If your child is a struggling reader, find
books he or she can read so that reading is
enjoyable, not painful. Many popular books
have movie adaptations and for many kids,
knowing they can watch the movie after
they read the book can be a great motivator.
Creating crafts or doing outdoor activities
relating to books makes reading even more
fun when the sun is out. Some of the simplest
and best ideas can be found on Pinterest,
blogs, and homeschooling or teaching sites.
All these make the process of easing back into
reading less stressful and daunting.
Set Priorities and
Scheduling Early On
In The Overscheduled Child by Rosenfeld
and Wise, the authors refer to children who
have every minute of their day planned and
scheduled—thus leading to stressed-out and
unfocused kids. The authors have a point.
Children are naturally curious and excited
about participating in similar activities to their
peers or whatever seems exciting and novel
for them (which is just about everything),
but as parents, we need to curb a bit of that
enthusiasm. Even if your children are whip
smart and seem to have their extracurricular
activities and school work under control, that
“control”, can be draining even without a child
knowing it. Discuss what activities, clubs or
sports occur during each season and rate the
ones the child wants to do the most, to allow
for downtime. Time management often leads
to excellent stress management skills and what
better way to prepare your child not only for
the school year, but for life.
Understand the “Testing
Frenzy”
During the first 3-4 weeks of classes,
schools test children using “benchmark”
assessments. These assessments are given
to children in grades 3-8 to establish a
baseline—a starting point to measure
progress. Schools then give two to three
follow-up benchmark assessments to evaluate
how children are progressing and to predict
how well students will perform on the
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment
(PSSAs). The PSSAs, which assess students
in reading and math, are then administered
during the spring for grades 3-8. In addition,
grades 4 and 8 are assessed in science and
in grades 9 through 12, students take the
Keystone Exams once each year, starting with
Algebra 1, then Biology, and finally Literature.
In addition to all this, depending on the
school district, teachers administer diagnostic
assessments (ex: DIBELS, DRA) to check
how children in grades K-6 are progressing in
reading. A lot of testing? Absolutely.
Many children stress-out during tests
depending on their ability level in school.
Some students want to get the best grade
and others are afraid of failing. The best way
to mentally prepare your children for these
tests is to explain the purpose behind them:
schools are making sure they are doing a good
job of teaching all students. Advise your
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