The Secrets to Raising a Smarter Child
- By Inderbir Sandhu, Ph.D

Recommended

Apr 4, 2003 Issue

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                                      ~ B R A I N Y - Z I N E ~

                           "Learn How to Nurture A Smarter Kid" 

        Volume #1 Issue #11   ISSN: 0219-7642   Apr 4, 2003

                   Andrew Loh, Publisher,

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By subscription only! You are receiving this newsletter
because you requested a subscription. 

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T A B L E  O F  C O N T E N T S : 
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(1) ~ EDITORIAL ~ 
(2) ~ ARTICLES -  Parents Can Be Teachers Too! 
                            10 Tips for School Success ~
(3) ~ WHAT'S IN THE NEXT ISSUE ~
(4) ~ CONTACT US - Contact and Subscriber Information ~

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E D I T O R I A L - W e l c o m e !
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Dear Subscriber,

Well I'm sorry but I have no newsletter for you today. I just
up and decided I didn't want to work anymore, and I don't care
how many people might be looking forward to it.














April Fools! 8-)

Yes it's silly, but I didn't have much else to say on the
Editor Desk this week. Because I just finished my MBA examination
and I did not have enough time to come out the article that I have
promised in the last issue. I'm sorry about that.

Since I'm in a "short and sweet" mood this week so I've put
together a newsletter filled with great information with guest articles
... that are short and easy-to-read bits. Hope you enjoy it!

As always, thank you so much for reading, participating in, and
contributing to this newsletter! And now, here's...


Cheers,
Andrew Loh
Publisher/Editor of the BrainyZine
mailto:andrew@brainy-child.com


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A R T I C L E S
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~ Parents Can Be Teachers Too! ~

Don't we often feel an overwhelming rush of affection for our sleeping child? I can understand the lump of emotion that rises when your little one takes his first tottering step, holding your apprehensive finger, into the school.

You can help your child in many ways. Your love towards your child tells him a great deal about himself. It is the foundation of the first positive attitude that you inoculate in your child. Many a times I have met children walking into the classroom with their heads bowed down, clearly giving the vibes that they are in the school not because they want to be but because they have been sent by their parents. They
are a few Do's that can certainly help your precious one.

1. Take out at least fifteen minutes everyday to talk to your child about topics of relevance that interest him.

2. Once a day, be with him physically as well as mentally.

3. Let your child known that even when he is at school, he is
missed at home every moment.

4. Always remember the names of his best friends at school. Leave something nice for him to discover, once in a while, in his bag, under his pillow in his boxing gloves etc.

Your attitude can make all the difference in how your child deals with school. A parent who makes an effort to recognize both his own and his child's learning styles and then uses this information significantly increases his child's chances for successes as a student and as a person. After all, how we perform as individuals will determine how we perform as a nation. It is possible for the children to be positive,
encouraging and more thoughtful human beings. Change takes constant time and effort. Set examples and your child will grow up, exhibiting the same positive attitude about him and others. You have your own expectations. Yet the child will make mistakes.

Learning is a process, it is not a destination. A mistake is the first step towards self - reliance. It is important part of learning. Too many of us are content to be just followers. An error tells us that it is time to change tactics, look in another direction. If you're not failing in some of your efforts now and then, you are not been innovative. Explain to your little one that it is okay to be a non-achiever at times. Relate to him times when you as a young child were afraid to fail. Tell him about the times when you failed. Talk to him about your first fall when you rode your bicycle. Discuss with him, your experience when you almost drowned the first time you tired to swim. Avoiding failure may mean avoiding learning and growing. Active learning depends upon willingness to take risks, acceptance of the error and openness of ideas. 'Be positive'. 

Learn to listen to your child. At home, imagine this scenario. A child calling his mother again and again. The mother answered but does no look at the child. The child calls again. The mother gets irritated and screams at the child. The child gets upsets and goes away. Remember, eye contact besides being important and common courtesy, also tells your child, how important he is to you. Sit down and listen patiently to what your darling has to say to you. It is not easy for a child to feel comfortable taking to someone whose physical size reminds him how small and powerless he is. Speak to him politely and use appropriate language.

