Give Your Child the Gift of Self-Esteem

By Cassie Simons

 Much has been said about the "gifted child" but in truth every child is born with unlimited potential. As expressed so well by Orison Marden:

"Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him, that he never dreamed of possessing; forces that would revolutionize his life if aroused and put into action."

This statement can be true for your child. Not just if he's a "gifted child" but any child. Indeed, perhaps we should consider a "gifted child" to be a child whose parents have gifted him with a high self-esteem.

Children with high self-esteem are happier and more successful. Low self-esteem is common in children who are performing badly at school, have behavioral problems and suffer from depression.

The Newborn

The "helpless" newborn baby actually comes into the world well equipped with the power to get what she wants. Not only do her cries bring her parents running to tend to her; she also uses her body and facial language to get what she wants. It's no coincidence that babies learn to smile while they are still very small - it is an essential tool in their armory of communication. A baby with a disarming smile can frequently wrap mommy or daddy round her little finger!

Brain Building through Smart Play - Techniques and Tips

By Andrew Loh

All parents simply love to have children, who are extremely smart and intelligent with an ability to perform better in their personal and professional life. Till recently, we believed that there is not much that we can do to help our children develop their brains. Most of us were under a wrong impression that intelligence and smartness are inherited and it is almost impossible to enhance our children intelligence after the birth. However, recent monumental research studies on brain-based development in children suggest us that parents can do and perform a lot to help their children develop their brain based activities. The basic brain cells are very rudimentary and basic in a just born baby. However, most of the important brain connections and bridging between neurons occur during the first 10 years of your child's life.

Smart play is a new and modern term that helps your child develop basic brain based skills and talent that goes far behind the conventional type of intelligence that is restricted mainly to academic performance. Academic performance is an essential part of your child's life, but there are certain things that cannot be expressed through mundane scholastic abilities. There are the skills and intelligence that cannot be quantified or measured, just as we do in the case of classroom performance. These skills are absolutely essential for your child's success in life and they are almost invisible to your eyes. These smart play skills can just be felt and perceived.

How Parents Could Influence The EQ and IQ of Their Children

Harvard's visiting faculty member, Daniel Goleman, the author of the highly renowned EQ book, has pointed out that the best place for children to learn EQ is at home. The direction and values of life are formed at home. The way they speak and act are very much influenced by their parents. Even though gene plays the nature part; it is the parental teaching that determines their future.

We all know that parents bear a great responsibility in upbringing of their children. Experiences gained from educationalist again and again proved that parents are the one who would decide how successful are their children when they reach their adulthood. How a parent behaves in his/her daily live subconsciously play a vital role in molding the behavior of the children. In addition, the home education system adopted by the parents and the level of support given to their children will directly affect their children's behavior development and problem-solving ability. A self-confident child usually comes from the family filled with encouragement and praising rather than scolding and punishment. Likewise, helpful children mostly learn to behave the similar way from their parents.

The research from F.E. Williams, a well-known American educationalist, shows that whether the creativity of the children will continue to develop depends upon the attitude of their parents. His research divided the children into 3 groups namely: lucky group, failure group and conforming group.

Music Develops The Child Brain

By Alvin Poh

Music has the ability to train our brain for higher level of thinking - the kind of thinking for problem solving, comparing and contrasting the similarities and difference between objects, analyzing, reaching conclusion, synthesizing, and evaluating information.

In recent research, it was found that music can help in developing human's spatial-temporal reasoning skill. Spatial-temporal reasoning is the ability to perceive the visual world accurately and form mental images of objects. It is the mind ability to see in very detailed images and to recognize, compare and find relationships among the patterns and details on an object. The temporal element involves a child's ability to think ahead.

Factors That Influence Child Development

A variety of factors influence the overall growth and development of the child -- structure of the family, home environment, sibling rivalry, marital relationship of the parents, social circle comprising of relatives, friends and peers.

A child may be brought up in different family structures -- nuclear family, joint family, extended family circle, single parent family or even reconstituted family.

Child Development Research

Bringing up children is an experience and not a burden. It is not as complex a task as many parents think. Parents are generally the prime role model that children look up to. Hence, the appropriateness of dealing with a situation coupled with right attitude creates a huge difference in the child’s life.

The current generation adults seem to find parenting, a major challenge. Technological advances, ease of access to the latest information, rapid changes in the thinking pattern, high-pace high-competition world make the parent’s life quite intimidating. 

