Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
- What does an ALT do?
- What are the responsibilities of an ALT ?
- How much help should be given with homework?
- 35 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior and Attention Span
- What are the higher thinking levels?
- MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES??
- What are the Six Traits + 1?
- How can I help my child with math?
- How can I help my child with reading?
What does an ALT do?
Improves instruction by providing assistance to area schools in curriculum
delivery and technology integration; acts as the liaison between the local
schools and Curriculum and Instruction personnel.
What are the responsibilities of an ALT ?
Provides assistance in curriculum & instructional practices. Provides
support to teachers through visitation & demonstration teaching.
Facilitates the delivery of programs and services intended to maximize the
success opportunities for all learners. Provides assistance to schools to
successfully integrate technology into the curriculum. Works with the
Technology Integration Specialist to facilitate the use of technology
integration into the curriculum. Plans, conducts, implements, & evaluates
activities related to instructional support. Assists in School Improvement
planning. Fosters K-12 collaboration. Helps schools utilize state, county, &
local test data to improve instruction & student achievement. Participates
in professional growth to keep abreast of current research, Best Practices,
& emerging technologies. Collaborates with schools to provide resources to
facilitate articulation K-12. Provides link between local school staff & the
Curr. Supervisors in areas related to curriculum & instruction.
How much help should be given with homework?
The Homework Dilemma
The Homework Dilemma: How Much Should Parents Get Involved?
Before discussing ways you can help your child with homework, it is
important to discuss why teachers assign homework and how it benefits your
child. Why do teachers assign homework? Teachers assign homework for many
reasons. Homework can help children:
· review and practice what they've learned
· get ready for the next day's class
· learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference materials, and
the Internet
· explore subjects more fully than time permits in the classroom
Homework can also help children develop good habits and attitudes. Homework
helps children learn to be responsible and gives them a sense of control and
accomplishment. It can teach children to work independently; encourage self-
discipline and responsibility, and to manage time and meet deadlines.
Children who spend more time on homework, on average, do better academically
than children who don't, and the academic benefits of homework increase in
the upper grades.
Just what kind of parental involvement — and how much involvement — truly
helps children with their homework? The most useful stance parents can take,
many experts agree, is to be somewhat but not overly involved in homework.
The emphasis needs to be on parents' helping children do their homework
themselves — not on doing it for them.
The basic rule is, "Don't do the assignments yourself." It's not your
homework — it's your child's. It can be hard for parents to let children
work through problems alone and learn from their mistakes. It's also hard to
know where to draw the line between supporting and doing. Remember, don't
confuse, "Helping with Homework" with "Helping"!
How to Help: Help Your Child Get Organized
· Set up a Homework Schedule
Many children benefit from a set homework schedule. For some, the
responsibility of deciding when to sit down and do homework is too
difficult. These children may decide to do their homework after school or
after dinner. This is a personal choice and has to do with learning style.
However, once the time is determined, the schedule should be adhered to as
realistically as possible. This will also relieve the problem of having
to "hunt down" or corral" children to get them to do their homework. It may
help to write out the schedule and put it in a place where you'll see it
often, such as the refrigerator door.
Outside activities, such as sports or music lessons, may mean that you need
a flexible schedule. Your child may study after school on some days and in
the evening on others. If there isn't enough time to finish homework, your
child may need to drop some outside activity. Homework must be a high
priority.
The preset routine should also include a specified amount of time that must
be devoted to schoolwork. This is very helpful for the child whose motto
is "fastest is best" and also the one who "forgets" his homework because the
child knows that he will be required to spend a predetermined amount of time
doing something "academic." For instance, if your fourth-grader knows she's
expected to spend an hour doing homework, reading, or visiting the library,
she may be less likely to rush through assignments so that she can watch
television. A required amount of time may also discourage her
from "forgetting" to bring home assignments and help her adjust to a
routine.
· Schedule Breaks in the Study Routine
Break up the homework routine with short breaks for snacks or quick
exercise. Set a time limit for the breaks.
· Pick a Study Place
A desk is nice, but the kitchen table or a corner of the living room can
work just fine. A study area should have lots of light, supplies close by,
and be fairly quiet. Your child may enjoy decorating a special study corner.
