What is Intelligence Dependent On?

The relationships among family size, birth order and intelligence have been the subjects of much earlier research. However, most of that previous research has been limited by problems of evaluating within-family models using only across-family measures. For example, family size is an "across-family" measure, while birth order is a "within-family" measure.

According to the authors, earlier research on the issue of a link between birth order and intelligence lead to spurious conclusions, one of them being an apparent link between both birth order and offspring intelligence and family size and offspring intelligence. These "links", according to the authors, were caused by mistaking across-family effects for within-family effects.

"There are many good reasons why parents might consider limiting their family sizes, but the belief that, for a particular set of parents in a modern country like the United States, a larger family will lead to children with lower IQs appears to be, simply, wrong. The belief that birth order acts directly to decrease the intelligence of children born later in a given family also appears to be, simply, wrong," state the authors.

Family Size

Contrary to popular belief, having more children born into a family does not necessarily result in lower-IQ children. In their study, the researchers looked at data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), which gave them the opportunity to look at a large random national sample of families that included children whose academic performance had been reviewed multiple times throughout their academic careers.

The NLSY originated in 1972 as a household probability sample of the nation's youth ages 14-22. For 22 years the sample followed 11,406 young people at yearly intervals. Starting in 1986, the children born to the original female respondents were surveyed every other year. The family structure measures and intelligence scores of these children provide the basic data used in this study.

Train your child by taking small steps first

I think if parents have a child who acts out in public, you want to try what’s called a “slow immersion.” So in other words, if this kid can’t handle going to the mall, take him to the drug store first. Say, “Let’s see how you handle this. We’re going in for five or ten minutes.”

Lay the rules down. That way you’re not at the mall, you’re in a more manageable location and you’re close by your child. Start to train them by taking small steps, by coaching them in little pieces: little pieces of learning how to socialize and solve problems and act like everybody else.
Write the Rules Down and Keep Them Handy.
Before you even go into public, I think you need to decide what your limits are for your child in terms of behavior. Let them know exactly what’s going to happen. For pre-teen kids and under, keep a 4x6 index card in your car with 3 rules on it:

1. Respond to first request.
2. Accept “no” for an answer.
3. Don’t raise your voice or misbehave physically.

Read that card in the car before you go inside the mall or store. That one small act is going to help your child keep it together; reading the rules to them is like lending them structure. You can’t assume that kids are going to recall information that will help them change.

Here’s another way of looking at it: Let’s say you’re speeding and you get a ticket. The assumption is that the next time you’re in a hurry, you’re going to remember how it felt to pay that ticket and you won’t speed. Even though that may be true, each state still has the speed limit posted every five miles. So give your child consistent reminders that will keep them focused.

Leave them at home.

 I don’t think there’s anything wrong with leaving your child at home with proper supervision and telling them, “You can’t come today because you can’t handle it. You made a scene last time we went shopping and so today you’re staying home.”

And if your child promises and begs and swears, say, “No, let's see how you behave staying at home. If you handle that OK, then we'll see.” And make them sit at home. Make them understand that you’re not going to be blackmailed and that you’re strong—and that when you make decisions, you’re going to stick with them.

Here’s the simple truth: when children resort to inappropriate behavior to get their way, they don’t learn how to solve problems. And when they don’t learn this skill, they go into adulthood with a real handicap. You see many adults who only know how to get angry and yell at each other whenever there’s emotional stress. Part of that is because they have very poor communication skills and very poor problem-solving skills. When confronted with a problem, they only know how to avoid it, which means they let it build up on the inside until they explode.

So make up your mind that you’re not going to let your child hold you hostage with their misbehavior. Don’t give in to emotional blackmail when your child threatens to act out. I tell parents to think of it this way: your child has got to get to bed tonight without a crisis. That’s their goal. And our goal as a parent is the same thing: to get to bed tonight without a crisis and to teach our children the skills they need. If you can do that, then you’re all set.

Problems of Kids With Sleeping

He's begging for his third glass of water. She's talking a mile a minute and she's nowhere near sleep. They're both up way past bedtime. And you're fed up. Bedtime can be frustrating. But we've got some tips from the experts on how to resolve the most common bedtime woes -- so you can all get a good night's sleep.