A parent provides the eager youngster her first role model for language being used by the youngster. Imagine this: A mother and a daughter suddenly spot an earthworm. This instant reaction of the mother is, "Eeks ! Get away'. So, for the rest of her life, the daughter associates an earthworm with the word Ekes. Give your child a lot of 'warm fuzzes'. Warm fuzzes are things we can say and do for others to encourage them and boost their feelings of self-esteem. In learning to give warm fusses, a child begins to consider the feelings of others, to empathize. Once this is done your child's performance at school would 
automatically improve.

Remember:

'Every work is the self- portrait of the person who did it, autograph your work with excellence.'


This article has been written by Chitra Nakra, Principal V.V.D.A.V Public School, Vikas Puri. She is a state award winner and founder of Akanksha, a special school for children with special needs. Her helpline PRAYAS counsels children on a regular basis.

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~ 10 Tips for School Success ~
by Robert E. Weyhmuller, Jr

Success in school doesn't happen without parental support. Whether your son happily skips off to kindergarten or your daughter trudges down the hall to seventh-grade science class, your child needs your help to succeed in school. Here are a few of the tips:

* Read to your child every day.

It sounds like such a simple thing. But will reading to your child every day really help her succeed in school? The answer is emphatically, YES!

It's a fact. There's no better way to instill a love for reading in your child than by reading aloud to her. Children who are read to fall in love with books. They also develop good reading abilities earlier, become better listeners, and develop a stronger command of written language. But reading to your child every day does more than just feed the mind.
It gives you and your child something special - it gives you together time.

* Establish a homework routine.

Decide with your child on a time each night to do homework and stick to it. Kids like knowing when things will happen, rather than being caught off guard. If you suddenly call your child in from his outside play to start homework, chances are you will meet more resistance than the allied
forces on D-day. But if you establish a routine, such as homework begins at 5:00 p.m., arguments will be greatly reduced.

* Make a pact with your child's teacher: 'If you don't believe everything my child says about me, I won't believe everything he says about you.'

Children exaggerate. They don't necessarily lie, but their perceptions may be skewed. Whether your child describes his teacher as the Wicked Witch of the West or Mary Poppins, keep in mind that all may not be as he perceives.

* Always be your child's advocate, but never become the teacher's adversary.

If you feel your child has been wronged, defend her. Call the teacher, have a conference, work things out the best you can, but don't make the teacher the enemy. When parents and teachers are openly hostile toward each other, the child almost always becomes the loser.

* Be your child's Show ‘n Tell.

What better way is there for your child to show how proud she is of Mom or Dad? What better way is there for your child's teacher to get to know you? What better way is there for you to get to meet your child's schoolmates?

* Make your child a better thinker by asking 'Why'

Remember when your child drove you crazy by asking 'Why?' Now you can make her a better thinker by asking the same question. 'Why is there a stop sign on that corner?' 'Why is it wrong to cheat?' 'Why aren't you allowed to stay out past midnight?'

* Honor your child's opinions.

Provide your child with a safe environment where he can express opinions without fear of reprisal. Encourage him to respectfully express his opinions in school, too. Do your hackles rise when your child expresses an opinion contrary to yours? 'I think it's silly that we go to Grand pop's every Sunday. I'd rather stay home and play with my
friends.' Instead of blasting him with a guilt trip, try acknowledging his feelings: 'I understand. Sometimes I'd rather play tennis, but your grandfather looks forward to our visit.' Your child's independent thinking will blossom when he is permitted to express his opinions without
retaliation.

* Ask your child to teach you something she learned in school today.

People remember 10 percent of what they read, 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, 50 percent of what they see and hear, 70 percent of what they say as they talk aloud and 90 percent of what they say as they perform a task. Teaching is talking and performing. When your child teaches you a concept introduced in school, she has mastered it.

* Send your child's teacher a birthday card.

Teachers are generous people. Throughout the school year, they spend countless hours decorating classrooms, arranging special events and volunteering their time to help others - not to mention digging into their own pockets to supplement school supplies and activities. Sending a
birthday greeting shows that you and your child appreciate the little things she does to make school enjoyable.


Robert E. Weyhmuller, Jr. may be contacted at Bobwey@aol.com. Robert E. Weyhmuller, Jr. is a learning  disabilities consultant with more than 25 years experience in public education. He is the author of "Beyond the Bus Stop: 180 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in School" (Heinemann 1999) His book won the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval and is available at local bookstores, at Amazon.com, by emailing the author or directly from the publisher at (800) 793-2154.

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