what makes teaching [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When dealing with K-12 students the basic role of teachers is to  make sure that every kid they are in charge of is learning to the best  of their individual abilities.  Of course some teachers are more able to  diagnose learning disabilities easier than others and the difficulty in  the diagnosis is what makes teaching a diverse section of kids so  difficult.  For whatever reason, children in today&#8217;s society seem to  be getting diagnosed with various learning disabilities at a far higher  rate than they were in the past and still even more children are never  diagnosed and the administration at their respective schools tend to  simply dismiss these kids as stubborn or uninterested.</p>
<p>Finding the right kind of guidance for students who have a learning  disability like dyslexia or hyperactivity can be extremely difficult,  especially when you talking about an overtaxed school system that may  see each classroom containing upwards of 35 to 40 students per teacher.   The main thing that teachers, students and parents need to keep in mind  is that quite a few of the problems and disabilities out there can be  worked around.</p>
<p>The first step in dealing with a learning disability is diagnosing which  of the many problems it could be.  There are several different tests  that can be done to determine exactly what sort of disability they might  have.  Pinpointing the problem is the first step in battling the  disease or disability and it can indeed be all downhill after that fact  if the teachers, the parents and the student all work together to solve  the problem.</p>
<p>Whether talking about teachers who are working with learning disabled  kids or the parents, the best way to deal with such problems is to  always stay abreast of the latest treatments in dealing with the  disorders.  Education and medical professionals are always working  overtime in developing treatment and solutions.</p>
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		<title>Reading Expectations When Entering Elementary School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/reading-expectations-when-entering-elementary-school.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/reading-expectations-when-entering-elementary-school.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Dec 2010 10:40:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=279</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the many parents worry about as their children are about to graduate from the Kindergarten level of education to grade school is what their child should know once they hit first grade and what they will learn over the course of the year. This can be a trying time in parents, especially new [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of the many parents worry about as their children are about  to graduate from the Kindergarten level of education to grade school is  what their child should know once they hit first grade and what they  will learn over the course of the year.  This can be a trying time in  parents, especially new parents lives simply because they do not want to  think that their children are somehow underprepared or behind the rest  of their kids&#8217; class.  What most people don&#8217;t realize is that for  the most part if the parents are spending time with the kid, reading to  him or her and with him or her then their child is pretty much ready for  first grade.</p>
<p>During first grade, one of the most important aspects of the child&#8217;s  education will be determining sight words.  Sight words are words that a  child recognizes right away and can basically actually read.  Sight  words can be learned fairly easily as long as they spend kindergarten  engaged and they are also practicing reading at home.  Of course a first  grader, especially when they first enter the grade will not be expected  to recognize every word in the dictionary but they should also be able  to do what is called decoding.  Decoding basically means that the child  is able to figure out a word they have never seen before based on  familiar looks and sounds.</p>
<p>Again, decoding is a skill that can be learned as long as the parents  are taking a concerted effort towards making sure the child is getting  plenty of reading done while they are at home.  Parents who work with  the schools to help their kids get the best educations, parents who do  not lean on the schools to be the only providers of education will see  children who learn faster and more effectively.</p>
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		<title>Navigating Trhough Grade 1</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/navigating-trhough-grade-1.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/navigating-trhough-grade-1.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Dec 2010 10:39:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are feeling a bit nervous about whether or not your child is on par with other kids when it comes to reading skills, fear not! You are not alone. Almost all parents see their little ones heading into first grade and wonder if their kids are truly prepared for the beginning of grade [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you are feeling a bit nervous about whether or not your child  is on par with other kids when it comes to reading skills, fear not!   You are not alone.  Almost all parents see their little ones heading  into first grade and wonder if their kids are truly prepared for the  beginning of grade school.  This is after all when things get real as  far as educating the kids to the ways of the world and when they being  their long trek (which can seem to shoot by in an instant) towards  college.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, the thing that all first graders should be able to do is  recognize sight words.  This basically means that as long as you team up  the reading skills they have learned in kindergarten with steady  practice at home there should be no problem.  Of course each child  learns at their own pace and if the sight words are not coming to them  as quickly as you would like don&#8217;t despair.  The old adage of &#8220;if at  first you don&#8217;t succeed, try try again&#8221; certainly applies when it  comes to young children grasping the art of reading.</p>
<p>Sight words are exactly what they sound like they would be.  These are  words that your youngster can actually recognize just by looking at  them.  Usually at this grade level they will be very simple words and no  one should be getting nervous because giraffe or xylophone are  registering as sight words for your first grader.  Of course the more  sight words your child knows the better for their long term development  but as long as they have some arrows in that quiver they will be well on  their way to progressing as they should through the new mine field that  is elementary school in today&#8217;s culture.</p>
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		<title>Writing in the First Grade</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/writing-in-the-first-grade.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/writing-in-the-first-grade.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:38:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=275</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When a child first enters first grade it is not uncommon for that child&#8217;s parents to be a bit nervous about how much or how little the child can actually write. The usual standards for someone who is entering first grade can seem a bit daunting especially if you are talking about a kid who [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When a child first enters first grade it is not uncommon for  that child&#8217;s parents to be a bit nervous about how much or how little  the child can actually write.  The usual standards for someone who is  entering first grade can seem a bit daunting especially if you are  talking about a kid who is struggling a little bit in Kindergarten with  their writing.  What parents must understand is that while schools would  like for every student to be at the top of the education ladder as far  as what they can do and what they cannot it simply isn&#8217;t realistic to  expect every child to be at the same level.</p>
<p>The next thing parents need to be able to avoid is getting nervous  because their kids might be a little bit behind someone else.  This does  not mean that the child is abnormal or is slow or will always be  behind.  There are plenty of kids who simply do not have the ingrained  desire to read or write as much as the next kid and then suddenly as if  they were shot with some sort of magic bullet they will realize that  they actually like reading and writing.</p>
<p>In first grade more kids are expected t be able to label basic picture  such as that of a cat or a dog with their own writing.  In first grade  these children will still have quite a few letters that may look more  like Sanskrit than actual English letters and that is certainly to be  expected.  Perfect handwriting by a first grader would be the exception  and nowhere near the norm.  What parents have to understand when it  comes to first grade writing is that children are still feeling  themselves out when it comes to spelling certain words and encouragement  rather than anxiety is the best way to help.</p>
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		<title>Meeting the First Grade Expectations</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/meeting-the-first-grade-expectations.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/meeting-the-first-grade-expectations.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:37:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=273</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When children enter the first grade their parents can often feel as though they are frozen by the fear that their child is not yet ready to enter grade school. After all grade school is basically the beginning of the end of their children&#8217;s education and while college can seem a long ways off it [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When children enter the first grade their parents can often feel  as though they are frozen by the fear that their child is not yet ready  to enter grade school.  After all grade school is basically the  beginning of the end of their children&#8217;s education and while college  can seem a long ways off it can also seem fairly close when you really  do the math.  First grade is the first of just 12 different levels until  they head off into the real world and for most parents that 12 years  can seem like it flies by in the blink of an eye.</p>
<p>So what should parents know about how much their kids need to be  prepared?  When it comes to reading their child should have some basic  words, known as sight words in their repertoire.  This means that there  should be at least some words they can recognize in print by just a  glance.  Decoding will also be done in the first grade, which means that  while the child will not know the first right off the bat, they will be  able to decipher what the word is thanks to its proximity to other  words they already know.  Sounding out is a helpful tool when talking  about decoding in reading.</p>
<p>As far as writing goes, again there should be several words the child  can write with varying degrees of success.  Writing a letter the wrong  direction is perfectly normal by a first grader, but as the year goes on  the letters in which they have problems with should be rarer and rarer.   It helps most parents to understand that at first it may seem like  their child is lagging behind the class.  This is normal as most kids  will have initial struggles.  Victory is achieved when their child  learns from their mistakes and is able to correct them as the year wanes  on.</p>
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		<title>What To Expect When You Are Expecting a First Grader</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/what-to-expect-when-you-are-expecting-a-first-grader.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/what-to-expect-when-you-are-expecting-a-first-grader.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:36:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=271</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Entering the first year of grade school can be an intimidating task for both the child and the child&#8217;s parents. Knowing exactly what is expected can sometimes seem more difficult than it needs to be and most parents in the know understand that somewhere a school will tell you exactly what they want the student [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Entering the first year of grade school can be an intimidating  task for both the child and the child&#8217;s parents.  Knowing exactly what  is expected can sometimes seem more difficult than it needs to be and  most parents in the know understand that somewhere a school will tell  you exactly what they want the student to know and what they expect the  student to learn.  Schools don&#8217;t want what they expect of the child to  be a secret.  They understand that the best way for the child to learn  much of anything will be by working in concert with the parents and so  they want the parents well armed.</p>
