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Media Contact: Pam Smith, (919) 515-3470, or [email protected]
Aug. 9, 1999
NC State Faculty: Parents Play Essential Role in Child's School Success
From the cradle to the classroom, parents are their children's first teachers and have an essential role in their school success.
As another new school year starts, faculty members from North Carolina State University's College of Education and Psychology offer these tips on how parents can encourage love of learning and help their children have a positive, productive year:
Reading, Writing and Role Modeling -- One of the best ways to foster a child's reading, writing and listening skills is for parents to set a good example, says Dr. Ruie Pritchard, associate professor of curriculum and instruction and director of the Capital Area Writing Project.
Because we speak the way we hear language spoken to us, oral-aural learning is the earliest and most powerful influence on language development, Pritchard says. Parents can establish a solid foundation for their children by modeling good English. Modeling, not correcting, continues to have the most positive and lasting effect on language development as the child begins to speak.
It's also important for parents to show children that books are an integral part of their life. Read for fun. Take family trips to the library. Talk about the books the children select. Read aloud to them long after you think they are too old.
If kids have trouble with school writing assignments, Pritchard says parents can jump-start the creative process by guiding children through a brainstorming session. Jot down ideas and encourage the child to elaborate by asking "tell me more," "can you describe that" or "what might happen next." Focus on fluency, meaning and expression of thought, not errors. Resist the urge to criticize. "No child who is afraid learns to be fluent," Pritchard says. In the meantime, look for chances to practice writing outside of school, such as sending thank you notes or letters to grandma.
To Infinity and Beyond: Overcoming Fear of Math -- "Don't ever let your child hear you say, ëI could never do math,' or it may become his excuse for not trying," says Dr. Karen Norwood, associate professor of mathematics education.
Math has unfairly acquired a bad rap as a difficult subject that only extremely bright students can master. To overcome this, teachers and parents alike must work "to teach for understanding, so that math makes sense," Norwood says. Rather than merely asking the child to commit a formula to memory, explain the formula. Teaching a child how to solve word problems is more important than anything, she says, because, "in the real world, problems are more likely to be stated in words than in equations."
Norwood says parents can help children understand math's vital role in everyday life by pointing out its practical uses: Fractions are used in measuring ingredients for cooking; angles are calculated for building clubhouses or bedroom shelves; maps can be used to figure time and distance for a family trip.
Keep track of children's progress by asking them to explain their daily school work. If a child is having problems, let the teacher know immediately. Step in before the child gives up trying out of frustration. A tutor may be the solution, especially if you don't feel confident about helping.
Raising Critical Thinkers -- Memorizing multiplication tables and state capitals isn't enough: To be successful decision-makers as adults, children must learn to think critically and solve problems for themselves. Dr. Paul Bitting, associate professor of counselor education, says one of the best guides for cultivating such skills is an updated version of an old education classic: John Dewey's eight-step problem-solving process introduced decades ago in How We Think.
Here's how the process works. Step 1: Encourage your child to look for signs of different feelings and to express them ( "I feel angry."). Step 2: Help him crystalize the problem into a single statement ("I feel angry because my sister is teasing me."). Step 3: Assist him in setting a goal ("I want my sister to stop picking on me.), but don't provide answers. Step 4: Help him list multiple solutions of his own ("I could hit her or yell at her."). Step 5: Guide him in anticipating consequences of each approach ("I would get into more trouble or my sister would get hurt."). Step 6: Help him decide which solution is best. If an inappropriate approach emerges, offer an opinion without squelching his creativity. Don't wait until the decision is made to express opposition. Step 7: Help him plan how to implement his decision and anticipate potential obstacles to its success. A child who can foresee possible problems is less discouraged by them if they occur. Step 8: Have him try the solution and evaluate its effect. End by inviting him to "let me know how it works out."
The key is to facilitate the process without doing the thinking for the child, and to initiate the process over and over until it becomes the child's automatic approach to problem solving and thoughtful decision making.
Feeling Brave in a Safe New World -- The start of the school year can cause anxiety for a child, especially if it's a first-time experience or he'll be attending a new school. To help ease such fears, Dr. Lynne Baker-Ward, associate professor of early childhood psychology, says parents need to communicate a simple but powerful message: You will be successful!
"Build on the child's own history of success," Baker-Ward says. Remind the child how much fun he or she had in preschool, Sunday school or day camp. Talk about what will happen on the first day of school: "When you go to school, we will wave goodbye and you will get to choose a toy to play with in your new classroom. What do you think you will choose?"
If the child still expresses anxiety, try to pinpoint the source. Calm fears about riding the school bus with assurances such as, "It's OK to ask for help. You can always ask your teacher." Or ask an older neighbor child to be a "bus buddy" the first week. To help the child adjust to new faces, get a class roster and set up a play date with a new classmate before school begins. Visit the school in advance to familiarize your child with his new "school home."
And remember: There's no "one-size-fits-all" approach to helping a child adjust to a new situation. For some children, the first or second week will be rough, Baker-Ward says. "Some children are shyer and take longer to warm up. It may be necessary to take it step by step, allowing the child to deal with one change at a time," she says. For example, drive him to school for the first week to allow time to adapt to the new school situation. Introduce the bus ride the second week.
Above all else, keep lines of communication open among you, your child and his teacher. Being involved in your child's school helps both him and his teachers do their best.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: To contact NC State faculty cited in these tips, call Pam Smith, NC State News Services, at (919) 515-3470, or e-mail her at [email protected].
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