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The fourth in a six-part series on media and technology use
Although the Internet may seem to have, along with its own lingo, its own set of rules, the codes of conduct we establish for our children offline apply to life online too. Teaching your children respect for others and to come to you when they are having problems will help prevent cyberbullying the same way it helps prevent traditional bullying. Helping your children understand the implications of copying another student's work in school will help them understand why they shouldn't steal information they find online. Check out these tips for making your family's Internet use safer and more valuable.
Be sure to develop at least a working knowledge of your children’s online activities so you can ask probing questions and monitor their activities the same way you do when they come home from school or are going out with friends. Your children can be your best teachers. When you don’t understand something, ask them. This can start a conversation about their online activities and also show that you are interested and paying attention.
Here are some more tips to help you make sure your family stays safe while making the most of the Internet as a learning resource and networking tool:
- Periodically review with your children their list of online contacts.
- Search the Web for information about your family.
- Install blocking or monitoring software on your family’s computer.
- Establish a media use contract with each child in your family.
Go to pta.org/internettipsheet/ to learn more.
Is your child a 'shut-down' learner?
Many children who grow discouraged with school, struggle with basic skills, or refuse to do homework might not be learning in the way that's best for them. Dr. Richard Selznick, a school psychologist and director of the Cooper Learning Center in Voorhees, New Jersey, coined the term "shut-down learner" to describe these children, who often appear disconnected and unmotivated ("shut down").
Selznick says as many as 40 percent of all children in America experience problems learning to read and write and many of them are "spatial learners"—in other words, they learn most effectively through hands-on tasks and utilize images, pictures, colors, and maps to learn. But these spatial learners will often struggle to learn through reading and writing.
Identifying shut-down learners and modifying their learning environments can lead to academic success, Selznick says. Read more for warning signs and strategies for overcoming the challenges.
Selznick says the shut-down learner style becomes apparent in upper elementary grades, though warning signs appear in pre-school and kindergarten. They include:
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Homework Help
PTA.org has articles to assist parents in helping their children with homework and test preparation. |
- Difficulty with learning letters
- Trouble with playing rhyming games
- Difficulty following directions
- Resistance to early reading activities and instruction
Signals in older children include:
- Weak reading, writing, and spelling skills, which lead to lowered self-esteem
- Increased avoidance of school tasks such as homework
- Strong dislike of reading and writingLittle to no gratification from school
- Increasing anger toward school
Shut-down learners often possess incredible talents and succeed in a variety of different professions, Selznick says. Parents can employ several strategies to aid their shut-down learner:
- Identify the “cracks in the foundation” as early as possible. Address skill weaknesses early.
- If the cracks are widening, seek outside help. Don’t be passive and wait for the schools to intervene.
- Know what you are targeting. There are essentially two types of reading problems, Selznick says. In the first type, the child has trouble decoding the words and reading fluently. In the second type, the child can read fluently, but has great trouble understanding what he or she has read. Get clear on what you are targeting. Don’t scattershot remediation.
- Take the heat out of the interaction. For most of the struggling kids, the daily ritual of yelling about school is a constant. Nagging and yelling are not working. Why continue?
- Find the child’s true strength and help him or her embrace it. Shut-down learners often do not feel very good about themselves and do not see their strengths. Most of these kids are very solid in the visual spatial dimension of ability. While this trait is not often valued in school, they need to learn to value this trait and see its potential.
Dr. Selznick is author of The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child. For more information, go to http://www.shutdownlearner.com/.
Dozens of parents and children participated in the Math Family Fun Night hosted by Chester Elementary School PTA on Tuesday, February 10, during PTA Take Your Family to School Week. The event featured activities directly linked to state standards in math, with interactive projects and take-home kits for parents to help encourage learning at home.
Chester PTA, in Chester, New York, was one of 32 PTAs awarded an $1,897 Award for their efforts around PTA Take Your Family to School Week (February 8-14). They joined thousands of PTAs in inviting families into school during the special week. PTA National CEO Byron Garrett and singer CeCe Peniston, a PTA national ambassador, attended the math night to present the PTA with a "big award check" and observe parents, teachers, and students working together on activities.
- Does your teenager seem to be pushing you away? Tips for helping teens search for their own identities (read more at the Savannah Morning News).
- "Mindful Parenting": An outside-the-box approach to raising kids (read more at Ode Magazine's Readers Blog)
If not, it's not too late to sign the Three for Me promise card and give three hours to your child's school this spring. Talk to your PTA and school about how you can help.
If so, the PTA national office wants to know how Three for Me has helped you get involved in your children's education—and what results you have seen because of your involvement. Send your stories to threeforme@pta.org.
To learn more about PTA Three for Me, go to three4me.com.
There are many ways that you can help your child succeed! A few small activities each week will pay huge dividends over the course of the year. Here are a few that you can do this week:
- Ask employers and local businesses to make donations and support school programs. ~ Pida a los empleadores y a los negocios locales que hagan donaciones y brinden su apoyo a los programas escolares.
- Help organize and/or participate in community health fairs.~ Ayude a organizar y/o participe en ferias comunitarias en materia de salud.
PTA in the News
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