Child Development And Technology

Research reports on the effect of technology on child development states that the influence of technology on children is mixed. The way kids of the present generation perceive and think is much different as compared to the previous generations.

Child Development And Family Research

The overall development of the child at various levels (physical, mental, social, emotional) depends on the environment in which he or she grows in. A cohesive harmonious family shows the commitment of a child to help and support him in his growth.

Thus, a happy child achieves the best level of confidence and self-development in a gratifying family environment with positive reinforcement from the members and constructive guidance from the parents.

Guidelines for Raising a Well-Behaved Child

• Whenever possible, teach rather than punish. The goal of discipline is to teach children acceptable behavior. Hitting children does not teach acceptable behavior. It teaches children that "might makes right" and hitting is a way to solve problems.

• View children’s misbehavior as a mistake in judgment. It will be easier to think of ways to teach more acceptable behavior.

How do children learn what is right and wrong?

    Children do what they see, more than what you say. It is important for you to provide a good model for your child to follow.

    Children pass through different stages of moral development beginning in early childhood and advancing through adulthood.

    Very young children do not really understand the concept of right and wrong. For them, what is "good" is what they like and what is "bad" is what they don't like. Therefore, it is important for adults to provide controls and limits for them. This is especially true for children who have no words to tell themselves, "No, don't pick the flowers."

10 Tips for talking with kids about tough issues

Introduction

   Raising a child is probably the most gratifying job any of us will ever have -- and one of the toughest. In large part, that's because times have changed. We live in an increasingly complex world that challenges us everyday with a wide range of disturbing issues that are difficult for children to understand and for adults to explain.

   Some parents and caregivers may question the appropriateness of talking about such sensitive topics with young children. Maybe you're one of them. But consider this: our kids are already hearing about these issues from TV, movies, magazines and school friends. If we don't talk with them early and often -- and answer their questions -- they'll get their facts from someone else. And we'll have missed an important opportunity to offer our children information that's not only accurate, but also in sync with our own personal values and moral principles.

How to Keep You Kid Entertained With Toys

It's not very hard to keep a kid entertained with something to play with. In this electronic age every toy seems to require batteries or software in order to work.

However, kid's toys don't have to be sophisticated in order to be fun. Toys that require thinking and the imagination are the best toys that help aide the child in mental development.

Sudoku for kids and connect four both require critical thinking in order to win. This is precisely what parents should be looking for. Games that rely on chance won't do much to benefit a child. A game of chess or checkers on the other hand can be very beneficial. I will be discussing a few kinds of toys and games that aide in stimulating children to learn more.

How to Help Your Child Learn To Read

Words are the tools of thinking and expression. Perhaps one of the greatest home-aids to a child's reading is helping the child develop the art of marking and underlining in order to identify easily the significant material to be remembered. This practice is called "reading with a pencil in hand." It is a practice so valuable as to be worth buying books to be marked.

There are three important underlinings which should be used. The child should be taught to underline fundamental vocabulary words, and this can be started with the very first book that deals with subject matter. The method suggested for fundamental vocabulary words is a line above a shorter line (number, add, count, subtract, multiply, fraction, arithmetic, problem, divide).

The longer line stands for definition, and the shorter line stands for spelling. The second grader who underlines number in his book Fun With Numbers will not be spelling it (nomber) when he is a junior in secondary school, and the fourth grader who learns the definition of the word fraction will not be having trouble with fractions as an eighth grader, because he only learned about fractions, but really never knew what the word meant in terms of whole experience.

How to Help Children Like School

It is an awful feeling for a parent to have to force a child who doesn't like school to go anyway. But of course, you have to make your kids attend school (because education is compulsory for one thing but also because it's important).

So the key is to work on getting your children to like school from a young age on. There are a myriad of reasons that your child might not like school; identifying the reasons and then using some tricks to help overcome them can help your children like school from elementary age on.

Enhancing Right Brain Learning - Methods and Strategies

By Andrew Loh

In many areas of our educational system, the right hand side of the brain has no role to play or very limited role to show. Under utilization of right lobe of brain could be the biggest deterrent to your children's academic and professional success. Using the right side of the brain can provide your children a number of benefits and advantages. The left side of the brain always relies on academic drills, repetition of exercises, periodical tests and quizzes and linear and methodical approaches that eventually help your children enhance and build memory. On the other hand, right lobe of the brain depends on visual and graphical stimulation that relies on developing excellent photographic memory abilities, very strong visualization skills and extra ordinary creativity.