<p>As far as reading goes, most school have basic guidelines set up in  which they expect the children to be able to recognize some words in  their reading right away.  These words are not going to be the more  difficult words in the vocabulary by any stretch but if your child  can&#8217;t recognize a word like &#8220;cat&#8221; then it may be time to buckle  down and figure out why.</p>
<p>As far as writing goes, again the school is not expecting your child to  write the treaty of Versailles but they should be able to write their  own name as well as several other basic words.  Again, the inability to  write cat or dog should be an alarm that it is time to sit down with the  child and try and figure out why they are having problems.    Mathematics may actually be the real key to understanding where your  child is compared to others.  Most children at the beginning of first  grade should be able to count above 30 and at times skip from 5, to 10,  to 15 without much difficulty.  Numbers are going to be key in this  first year and a firm grasp on them can only help the child develop  along the way.</p>
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		<title>Reading, Writing &amp; Arithmetic in Second Grade</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/reading-writing-arithmetic-in-second-grade.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/reading-writing-arithmetic-in-second-grade.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Dec 2010 10:23:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=263</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When their child is headed for the second grade, most parents really have no idea what to expect. They know that the prior year was spent getting the students to understand some basic math and reading concepts but when all is said and done, the first grade is not much more intensive than Kindergarten was [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When their child is headed for the second grade, most parents  really have no idea what to expect.  They know that the prior year was  spent getting the students to understand some basic math and reading  concepts but when all is said and done, the first grade is not much more  intensive than Kindergarten was as far as buckling down and learning to  lean on critical thinking.  Second grade is where a student really  begins to define themselves and in extension can be a relatively good  indicator of the kind of job the teachers and the school system in  general is doing in preparing these children.</p>
<p>As far as reading and writing goes, the students will learn to grasp a  much larger vocabulary than they have been encouraged to know before  now.  There will be up to and possibly surpassing (depending on the  quality of the school) 200 words that the student will be able to read  and write without much in the way of effort.  It will become second  nature for the student to recognize there words in less than a second  when they see them in print.  Second graders will also begin to learn an  art that seems to be fading a bit in the real world but is an important  gun to have in their holster none the less.  Second graders will begin  to read and write cursive in a way that when they do indeed write using  it, others can actually read their writing.</p>
<p>Finally, in math the story problem will take a prominent role in the  curriculum as students will be encouraged to think around a problem  instead of just being able to memorize different equations.  The story  problems, most of all can be tricky for a second grader and parents  should work hard to develop a way for the student to think through the  problem effectively.</p>
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		<title>What To Expect When You Enter Grade School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/what-to-expect-when-you-enter-grade-school.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/what-to-expect-when-you-enter-grade-school.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:35:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=269</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When a child enters the first year of grade school the situation can be a bit of a shock to the system. Both children and parents often feel as though they are going in a bit blind as Kindergarten was the last grade where learning seemed like sort of a bonus and being a kid [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When a child enters the first year of grade school the situation  can be a bit of a shock to the system.  Both children and parents often  feel as though they are going in a bit blind as Kindergarten was the  last grade where learning seemed like sort of a bonus and being a kid  was still the key to succeeding in the grade.  Now in first grade kids  are actually expected to be able to be real students, to complete  homework and pass state mandated tests.</p>
<p>When dealing with the requirements of writing and reading in the first  grade, there are several different requirements that need to be  fulfilled when it comes to reading and writing.  Children must be able  to recognize certain words on sight in order to move into the first  grade.  While they certainly are actually increasing their vocabulary  they need to be able to label certain pictures of things without much in  the way of help from a teacher or other student.</p>
<p>Writing deals with being able to write short words like cat and dog and  at the end of the year they should be able to write out short sentences.   These do not need to be three pages treatises but they should be  coherent sentences that a teacher or parent can read with minimal  effort.  Of course at this age a child might still have a problem  putting a letter facing the right way and this is to be expected.  What  is also expected is that by the end of the year the student will be able  to fix the problems that they are having writing the letter or word  facing the right way.  This particular problem is far more prevalent  among young children than most parents realize and it must always be  taken with a grain of salt.</p>
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		<title>What to Expect in Third Grade</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/what-to-expect-in-third-grade.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:21:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=261</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Transitioning from second grade to third grade can seem like an insurmountable task at times to any young child. In second grade they were tested on such facets of education like cursive and in math being able to solve story problems. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, the education and curriculum [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Transitioning from second grade to third grade can seem like an  insurmountable task at times to any young child.  In second grade they  were tested on such facets of education like cursive and in math being  able to solve story problems.  Unfortunately, or fortunately depending  on how you look at it, the education and curriculum only begins to get  more difficult as they progress through elementary school.  In the third  grade the student has progressed half way through their elementary  education and teachers and administrations will start to show the  students what they will need to advance onto middle school, high school  and hopefully college.  Parents too, should take an even more engaged  role as the second line of defense when it comes to making sure the  child is absorbing what they are being taught in third grade.</p>
<p>English becomes a key component of the third grader&#8217;s education as  they will start to learn what it really takes to construct a sentence as  well as putting together actual paragraphs and truly understanding what  goes into that.  Third graders will be called on even more to figure  out ways to sound out and figure out words that had previously been  unknown to them.  From here on out elementary school kids will not  longer be able to lean on the excuse of a word being &#8220;too big&#8221; or  &#8220;too hard&#8221; when talking about reading and writing it.  Using a  dictionary comes into play quite often at this grade level as students  are expected to find out ways to solve these problems on their own more  and more.</p>
<p>In mathematics, parents should prepare to help their children deal not  only with solving multiplication tables reaching up to 9&#215;9 but there  will be timed tests that will show not only that the student is able to  solve the problem but can solve it in a short amount of time and under a  bit of pressure.</p>
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		<title>Preparing Parents For Grade School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/preparing-parents-for-grade-school.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:19:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elementary school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=257</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many parents see their child getting ready to go to the &#8220;big kid&#8221; world of grade school and think that all the preparation and anxiety they feel is merely watching their child really beginning to grow up. The reality is that a lot of that anxiety is probably based more on the fact that the [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many parents see their child getting ready to go to the &#8220;big  kid&#8221; world of grade school and think that all the preparation and  anxiety they feel is merely watching their child really beginning to  grow up.  The reality is that a lot of that anxiety is probably based  more on the fact that the parents have very little idea of exactly what  their kid is going to have to know and understand and even less idea  about how to go about helping them learn.</p>
<p>The most effective students in any learning environment are going to be  the ones who are being helped along the way by a family member.  A  child&#8217;s educational success, especially a young child&#8217;s educational  success is going to depend heavily on just how much support they are  receiving from their parent or parents.  There are a couple of steps any  good parent can work on that will help their child get everything they  can out of the school experience.</p>
<p>The first steps are making sure that your child is not trying to learn  everything in the span of a couple of hours.  While there are some who  claim that cramming in college is the only way to go, it doesn&#8217;t work  at the elementary school level.  Young children should be learning as  they go, not all at once.  Another factor is to make sure that your  child knows that you are engaged and interested in how they are doing in  school.  A child who has parents who quiz them on a daily basis about  how school went and what sort of homework they have is bound to do  better than the student who&#8217;s parents are too busy watching survivor  to ask.  Parents need to prepare themselves for grade school as well and  that means knowing what will make the learning process easier for their  child.</p>
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		<title>What to Expect in 2nd Grade</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/what-to-expect-in-2nd-grade.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/what-to-expect-in-2nd-grade.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:34:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elementary school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=267</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While most parents feel as though beginning first grade is the most difficult transition their child will go through in the grade school years, those parents are underselling just how much more competitive and challenging the second year of grade school can really be. Some teachers will tell you that while first grade is all [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While most parents feel as though beginning first grade is the  most difficult transition their child will go through in the grade  school years, those parents are underselling just how much more  competitive and challenging the second year of grade school can really  be.  Some teachers will tell you that while first grade is all about  learning how to learn, second grade is when students really start being  held accountable for the actual things they learn.  This means that  while knowing how to spell some basic words and phrases may have passed  for acceptable in the first year of grade school, in the second year the  education is all about applying those words and phrases as well as  learning more about the world around them.</p>