A plant, a brightly colored container to hold pencils, and some favorite
artwork taped to the walls can make study time more pleasant.
· Remove Distractions
Turn off the television and discourage social telephone calls during
homework time. (A call to a classmate about an assignment may, however, be
helpful.) Some youngsters work well with quiet background music, but loud
noise from the stereo or TV is not OK.
· Provide Supplies and Identify Resources
For starters, collect pencils, pens, erasers, writing paper, an assignment
book, and a dictionary. Other things that might be helpful include glue, a
stapler, paper clips, maps, a calculator, a pencil sharpener, tape,
scissors, a ruler, index cards, a thesaurus, and an almanac. Keep these
items together in one place if possible.
How to Help: Provide Guidance
· Talk About the Assignments
Ask your child questions. Talking can help him think through an assignment
and break it down into small, workable parts. Here are some sample
questions:
Do you have everything you need to do the assignment? Ask to see any
necessary books, worksheets, or teacher instructions.
Have you ever done any assignment like the one you're supposed to do right
now? See if your child has already done similar assignments that can guide
her in completing this particular one. Also ask if your child has already
spent time in class on this assignment, and if so, how effectively she used
her time in school.
Do you understand what you're supposed to do? After your child has read the
instructions, ask her to tell you in her own words what the assignment is
about.
Do you need help in understanding how to do your work? If you understand
the subject yourself, you may want to work through some examples with your
child *. But let her do the assignment herself.
What do you need to do to finish the assignment? Your child may want to talk
through the steps with you (or make a written list of them, if he's able
to), as described in the section above on good study habits.
(* Note: One online resource for Homework Help for a wide range of subjects
is www.kidbibs.com/homeworkhelp.htm)
· Rank the Assignments
For some children, the decision about what to do first becomes a major
chore. They may dwell over this choice for a long time. Other children use
horizontal perspective. This occurs when everything takes on the same level
of importance and no priority is seen. Use the due dates for assignments, as
well as commitments to extra-curricular activities, guide you and your child
in setting priorities.
If you choose to rank order, suggest which assignment to do first and so on.
Many children tend to use a quantity orientation (number of assignments
left) rather than a qualitative orientation (difficulty of assignment). This
means that if they have five things to do, have them finish the four easy
ones first. In their eyes, they have only one assignment left even though it
may be a more difficult task.
· Look Over Completed Assignments
Check to see that assignments are started and finished on time. Ask to see
the assignment calendar if you are uncertain of the assignments. If you
aren't home when the homework is finished, look it over when you get home.
· Note on Using Computers
Most families have personal computers in their home. Computers can be a
great learning tool and helpful for some assignments. However, you do no not
have to have a computer for your child to compete homework assignments
successfully. Many children prefer using a computer to hand writing their
work. As a parent, you can guide your child in making decisions about
whether it is appropriate to use the computer, pointing out considerations
such as computer availability (do other family members need the computer
this evening?), time frame (when is this due?), and status of other pending
assignments. For assignments using word processing, children may also need
reminding to always do the typing of the text first, and then if time
remains, then they can change the format, fonts, colors, graphics, and so
on.
· Give Praise
People of all ages respond to praise. And children need encouragement from
the people whose opinions they value most—their parents. "Good first draft
of your book report!" or "You've done a great job" can go a long way toward
motivating your child to complete assignments.
Children also need to know when they haven't done their best work. Make
criticism constructive. Instead of telling a third-grader, "You aren't going
to hand in that mess, are you?" try, "The teacher will understand your ideas
better if you use your best handwriting." Then give praise when a neat
version is completed.
How To Help: Monitor Homework Sessions
· Be Available
Elementary school students often like to have someone in the same room when
working on assignments in case they have questions. If your child will be
cared for by someone else, talk to that person about what you expect
regarding homework. For an older child, if no one will be around, let him
know you want him to begin work before you get home and call to remind him
if necessary.
· Allow Your Child Some Personal Space During the Homework Session
This is a big problem for some parents. Parents employing this
technique are not only setting themselves up
for tremendous frustration and anger, but they are also
creating "learned helplessness."