Applying Edward de Bono's Principles - Lateral Thinking

By Andrew Loh

 "Intelligence is something we are born with. Thinking is a skill that must be learned." - Edward de Bono

Lateral thinking theory developed and pioneered by Dr. Edward de Bono, provides a deliberate, well-planned and systematic process that eventually results in creative thinking and problem solving abilities. Lateral thinking process assists you in many ways like:

•  Think in a creative manner
•  Convert difficult problems into definite opportunities
•  Help increase number of ideas and new vistas by using and adapting unconventional thinking techniques and methods.
•  Tap the hidden talents and skills to find solutions to problems.
  

HELP YOUR CHILD LEARN THAT CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES

   Experiencing the consequences of their choices is one of the most effective ways children can learn self-discipline. These lessons really last because they come from real life. Most success in life depends on making wise choices. Being able to think ahead about the positive or negative consequences of an action and choose accordingly is a skill we want our children to learn.

Praise and your kids

   Praise is a valuable shaper; children want to please you and keep your approval. Yet, you can easily overdo it. Praise the behavior, not the person. Praises like "good girl" or "good boy" risk misinterpretation and are best reserved for training pets. These labels are too heavy for some children. ("If I don't do well, does that mean I'm bad?") Better is: "You did a good job cleaning your room." "That's a good decision." "I like the way you used lots of color in this picture." The child will see that the praise is sincere since you made the effort to be specific; it shows that you're paying attention. For quickies try "Great job!" or "Way to go!" or even "Yesss!" To avoid the "I'm valued by my performance" trap, acknowledge the act and let the child conclude the act is praiseworthy. If you praise every other move the child makes he will either get addicted to praise, or wonders why you are so desperate to make him feel good about himself. Be realistic. You don't have to praise, or even acknowledge, things he just does for the joy of it, for his own reasons.

Elementary School Curriculum Design

  It is believed that 2/3rds of a human being’s intellect is formed in the initial years of life. The years of elementary education are truly the magical years of a child’s life that can either make or mar the child’s personality. The foundation of 
The school authorities and the facilitators who have taken upon the responsibility of nurturing children through these formative years should definitely be clear with their objectives. The curriculum at the elementary level should be designed in such a way that all realms of child learning are tapped to the best potential.

Teaching Your Children Independence Thinking Skills - How Parents can be Proactive in Training their children

   Tying shoelaces, buttoning the shirt, cleaning the study table, doing laundry and doing homework on own without parents' help - these are some of the most common, yet important responsibilities for a child. These simple activities may look and feel very simple to many of us. However, they can pose a big challenge for most of the children, who are under the age of 10 years. To an adult, these simple jobs may look monotonous and regular. However, these perceived simple tasks may look humungous to all children. Children must learn and master many skills and techniques, before they leave home for their higher studies. Acquiring independence thinking skills at an early age will help your children build confidence and self-esteem.

   Young children and toddlers often like to do and perform very meaningful and understandable “adult-type” tasks. Many times, they are too enthusiastic about doing things on their own. What they lack are the techniques or methods to perform these tasks. To help your children succeed in learning independence skills, you may need to set up a congenial physical environment to assist them become more independent.

Developing Child Independence Thinking Skills

   

   Critical independent thinking skills are very important for your children. These important skills can enhance self-esteem and promote an ability to meet any challenging situation with ease and optimism. However, as parents we can hinder our children's ability to develop independence thinking skills, by helping or doing more than they actually need. Sometimes, we may even never realize that we are actually doing all the work for them. In life, parents just love their children and they want to take care of their children in every possible way. However, parents may also forget that going all the way to help their children, may actually hinder their children's ability to develop independence thinking skills.

   One of the primary goals of parents is to help children develop the intense desire and ability to think on their own and without other's help. Independent thinking is the desire or wish of a person to convince him or her that the information and detail being presented is true, worthy or reasonable.

Teaching your children to pick up their toys

   When children are taught from an early age to pick up their toys after playing, the process becomes routine. Not requiring immediate cleanup when kids are little leads to difficulty later on. Solutions can be achieved, however, at any age. The goal of this article is to both offer advice on how to make very young kids learn to pick up after themselves so the process becomes second nature and how to teach older children the same responsibility even if they have not been required to do so in the past.