Problem: He's bouncing off the walls and you're not even sure you can get him into bed, let alone to sleep.

Expert opinion: It could be caffeine or too much stimulation before bed. But "the number one biggest problem is that we're often putting our kids to bed too late," says Kim West, a family therapist who specializes in sleep issues. Children need 9 1/2 to 11 hours of sleep, depending on their age, so most should be asleep between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Miss the window of opportunity and your child will be wired rather than tired.

Problem: You've been bad about enforcing bedtime in the past and you're not sure your child will cooperate.

Expert opinion:
Don't expect him to adjust to your schedule without some explanation from you, says Jill Spivack, co-creator of the Sleepeasy Solution. She recommends having an age--appropriate family meeting to explain why sleep is important. Be specific. "For the younger child you can say, 'You need to rest your body so you can go to preschool and draw, and run and play with your friends.'" And frame it from a place of love, Spivack says. You might say, "Mommy and daddy love you too much to let you miss out on the sleep you need to be healthy."

Problem: She's begging for one more glass of water. Or another hug. Or just one more book. Pleaaaaaase?

Expert opinion:
Consistency is key. Make a plan for bedtime and then share it with your child, preferably in written or picture form, says Spivack, who suggests making a small book with stick figures or simple drawings. Be clear on how many times you'll respond to requests for water or hugs or anything else. You can also motivate your child with a sticker chart that outlines good sleep manners. "State the behavior you'd like to see more of, like 'stays in bed all night long,'" says West. Then reward her when she meets the goal.

Problem: She's scared -- of the dark, of what's under the bed, of bedtime!

Expert opinion:
Reassure her that she's safe. You can do this with a simple, "You're always safe in your bedroom," or appeal to her appreciation of the magical by using your "magic flashlight" to scare away the spookies. Then find ways -- within your rules -- to help her comfort herself.

Ваша безопасность на мероприятиях

Множество людей, ожидающих несколько часов встречи с кумиром,
легко становятся неуправляемыми. Поэтому помните:
- наибольшая давка бывает перед сценой, так как все стремятся
вперед;
- избегайте становиться между динамиками, так как максимальный
уровень звучания делает восприятие музыки невозможным и притупляет
чувства;
- не занимайте мест в углах зала, близко к стене или поперечным
перегородкам (между секторами), откуда затруднено бегство и где есть
опасность быть раздавленным;
- в ожидании входа в театр или на стадион не приближайтесь к
стеклянным дверям или ограждениям, к которым вас могут прижать;
- если толпа побежала, постарайтесь избежать главной опасности -
падения, встать будет почти невозможно;
- если толпа увлекла, позвольте людскому морю нести вас: глубоко
вздохнув, поднимите руки локтями вперед и постарайтесь держать локти
на уровне подбородка;
- в подобных ситуациях не держите руки в карманах и будьте
начеку.

preschool new york

Kids consider themselves independent and capable learners at preschool. New York gives an opportunity to choose one from multitude schools. Every teacher find it easier to teach kids, who have a sturdy preschool education background in language attainments, listening comprehension, have definite attitude towards study and attention management attainments.

The most significant part of preschool, as adduced by many preschool adherents, is social cooperation and development. Parents of kids in preschool as well as New York early childhood teachers consider that kids learn the social skills while dealing with conflicts, sharing their thoughts, finding a compromise and solving problem. Preschool can help to switch their energy to education if parents are at a loss to do it.

private school New York

In the old days many children were told by their parents that education is the only thing that cannot be taken from you. Very often those who had good skills and talents could weather the difficult times and restore a future. It was clear understanding that those who ignored their education had to depend on others to survive in their lives. During last decades the reason for getting an education has changed into education which will guarantee an economic future.
Unfortunately with a present economy it is as incentive for getting a quality education is losing its credibility quickly. The price is high in private school. New York one of the most over packed city where price for private education recently become higher. So why will parents still sacrifice and send their children to a good private school? There are several important reasons for parents to send their children to such schools despite the expense. They are – the small size of classes, teacher quality and academic challenge.
The most important above all these are smaller classes in private school. New York opens big variety of good private school to choose from. So parents can finds the one which will suit them more.

