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Does your child ask the same question over and over again? Does your child keep asking you for something until you give up and give in? Child behavior and parenting coach Traci Gaffney has a different parenting perspective on responding to a child’s questions. Maybe parents should be grateful that children come to the parent with their “asking” voice. Children do go through a developmental phase when they ask more questions. Whether it’s to manipulate or to learn, at least they are asking.

Ask Six Times!

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” W.C. Fields

We have all heard this quote before. Last year I was in a personal growth course where they said… Continue Reading

“Gifted and talented children are those identified by professionally qualified persons who by virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high performance. These are children who require differentiated educational programs and/or services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order to realize their contribution to self and society”

Former U. S. Commissioner of Education Sidney P. Marland, Jr.

What Does Giftedness Mean?

Many parents say, “I know what giftedness is, but I can’t put it into words.” This generally is followed by reference to a particular child who seems to manifest gifted behaviors. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions of the term, all of which become deterrents to understanding and catering to the needs of children identified as gifted. Let’s study the following… Continue Reading

If your child is struggling with test in school, speak with your child’s teachers for study and testing tips strategies. Some school districts offer test-taking classes during the school year and summer. Below are some key testing tip for taking “true-false” test.

Read each test question carefully. Look for familiar key words or facts that you learned about the question. Normally true and false question that include words such as “usually,” “generally” or “sometimes” lead to TRUE answers.

True or false questions that include words like “never” or “always” are usually FALSE.

If any part of the question is false, then the entire question is FALSE.

Usually there are more TRUE answers on a true/false test.

If there is no penalty for guessing… Continue Reading

Test taking is a skill developed over a period of time as a student progresses in school. Remember, your child’s ability to take a test is just one area of your child’s academic life. Below is a list of test taking tips that can be applied to improve multiple choice test questions. It’s important that children practice test taking skills on a regular basis.

Practice the following when taking a multiple choice test:

• Read the question twice before you look at the answers
• After reading the question and before looking for the answer provided on the test, try to come up with the correct answer on your own.
• Read all the possible choices before selecting one.
• Use a process of elimination to discover the correct

Learning the skills required to be successful at test-taking, especially in math, takes time. Building confidence is key. Taking practice test is another key. As your child grows older, he or she will become more comfortable taking test. below are some test taking suggestion for math test.

“Practice! Practice! Practice!”

The best method to begin using to improve any score in life is to practice. Children who learn early in life to enjoy practicing often achieve their goals. Besides practicing, here are some other helpful hints to improve math test scores:

Before Taking the Test

Practice problems for each topic that will be tested. Be able to solve a math problem for each topic listed in the… Continue Reading

In the United States at least one child in five is overweight and the number of overweight children continues to grow. Over the last 2 decades, this number has increased by more than 50 percent, and the number of “extremely” overweight children has nearly doubled (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995: 149: 1085-91). A doctor determines if children are overweight by measuring their height and weight. Although children have fewer weight-related health problems than adults, overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults. Overweight adults are at risk for… Continue Reading

One of the joys of parenting children includes teaching them how to read. Reading opens the door to a big, exciting world. As a parent, you can begin an endless learning chain like this: You read to your children, they develop a love of stories and poems, they want to read on their own, they practice reading, and finally, they read for their own information or pleasure. When children become readers, their world is forever wider and richer.

Here are some things you can do:

* Read aloud to your child: books, newspaper and magazine articles, the back of the cereal box, labels on cans, or directions.

* Read poems aloud together to learn about rhythm and repeated sounds in language.

* Point to… Continue Reading

When it comes to homework, it’s common for some children go through many developmental stages before they arrive at the acceptance stage of doing homework. Parenting children who refuse to do homework can be difficult. Below are ten successful steps that parents can use to help end the homework battle.

1. Set a daily schedule for homework and put the schedule where you will see it often. The best schedule and length of time will depend on your child.
2. Pick a well lit, fairly quiet place for your child to study. Make sure that necessary supplies are on hand and, if it is possible, let your child decorate their space with their favorite handmade artwork.
3. Remove distractions such as the television… Continue Reading

Learning about child psychology with respect to child behavior patterns in homework completion varies from elementary to high school. Younger elementary children are often more excited about completing homework assignments outside of school than middle or junior high school students. Some parents question the value of homework after their child spends 35 to 40 hours a week in school.

Homework assignments, completed successfully, reinforce what children learn in the classroom and build confidence in the next day’s activities. But the value of homework extends beyond the subject matter. It can help children develop good habits, including self-discipline and responsibility.

Parents and guardians are essential to the process. Homework can help parents learn about their children’s educational growth and ways of thinking. But… Continue Reading

Child behavior on the internet has taken center stage in the U.S. in respect to child safety and child social development. More and more younger children are beginning to surf the Internet without their parent’s knowledge or understanding of the dangers that exist.

Like most parents, you probably have rules for how your children should deal with strangers, which TV shows, movies, and videos they’re allowed to watch, what stores they’re allowed to enter, and where and how far from home they’re allowed to travel. It’s important to make similar rules for your children’s Internet use and to be aware of their online activities.

You’ll also want to make sure that surfing the Net doesn’t take the place of homework, social activities, or other… Continue Reading