Files for you to have

     I am putting together some pdf files of activities and homework help that you can print off or use on your computer to help your child.  They will be for different subject.  This is something that I wish I would have had easier so that I didn't have to look around or make them.  Most I have been making for my son. Now they will be in 1 easy location to find.  If there is something that you would like let me know and I will research that or make one up for you.  Multiplication tables, literacy info whatever it may be. 

     I will also be making a list of some of the best websites that I have found that will help your child have fun while learning.  Here's one right now.   starfall.com

     Here is a fun book that we have been reading to our kids.   "The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil"  by Wiley Miller.   It really has been fun reading.


Great learning to you.

Wes

I Hate Math

"Mom I don't want to do my Math homework.

" I HATE Math."

 
 

Does your kid ever say that. Well I know that there are a lot of kids that say they hate math, or english (I was one of those, well I didn't really hate english, it just wasn't my favorite) or any other subject. The reason that certain subjects are hated is because the learner doesn't understand the topic. If the topic were understood it would be easy. Why do us as parents say that we can't help with their math homework, "It was to long ago." Well if it was understood we would easily help with their homework.

 
 

What about basketball or football or any other sport? What about sewing, crocheting, knitting? What about reading? Most people that I know that don't like reading are not good readers and the ones that love to read can read fairly well. Same with sports or sewing or anything. The main reason that someone doesn't like something is probably because they really don't understand the topic. For sports if someone got to understand it and watched it they would most likely not hate it any more because they would understand it better. Same with math or any school topic. If the time was taken to learn the rules the certain topic would become understandable, and easier to do.

 
 

Another thing that damages our kids is our attitudes toward their schooling. Yes our attitudes.

 
 

"O man, I'm not that good with math, I don't know if I can help with that." Things of that nature. So our kids grow up thinking "Man I'm not good with math." or any other subject.

 
 

Yes we are good because we are parents and we want our kids growing up thinking that they can accomplish anything that they want to do.

 
 

Great learning to you.

 
 

Wes

 
 

Should the students decide what they want to learn?

There is a private school close to were I that I have subbed at before.  The teaching style that is used there is great.  That is if the students really take advantage of it and are very self motivated.  For students that are self motivated and really do want to learn this school is far better than the public schools.  The problem is that most of the students there at this school are not self motivators.  When I was there I was subbing for a science teacher and the students were needing to be working on projects.  That really didn't do that, or they wasted time doing dumb research on the internet or playing a roller coaster game that they said they had been working on.  Well if that was the truth or not I don't know.  But I do know that there has to be help and motivation from home to help the students gain internal motivation for ther homework and school work.
So should students really decide what they want to learn?  If they truly can progress in that type of schooling yes it is probably better for them.  Well maybe.  I think if you  can get a public teacher that really loves what they do and does everything for the kids, and helps them in every possible way then public schools are just as good as any other school.

Great learning to all
Wes

Self Suggestion

Self suggestion is a powerful factor in building character. That is in fact the sole principle through which character is built.

Napoleon Hill


 
There is a lot of damage that happens to individuals when they think that they are worth nothing, that they aren't good enough, or even stupid. Whatever the case may be it is truly and mightily damaging to the individual. The more that we can encourage our children in their schooling and let them know that they are doing great they will have great character and will be truly great.

Let us help our children really become someone great in kindergarten, 3^rd, 5^th, whatever grade or endeavor they undertake. And no, no one else really needs to know. We can be great even without someone else knowing.


 
Positive self suggestion to us all

Wes

Homework--gibberish?

There are times that some of us wrote gibberish on papers just to see if our teachers really read our papers.  Well I never did that and maybe you never did that, but I know some people have, and I am sure there are some teachers that really don't read  the papers.  But when we fake it at home it is our kids that end up suffering.  Yes it may not be right of the bat but eventually they do suffer.  Faking it I mean giving our kids the attention that they need from us their parents.  In the last little while my kids have really needed some of their dad's attention, I hope that I have given them what they need.   My kids homework really isn't gibberish, it truly is important.

Happy day to you

Wes

Do you know how your Kids learn?