Communicating With Kids

   It is vital to be responsible, consistent and loving with your kid. This holds true for the relationship you have with your spouse, your parents, and other family members and friends that are part of your child's life too. Own up to| mistakes as soon as you make them, and communicate open and truly with all family members.

   Many of us believe that someone's behavior and the way they perceive themselves are identical. However, these are completely different things.

   If you start to attack a child's manners as though it were the same as his value, then he will become defensive, and naturally will protect his behavior, even when he knows he is mistaken.

Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

   

   Behaviourism is based on the notion that development is learned and is strongly influenced by environmental factors. Many behaviourists stand by the fundamentals of this belief but feel that Skinner was short-sighted in believing that cognition doesn't play an important role. Social Cognitive Theory emphasises the principle that behaviour, environment, and cognition operate together, each exerting important influence on the others.

Factors That Influence Child Development

   A variety of factors influence the overall growth and development of the child -- structure of the family, home environment, sibling rivalry, marital relationship of the parents, social circle comprising of relatives, friends and peers.

   A child may be brought up in different family structures -- nuclear family, joint family, extended family circle, single parent family or even reconstituted family.

Types of Child's Play

 
   You often hear the phrase “child’s play” bandied about when something is deemed easy or unimportant. In reality true child’s play is anything but. Play is the means by which children explore their worlds and make sense of their surroundings, which is what ultimately informs their worldviews and opinions. What may look like frivolous activity to some adults is actually very important research on the child’s behalf.

Ideas for Teaching Manners to Children

  Teaching your child manners can be challenging. She might not understand fully, become defiant or resist your teachings. However, manners are a necessity in polite society, and a providing a proper learning environment can help your child grasp these ideas and become fully prepared for social situations at an early age.

The Advantages of Games in Teaching Children

  A good game provides multiple learning opportunities for children. Selecting a quality game is the key to using recreational time as a learning experience. The game, according to Rheta DeVries for the University of Northern Iowa, should be challenging enough to hold the child's interest, but no so challenging that the parent must constantly explain the process to the child. Participate in the game, rather than supervise, to model good behavior.

How to Teach Your Child Manners

It's never too early or too late to teach your child about proper etiquette.

- Set a good example. It's unfair to expect politeness of a child if his parents are not polite themselves.

5 Step to Talk to Kids About Money

   

   You first start learning about teaching your kids about money on that special trip to the supermarket when your child first throws a tantrum because you won't buy her a Barbie doll.

   Some people will grab the child from the shopping cart and leave the store fuming and red in the face.

   Other parents might opt to purchase it (hey, it's only five bucks) just to continue shopping in peace and avoid any future humiliation. Eventually you will have to learn to say "No" and teach your kids about money.

Only children still develop social skills

   No brothers or sisters? No problem, according to a U.S. study that found growing up without siblings did not diminish teenagers' social skills.

   A study of more than 13,000 middle and high school students found that only children were selected as friends by schoolmates as often as youngsters with brothers and sisters.

   "I don't think anyone has to be concerned that if you don't have siblings, you won't learn the social skills you need to get along with other students in high school," said researcher Donna Bobbitt-Zeher of Ohio State University.

   Bobbitt-Zeher, who conducted the study with Douglas Downey, said a trend towards smaller families in industrialized nations had raised concerns in recent years that a lack of siblings might hurt children's social skills.

   "The fear is that they may be losing something by not learning social skills through interacting with siblings," she said.

Sharing Hobbies

  While children often have a natural love and appreciation for their grandparents spending time together can be even more enjoyable when the two generations have a few things in common. One of the best ways for grandparents to form close and lasting bonds with their grandkids is to spend time with them when they are young, introducing them to Grandma and Grandpa's hobbies and interests.

Little Buddies

   Most times, when children get together with their grandparents, the goal is to have fun. Grandparents and grandchildren are frequently the best of buddies and the kids are likely to enjoy most any activity that includes their favourite family members. Sharing interests with grandchildren provides more than just some fun and memorable days; many times, kids will develop lifelong interests in golf, fishing, painting, bird watching, sewing, or flying radio controlled airplanes because a loving grandparents took the time to introduce them to a new hobby.

Kids and Art

   

   Kids are naturally creative and enjoy expressing themselves through various art forms. Grandparents can help to encourage their grandchildren's artistic endeavors by providing materials and participating hands-on with their grandchildren as they explore various media.