About Educational Reforms

The initiation of new, small schools for expanding learning opportunities for children, especially at the secondary level, is a basic element of New York City’s comprehensive education reforms. To aid in this effort, the NYC Leadership Academy proffers New School Intensive (NSI), a program that ensures leadership progress and technical assistance that aids first-year principals opening new, not big schools uphold their efforts in building a high-acting educational environment from scratch.

There are two phases in cooperation with the NYC Department of Education’s Office of Portfolio Development, NSI. It is a pre-service phase which begins when new schools planned according to a schedule to open the following September are declared (commonly in January) and an in-service phase which begins from opening of schools. During the in-service phase, weekly meetings are concentrated on competency-based leadership progress and conformed to the school calendar. Also there can be made mid-course corrections in organizational plan.

Games that help your kids to learn

Kids learn through the act of playing whether they are painting a picture or building a model plane or fort they are being made to work their cognitive, motor, language and social skills. Learning toys are a great way for children to develop their skills and abilities in a multi-sensory and creative manner.

Learning toys can enhance a child's skills in many areas of development. While some may focus only on one area of development, others may help build multiple areas of development. The important part of a learning toy is that it does contribute to your child's education and development in some way unlike most toys that are in the market which provide no benefit to your child.

When you are choosing toys and games make sure that they are classified as learning toys or educational toys and that they target one of these areas of development in some way.

Motor Development: Motor development has to do with your child's use of their arms and legs. Motor development is divided into two categories, fine motor and gross motor development. Fine motor development has to do with the ability to use fingers and hands to manipulate objects and tools while gross motor skills require the use of arms and legs to perform activities such as walking, running, catching and object and other such activities. Learning toys such as arts and crafts, model building and outdoor games all help develop motor coordination and control. Any activity that requires a child to manipulate objects and coordinate their finger and hand movements or arm and leg movements will target motor development.



Cognitive Development: Learning toys that help build a child's memory skills, reasoning skills, general knowledge skills and numerical skills all contribute to enhancing a child's cognition. These kind of learning toys are wonderful to use as supplements to your child's school curriculum to make learning more multi-sensory and fun. Learning toys such as board games, memory games, strategy games, puzzles and math games are all great ways for children to learn in a manner that is interactive and pleasant. Even arts and craft games will help cognition, especially learning toys like paint by number sets or model building sets.

Language Development: Most learning toys have the potential to enhance a child's language skills. Any leaning toy that encourages children to explore language through vocabulary building or encourages conversational skill development will be beneficial. Toys and games such as board games that encourage players to interact and converse with each other are great ways to develop language skills. Learning toys such as general knowledge games that introduce children to new words and topics are also great at developing language.

If you focus on finding learning toys which are targeted to help your child build these developmental skills mentioned above you will find that you child will be greatly benefitted. Any toy that you choose for your child should not only be fun but should always help your child learn something.

ABC of manners for kids

It is important to teach your little children etiquette as early as possible. Though you can change bad habits, it is better to learn the good ones at early ages. The earlier you teach your children how to behave properly, the better they will be. Thus we have some tips on how to teach them manners.

Keep in mind that performing real example is always more effective than just telling your little kids what they should or shouldn't do. If you expect them to be polite, then you should start being polite. Children will see how you treat someone else and will follow your action. They learn from what they see instead of what they are told to do. You tell them that they have to brush their teeth before they sleep, but you don't do it. It is unfair. Hence, your children will no longer listen to what you tell them to do since you neither do it.

You can teach your children how to behave in stages. It is because children develop skills and comprehension in phases. Telling a 2-year-old not to suck their thumb will not work since they lack understanding why they should stop that action. The children will gain the ability to understand the reason of something starting from 4 or 5 years of age.

Teach them some polite phrases, such as 'thank you', 'excuse me', 'please', 'could you please', 'May I?', and 'I am sorry' as early as possible. Once more, start using those phrases not only to your children, but also to everyone. Your children will see that being polite is not done to only special persons, but to everyone.

Remember that children are the best imitator of the parents. That is why you should be careful of the language you are using around them. Tell them to address adults with 'Ms Fleur', 'Mr. Black', 'Mrs. Connelly'.