<p>As far as reading and writing go, second graders must become even more  versed in the art of decoding.  This means that even if there are words  that they cannot spell right off the bat, they must make a concerted and  realistic effort to be able to write or read them after some  comparisons to other words they are more familiar with.  While this does  not seem all that difficult at first glance it is a skill that is both  difficult to master and one that most children are resistant to at  first.</p>
<p>Common abbreviations also come into play in the second year of grade  school.  Teachers will expect students to have memorized or at least  committed a large portion of common abbreviations to memory.  These  abbreviations include those for proper titles such as Dr. and Mr. as  well as for the months in the year and days in the week.</p>
<p>While all of these rules can seem a bit overwhelming to parents of  children just realizing what they have to deal with it is important to  remember that a schoolâ€™s number one goal is to make sure the student  is learning.</p>
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		<title>Beginning Junior High Or Middle School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/beginning-junior-high-or-middle-school.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/beginning-junior-high-or-middle-school.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:18:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elementary school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=255</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If parents thought that having their child start grade school was stressful they haven&#8217;t seen anything yet when it comes to beginning middle school or Junior High. In comparison, most students are going to see a dramatic change in the amount of homework they will be expected to take home and complete each day as [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If parents thought that having their child start grade school  was stressful they haven&#8217;t seen anything yet when it comes to  beginning middle school or Junior High.  In comparison, most students  are going to see a dramatic change in the amount of homework they will  be expected to take home and complete each day as well as brand new  areas of study they haven&#8217;t really prepared for at all even in the  sixth grade.</p>
<p>Middle school or Junior High is basically when a child really start  preparing for the rigors of college or the real world and it is  witnessed in the amount of work and the range of work a student is  expected to take on.  Seventh grade is where most students are first  really introduced to a foreign language.  While for the most part,  Spanish and French are the two most popular language courses offered  some schools go above and beyond as they see the world shrinking all the  time and offer Asian dialects such as Chinese or even a dead language  such as Latin.  These are generally preliminary teachings that are  geared towards softening the ground when students will have to spend at  least two total semesters learning a foreign language in High school.</p>
<p>Seventh graders will also take on much more difficult concepts in the  area of math.  Seventh graders will begin studying such terms as mean  and median and mode as well as other statistical investigations.   Solving equations that include a variable as well as understanding the  degrees involved in an angle are also going to be included in a seventh  grader&#8217;s curriculum.</p>
<p>Finally, while a student had some education in history when they were in  grade school, middle school will focus the attention on certain spans  in history including the middle ages and some of the early parts of our  modern history.</p>
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		<title>The Differences In Education Funding</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/the-differences-in-education-funding.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/the-differences-in-education-funding.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:20:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arkansas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School district]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=259</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are few issues that can serve as a hot button the way that education funding can. People know that in most states and counties education is one of if not the top budget item every year. For some that translates automatically into claims that the school&#8217;s funding is absolutely enough and that if anything [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are few issues that can serve as a hot button the way that  education funding can.  People know that in most states and counties  education is one of if not the top budget item every year.  For some  that translates automatically into claims that the school&#8217;s funding is  absolutely enough and that if anything exorbitant funds need to reduced  or cut off.  Of course there are schools that are doing just fine when  it comes to meeting the needs of their students in every way.  There are  also schools that see their funding being drastically reduced for any  number of reasons, including failing test scores who badly need that  money going the opposite direction.</p>
<p>One such example of just how different one school district can be from  the next took place recently in Arkansas.  In an effort to avoid shaming  any one school district or another we won&#8217;t say exactly where this  took place.  Still one school district in Arkansas has found a way to  truly put their education funding dollars to work for them to the point  that they had managed to include educational programming in the school  buses themselves.  Student rode to and from school each day watching  streaming video of NasaTV and PBS on several monitors installed  throughout their school buses.  Not surprisingly students in a school  district who were able to dedicate this level of financing their  education succeeded at a much higher rate than the national average.</p>
<p>Just one county over, another school district struggled to get its  resident kids to classes, and the school buses windows were often  replaced with black or green garbage sacks.  Also not surprisingly,  student performance in national tests were off quite a bit from the  richer school district.  These buses sported no high tech learning  equipment, merely seats and an occasional window.</p>
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		<title>Acclimating To Seventh Grade</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/acclimating-to-seventh-grade.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/acclimating-to-seventh-grade.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:17:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Board of education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elementary school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seventh grade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=253</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Education, when talking about the grade school years truly is a mixed bag. It seems that every year a student is tasked with absorbing even more information into their brains while making sure they are retaining what was already there. This prospect becomes especially difficult when a student hits the seventh grade because in the [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Education, when talking about the grade school years truly is a  mixed bag.  It seems that every year a student is tasked with absorbing  even more information into their brains while making sure they are  retaining what was already there.  This prospect becomes especially  difficult when a student hits the seventh grade because in the eyes of  most school boards and school administrations, this is a time when the  student is really supposed to be showing exactly what they are made of.   This is the time when students are supposed to grow as people and take  on an even broader range of new facts, and figures.</p>
<p>In seventh grade, a student goes from needing to know basic sentence  structure and paragraph form and actually needs to be able to put a  short report together.  In the broadest sense, a seventh grader will  usually be able to keep the bullet of being able to write a paper that  takes up more than one page in their arsenal. One page reports are a  thing of the past once you hit middle school and that is one of the  hardest things to adjust to for most students.</p>
<p>Math also becomes more difficult, as they learn more about how to  calculate angles and equations that are far more difficult than just  dealing with remainders and the basic multiplication tables.  Science  too is introduced full bore.  No more dabbling with seeing whether an  egg will break at a certain velocity.  Now it is time to explain what  bases and acids are as well as why they interact and how they interact.   Finally, Art and music; which are two areas that are incorporated early  on in a child&#8217;s education lose their abstract feel and instead a  student is expected to know and understand the finer points of that  field.  It can be a stressful time for a young teen and parents would be  well advised to remember that.</p>
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		<title>Preparing For Standardized Testing</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/preparing-for-standardized-testing.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/preparing-for-standardized-testing.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:16:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SAT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Standardized test]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=251</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While High school can be considered some of the best days of a student&#8217;s life that rarely has little to do with their academic progress. Students know that they are expected to work hard in the classroom and because of this they often play hard outside of school. One area where your average high school [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While High school can be considered some of the best days of a  student&#8217;s life that rarely has little to do with their academic  progress.  Students know that they are expected to work hard in the  classroom and because of this they often play hard outside of school.   One area where your average high school student cannot afford to play  around is during the preparation of any number of different standardized  tests that will determine whether or not they are going on to the next  phase of their education and where exactly they will continue should  they want to.</p>
<p>The SAT and the ACT are both basically two peas from the same pod.   While the requirements for attaining good scores can seem radically  different they are actually quite similar in the way they measure a  student&#8217;s ability to not only retain information they have learned not  just in the last three years but over the entire course of their  education.  There are several different sections to both tests that are  built to measure a student&#8217;s reading comprehension, his ability to  recognize good writing and grammar from the not so good and of course  math.  There are also aspects of both tests that will measure whether or  not a student has problem solving skills at their repertoire and to  what degree these skills work in different situations.</p>
<p>Prepping for these tests will often seem as though you are trying to  prepare for the great unknown but at the very least the books and  courses that are out there to get you ready will show you not the  answers on the test but hot to approach the test itself.  Prepping for  the ACT or SAT is more about getting your mind in the right place and  practicing this technique so that when the day comes the student isn&#8217;t  frozen in terror or lack of understanding.</p>