Many parents will say that their children cannot work unless they are
sitting next to them. It is not that many children are unable to work, but
that they choose not to work. The work stoppage on the part of children
occurs when a parent attempts to break away and no longer provides them with
undivided attention. This "dependency" is very unhealthy because it is not
imitated in the classroom. Consequently, such children may put off doing
their classwork and bring the unfinished work home. In this way they may
gain mom or dad's full attention.
If you are already locked into this type of situation, you should not break
away all at once. You should desensitize children a little at a time. Sit at
the end of the table for a few days. Then slowly increase the distance
between yourself and the child's work until he or she is working alone.
Remember, you can still "be available", yet provide your child some personal
space to develop independence.
· Avoid Doing or Finishing Assignments For Your Child
Some parents will complete an entire assignment for their children. While
the parents' motivation may be helping their child finish a difficult
assignment, the end result may be very destructive. Children tend to feel
inadequate when a parent finishes homework. First, they feel a sense of
failure. Second, they feel a sense of inadequacy since they can never hope
to do the assignment as well as mom or dad. This can only foster increased
dependency and feelings of helplessness on the part of children. As children
advance through school, our goal is to nurture independent thinkers who take
ownership and responsibility for their own learning.
· And Finally - Accept the Challenge
Parents often send a message that a struggle with a homework assignment is a
sign of a problem. We accept struggle in sports — when a young athlete
practices lay-ups for hours, or drops a sweat-soaked jersey in the washer
after a hard game — our response is usually pride, and "good job." But we
seldom respond similarly to an academic challenge. "I was never very good at
math either," we might say, observing our child encounter difficulties. Even
the way we ask about the homework can imply an expectation that it will, or
should, be easy. Instead, we can ask — conversationally rather than
authoritatively — how they're doing, what they're struggling with, and
offer suggestions of how to meet the challenge of the assignment.
35 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior and Attention Span
Provide a balanced breakfast.
Limit television and video games
Teach self-talk skills.
Find out what interests your child.
Promote a strong physical education program in your child’s school.
Discover your child’s multiple intelligences
Use color to highlight information.
Teach your child to visualize.
Remove allergens from the diet.
Provide opportunities for physical movement.
Enhance your child’s self-esteem.
Provide a variety of stimulating learning activities.
Teach your child physical-relaxation techniques.
Provide positive role models.
Channel creative energy into the arts.
Provide hands-on activities
Spend positive times together.
Provide appropriate spaces for learning.
Help your child with organizational skills.
Help your child appreciate the value of personal effort.
Teach your child focusing techniques.
Provide immediate feedback.
Provide your child with access to a computer.
Teach problem-solving skills.
Offer your child real-life tasks to do.
Use "time-out" in a positive way.
Help your child develop social skills.
Contract with your child.
Use effective communication skills.
Give your child choices.
Establish consistent rules, routines, and transitions.
Hold family meetings.
Have your child teach a younger child.
Use natural and logical consequences.
Hold a positive image of your child.
What are the higher thinking levels?
This six-level hierarchy of thinking processes is often used by teachers to
plan a variety of questions or tasks of different levels of difficulty, so
that all children may choose or be allocated work at which they are likely
to
succeed, but that also will require reasonable effort, even from the most
able.
Bloom's Taxonomy comprises the three 'lower' levels of Knowledge,
Comprehension and Application, along with what are usually said to be
the 'higher order thinking' levels of Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation. It
is not the case that only those children identified as gifted or talented
should attempt tasks at the upper levels - for these are skills that all
children need to develop - but it is important that highly able children
have
many opportunities to work at tasks that are more demanding, such as those
requiring analysis, synthesis and evaluation. It is a matter of finding the
right mix of the six levels for each child, to ensure that learning is
thought-provoking and that connections with 'real life' are made.
The Levels
In describing the levels of thinking, we will suggest examples of activities
that are representative of that level. The following activities and
questions
are based on ideas in the book Blooming Into Themes With Multiple
Intelligences, (edited by Bailey, Knight, O'Keefe & Brown, and published by
Hawker Brownlow Education, Melbourne, 1997):
Knowledge and Comprehension
Often these first two levels are combined since both involve recalling and
interpreting information presented, eg:
• Find pictures of toys in magazines and catalogues. Sort them into toys you
have and toys you would like to have.