You should always check your children's behavior. Give them some admonishment when they break a norm or rule. Don't wait too long to correct their mistake, let alone neglecting their bad attitude or behavior. However, never embarrass them in public when you are going to correct their mistakes. On the other side, remember to give them appreciation or compliment whenever they do something good, even for a little thing. That is why we suggest that you always check the development of your children in performing etiquette.

Those are tips to teach your little children etiquettes. We hope that this article will be useful for you.

Let's Play Outside With Kids

An outdoor activity is something that everyone needs and should do. Watching to much TV or just sitting inside is boring, unhealthy and has no reward. Many people go outside and walk or jog, but that too is pretty boring and unrewarding. So what can you do outdoors that is both fun and healthy?

Many adults and young adults have forgotten that the best way to exercise outdoors is to play like they did when they were a kid. But how does an adult play outside? The best way is to start a radio control hobby. RC hobbies like airplanes, boats, cars, and helicopters are both fun and very rewarding. Imagine building and then flying your own creation, or ripping across the waves in your own little gas powered boat.

An RC hobby can also give you something fun to do with your kids, who don't exactly always want to hang out with their parents. But trust me; if you are flying a radio controlled jet then they will come running. You will also have something to pass onto your children, like an airplane that both of you built together, or a boat that you and your child have enjoyed many times together.

By far the best RC vehicle that can be purchased is of course an R/C airplane or helicopter. If an airplane is what you are going to go for, then I recommend an Almost Ready to Fly plane or a kit. This will allow you and your kid(s) to put it together with you, giving you something extra to do with them and give them some knowledge of building something. Then after you build it you can fly it with them, which makes the flight twice as rewarding.

Another RC flying toy that is fun would be a remote control helicopter. Radio controlled helicopters are unique because they hover and allow more control from the pilot. They are also harder to master, so for the people who are looking for a quick thrill you might not like it, but other's who have a dedication to it will love it. RC helicopters also offer a neat experience at night since they can hover and can be equipped with lights.

If you want to experience the thrill of a speed boat on the water, but don't have the money to afford a real one, then a radio controlled boat is perfect. With R/C boat engines available in electric or gas powered, a beginner or an expert could operate and maintain a RC boat. This is ideal since you might not always be around but your children want to go outside and have fun with it. A remote control boat is really the easiest, but most rewarding, of all radio control hobbies.

The most popular R/C toy in the world is of course the remote control car or truck. RC cars can be operated by virtually anyone at any age, are easy to maintain and operate and are very inexpensive to own. If you do plan on getting a R/C car or truck, then I recommend an electric powered one to begin with, then gradually progress towards a nitro powered engine. Just to let you know, nitro fuel cars are hard to maintain and require some experience and knowledge prior to operating.

How Do I Know My Child Is Ready For School?

The most common question involved in the assessment of young children is whether the child is developing normally. “Is this child showing the signs of development one might normally expect at this age?” This question of normal development is a worrying one for many parents. However, this area is a potential minefield as a child may be developmentally slow in some areas but advanced in others, alternatively a child may slow down in development and then catch up very quickly subsequently. Another problem is that the conditions within which the child is developing may change, leading to a slowing down or speeding up of the developmental process. Clearly, children’s development in the early years is fluid and adaptable, leading to accommodation for a wide range of variation within the span of normal development.

Placement of children into an appropriate education programme is one of the main reasons children are assessed and this requires the social and emotional development of the child to be measured. The whole child must be observed, making the observations multi-dimensional, taking into consideration the child’s social, emotional, physical, intellectual and language development

Today, psychologists and schoolteachers are concerned with the general, social and emotional development of children as they enter into the school system. Readiness for school or learning is influenced by a number of factors, such as, the child’s ability to concentrate and pay attention as well as his or her motivation to learn. The child’s health and nutritional status is also a determining feature. The environment in which the child grows up will give him or her particular advantages or disadvantages when it comes to school learning.

There is a difference between school readiness and school maturity that must be considered. School maturity is whether or not the child has reached a level of maturity where they are ready for the formal teaching of reading, writing and numeracy. This level is usually reached around age 6 and because it relies on biological factors it cannot be hastened. However, reaching this level of maturity is no guarantee that a child will be able to cope with the demands of school and this is where school readiness enters the picture.