Fostering Creativity
   Young children are often uninhibited in their expressiveness happily creating without regard to the idea that there might be "right" and "wrong" ways to use materials. In order to allow children to be truly engaged in their art, this type of attitude should be promoted and encouraged to last as long as possible. All too often, creativity is squelched in young children by well meaning adults who try to guide kids to repeat what has been done before, rather than allowing them the freedom to create in their own unique methods and styles.

Thirteen Ways to Raise a Nonreader

1. Never read where your children can see you.
 

2. Put a TV or computer in every room. Don’t neglect the bedrooms and kitchen.
 

3. Correct your child every time she mispronounces a word. 

How to Improve Your Child's IQ: Learning the Basics

By Andrew Loh

   Many of us will do whatever we can to assist our children reach success both in the school and future life. Parents try hard to make their children smart and talented by sending them to best school and by creating highly conducive environment for emotional and physical growth. But, in spite of putting hard effort, most of us are not really satisfied with the progress that our children achieve. In many cases, parents try to measure the degree of their children's success with the grades or scores achieved in the classroom. Sometimes, parents also try to compare their children's score with their peers in the class. Experts believe that such comparisons could be wrong and counter-productive in the long run as intelligence or talent are those characters that cannot be created nor can one establish. Now, the big question is can parents raise their children's intelligence? The expert opinion and feelings are equally split, with some of the experts agreeing to this hypothesis while others totally disagreeing to the idea.

How to say no to your child

   How to say no to your child and being a consistent disciplinary figure is crucial for your child's sense of security.

   When our children are babies they can be so darn adorable that we hate to do anything that displeases them. Most of our time is spent trying to make our children laugh or smile and when it comes time for discipline, many of us take the soft road to spare our own hearts as well as our children’s. It can be soul-wrenching to see a baby’s lower lip turn down and see his entire body shake with sobs from the insult of being reprimanded by those whom he loves so very much. However, if we want to raise children who understand the meaning of the word ‘no’ and want to keep the number of screaming, kicking tantrums to a minimum, we must start from the very beginning with a firm stance that shows we mean business and won’t back down, no matter how adorably sad our little one’s face may be.

Disciplining Children

  
   Disciplining children can be a parent’s worst nightmare. No one enjoys having to tell children that they are acting inappropriately but on occasion it does need to be done. Disciplining children, however, is an integral part of teaching children about our cultural norms. Discipline is distinct from punishment in that all discipline strives to show children what is considered appropriate, and why this is the case. Through discipline children learn personal responsibility, societal norms and how to function healthfully and happily in their society.

B.F. Skinner's Behavioural Theory

   

   Parents have long known that children respond to a system of rewards and punishments. While to say that this is a simplification of the theories of famed behaviourist B.F. Skinner would be an understatement it is accurately descriptive of the most basic aspect of his beliefs. Operant behaviour and operant conditioning, Skinnner's most widely acclaimed work, is based on a system of both positive and negative reinforcement.

Homework Tips on Reading: What Parents Can Do

1. Have your child read aloud to you every night.2Choose a quiet place, free from distractions, for your child to do his nightly reading assignments.

 

2. As your child reads, point out spelling and sound patterns such as cat, pat, hat.

 

3. When your child reads aloud to you and makes a mistake, point out words she has missed and help her to read the word correctly.

 

4. After your child has stopped to correct a word he has read, have him go back and reread the entire sentence from the beginning to make sure he understands what the sentence is saying.

 

5. Ask your child to tell you in her own words what happened in a story.

6. To check your child's understanding of what he is reading, occasionally pause and ask your child questions about the characters and events in the story.

 

7. Ask your child why she thinks a character acted in a certain way and ask your child to support her answer with information from the story.

 

8. Before getting to the end of a story, ask your child what he thinks will happen next and why.

Right Brain Kids at Home - 7 Secrets to Teach Your Kids Life Skills Start From Right Brain Training

   Right Brain is creativity, imagination etc. Children at age 3 to 6 are very dominant in their right brain. They are creative, imaginative, asking lots of surprising questions. Parents have to be often observed this behavior and find the correct ways to teach them how to make use of this talent!

10 Family Guidelines for Living with a hyperactive child

1. Accept your child's limitations.
Parents should not expect to eliminate the hyperactivity but just keep it under reasonable control. Hyperactivity is not intentional. Any undue criticism or attempts to change your child into a quiet child or "model child" will cause more harm than good. You must accept the fact that your child is intrinsically active and energetic and possibly always will be. Nothing is more helpful for the hyperactive child than having a tolerant, patient, low-key parent.