• Why did the Ugly Duckling run away?
Application
This level involves applying information to a new or different situation, eg:
• Find out who is trying to protect our endangered animals and write a
letter
to these people.
• Illustrate the stages involved in recycling paper and then test your plan
by recycling some paper to make note paper for a gift.
Analysis
The skills involved in this level require children to see the relationships
between the parts that make up a whole, eg:
• Compare your life with the life of a child who travels with a circus.
• Plan a special meal. Make all the arrangements including the guest list,
invitations, menu, venue etc. and record the steps needed.
Synthesis
At this level, children are required to create new patterns or structures,
eg:
• Write a song about 'Old MacDonald' who had a bulldozer instead of a farm.
• Interview the wolf to find out his side of the Red Riding Hood story. Tell
or write down your findings.
Evaluation
This level involves children making, and justifying, value judgements, eg:
• Choose and illustrate the two most important events in the story.
• Write a letter to your local council recommending ways of improving some
aspect of your community (such as rubbish disposal or recycling).
*** I hope this information will assist you in working with your child at
home. Remember that these questions can be asked in reference to any novel
your child is reading at home. If you have any questions, please feel free
to
contact me!
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES??
Gardner maintains that we all have not one- but seven
intelligences, which interact to give us our individual patterns of
abilities. His eight intelligences are quite separate in that a person may
have high ability (or potential) in any one, or more, of them without
necessarily being good in other areas.
Gardner's proposed intelligences are:
• verbal/linguistic
• logical/mathematical
• visual/spatial
• bodily/kinaesthetic
• musical/rhythmic
• interpersonal
• intrapersonal
and naturalist.
According to Gardner we should be more interested in knowing how our
children
are smart and how we might encourage and develop their abilities. This does
not mean that all children are gifted, but it does suggest that many more
children have the potential to develop a talent than we have recognized
previously. By providing variety with a choice of activities from all eight
intelligences, parents or teachers are giving children a greater opportunity
to experience success. Furthermore, a child's strength in one intelligence
can be used to help her/him develop skills in weaker areas. For example, a
child may learn spelling better by visualizing words as a whole
(visual/spatial) rather than by sounding them out letter by letter
(verbal/linguistic).
What are the Six Traits + 1?
Ideas:
The ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece, the main
theme, together with the details that enrich and develop that theme.
Organization:
Organization is the internal structure of a piece of writing, the thread of
central meaning, the logical and sometimes intriguing pattern of the ideas.
Voice:
The voice is the heart and soul, the magic, the will, along with the feeling
and conviction of the individual writer coming out through the words.
Word Choice:
Word choice is the use of rich, colorful, precise language that moves and
enlightens the reader.
Fluency:
Sentence fluency is the rhythm and flow of the language, the sound of work
patterns, the way in which the writing plays to the ear - not just to the
eye.
Convention:
Conventions are the mechanical correctness of the piece - spelling, grammar
and usage, paragraphing, use of capitals, and punctuation.
+1 Presentation:
Presentation zeros in on the form and layout of the text and its
readability: the piece should be pleasing to the eye.
How can I help my child with math?
Mastering Math
Mastering mathematics is absolutely essential for future opportunities in
school and careers. Your children will need to reach a certain level of
competency in math to take many advanced high-school courses, to be admitted
to college, and to have a wide variety of career choices. Here's how you can
help them maximize their math-smarts.
1. Make sure your children understand mathematical concepts.
Otherwise, math becomes a meaningless mental exercise of just memorizing
rules and doing rote drills. Have your children manipulate objects to figure
out basic concepts. For addition, they could add one, two, or more blocks to
a pile of blocks and then tell you how many blocks are in the pile.
2. Help them master the basic facts.
Mastery of a basic fact means that children can give an answer in less than
three seconds. Considerable drill is required for children to give quick
responses. Use flash cards to help your children learn the basic facts. When
they don't know an answer, have them lay out objects to solve the problem.
3. Teach them to write their numbers neatly.
Twenty-five percent of all errors in solving math problems can be traced
back to sloppy number writing. Improve your children's number-writing skills
by having them trace over numbers that you have written. Suggest they use
graph paper to keep the numbers in problems neatly aligned.