School readiness considers the intellectual, social and emotional maturity levels of a child and while maturity cannot be influenced by external factors, school readiness can be encouraged by broadening a child’s experiences and teaching him or her to make full use of his or her senses and abilities. Initially this responsibility belongs to the parents who are the child’s first source of learning but soon enough other people play a role in this - from child minder to nursery school teachers as well as siblings and friends.

If you are unsure as to whether or not your child has the appropriate school maturity and readiness then talk to your nursery school teacher or go to an educational psychologist for a formal assessment. It’ll put your mind at rest and probably help your child in the long run!

Good luck!

Get Involved with Your Kids Studying

You want your child to be an active learner, but how can you become more active in your child's school? And does it make a difference?

Assuming an active role in your child's school experience may be more valuable than you think. While many factors contribute to academic achievement, students reap the benefits when parents are involved in their education. According to the US Department of Education, students with involved parents generally have higher grades and test scores, better attendance, more motivation, better self-esteem, improved graduation rates, and a greater likelihood of pursuing a postsecondary education. It's time to jump in and get involved!

Finding the Right Role

Examine your strengths to determine how you can make a lasting impact. A behind-the-scenes person might enjoy setting up for special events, while others may prefer a more visible leadership role in the school community. Consider whether your talents would be best used working with children or adults.

Next, look at your schedule and consider how much time you have to spare. Would you prefer to become involved in the classroom regularly or on a committee with limited meeting times? Regardless of your schedule or personal style, there are countless meaningful ways you can get involved in your child's school.

1. School Council

A school council or advisory board assists the principal in fulfilling the school's core values or mission statement. These organizations often include parents, teachers, and other members of the school community. Such an organization is a perfect venue for parents to learn about school issues as they emerge and then raise concerns, offer recommendations, or make suggestions. Committees are generally task-oriented, allowing small groups of parents and teachers to focus on specific issues related to the school community.

2. Newcomers Committee

It's never easy to be the new kid in town. Matching new students and their families with host families connects newcomers with people willing to answer questions and offer assistance. As a member of the school's newcomers committee, you may work with other parents to coordinate a welcome picnic and an informational meeting for new members of the school community. If empathy and hospitality are your gifts, this could be the committee for you.

3. Join the School Crisis Team

School crisis teams are often comprised of a small group of parents, teachers, school support staff, and the principal. These teams are responsible for establishing and fine tuning a protocol to follow should a crisis occur. Parent volunteers can play an essential role by volunteering to design and implement phone chains if information needs to be disseminated to the school community efficiently. Parents may also be asked to organize a place for members of the school community to gather and process crisis events together. Take-charge and empathetic people are perfect candidates for this committee.

4. Be a Room Parent

Calling all social butterflies! If you like spending time with children, consider serving in your child's classroom as a room parent. Teachers often look for a small group of parents to plan fun events for the class, including holiday parties and birthday celebrations. Room parents usually contact other parents in the classroom to coordinate food and activities for these special events. If you are organized, creative, and a natural events planner, this could be the place for you.

5. Assist in the Classroom

Working with kids and watching their learning unfold can be very rewarding. Ask your child's teacher if there are any opportunities to volunteer in the classroom. Teachers often appreciate a set of helping hands during busy learning times such as writing workshop or center exploration. Spending time in your child's classroom gives you a sense of the classroom culture and how your child relates to his or her peers, too.

6. Be an Administrative Angel

If you like making copies, collating packets, designing bulletin boards, cutting out shapes, or organizing materials, ask your child's teacher if there are projects she'd like you to work on. Having someone help with the busywork involved in preparing for an upcoming unit or event can be invaluable. Your child's teacher might ask you to handle monthly book orders, prepare center activity supplies, or organize books. This behind-the-scenes role is perfect for the well organized, task-oriented person.