10 Tips for Talking with Kids About the News

   

   Whether and how kids should consume the news really depends on the child and how that news is presented. As parents, we all sense that kids today are growing up too fast. The simple truth is that they have access to much more information than previous generations. To help you decide what's right for your child, Talking with Kids describes three different age groups and possible effects of their exposure to news. Keep in mind these generalizations may not be true for all children.

Child Brain Building through Smart Play - Basics of Brain-Building

Here are some major factors that you need to consider while building your baby's brain:

Sense of touch: Deep love and affection are two magic potions that can help your baby build its brain and its processing powers. The power of touch may include loving gesture, smooth touch, gentle massaging, cuddling, holding, hugging. These simple gesture work like miracles to develop your baby's fine senses as well.

Child Brain Building through Smart Play - Understanding the Basics

By Andrew Loh

   All babies are born with their rudimentary brains ready to adapt to the ever changing external stimulus and internal needs of the body. An infant's brain is a complex organ that is designed to perform a series of highly complicated and difficult functions. A typical baby brain grows at a lightening pace to build a series of connections as the babies start learning and experiencing the essence of life. A baby's primary brain grows and develops throughout the life though the rate of development is always the fastest during the first 20 years of human life.

How Parents Can Encourage Teens to Read

You know that reading is important, and you obviously want to make sure that your teenager grows into adulthood with all the skills he or she needs to succeed. The following is a list of ways that to encourage your teens to read. 

Kids Learning to Write

   Kids begin to learn basic writing skills the very first time that they pick up a crayon. Those initial scribbles help little ones to enjoy the feel of a writing instrument as well as the sense of accomplishment that comes from putting something down on paper.

Writing Stages
   There are a number of stages that children go through on their way to becoming accomplished writers.

   Two Year Olds: In the beginning their lines are typically uncontrolled and random, with children simply enjoying the process without working toward a specific goal.

5 Activities To Encourage A Love of Math In Your Children

Oftentimes parents invest a lot of money in thick workbooks to teach their kids math. Some children are open to workbooks. Others are not. If your child is bored by workbooks, don't fret. There are plenty of other ways to teach math - and they're fun!

10 Things I Wish I'd Known About Learning Disabilities

1. Trust yourself. Although his teachers said my son was fine, I knew in my heart that something was wrong: He skipped words while reading, spelled words differently each time he wrote them, and couldn't subtract to save his soul.

2. Trust your child. I knew my child was smart. But like many children with learning disabilities, he has strengths that aren't necessarily valued in the classroom — visual, spatial and musical abilities, good interpersonal skills, and a terrific sense of humor — while struggling with the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Stimulating Brain Power in Children: Simple Things Parents Can Do

By Andrew Loh

Before you want to stimulate your child's brain functions, you will need to know and understand a number of basic activities of brain. Brain is a mysterious organ that can play an important role in your child's success. Structure ad functioning of brain in an optimal manner is a necessity to lead a life of contentment and satisfaction. Your child's brain works based on some core principles that are too important for normal brain development. Some of these are:

Stimulating Brain Power in Children

By Andrew Loh

   Young children and growing toddlers learn and develop every day and week by keenly observing the things that happen around them. An infant's brain structure will have more than a million highly charged nerve cells while a child aged 4 years will possess more than 10 million brain cells with their energetic and agile neurons. All these neurons are amazing structures that grow and connect with each other's in the confines of brain.

Helping Create a Positive School Attitude 10 Timely Tips for School Success

By Phillip Mountrose

 

   We all know how important it is for children to succeed in school. School is where they spend so much of their childhood; and the effects of school experiences can last a lifetime. Here, then, are some easy-to-use, practical tips that can make a difference for the kids in your life. Remember that any time a child experiences a positive shift in his or her school outlook, many other areas can also benefit.

10 Options for Reading Outside the Book

  
   Picking up a book on summer vacation might be the last thing on your child's mind. And maybe that's okay -- everyone is entitled to a break now and then. But taking a break from books doesn't have to mean taking a break from reading.

   There are plenty of ways to keep reading beyond books. The key is to tune into interests kids already have. If your daughter loves swimming, provide ways for her to learn more about this sport through articles, brochures, tip sheets, and even catalogues. Let a video game-obsessed child read instructions, reviews, and strategy books.