4. Provide help immediately when your children need it.
Math is one subject in which everything builds upon what has been previously
learned. For example, a failure to understand the concept of percent leads
to problems with decimals. If a teacher is unable to help your children,
provide the help yourself or use a tutor or learning center.
5. Show them how to handle their math homework.
Doing math homework reinforces the skills your children are learning in
class. Teach them to begin every assignment by studying the textbook or
worksheet examples. Then have them redo the examples before beginning the
assignment to make sure they understand the lesson.
6. Encourage your children to do more than the assigned problems.
Considerable practice is necessary for your children to hone their math
skills. If the teacher only assigns the even problems, having them do some
of the odd ones will strengthen their skills. The more time your children
spend practicing their skills, the sooner they will develop confidence in
their abilities.
7. Explain how to solve word problems.
Mathematicians have an expression: To learn to solve problems, you must
solve problems. Teach your children to read a word problem several times.
Also, have them draw a picture or diagram to describe it. Make it easier for
them to understand the steps in a problem by teaching them to substitute
smaller numbers for larger ones.
8. Help your children learn the vocabulary of mathematics.
They will never get a real feeling for math nor learn more advanced concepts
without an understanding of its vocabulary. Check that your children can
define new terms. If not, have them use models and simple problems to show
you they understand how the term is used.
9.Teach them how to do math "in their head."
One of the major ways to solve problems is by using mental math. Kids should
use this method frequently instead of using pencil and paper or a
calculator. When helping your children with a problem, help them determine
when it would be appropriate to use mental math.
10. Make mathematics part of your children's daily life.
Mathematics will become more meaningful when your kids see how important it
is in so many real-life situations. Encourage them to use math in practical
ways. For example, ask them to space new plants a certain distance apart,
double a recipe, and pay bills in stores.
How can I help my child with reading?
Nothing is more important to academic achievement than being a good reader.
Parents know their children best and can provide the one-on-one time and
attention that will lead them to success in reading. Here is a list of ways
to help your children become more effective readers.
1. Set aside a regular time to read to your children every day.
Studies show that regularly reading out loud to children will produce
significant gains in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and the decoding of
words. Whether your children are preschoolers or preteens, it will increase
their desire to read independently.
2. Surround your children with reading material.
Children with a large array of reading materials in their homes score higher
on standardized tests. Tempt your kids to read by having a large supply of
appealing books and magazines at their reading level. Put the reading
materials in cars, bathrooms, bedrooms, family rooms, and even by the TV.
3. Have a family reading time.
Establish a daily 15 to 30 minute time when everyone in the family reads
together silently. Seeing you read will inspire your children to read. Just
15 minutes of daily practice is sufficient to increase their reading fluency.
4. Encourage a wide variety of reading activities.
Make reading an integral part of your children's lives. Have them read
menus, roadside signs, game directions, weather reports, movie time
listings, and other practical everyday information. Also, make sure they
always have something to read in their spare time when they could be waiting
for appointments or riding in a car.
5. Develop the library habit.
Entice your children to read more by taking them to the library every few
weeks to get new reading materials. The library also offers reading programs
for children of all ages that may appeal to your children and further
increase their interest in reading.
6. Be knowledgeable about your children's progress. Find out what reading
skills they are expected to have at each grade level. The school's
curriculum will give you this information. Track their progress in acquiring
basic reading skills on report cards and standardized tests.
7. Look for reading problems.
Find out if your children can sound out words, know sight words, use
context to identify unknown words, and clearly understand what they read.
8. Get help promptly for reading problems.
Reading problems do not magically disappear with time. The earlier children
receive help, the more likely they will become good readers. Make sure you
provide the necessary help as soon as you discover a problem.
9. Use a variety of aids to help your children.
To help your children improve their reading, use textbooks, computer
programs, books-on-tape, and other materials available in stores. Games are
especially good choices because they let children have fun as they work on
their skills.
10. Show enthusiasm for your children's reading.
Your reaction has a great influence on how hard they will try to become good
readers. Be sure to give them genuine praise for their efforts.