7. Raise Funds for Your School

Schools are always looking for ways to supplement their education budgets. Join or form a committee at your school designed to brainstorm fundraisers that will raise money used to enrich all aspects of school life. There are several ways to raise money for your school. Look into General Mills' Box Tops for Education or Campbell's® Labels for Education™ as easy ways for all families to contribute. Or check into fundraising programs that exchange money for old cell phones and printer cartridges. Try launching a wrapping paper/gift items drive to raise money. Or go high-tech with online fundraising opportunities that offer a percentage of sales at "shopping malls" linked to popular stores such as Amazon.com. The fundraising opportunities are limitless—you just need a little creativity and a team of dedicated parents.

8. Be a Super Chaperone

Teachers need parents to accompany the class on field trips or to special events. When your child's class leaves the school, parent chaperones help keep track of students in unfamiliar surroundings. Chaperoning allows you to learn and experience new things with the students while spending time with your child and his or her classmates.

9. Put Your Writing Talent to Work

If you can gather information and write a well-organized paper, consider putting your talent to work by writing grants for your school. The school staff is constantly searching for innovative ways to improve education, yet limited budgets often hamper their efforts. Grant writing is the perfect solution to this common funding problem! There are thousands of grant writing opportunities offered to both public and private schools. You can volunteer your writing talent to work with teachers who have targeted grant opportunities. Even if you don't have previous grant writing experience, there are many resource websites available to those who are interested in grant writing. The hours you put in writing the grant could mean big rewards for your school.

10. Connect with the Community

Learning a new concept is infinitely more meaningful when students understand the way it relates to the real world. Join or create a committee that helps your school create partnerships with local businesses or organizations. Field trips allow kids to learn abstract concepts in a more concrete way. Enhance a unit on nutrition with a trip to the local grocery store, visit the pet shop to add some pizzazz to a unit on animal habitats, or boost a unit on government and politics with a trip to the town hall. Allowing children the chance to hear from and speak with the experts on these topics gives way to more authentic learning and support members of the community.

Getting involved in your child's school experience will benefit your child and the school in many ways—but don't underestimate how these experiences will benefit you! Feeling connected and making a contribution to something you believe in may be the greatest reward of all.

Help Your Kids to Do Their Hometask Better!

It always happens that our kids do not do their hometask properly. The question that arises is how  can I, as a parent, help him/her to accomplish all the tasks properly? These are the tips that might be useful:


Turn off the TV set. Make a house rule, depending on the location of the set, that when it is study time, it is "no TV" time. A television set that is on will draw youngsters like bees to honey.

What about the radio? Should it be on or off? Contrary to what many specialists say, some youngsters do seem to function all right with the radio turned on to a favorite music station. (Depending on the layout of your house or apartment, maybe an investment in earphones would be worthy of consideration.)

Certain rules should be set about the family phone during study hours. The more people in the household, the more restrictions on long and unnecessary phone calls are needed. A timer, placed next to the phone, can help to control the length of calls so that the telephone will be available if it becomes necessary to call a schoolmate to confirm an assignment or discuss particularly difficult homework.

Designate specific areas for homework and studying. Possibilities include the child's room or the kitchen or dining room table. Eliminate as much distraction as possible.

Since many young people will study in their own rooms, function becomes more important than beauty. Most desks for young people really don't have sufficient space to spread out materials. A table that allows for all necessary supplies such as pencils, pens, paper, books, and other essentials works extremely well.

Consider placing a bulletin board in your child's room. Your local hardware store sells wallboard that might not look too pretty and isn't framed, but a 4 x 3'section is inexpensive and perfect on which to post pertinent school items. You might want to paint or cover it with burlap to improve its appearance or let your child take on this project.

Encourage the use of a small book or pad for writing down assignments so that there is no confusion about when certain assignments must be turned in to the teacher.

Keeping general supplies on hand is important. Check with your child about his needs. In fact, make it his responsibility to be well supplied with paper, pencils, note pads, notebook paper, et cetera.

Regularity is a key factor in academic success. Try to organize the household so that supper is served at a standard time, and once it and family discussions are over, it's time to crack the books. If the student doesn't have other commitments and gets home reasonably early from school, some homework can be done before supper.

Consider you child's developmental level when setting the amount of time for homework. While high school students can focus for over an hour, first-graders are unlikely to last more than 15 minutes on a single task. Allow your child to take breaks, perhaps as a reward for finishing a section of the work.

