EL News 03-07

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Elementary News
March, 2007

Matching Discipline for Each Situation
The 4 ‘W’s of Independent Projects
Teaching Respect for People With Disabilities
A Word From the Director

Notable Quote
“The dinner hour should be more than eating. It should be about teaching, listening and loving.” William J. Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education

Matching Discipline for Each Situation

Research shows that children don’t want parents to ignore misbehavior. In one study, children were asked to choose how parents should respond to various misbehavior situations. They preferred that parents explain why the behavior is wrong and talk about consequences. Children between four and nine years old said that a permissive response - doing nothing - was wrong. But every situation is different. So tailor your responses to fit. Choose from three options:

Stop your child from misbehaving. Use words and actions if she’s about to hurt herself or another person. Move her out of danger or stop her from hitting. Also step in and correct her when she’s breaking a rule, such as watching TV before homework. Turn off the TV and remind her about the rule.

Manage the situation. Try to solve the problem through negotiation and compromise. If your child and a friend are both grabbing for the same item, take the item and remind her about sharing.

Allow your child to correct her own behavior. Before stepping in, give your child a chance to behave correctly by setting a good example.

The 4 ‘W’s of Independent Projects

Whether it’s a science fair project, a book report or a diorama of Bolivia, independent projects can drive parents crazy. They don’t find out about them until the night before; they don’t understand what the teacher wants and they don’t know how to help. When your child has an independent project coming up, here are four questions she should be able to answer:

What does the teacher expect me to turn in? Finding the answer to this question will save you from a last-minute dash to the store to buy supplies. If your child can’t find the assignment sheet, have her check the teacher’s web page or dig in her backpack to look for something that may have been “misplaced.”

What is the topic? If your child can tell you in a single sentence what her topic is, then it is likely that she knows what she’s supposed to do.

When is it due? Have her mark this date on the calendar. Teach your child to finish before the deadline. Show her how to break large projects into smaller chunks.

What steps do I need to complete to finish the project? This is the time for you and your child to schedule trips to the library for research and to the store for supplies.

If your child can’t answer any of these questions, she needs to talk to her teacher to get the information she needs.

Teaching Respect for People With Disabilities

Your child will get along with classmates and make friends more easily if he’s respectful. He’ll then be able to concentrate on learning rather than conflicts at school.

Of course, respect must extend to all people—not just those who look and act like him. Perhaps your child already knows someone in the family or neighborhood who has a disability. There might be a special education student in his school.

Advise your child that:

Some people have had an illness or accident that caused their disabilities. Others were born that way.

People with disabilities have many other abilities. People in wheel-chairs can be intelligent or funny. They can even be friends.

He can find similarities with those who are “different.” To make this point, create a list of all the ways he is like someone who cannot see. They both like to listen to music, play certain games, etc.

It’s not polite to stare at people just because they’re different. It makes them uncomfortable. But it’s okay to look at them. Ignoring them is like saying they don’t exist.

He can ask questions, politely. Let him know that some may not want to answer questions. The best approach is to make eye contact. Then say, “May I ask you a question?”

Greetings from PCN

The past several weeks have been very busy; its times like these that I seem to get buried with paperwork and demands on my time. When this happens I need to step back and look at what I am doing - and why. When life’s pressures get too great we may miss the best solutions because we are too focused on the situation. Adults are not the only ones who feel the stress of life. Our children may also feel these pressures and look for ways to relieve them. Unfortunately, some students believe using substances will help take the pressure off. As parents, we need to know the signs of substance use and be prepared to talk with our children, no matter how young they are. We need to be role models in dealing with life’s pressures. I encourage you to visit our PCN and Prairie View websites for parenting tips and information on recognizing the signs of substance use. The PCN board knows parenting is an important job and we all need support. Our goal is to be a helpful resource for you and your family. Please use these resources.

Darcy Jensen and the PCN Board