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		<title>Math and the Second Grader</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/math-and-the-second-grader.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/math-and-the-second-grader.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:25:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=265</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As your child heads into the second grade it is important to make sure you know exactly what they will be expected to learn so that you can prepare them as the summer wanes and understand where they are in regards to the rest of their class. While first grade covered some basic math skills, [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As your child heads into the second grade it is important to  make sure you know exactly what they will be expected to learn so that  you can prepare them as the summer wanes and understand where they are  in regards to the rest of their class.  While first grade covered some  basic math skills, second grade is where they will really get into  problem solving and equation solving in a very real way.</p>
<p>In second grade, children are no longer expected to just be able to  spout different equations but they are now going to be expected to tell  why a certain number plus a certain number equals what it does.  Story  problems are something that will be inserted into the curriculum more  and more and will therefore encourage the student to think around the  problem instead of taking it head on.  It is very much encouraged that  you begin to work with your child at home on these types of story  problems and even find better ways to get you kid to see the problem in  his or her head.  Even if you do not know the story problems that will  definitely be used during this year it is good to help your child  develop a system to solve like problems.</p>
<p>Measurements are another area where the students will focus much of  their attention.  Inches, feet, yards and smaller denominations like  centimeters and millimeters will all be terms they will be introduced to  as well as shown just why it is important to get these measurements as  precise as possible.  Finally the value of money becomes a greater part  of the curriculum when talking about math in second grade.  Students  will be introduced to all the different variations of coins and they  will begin to see how you can make different amounts with selected  dollars and cents.</p>
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		<title>Feeling Confident Entering High School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/feeling-confident-entering-high-school.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/feeling-confident-entering-high-school.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:15:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=249</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While almost no one enters high school knowing exactly what to expect or what they should prepare for, there are some basic tenets that any prospective high school student can commit to memory in order to have an easier time of it. When entering high school you are basically entering a world that is designed [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While almost no one enters high school knowing exactly what to  expect or what they should prepare for, there are some basic tenets that  any prospective high school student can commit to memory in order to  have an easier time of it.  When entering high school you are basically  entering a world that is designed to get you ready for the next step.   Certainly high school in and of itself provides plenty of real world  education but the main goal isn&#8217;t to have you stop on that rung of the  education ladder so much as be fully prepared to step up to the next  one.</p>
<p>The first thing you have to know when you enter high school is that  there is no other grade level you can really compare 10th grade to.   There are so many different and new areas of learning going on that in  some ways it will indeed seem like a whole new world and it will seem  like a world that you couldn&#8217;t possibly be prepared for.  The main  thing to remember is that while the focus on areas like history and  science and math may narrow they are for the most part going to be  reinforcing things you learned earlier in your education.  There may not  be a whole lot of backtrack in areas like science and history but you  will be able to compare what you learned along the way with what you are  learning now.</p>
<p>As far as English classes go, there will be a further emphasis on the  style of writing you use.  Most high school English classes will now  expect you to form a hypothesis, back up that hypothesis and include a  final closing argument over a longer paper than you are used to.  In the  end it helps to remember what you have studied before will come in  handy when you are studying new topics in a new school.</p>
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		<title>Math Skill Building in a Grade School Student</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/math-skill-building-in-a-grade-school-student.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/math-skill-building-in-a-grade-school-student.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Dec 2010 10:14:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mathematics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Problem solving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Word problem (mathematics education)]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=247</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a student progresses through elementary school, one important aspect they will need to pick up and master is basic math problem solving skills. As a general rule these are done by studying and becoming proficient in math problems that use story problems as a way to make the students think around the problem instead [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a student progresses through elementary school, one important  aspect they will need to pick up and master is basic math problem  solving skills.  As a general rule these are done by studying and  becoming proficient in math problems that use story problems as a way to  make the students think around the problem instead of merely figuring  out an equation.  Story problems, when dealing for math are more about  actually figuring out what the equation is supposed to be and then  solving that equation.</p>
<p>While there are different levels and degrees of the right kind of story  problem one that always helped me to understand how some of these types  of problems worked is when I was working with a story problem that  involved football.  Unlike any other sport, football is a game that has  designated lengths and numbers for almost everything.  Of course  individual statistics are one thing but there is also how many yards are  in a football field, how many yards you need for a first down, how much  time is left in the quarter, half or game and the number of points  scored or need to score.</p>
<p>All of these factors can be entered into a word problem that (at least  to young sports fans) will be entertaining to some degree while also  showing them how they need to work around a problem.  One of the most  popular story problems is simply giving a situation like: On first and  10 the team gained 3 yards, then on 2nd down the team lost four yards,  how many yards are needed to reach a first down?  While this may seem  simple to a brain used to figuring this out it can be a useful problem  when having the child first diagram the equation and then solving it.   There are literally hundreds of different story problems that can come  from one football game.</p>
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		<title>When Good Teachers Get Cast As Bad</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/when-good-teachers-get-cast-as-bad.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/when-good-teachers-get-cast-as-bad.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:12:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=245</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is no surprise that on occasion some of the best teachers a school or even a school district have to offer get cast in an unfortunate light. We are not talking about those teachers who commit some sort of crime or clearly are behaving in an inappropriate light. What we mean is that when [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is no surprise that on occasion some of the best teachers a  school or even a school district have to offer get cast in an  unfortunate light.  We are not talking about those teachers who commit  some sort of crime or clearly are behaving in an inappropriate light.   What we mean is that when a teacher who is doing everything they can  think of to get their students to learn as well as they can gets cast by  a certain parent or parents as having it out for their child.</p>
<p>This happens in all walks of life, whether you are talking about a  private or public school, there are parents who do not want to believe  that their child is struggling or falling behind because the child  isn&#8217;t devoting enough time or attention to school work.  There are  parents who will always believe that a teacher has a personal problem  against their child.  Some of the reasons for this are that the parents  and the child do not understand where the role of a teacher ends and the  parents and child&#8217;s begins.  Plenty of parents in America today  believe that if a child gets an &#8220;F&#8221; it is because the teacher simply  did not give him or her enough chances to succeed.</p>
<p>Teachers too can feel as though they aren&#8217;t doing enough when the  bottom line is that sometimes there is never&#8221;enough&#8221;.  A  teacher&#8217;s role is to make sure that are delivering information in such  a way that the average student can feel as though they are able to  absorb it.  It is not the teacher&#8217;s responsibility to make sure that  the student has memorized everything or completely understands every  word in their reading but rather it is their responsibility to provide  the ability to do those things.</p>
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		<title>The Role Of Parents In Better Education</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/the-role-of-parents-in-better-education.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/the-role-of-parents-in-better-education.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:09:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=243</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There most likely has not been a parent with elementary age children who did not believe that their child didn&#8217;t need even a little more help than what they were currently receiving when it comes to home work. Certainly this is a perfectly valid reaction to seeing their child stumble over a certain subject. You [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There most likely has not been a parent with elementary age  children who did not believe that their child didn&#8217;t need even a  little more help than what they were currently receiving when it comes  to home work.  Certainly this is a perfectly valid reaction to seeing  their child stumble over a certain subject.  You know the answers, you  know how the teacher wants the assignment to look and you think to  yourself  &#8221;just this once I&#8217;ll make sure he does it the right way by  doing it for him.&#8221; While there is no real problem with lending as  much of a helping hand as possible, parents must be careful not to send  signals that they are willing to work harder on the child&#8217;s homework  than the child is.</p>
<p>Kids are going to run into situations where they simply do not want to  sit down and do the best work they can.  Whether you are talking about  future Rhodes scholars or future high school dropouts, every child is  going to hit a patch where they simply want to be done so they can move  on to other things.  If a child senses that the parent is willing to  &#8220;help&#8221;  to the point where they are almost surely doing the project  themselves that child will make sure that kind of help is always there.   The problem, besides the obvious is that learning to work through  certain problems and doing their work on their own is an important part  of learning and growing.</p>