Enhancing Development Through Play

   

   Children use play not simply as a fun past-time or a way to amuse themselves for a little while but as research into the world around them. When they are born, children can do very little for themselves and know very little about the world or their places in it. As they play, children come to understand more about the world and themselves and develop the physical, cognitive, emotional and social skills that they will need to live independently later in life. Through quiet, creative, active, cooperative and dramatic play children get the chance to work on these skills and more.

3 Activities to Help Utilize Brain Power

Author: steve magill

   Increasing our brain power  is something not impossible to do. All of us are born with the capacity to learn and for most of us; we tend to rely on what is already given to us. But we can increase this capacity to utilize our brain

through certain exercises and activities. Here are some of those things that may be useful to you or if you are a parent, to your child:

Brain development with mental math

Author: Dhaval Shrimankar

   Children have an amazing ability to learn, but their vast brain potential is not always nurtured to the fullest extent.

   With the proper guidance and tools, children as young as 4 or 5 are capable of mastering mathematical skills and calculating ability that will yield benefits that last a lifetime.

   "Learning Mathematics with the Abacus" is a set of books offering simple, enjoyable instructions for using the abacus, an ancient calculating device that provides modern children with valuable mental stimulation and proficiency in mathematics.

A Child's Relationship With Their Grandparents

   

   Children’s relationships with their grandparents will differ widely. Some children will consider their grandparents as kind of substitute parents while others may look upon them as something akin to a fairytale – they hear a lot about them but haven’t actually laid eyes on them lately. Regardless of how often your children and their grandparents can see each other there are many things that parents can do to foster a relationship between their children and their parents.

Creative Play: Stimulate Your Child's Natural Talents

By Andrew Loh

   A critical aspect of your child's early childhood learning and brain development is to engage in creative play. Everyone knows that children learn by playing and mimicking things around them. This is the nature's way that allows them to learn, discover and master about so many things around them, in their house and school. A major part of the learning process in a child involves adapting to a number of learning situations and choosing the exact process to master those varying situations. Play is a state of child's mind. It is safe, pro-active, emotional, probing, inquisitive and learning in its nature. It also exists in the moment and during active hours of day.

Children and Problem Solving

   On of the most important skills that children need to master is their ability to become independent thinkers and problem solvers. The basis of all future learning lies in the ability to break down a problem into manageable parts until a solution is determined so building children's abilities as well as their confidence, is vital to producing children who are challenged, rather than frustrated, when faced with new situations.

How Art Improves Your Child's Development

Creativity and Children

   Many studies have been done in the past two decades regarding the importance of art and creativity in the development of children. Working extensively in the arts (visual art, music, and theater) with at-risk youth these past eight years, I have come to realize that visual art activities work on several important skills in a child's development.

10 Tips for Choosing Books for Children of All Ages

• Have children choose their own books as soon as they start showing a preference for one over another.
  
• Find the children's section of your local library. Get to know the librarian, who can be a great resource.
  
• Find out what your child is interested in, and help choose books that are related to his or her interests.

10 Tips for Parents of School-age Children

1. Read aloud with and to your child every day

•   Experts recommend 30 minutes a day
•   Pick books that are too long or difficult for your child to read on his own
•   Choose genres that your child prefers

 2. Create a print rich home environment

•   Include both books (and books on tape) and writing materials
•   Include newspapers and child-oriented versions of popular magazines     (e.g., Time for Kids, National Geographic for Kids)
•   Set aside a special reading area in your homeand make sure everyone uses it

Tips for Back to School Reading and Beyond

   Below are some fun and practical ways to make reading a normal and natural part of family life and encourage kids of varying ages to get reading-ready as they head back to the classroom and prepare to dive into books all year long.
    
   Book graffiti wall - Put up a piece of poster paper and label it the "Great Book Graffiti Wall." Have your children draw a pattern on the paper to make it look like a brick wall. Then encourage them to draw pictures and write recommendations based on the books they have read or are reading.

   Record your child's favorite book - A cassette recorder is one way to enable younger children to enjoy a favorite book again and again. Grandparents, parents, older brothers or sisters can record their favorite stories on tape or the whole family can join in and play different characters.

