Column
Dear Teacher
Solid Advice on Improving
Children’s Basic Skills and
Addressing Parental Concerns
By Peggy Gisler & Marge Eberts
Parents: Communication with your children’s teachers is always Answer: It’s true that not too much emphasis is being placed on
important. However, the nature of that communication changes with long division. We have a game that your children might enjoy playing
the years. The younger your children are, the more essential it is. This that would give them practice in using long division.
will ensure that problems, even small ones, are handled early so they Before starting the game, make three sets of cards numbered 0-9
won’t become serious. As children advance in the grades, most begin and shuffle them. Then have every player draw a blank division
to take on the responsibility of communicating directly with their problem with two squares for the devisor (dividing number) and four
teachers without relying on your help. In fact, middle school and high squares for the number to be divided. The game is played in this way:
school students are often very reluctant to have parents speak to their • The first player turns over the top card.
teachers. This can be a positive step in growing up. • This player writes the number in one of the squares on his blank
division problem.
To know when to talk to a teacher, listen carefully when your • The rest of the players take turns drawing cards and writing the
children complain about school. They will probably say most numbers on their blank division problems.
unpleasant events had nothing to do with their own actions—this may • When all the spaces are filled in, each player solves his or her
or may not be the case. Asking what happened to precipitate the event division problem.
may get the child to see that he or she might have played a role in • Calculators can be used to check the answers are correct. (Remind
causing it. Talking over how the child would handle similar events the your children that remainders in division can be shown as decimals or
next time can teach the child a lot about avoiding them in the future. fractions.)
Also, role play with your child how he or she can talk with a teacher • The winner is the player who has the highest quotient (answer).
about a problem. Children who truly understand division and have a strategy for
filling in their division problems will usually be the winners.
No matter the age of the child, there are times that parents must get
involved. Listening to your child will help you know when. Don’t rush Question: My eight-year-old son has been diagnosed with
over to the school every time your child complains he or she was Attention Deficit Disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD), and we are all
treated unfairly or did poorly on a test. Day-in and day-out complaints coping with it. What I wonder though is: Will he get better with age? –
about the same problem, however, may warrant an early conversation Need to Know
with the teacher—especially in the lower grades. With older children, it
is a good idea to talk to the child first about his or her complaints and Answer: You will notice improvement in your son’s ability to
how serious they really are. At any age, you need to contact your concentrate, control his emotions and impulses, handle frustration, and
children’s teachers if you feel that they are struggling with a school organize better as he gets older. The sooner children with ADHD get
problem that they will not be able to resolve by themselves. help, the less effect ADHD will have on their lives. Also, the degree of
severity of ADHD plays a big role in how much early intervention will
It is not always essential to discuss smaller problems in person with help. Obviously, the less severe the ADHD is, the greater the
the teacher. A phone call or email may easily resolve them. If you improvement.
attended the information evening with teachers at the beginning of ADHD is a neurological disorder whose symptoms can improve as
the year, you know how they want to be contacted. For serious children grow older. Nevertheless, throughout the school years your
problems a face-to-face meeting is essential. For older children with son is likely to lag somewhat behind his classmates. For example, if your
several teachers, it may be a good idea to include all of the child’s son could only focus for five minutes at five, his peers were probably
teachers as well as the school counselor unless the problem is only able to stay on task for fifteen minutes. However, now that he’s older, he
with one subject or teacher. may be able to focus for fifteen minutes, but his classmates will be able
to focus for half an hour or more. The symptoms of ADHD can continue
Question: Schools don’t seem to put much emphasis anymore in varying degrees throughout one’s lifetime.
on having children learn how to do long division. My children just seem
to rely on doing it with a calculator. How can I interest them in picking
up this skill? – For Division
Parents should send questions to Dear Teacher, in care of S.I. Parent, PO Box 395, Carmel, IN 46082-0395 or
DearTeacher@excite.com.
54 March 2009 |
www.siparent.com
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