<p>When you hand the answer to a problem to the child you aren&#8217;t really  allowing him to work through the issue himself.  This of course will  lead to problems working through similar issues in the future and soon  you are caught in a never-ending cycle.  Parents should begin to  understand pretty early on when the child says he or she &#8220;needs&#8221; help and when they actually do.  Enforce the difference whenever  possible.</p>
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		<title>Helping a Student Decide About a Professional Career</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-a-student-decide-about-a-professional-career.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-a-student-decide-about-a-professional-career.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:20:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Graduate school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Universities & Colleges]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=178</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia There is a well meaning and rather hotly contested debate about what makes students successful in life, as opposed to just getting good grades in school. And a part of this debate concerns the type of thought process the individual students bring to the table in matters of their future profession. Some [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="German students in first aid class, 1980" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-W0114-0306%2C_G%C3%BCltz%2C_Sanit%C3%A4tskurs_f%C3%BCr_Sch%C3%BCler.jpg/300px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-W0114-0306%2C_G%C3%BCltz%2C_Sanit%C3%A4tskurs_f%C3%BCr_Sch%C3%BCler.jpg" alt="German students in first aid class, 1980" width="300" height="228" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</dd>
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<p>There is a well meaning and rather hotly contested debate about what makes students successful in life, as opposed to just getting good grades in school. And a part of this debate concerns the type of thought process the individual students bring to the table in matters of their future profession. Some people believe that students who know what they want can barrel through their educational life, find the job of their dreams, and become a super star at it. Some other people believe that students who meander through several possible career paths, dipping a toe into many different options, will end up with the most versatile, well-rounded career of all.</p>
<p>There are merits to both cases, of course. The students who work to achieve great grades in every class tend to be good at delaying their gratification, which is a known element of the highest levels of success in life, regardless of what is being thought of. But on the other hand, people who take a lot of different types of classes, and devote their energy only to the ones that really interest them may also find a lot of success as entrepreneurs or other creative types. In the end, it may actually take all kinds to make a successful work force.</p>
<p>The problem you&#8217;ll face when you search through educational comparison sites like onlinembarankings.com is that one of the major identifying factors a program is going to go by is grades. Life would be a lot easier (at first) if every student focused on doing their very best at everything in school. Then we wouldn&#8217;t have to make the difficult decisions of whether a particular student just might not be suited to a particular program. Not every student is cut out for college, and not every student is cut out for grad school. One challenge involves differentiating the two types.</p>
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		<title>Helping Children Affected With ADD To Suceed In The Classroom</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-children-affected-with-add-to-suceed-in-the-classroom.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-children-affected-with-add-to-suceed-in-the-classroom.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:19:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning disability]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=110</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia The classroom environment can provide many challenges for every student, depending on their unique skills. For a student who has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD as it is more commonly known, these challenges can seem extreme. For parents, it is especially important to seek guidance for students as soon [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="Picture taken by myself of my Adderall prescri..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Adderallrx.jpg/300px-Adderallrx.jpg" alt="Picture taken by myself of my Adderall prescri..." width="300" height="301" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</dd>
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<p>The classroom environment can provide many challenges for every student,  depending on their unique skills. For a student who has been diagnosed  with Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD as it is more commonly known,  these challenges can seem extreme. For parents, it is especially  important to seek guidance for students as soon as a problem is  suspected.</p>
<p>If ADD is mentioned as the final diagnosis, early meetings with your  child&#8217;s physicians are of paramount importance. There are many options  for treating the disorder, and since every child is different, there is  no &#8220;one size fits all&#8221; sort of solution.</p>
<p>Although pharmacological treatments can be very beneficial, it is  important to stay alert for any symptoms that your child is  experiencing. Sometimes the treatment results can counteract the  benefits that it was supposed to provide.</p>
<p>More important than drug-related treatments however, is the need to  foster a constant and dynamic relationship with your child&#8217;s teachers  and administrative staff members. Make them aware of any specific  strengths and weaknesses that are present, so that school assignments  can be altered if necessary. Remember, a learning disability does not  necessarily show that a child is incapable of learning. Rather, they  learn differently than most of their classmates.</p>
<p>If you feel your child could benefit from increased personalized  attention, it may be worthwhile to hire a tutor to capitalize upon those  certain subjects that your child finds to be particularly challenges.  Most areas have tutoring centers that are easily accessible, and many of  these have teachers that are specially qualified to provide guidance  for students who are affected by ADD symptoms.</p>
<p>It is important to keep yourself aware of your child&#8217;s successes, as  well as their setbacks. If necessary, you may need to be an advocate for  your child in the event that you notice that current learning  techniques are not effective. You can act as your child&#8217;s best ally for  conquering the challenges of the classroom for a lifetime.</p>
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		<title>Finding Primary and Secondary Education Information Online</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/finding-primary-and-secondary-education-information-online.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/finding-primary-and-secondary-education-information-online.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:12:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E-learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Secondary school]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=175</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image by Getty Images via @daylife A wide range of people find themselves looking for detailed information about primary and secondary schools. Parents and students are looking for the best available schools. Teachers and administrators are trying to find employment opportunities. Vendors of education supplies and equipment are searching for new customers. Community leaders are [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="BEIJING, CHINA - DECEMBER 22:  Kai-Fu Lee, CEO..." src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/02YM6acdk4ga4/150x100.jpg" alt="BEIJING, CHINA - DECEMBER 22:  Kai-Fu Lee, CEO..." width="150" height="100" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by Getty Images via @daylife</dd>
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<p>A wide range of people find themselves looking for detailed information about primary and secondary schools.</p>
<ul>
<li>Parents and students are looking for the best available schools.</li>
<li>Teachers and administrators are trying to find employment opportunities.</li>
<li>Vendors of education supplies and equipment are searching for new customers.</li>
<li>Community leaders are looking for contact points within the educational system.</li>
<li>Researchers are hunting for data.</li>
</ul>
<p>Those are just a few reasons why people want information about primary and secondary schools.</p>
<p>Only a few years ago, these people would be relying upon a series of telephone calls and consultations with phone books to secure the information they needed. Today, that’s no longer the case. A wealth of up-to-date information is readily available to anyone who needs it.</p>
<p>The Internet has revolutionized the world of primary and secondary education information acquisition. One can now accomplish what once took hours in a matter of seconds thanks to websites like onlineeducation.com. These sites collect and present all of the information anyone could want in one centralized location.</p>
<p>They also make it easy to find the specific information one wants. Site users can peruse schools based on a state-by-state index or via a search function. If you’re looking for data about an individual school, you’ll be able to find it in record time online.</p>
<p>Of course, these sites do more than serve as a clearinghouse of raw information about primary and secondary schools. They often collect and display information about colleges, universities, technical schools and trade schools, as well. Many people use these sites to find out more about available online courses from a wide range of schools.</p>
<p>If you’ve been looking for information about a particular school or have a need to compare information about multiple schools, the Internet will make your job easier than ever. With just a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, you’ll have everything you need.</p>
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		<title>Helping Your Learning Disabled Child Suceed in School</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-your-learning-disabled-child-suceed-in-school.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/helping-your-learning-disabled-child-suceed-in-school.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:20:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning disability]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=116</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Although a learning disability can present an increased number of challenges for a child placed into a traditional schooling environment, with the right approach they too, can succeed and gain concepts that will be valuable for a lifetime. One of the most important things to keep in mind is that learning disabled students simply learn [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Although a learning disability can present an increased number of  challenges for a child placed into a traditional schooling environment,  with the right approach they too, can succeed and gain concepts that  will be valuable for a lifetime.</p>
<p>One of the most important things to keep in mind is that learning  disabled students simply learn in a different way than their peers. The  presence of their disability should not lead to an automatic assumption  that they have less intellectual capacity.</p>
<p>It is equally important that parents take steps to seek professional  assistance from those who are qualified to diagnose learning  disabilities as soon as a problem is suspected. Although it may seem  logical to wait and see if apparent difficulties resolve themselves as  time goes on, it is very important to seek a diagnosis as soon as  possible. This will ensure that your child has access to any necessary  remediation techniques so that they will not fall behind in relation to  their classmates who are learning from the same curriculum.</p>
<p>Many learning disabled students learn best when taught with a curriculum  that incorporates both visual and auditory aids. Discuss your child&#8217;s  learning style preferences with teachers and school administrators, so  that they are aware of how best to help your child retain learning  concepts.</p>