Activities for Kids Right- brain for kids (4-10 years)

Right- brain (ages 7 to 10)

    *  Find a picture in a magazine the child finds interesting. Use a ruler to section off a 3 by 3-inch part of the image and then cut away the rest.
    * Encourage the child’s right-brain to take over and make creative decisions through recreating the small section of the picture. When children are not sure of what they are drawing Carneiro finds the left-brain is tricked into thinking the activity is not worth its time, and allows the right brain to take charge.
    * Instead of using a pencil to sketch out the drawing first, offer the child oil pastels for drawing along with a 9 by 9-inch piece of drawing paper. Play music while he is working and offer him support in creating his artwork as needed.

Right Brain vs. Left Brain: Children & Creativity

    Most young children are excited about doing a creative activity, while others rush through a project or are quick to complain, “I can’t draw.” The child that doodles while listening to directions instead of attentively keeping eye contact frustrates many a teacher. Some adults might struggle to understand their child’s quirky obsession with wearing matching clothing at all times. This actually has more to do with the brain than one might think. A young child’s brain is simply letting its dominant side take over, and not blending with the other in order to reach its full potential.

Cause of ADHD?

    Scientists are not sure what causes ADHD, although many studies suggest that genes play a large role. Like many other illnesses, ADHD probably results from a combination of factors. In addition to genetics, researchers are looking at possible environmental factors, and are studying how brain injuries, nutrition, and the social environment might contribute to ADHD.

Genes.
     Inherited from our parents, genes are the "blueprints" for who we are. Results from several international studies of twins show that ADHD often runs in families. Researchers are looking at several genes that may make people more likely to develop the disorder. Knowing the genes involved may one day help researchers prevent the disorder before symptoms develop. Learning about specific genes could also lead to better treatments.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

What is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

     Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity).

ADHD has three subtypes:

Brain-based Learning

Definition

This learning theory is based on the structure and function of the brain. As long as the brain is not prohibited from fulfilling its normal processes, learning will occur.

Discussion

People often say that everyone can learn. Yet the reality is that everyone does learn. Every person is born with a brain that functions as an immensely powerful processor. Traditional schooling, however, often inhibits learning by discouraging, ignoring, or punishing the brain’s natural learning processes.

Language Development in Young Children

 by Donald G. Jamieson

CEO and Scientific Director, Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network

    A child’s first words are eagerly anticipated by parents, who proudly celebrate the astonishingly rapid progress we see as most children acquire new words and new language skills during their first years of life.

    While spoken language comes naturally to most children, all children make errors of various kinds, and language learning unfolds over our entire lifetimes. Thus, for a time, I called my older sister “Buff” – rather than by her real name, Beth. I could hear the final “th” sound but I just couldn’t get my mouth to pronounce this.

Intellectual development of school children

Intellectual development of school children. Can be classified according to age as follows.

Age 6 years.            

     Children this age can see the difference between objects such as differences in various patterns. They understand the meaning behind the front top and bottom around them, but do not understand the near term or distant locations. Children this age still think about today. But think about their own stories in it. Of attention to short-term. Interest in activities, but do not satisfy the success of such activities. Children will actively work they like. But when all attention now to undo. They do not care that the work is successful or not.

Intellectual Development - school- aged children

      Understanding the development of the intelligence of school- aged children.

It is important for planning and preparation for learning and skills development of your baby.  

      School-aged children is to prepare the physical ,social and emotional intelligence. If children are in an environment that promotes development.

Their environment allows them to adapt to new experiences or new environment seamlessly. Children in this age is the age of learning. It will begin to understand what is close to the first, then learn from the experience that or different.

       When children start learning. They will learn new experiences. From the incident. It will add or enhance intellectual development of children. Because children participating will receive a stimulating curiosity The curious will be important to allow children to develop intelligence, language and emotions. If children can learn and have enough experience. They can think and solve problems themselves.

12 ways to create habit of learning for your child.

The main problem of study, most children are caused by two major things are. 

     The First one is Children not in the habit of learning. 

     The Second Kids do not know the time to share a book. 

      It is therefore important that you father mother to help build the habit of learning for children. These may take the start in earnest about 1 -2 weeks, but used consistently. Will help to build character. The techniques that will help create a character that follows.

Five easy activities that encourage children to practice thinking.

     Thinking is more creativity on both the child and others. The children will understand and have skills that a good idea. Model requires the experiences of parents. These activities as a. As a guide. Invite the children to apply thought.

Introduction

Education2Kid is a blog offering information. Tips and techniques helpful to parents who have children aged between 3-12 years to plan for the future of education for your child.