We as parents need to realize that there are multiple intelligences, meaning that there are different ways that we learn. We are going to discuss multiple intelligences in depth more another time, but what I want to discuss now is a little less in depth. So getting on with it. Some learn best with hands on. Others learn best if they can visually see what they are doing and learning. Some learn best audibly. I have learned through trial and error how my son best learns. (And I guess that is how all of us will and have learned how our child learns best.) He is a mover. The way that he best learns is by moving, being physically active stimulates his brain and he is able to concentrate better. At home and at school when he is at the table he is almost always standing. Teaching has come a long way, there used to be a time when they would not have allowed that. We know and arrange the environment in our classes to best accommodate the students and their needs. At home we should and need to know how our children learn best. Let us give our kid the best opportunity to succeed in their schooling by understanding how they learn best.


 
Great understanding and learning to you.


 
Wes

Not My Blog

I just want to keep fresh in you minds that this blog is yours.  And the majority of what is discussed is controlled by you.  So tell your friends and family that this blog is here, so I can put this blog to true use by helping you understand and give ideas on how to help you help your children with their school work at home.  The help that we are giving our boy has helped so much.  Just this morning he was reading some books that he could not have read a couple of months ago.  These books don't have 4-5 words on them,  it's more like 15-20 words per page.    It is truly  amazing to watch and listen to him read.  I love it, and didn't think that a kindergartener could read that much by the end of the year, cause I don't think that I was reading that much by the end of kindergarten.  Well remember this is your blog, so make it yours and ask questions.

Great learning to you.

Wes

Boys and Girls are different

Yes boys and girls are really different in their ability to learn and when they start making progression in their learning ability. My wife was very concerned with our son and if he needs extra help since he is one of the lowest in his class. (This was something that his teacher offered if we wanted, yes she left it up to us to decide. She didn't think that he was so far behind that he had to have it. We said that we would work with him, and he is now showing progression.) But this (lowest in his class) is because he is one of the youngest, which really makes a difference with boys and their learning abilities. My little girl right now at age 2 is far more advanced than my boy was at that age. Girls always seen to be a little more advanced and mature than boys, and yes even at a young age it happens. So if your little boy seems to be behind he really could be behind and needs help, but also his mental ability hasn't developed enough to really make strides in his education. so just be patient and help him out at home.

great leaning to you

Wes

Time with our Children

Today I was subbing, and in the class that I was in there are 4 kids that have some real problems at times. They have a tracker that you have to fill in every half an hour on how well they were. You know, some of that is the students themselves and you really need to work with them in trying to provide the very best environment for them. Sometimes that is hard, other times its not to bad when you are able to get a good relation with the student. But a lot of the times it is the environment that is at home. That might sound harsh, but it is so true.

Even tiny little things that we as adults don't think have much impact, really affect our children. At times I can see this with my kids, not to say I am a terrible parent. Kids truly are sensitive to a lot of things that us as adults have become numb to. Time that we spend with our kids is truly one of the best things that we can do to help our children succeed. I mean true time that we spend with our kids, one on one real meaningful time, time that our children think is the best.

My son is really into his Dad right now and when I don't give him some of the individual time that he needs , it almost seems like he feels that he is not as important to me. (And yes sometimes this impacts how he feels about his homework, does he want to do it or not, or how he does it when he does.) Even little time like doing the chores outside means the world to him. And little things like that can mean the world to our kids and make a world of a difference in how they feel at school and their success.

True Time to our Kids

Wes

Topic Rotation

This blog is for you and your questions. How can I help my child with their math homework? How can I help my kid with their reading? Yes I could just answer questions like this, but why I am doing this blog is for you, so for this blog to truly be effective for you, and be the type of blog I would like, I need questions to answer and then research if I don't know the answer. When I don't have questions I think that I am going to set up a schedule with educational tips and insights to help you help your kids with their homework at home.

So starting in April this will be the rotation.

Topic rotation

1st month--Literacy,

2nd month--Math,

3rd month--Science,

4th--The Arts (music, drama, art)

5th month--General help for you at home.

This is going to be the rotation with the topics that I post about. In addition to the questions that you ask. So yes these topics will be posted as well as your questions.

Great learning to you

Wes

Our Kids health

Our children's health is one of, if not the most important factor for them to be able to really learn at their full capacity. When they are hungry they suffer, their brain is starved of the energy and nutrients that it needs to function properly. Give you kids the health that they need to reach their full capacity.

Here's a great place to help.

Great Learning. At home. At School. Everywhere.

Wes