<p>Parental involvement is also very important. Make a point to ask your  child about their school day and offer help with homework. If you notice  mistakes, mention them in a gentle, supportive way. Constant parental  interaction within the learning process not only helps you stay informed  about what your child is learning, but it also helps you become more  aware of accomplishments and potential problem areas.</p>
<p>Remember that the diagnosis of a learning disability merely means that  your child needs additional support for their unique style of acquiring  information. With the proper assistance, your child can have a  successful learning experience from start to finish.</p>
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		<title>Secondary Education: Planning For The Future</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/secondary-education-planning-for-the-future.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/secondary-education-planning-for-the-future.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:20:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Secondary education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=171</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Children entering secondary education are beginning a new chapter of their lives. They are leaving school and starting on a journey to adulthood. This can be an exciting time for children, as they gain independence and they meet new groups of people. However, it may also be a time where they begin to feel pressure [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Children entering secondary education are beginning a new chapter of their lives. They are leaving school and starting on a journey to adulthood. This can be an exciting time for children, as they gain independence and they meet new groups of people. However, it may also be a time where they begin to feel pressure to commit to a career choice for the future.</p>
<p>Children may not have any idea what they want as their career once they finish school. They may feel that schoolwork has become a chore and that they would rather spend their time doing other things. It can be a frustrating time as a parent to try and keep your child motivated to succeed in school, while also letting them experience new things.</p>
<p>A parent should take an active role in the schooling of a child. They should be able to notice if their child is struggling or if they just need praise or encouragement. By taking this type of role in the child&#8217;s life a parent can help them make that all important career choice when the time comes for it.</p>
<p>A parent or teacher may want children to decide what career they want for the future during this time, however, the child may change their mind frequently as the years pass. By fostering the child&#8217;s interests in certain things, a parent or teacher can help them decide what career may interest them in the future. As a child comes to the end of their high school years, it may become even more important that they make a decision. Utilizing sites like elearners.com, teens and parents can find information about online colleges and universities that may interest them. Online schooling can be a beneficial way for young adults to attend college.</p>
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		<title>The Kindergarten Experience</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/the-kindergarten-experience.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/the-kindergarten-experience.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:03:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Early Childhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kindergarten]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Preschool education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=223</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Kindergarten is a time of new experiences for a child and is their first step into the world of education. Parents need to take the necessary steps to prepare their child and instill a positive attitude about the schooling experience. There are several skills that children should possess before entering the first [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="Shockingly diverse kindergarten group in Paris" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Children_in_a_Primary_Education_School.JPG/300px-Children_in_a_Primary_Education_School.JPG" alt="Shockingly diverse kindergarten group in Paris" width="300" height="225" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</dd>
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<p>Kindergarten is a time of new experiences for a child and is their first step into the world of education. Parents need to take the necessary steps to prepare their child and instill a positive attitude about the schooling experience. There are several skills that children should possess before entering the first year of school. Working with your child to increase their strength in these skills will provide a head start on the school year.</p>
<p>Children entering kindergarten are expected to take care of their personal needs to include dressing themselves and going to the bathroom. The ability to listen without interrupting and following directions when they are given are important skills that will help a child transition into a full time school setting.</p>
<p>Introduction to reading, writing and artwork prior to kindergarten will prepare children to build upon what they already know during the school year. Creating artwork with your child is a fun activity that will increase their coordination and allow the opportunity to become accustomed to cleaning up after their activities. Children in kindergarten should be able to easily use paints, glue and scissors. Reading skills should include the ability to identify some letters and be able to listen intently when a story is being read. Parents can introduce writing to their child by teaching the child to write his or her first name. Math ability should include counting to ten.</p>
<p>Throughout the kindergarten year a child&#8217;s knowledge will expand upon the basics they entered school with. During this year children will learn to write all of the letters of the alphabet as well as their first and last name. Reading skills taught will include identifying several words and using these words when writing short sentences. Math lessons will include counting by ones, fives and tens. Children will learn about telling time and counting money. Any exposure to the kindergarten curriculum prior to entering school will benefit a child the first year of school.</p>
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		<title>Third Grade Changes</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/third-grade-changes.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/third-grade-changes.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:03:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Educators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[K through 12]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Second grade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Third grade]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=219</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image by Michael 1952 via Flickr The third grade becomes a transforming time in a child&#8217;s education. When children enter this year of school it can be expected that the learning material will become more complex than the basic information presented up to this point. The time that a child will be required to work [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="Me Grades 1 to 8" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4734325323_824aa4dfbf_m.jpg" alt="Me Grades 1 to 8" width="240" height="240" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by Michael 1952 via Flickr</dd>
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<p>The third grade becomes a transforming time in a child&#8217;s education. When children enter this year of school it can be expected that the learning material will become more complex than the basic information presented up to this point. The time that a child will be required to work on homework will likely increase to an hour a day and testing will become a regular part of the classroom routine. All of the changes that occur during the third grade can overwhelm a young student. Ensuring that a child is prepared for this pivotal year will make the adjustment easier.</p>
<p>Reading is a key component of educational success and should be an area that a third grade student has mastered. This is the year that children will branch out in the area of reading by being introduced to poems and plays. Chapter books will take the place of the picture books from previous school years. Writing in cursive will be taught and correct spelling will be expected. Introducing a child to the practice of journal writing both within school and outside of school will promote stronger writing skills. Math classes will involve multiplication, division and working with fractions.</p>
<p>Students that struggle in second grade will have difficulty with becoming acclimated to third grade if there is no intervention in their education. Tutoring through the summer months is recommended when a child has struggled with second grade learning. Daily reading should be encouraged for every child and especially for the struggling child. Establish a reading time for your child each day to ensure that this skill is strengthened. Be available for questions but allow this time to be building blocks towards independent learning. If parents are prepared for the educational changes that occur at this grade level, they can provide the resources that will support their child&#8217;s transition into third grade.</p>
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		<title>First Grade Learning</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/first-grade-learning.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/first-grade-learning.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:02:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mathematics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social studies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=214</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia First grade learning will have a strong focus on reading which makes it very important for parents to incorporate reading as an integral part of the child&#8217;s day. In addition to using phonics for word recognition it is expected that children will learn to comprehend the words they are reading during this [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="Children in Jerusalem." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/KidsindoorwayC.jpg/300px-KidsindoorwayC.jpg" alt="Children in Jerusalem." width="300" height="260" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</dd>
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<p>First grade learning will have a strong focus on reading which makes it very important for parents to incorporate reading as an integral part of the child&#8217;s day. In addition to using phonics for word recognition it is expected that children will learn to comprehend the words they are reading during this grade. Parents should provide the resource of picture books for a child at this age. A picture book helps the child to associate words with the pictures while at the same time being entertained by the story.</p>
<p>Teachers will concentrate on instructing children to write complete sentences using punctuation and capitalization during first grade learning. Students will learn to write simple sentences. Parents can promote writing by having their child keep a journal and write in it a few minutes each night.</p>
<p>Learning about math during the first grade will include a student learning to count from one to one hundred and to recognize and write each of these numbers. Addition of sums between one and ten will be a focus for students. Children will learn about more, less and the same on a basic level. Parents can build upon this learning by using household items to teach these basic math facts.</p>
<p>Other learning subjects are introduced in a general way during first grade learning. Subsequent school years introduce science, geography and social studies in more detail. During first grade children will learn about living and non living things. Information about the weather and seasons will be studied and children may learn to use graphs to track weather. History studies may focus on how children lived in the past. Children can learn to grasp historical facts by being told stories by parent and grandparents about the world they grew up in. To assist a child in first grade learning a parent could have the child complete a project on family history. This type of project would incorporate learning history, strengthen writing skills and promote reading.</p>