Organize study and homework projects. Get a large calendar, one that allows space for jotting down things in the daily boxes. Rip it apart so that you (and the child) can sequentially mount the school months for the current semester. For example, you can tear off September, October, November, December, and January and mount them from left to right across one wall. Have the child use a bold color writing instrument (felt tip pen) to mark exam dates in one color, reports that are coming due in a different color, et cetera. This will serve as a reminder so that things aren't set aside until the last dangerous moment.

Teach your child that studying is more than just doing homework assignments. One of the most misunderstood aspects of schoolwork is the difference between studying and doing homework assignments. Encourage your child to do things like:

• take notes as he's reading a chapter
• learn to skim material
• learn to study tables and charts
• learn to summarize what he has read in his own words
• learn to make his own flashcards for quick review of dates, formulas, spelling words, et cetera

Note-taking is a critical skill and should be developed. Many students don't know how to take notes in those classes that require them. Some feel they have to write down every word the teacher says. Others have wisely realized the value of an outline form of note-taking. Well prepared teachers present their material in a format that lends itself to outline form note taking..

Should notes ever be rewritten? In some cases, they should be, particularly if a lot of material was covered, and the youngster had to write quickly but lacks speed and organization. Rewriting notes takes time, but it can be an excellent review of the subject matter. However, rewriting notes isn't worth the time unless they are used for review and recall of important information.

A home dictionary is essential, but if it is kept on a shelf to gather dust, it won't do anyone any good. Keep it in an accessible place and let your child see you refer to it from time to time. If the family dictionary is kept in the living room and the child studies in his room, get him an inexpensive dictionary for his exclusive use.

Good dictionary, encyclopedia and organizational skills depend on the ability to alphabetize. See if your child's teacher practices alphabetizing in class. Try alphabetizing spelling words, family members' names or a few favorite toys at home as a way of practicing.

Help your child to feel confident for tests. Taking tests can be a traumatic experience for some students. Explain to your child that burning the midnight oil (cramming) the night before a test is not productive. Better to get a good night's sleep. Students also need reminding that when taking a test, they should thoroughly and carefully read the directions before they haphazardly start to mark their test papers. They should be advised to skip over questions for which they don't know the answers. They can always return to those if there's time. Good advice for any student before taking a test: take a deep breath, relax, and dive in. Always bring an extra pencil just in case.

During a homework session, watch for signs of frustration. No learning can take place and little can be accomplished if the child is angry or upset over an assignment that is too long or too difficult. At such times the parent may have to step in and simply halt the homework for that night, offering to write a note to the teacher explaining the situation and perhaps requesting a conference to discuss the quality and length of homework assignments.

Should parents help with homework? Yes-if it is clearly productive to do so, such as calling out spelling words or checking a math problem that won't prove. No-if it is something the child can clearly handle himself and learn from the process. And help and support should always be calmly and cheerfully given. Grudging help is worse than no help at all!

Read directions, or check over math problems after your child has completed the work. Remember to make positive comments - you don't want your child to associate homework with fights at home.

Model research skills by involving your child in planning a family trip. Help your child locate your destination on a map or atlas. Use traditional encyclopedia or a CD-ROM to find information about the place you will visit; try the Internet or books in the library.

How best to handle report cards? To save shocks and upsets, gently discuss from time to time "how things are going at school- with your child. Something casual, such as "How did the math test go?" "How did you do on the history report?" "How's your science project coming along? Need any help?" are questions that aren't "third degree" but indicate interest. Find out if it is a policy at your child's school to send out "warning notices" when work isn't going well. Generally, such notices require the parent's signature to verify that the parent has, indeed, been alerted. This is the time to contact the teacher of the course, along with your child, to learn what the difficulty may be. If such notices aren't sent, then grades on projects and reports and from tests may be the sole source of information short of what your child wishes to share. Be tuned in to statements such as "He's an awful teacher," "She goes too fast," etc. This may be the child's way of indicating frustration in understanding content or lack of study time with the subject. However, be cautious in contacting teachers without your child's approval or interest. It may disrupt good feelings between you and make you seem to be interfering and spying