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The visual arts (drawing, painting, printmaking, photography) enrich our lives and help children express their emotions. For preschoolers, doing artwork helps them get ready to read and write by developing visual and motor skills. Doing artwork gives older children the opportunity to get away from a desk and use different learning styles to explore beyond words and numbers.

Here are some things you can do at home:

* Keep simple art supplies around the house: scrap paper for drawing, old boxes to cut up for a cardboard “canvas” when using thicker paints or making posters, or pieces of cloth to do pasted up designs or patchwork. Limit pictures to 2 or 3 colors to save materials and to teach children about mixing colors and the… Continue Reading

Geography is the study of Planet Earth. When we study geography we look at where things are (places) and their natural surroundings (settings). Geography covers such things as climate, plants, animals, and natural resources (physical characteristics) that affect the Earth, as well as how people affect it. Geographers ask and answer such questions as “Where is something? Why is it there? How does it relate to other things?”

Here are some geography questions you can discuss with your child:

* Where are we? Teach your child your address. Look at maps together to see where you live and where the school is. How close or far are you from the school?

* What makes a place special? List some things about where you live. What is… Continue Reading

When you learn science you build on what you already know. Children need to start learning early, at home, so that they have a firm base of knowledge to build on when they get to school. As parents, what’s important is that we share the knowledge we have with our children. Science is in everyday activities: cooking, washing dishes, growing plants. So, look around the house and out the windows and see that science is everywhere.

Here are some things you can do:

* Ask your children questions: How do you think the clock works? Why does a bird make a nest and what is the nest made of? How does electricity help us every day?

* Have children look at what’s happening around them and… Continue Reading

Math is a very important part of life. We use math to set an alarm clock, buy groceries, keep score or time at a game, wallpaper a room, or wrap a present. We all need math in the world of computers and electronic communication. It is important to encourage children to think of themselves as mathematicians who can reason and solve problems.

Here are some things you can do:

* Show your children that you like numbers. Play number games and think of math problems as puzzles to be solved.

* From the time your child is very young, count everything. When you empty a grocery bag, count the number of apples. Count the number of stairs to your home.

* Put things into groups. When you… 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

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

Are you a parent who’s having a difficult time getting your teen to sit down and have a conversation with you? Does your teen avoid your questions? Do you only get a one or two word answer or short comments from your child? Well, you are not a parent who is facing a rare situation. Many parents are searching for methods or strategies to get their child to open up with them. This article will provide you with some ideas to get your teen talking.

Parenting children, especially teens, requires patience and creativity. One way to get your teen taking is to use open-ended statements and questions. For example:

“So, you’re getting a “D” in math and, uh…” “So, tonight you are going… Continue Reading

Parenting With Love

Accept your child as is. Don’t try to make your child into another person that he or she does not want to be. It common for children to strive to be someone different than their parents. It’s also common for children become more like their parents, as they grow older. Love your child for who he or she is now!

There are many things that a parent can do to show his or her love for a child. Experts in the area of child psychology say it’s as easy as saying, “I love you” to a child. Other ways to show your love may include the following:

Attend your child’s activities. You don’t… Continue Reading

Does your parenting philosophy include the responsibility of having to make uncomfortable decisions for your children and family? You are not alone as a parent or an adult when it comes to feeling uncomfortable in telling someone, especially a child, “No.”

More and more parents are searching for a way to tell their child, “No.” Saying “no” is important. Numerous youth surveys indicate that children expect adults to say “no.” Here some considerations that parents need to make while considering telling their child “no.”

Tell your child that some of your answers will be “yes” and some answers will be “no.”

Tell yourself that it’s okay to tell your child “no.”

Enter… Continue Reading

Child behavior that becomes difficult or challenging needs to be addressed in a manner that keeps the parent mindful of what is occurring in the child’s life. Was their a death, trauma, change or surprising event that took place? Was, or is their a family change due to a divorce, death or move? Is there any medical condition that is or has taken place with your child or someone close to the child? If your child has some pressing medical condition, see the child medical doctor and share your concerns. Inform your child’s school counselor with information regarding a death, divorce or trauma related incident. The school counselor may provide you with information, names and referral… Continue Reading