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		<title>Fifth Grade Expectations</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/fifth-grade-expectations.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/fifth-grade-expectations.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:01:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Educational stage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Educators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[K through 12]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mathematics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=210</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Students will enter the fifth grade with the knowledge of the subjects they like and excel at and the ones that they struggle with. At this grade level a child may be placed in an advanced class when they are excelling in a subject. When a student is struggling with a subject [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
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<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="German students in first aid class, 1980" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-W0114-0306%2C_G%C3%BCltz%2C_Sanit%C3%A4tskurs_f%C3%BCr_Sch%C3%BCler.jpg/300px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-W0114-0306%2C_G%C3%BCltz%2C_Sanit%C3%A4tskurs_f%C3%BCr_Sch%C3%BCler.jpg" alt="German students in first aid class, 1980" width="300" height="228" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</dd>
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<p>Students will enter the fifth grade with the knowledge of the subjects they like and excel at and the ones that they struggle with. At this grade level a child may be placed in an advanced class when they are excelling in a subject. When a student is struggling with a subject they will be expected to work toward improvement in order to ensure progress to the next grade level. This grade level is the last year of elementary school and will begin to prepare a child for their future educational studies. Fifth grade expectations are high and must be met with success.</p>
<p>Fifth grade students learn to explain the differences of reading genres and will have reading assignments from each genre. In addition to expanding upon the different genres a fifth grade student will also be expected to write reports on the book and exhibit understanding of the material read. Written reports strengthen the students writing skills and a fifth grader will research and write reports in several of their learning areas.</p>
<p>Fractions and decimals will be a focus area in the subject of math. Fifth grade students will learn about statistical information and basic geometry. Budgeting activities will be performed using play money. Parents who incorporate these activities in a child&#8217;s home life will help to support the fifth grade expectations in the area of math.</p>
<p>Fifth grade science class will include the studies of physical science. Students will learn about chemistry, electricity and use magnets. The solar system will be an area studied and a student may be required to build a solar system model. Studies of history will focus on historical figures. A child will also become proficient in reading maps.</p>
<p>Parents should encourage their child to be responsible for educational activities and assist them to become better organized in order to ensure they meeet fifth grade expectations.  A fifth grade student is expected to be independent and own their responsibilities.</p>
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		<title>Diagnosing and Treating a Learning Disability</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/diagnosing-and-treating-a-learning-disability.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/diagnosing-and-treating-a-learning-disability.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:15:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning disability]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=97</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Learning disabilities can be difficult to accurately diagnose, because even experts in the field disagree about the best ways to determine if a learning disability is present. However, one consistency is that most experts feel that a diagnosis cannot be properly reached until the child has spent time within a formal classroom environment, and been [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Learning disabilities can be difficult to accurately diagnose, because  even experts in the field disagree about the best ways to determine if a  learning disability is present. However, one consistency is that most  experts feel that a diagnosis cannot be properly reached until the child  has spent time within a formal classroom environment, and been taught  by qualified teachers. Therefore, experts usually wait to diagnose  learning disabilities until the child has reached school age.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that any testing done at your child&#8217;s school may differ  from the techniques used by private offices. Therefore, it may be useful  to acquire multiple opinions about your child&#8217;s educational development  before coming to any final conclusions. Fortunately, there is adequate  support for overcoming the disabilities, so they can certainly be worked  through with the proper approach.</p>
<p>Once a diagnosis has been reached, parents may find it useful to seek  out parental support groups in the area so that they can receive advice  from other parents about support for overcoming the disabilities. Every  child is different, so there is no universally effective treatment  option. However, support from parents who are helping their children  through similar struggles is invaluable even if just to provide a  listening ear and a word of wisdom.</p>
<p>Also, it is important to participate in frank discussions with your  child&#8217;s teachers about abilities and weaker areas that may need to be  focused on. Many children benefit greatly from additional private  tutoring given by individuals who are experienced in teaching children  who have learning disabilities.</p>
<p>Early and constant interaction with both your child, and those  individuals who are responsible for overseeing their education should be  very instrumental to ensure that your child has every opportunity to  succeed along with their classroom peers. Finally, always adopt a  positive attitude towards education in the household so that your  child&#8217;s mindset is molded from that influence.</p>
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		<title>Teaching Students at a Young Age About Online College</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-students-at-a-young-age-about-online-college.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/teaching-students-at-a-young-age-about-online-college.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Nov 2010 07:42:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Distance education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E-learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=166</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When a student is in the grades K through 4 it is not uncommon to hear the famous question &#8220;What do you want to be when you grow up?&#8221; When a student enters the 5th or 6th grade they are told that they need to start thinking about colleges and by the time they are [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When a student is in the grades K through 4 it is not uncommon to hear the famous question &#8220;What do you want to be when you grow up?&#8221; When a student enters the 5th or 6th grade they are told that they need to start thinking about colleges and by the time they are in 9th grade they are groomed to have a list of colleges they wish to attend already in front of them.</p>
<p>For a student this type of pressure can be amazingly stressful. What if the student doesn&#8217;t know what school they want to go to? What if they don&#8217;t want to go to college? What if they want to work instead of getting a degree? Sadly, these types of students are not encouraged to explore their possibilities but instead are pressured with more questions about colleges, handed more pamphlets and information on possible colleges and told to come back when they have an answer.</p>
<p>Luckily for students there could be an answer: online college courses. Online college courses allow students to be able to find their niche in the world without having the added pressures of a regular college or university. A simple search at earnmydegree.com will show you that. For one reason or another many students feel an added pressure or weight from brick and mortar colleges. By offering these students the possibility of an online college education their stress is lifted as well as their attitudes toward schooling.</p>
<p>With this benefit of teaching students about online education it is amazing that so many schools are still reluctant to inform students about online colleges. So, in the future, instead of asking &#8220;What college are you attending?&#8221; to a high school student, people will be asking if they are attending an online college or a physical location. The question will just roll off the tongue and not feel odd.</p>
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		<title>Middle School Education</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/middle-school-education.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/middle-school-education.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:00:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Educators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[K through 12]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Language arts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=207</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia The final year of elementary school prepares a student to be independent and organized. Entry into the middle school years require these skills. Homework will become more extensive with assignments of at home work in various subjects. Parents can assist their children by providing homework folders and assignment books or wall calenders [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
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<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="Satellite photo of Garden Spot High School and..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/GardenSpotArial.JPG/300px-GardenSpotArial.JPG" alt="Satellite photo of Garden Spot High School and..." width="300" height="218" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</dd>
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<p>The final year of elementary school prepares a student to be independent and organized. Entry into the middle school years require these skills. Homework will become more extensive with assignments of at home work in various subjects. Parents can assist their children by providing homework folders and assignment books or wall calenders to use for tracking progress and staying on task. Personal responsibility should be emphasized to children attending middle school. Parents should establish rules that outline a child&#8217;s responsibilities to their middle school education. Teaching a child good time management skills will contribute to success in their school work.</p>
<p>The language arts program introduced to middle school students will focus on comprehension of the materials being read. Children will be introduced to classic stories and be expected to report on the reading material. The study of grammar and punctuation will include learning about nouns and adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions and other elements of sentence structure. Compositions will be written by students to support these areas of study and increase a child&#8217;s writing ability. Math learning will include geometry, algebra and introduction to statistics. Math problems will become more complicated in the middle school educational process and utilize complex word problems that require a solution.</p>
<p>Social studies activities will include extensive study on the history of America and world history. Students will also learn about how the United States government was established and how our governmental system works. Science studies will include the study of earth and space, life science and chemistry. Environmental science will be studied with emphasis on the impact physical life has on our environment.</p>
<p>The middle school years become a time of stronger peer influence on a child.  Issues of bullying can introduce themselves during middle school.  Parents need to be vigilent in understanding social aspects of the middle school edcuation period.</p>
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		<title>The Challenges Of A College Environment For Students with ADD</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/the-challenges-of-a-college-environment-for-students-with-add.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/the-challenges-of-a-college-environment-for-students-with-add.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:17:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Learning Theories & Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Student]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A student who is beginning their time at a university is confronted with many challenges that require them to prioritize tasks and manage their time effectively. Additionally, possible distractions and social events are competing with a student&#8217;s schedule that is often already filled with tests, assignments and presentations. These realities are worsened for any student [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A student who is beginning their time at a university is confronted with  many challenges that require them to prioritize tasks and manage their  time effectively. Additionally, possible distractions and social events  are competing with a student&#8217;s schedule that is often already filled  with tests, assignments and presentations. These realities are worsened  for any student who has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder,  or ADD.</p>
<p>Although many students outgrow the condition before they leave their  teen years, it is still a common problem for students who are older and  proper planning is certainly required to provide guidance for students  as they prepare to enter the college environment.</p>
<p>If your child is currently taking medication for the condition, meet  with their current physician to work out a plan to ensure that they can  still receive their required medication even if they are attending an  out-of-state university.</p>
<p>Encourage your child to be proactive about any particular academic needs  that they may need inside the college classroom. Although your student  may be leaving a familiar support network of family and friends that  they have grown up with, they need to take steps to create a similar  support structure at the university level as well.</p>
<p>Most college campuses have a disability support office, and it is wise  to seek out a strong relationship with them as soon as your student  decides which college to attend. Often, they will ask the student to  meet with them before classes begin to determine what services and  accommodations might be needed to ensure an equal opportunity to  succeed. Additionally, your student needs to be forthcoming about their  learning disability to their professors, especially during exams or  timed assignments that might otherwise pose a disadvantage.</p>
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		<title>Benefits of a GMAT Prep Course</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/benefits-of-a-gmat-prep-course.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/benefits-of-a-gmat-prep-course.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:58:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Graduate Management Admission Test]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Master of Business Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Test preparation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=173</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The GMAT is also known as the Graduate Management Admission Test. It is a CAST or Computer-Adaptive Standardized Test. The purpose of this test is to measure aptitude for mathematics and English to determine whether or not a student will perform well in a graduate business administration program such as the MBA or Masters in [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The GMAT is also known as the Graduate Management Admission  Test. It is a CAST or Computer-Adaptive Standardized Test. The purpose  of this test is to measure aptitude for mathematics and English to  determine whether or not a student will perform well in a graduate  business administration program such as the MBA or Masters in Business  Administration program. The purpose of a GMAT prep course is to prepared students to take this course. There are a variety of  different preparatory methods including GMAT testing preparation  software, GMAT testing preparation courses and GMAT testing preparation  workbooks.</p>
<p>The sooner that students prepare for the GMAT, the  better off they are going to be. When a student who has an interest in  business decides to pursue a business program or a business degree,  studying for and taking the GMAT exam is an intelligent move. Students  should prepare for the GMAT exam as early in their educational career as  they possibly can in order to benefit from taking it. When they pass  the GMAT exam, that is concrete evidence that they have the English and  mathematical aptitude that they need to perform well in a business  setting.</p>
<p>There are numerous benefits to taking the GMAT exam,  and as such, a wide variety of benefits to GMAT preparation courses.  When you take a preparation course for the GMAT exam, you will have a  much more thorough idea of what to expect from the examination, which  gives you a better chance of succeeding at it. If you want to transition  from high school into a business college, the GMAT is an excellent  foundation and GMAT prep courses will help to get you there. You will  benefit from keeping in mind the fact that preparation will benefit you  significantly, especially when you start off your test preparation and  testing process early.</p>
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		<title>The Importance of a Guidance Counselor For The Education of a Learning-Disabled Child</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/the-importance-of-a-guidance-counselor-for-the-education-of-a-learning-disabled-child.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/the-importance-of-a-guidance-counselor-for-the-education-of-a-learning-disabled-child.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:13:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning disability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School counselor]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=94</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia The guidance department in your child&#8217;s school can be a valuable resource throughout the entire educational experience, but especially so if your child is diagnosed with a learning disability. Most schools have counselors who are specifically trained to provide guidance for students in this situation, and may be able to offer advice [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="Some elementary school counselors use books an..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Educator_eff.jpeg.jpg" alt="Some elementary school counselors use books an..." width="160" height="216" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</dd>
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<p>The guidance department in your child&#8217;s school can be a valuable  resource throughout the entire educational experience, but especially so  if your child is diagnosed with a learning disability. Most schools  have counselors who are specifically trained to provide guidance for  students in this situation, and may be able to offer advice for  treatment strategies not previously considered. Although guidance  counselors do not usually have the measurable expertise to make  decisions about medical aspects such as medication type and dosage, they  often have extensive insight into the differences in learning styles  for students who have learning disabilities, and those who do not.</p>
<p>If you notice that your child does not seem to be retaining information  as readily as other peers in the classroom, it may be a simple case of  meeting with the guidance counselor to explain that other learning aids  may need to be considered to ensure that your child has an equal  opportunity to succeed. Many children with learning disabilities  function better when presented with alternative learning tools such as  audio and visual aids. Guidance counselors are usually sensitive to this  fact and can often meet with your child&#8217;s teachers to suggest other  teaching methods.</p>
<p>Guidance counselors are also a great resource for helping your child  succeed in the realm of standardized testing. The guidance office is the  best place to inquire about accommodations for testing day, including  time extensions, or the need to take the test in a private area.</p>
<p>Although guidance counselors are a great resource, thanks to their field  expertise and formal education, they are no substitute for parental  involvement. As a parent, it is up to you to continually monitor your  child&#8217;s educational experience, even if that means something as simple  as asking them what they learned each day, or assisting with homework. A  parent can often be the best advocate for their learning-disabled  child, and a close relationship with a guidance counselor ensures that  needs are met quickly.</p>
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		<title>What Makes You Want to Teach?</title>
		<link>http://www.k12connection.org/what-makes-you-want-to-teach.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.k12connection.org/what-makes-you-want-to-teach.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:46:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Teacher Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teacher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.k12connection.org/?p=168</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Have you been thinking of becoming a school teacher? Have you checked out the professional requirements of teachers on websites like EducationforAdults.com? And have you also been considering what subject you believe your personal temperament would be best suited for instructing children in? If so, you are in a field with a [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img title="&quot;Teacher Appreciation&quot; featured phot..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Teacher.jpg/300px-Teacher.jpg" alt="&quot;Teacher Appreciation&quot; featured phot..." width="300" height="202" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via Wikipedia</dd>
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<p>Have you been thinking of becoming a school teacher? Have you checked out the professional requirements of teachers on websites like EducationforAdults.com? And have you also been considering what subject you believe your personal temperament would be best suited for instructing children in? If so, you are in a field with a lot of possibilities but fairly strict barriers to entry. Not the least of these barriers is the fact that a lot of people want to be teachers nowadays, and that means you are in for a whole lot of competition. Unless you do something that is very challenging (such as higher mathematics or special education), there are many people who will be gunning for the same positions you&#8217;ll be after.</p>
<p>You have to decide why you want to teach if you want to know if your desire is great enough to make the effort worthwhile. After all, beginning teachers have to develop their curricula on their own (and have it reviewed), are under all sorts of scrutiny from parents and other faculty, and have to make it actually work with the students. And it isn&#8217;t like beginning teachers make the mega bucks, either. It can take more than ten years before the tenure and the high pay start to enter the picture.</p>
<p>If you go into teaching as if it were just &#8220;a job,&#8221; you are pretty much destined to fail. But while you might put in your 30 years (at the end of which making a nice pay rate) and then get your pension, the failure you experience won&#8217;t be financial in nature. Believe it or not, teachers are actually supposed to do something to help the learning and personal growth of their students. If you go into teaching with that as your goal, and you have the tenacity to really stick with it, your successes won&#8217;t be measured in dollars.</p>
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