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Posts Tagged ‘Children’

‘Have you done your homework?’

‘In a minute. I’ll do it in a minute.’

How many times and in how many homes does the refrain ring out each night?

Getting a child to do homework – without nagging – is one of the main problems of parents with school aged children For many parents, it is a nightly balancing act between helping and supporting their child – and standing over them.

How Can Parents Help?

* Set a regular time for homework. This immediately eliminates the most common homework hassle. You and your child might decide it will be after school and a snack, or before school when they are fresher. Once that homework time comes around, cling to your cannons and send them off to do it.

* Help them stick to it. A few subtle reminders such as ‘Do you want help with the African project now?’ are better than the more blunt ‘Time for homework now.’

* Provide an area for study. Some kids can concentrate in the busy family room, – just don’t turn on the TV or all eyes go to the flickering screen and the brain quickly follows. Other kids like the seclusion of their bedroom, usually with the radio blaring. (Take solace from recent findings – IQ is raised higher by listening to rock music than to classical music.)

* Brainstorm Ideas. Make it a family game. If the project is to design a toy with wheels, it could be a billy cart. Or, with a few zany ideas from you it could be a Ferris wheel, a merry go round, a wheel of fortune…

* Help them locate information. Show them the library is not the only place with information about Cairns. The travel agent, Uncle Pete who lives there, the neighbours who holidayed there are all great sources of facts and fun.

* Discuss problems. Two brains are always better than one. Four or five brains all firing at once are fantastic.

* Teach time management skills. Show children how to break up a major assignment into smaller chunks of work. Make a list of things to be done, suggest deadlines and always allow extra for the trivial finishing touches that take up so much time.

* Never actually do the work yourself. It might be difficult to see the headings crooked and the lines smudged, but grit your teeth and let it go. Homework is about learning, not perfection.

And if They Still Don’t Do Homework?

‘That’s the school’s problem, not the family’s,’ says Rhonda Fitch, a psychologist with many years dealing with school children and their families.

‘Fights about homework can be very detrimental to family relationships. If the homework isn’t done, let the children go to school without it – and experience the logical consequences of their actions.’

For long term problems, she suggests talking with the teacher. Perhaps the homework is too hard. Or too easy. Perhaps not enough feedback is given.

Frequent, friendly talks can provide valuable information about how the child is working and forge strong links between children, parents and teachers. But in the end ‘it is more important to be a parent to your child than a substitute teacher,’ says Rhonda.

Am I Doing it Right?

Research has shown that one of the most important things to come out of homework is the quality of time parents and children spend together – not the actual work.

You were your child’s first teacher. They learnt to walk and talk didn’t they? They learnt to negotiate and share, they understand the importance of helping others, of telling the truth, of loving and giving. After that, helping them with long division should be a cinch.

Besides, you don’t have to know all the answers. If you’re a bit hazy about why the Wall of China was built, there’s nothing wrong with saying ‘I’m not sure. Let’s see if we can find out.’

That way homework becomes a journey of discovery, a search for knowledge together.

SIDEBAR: The School’s Role

It is up to individual schools to set homework guidelines and amounts. The majority of parental complaints to schools are about not enough homework set. However recent research casts doubts on the assumption that homework increases a child’s learning performance.

Schools’ guidelines should include the following:-

* If children are to value homework, it must be valuable. ‘Busy work’ will soon be recognised – and just as soon not completed.

* Homework should be linked to classroom activities. If ‘Animals’ are studied in class, a grammar sheet on England is not particularly appropriate.

* Homework should always be assessed and meaningful feedback given. Written comments tell a child more than a mark out of ten.

* There should be a reasonable time period set for completion. Homework due in ‘tomorrow’ does not allow for other events in a child’s life.

* Schools should remember that learning takes place in many different environments. After school activities such as chess, tennis, woodwork and music lessons, all extend children in a broad and healthy way.

(c) Jen McVeity, National Literacy Champion.

The game of chess is a real test to the mental capabilities of a person.  By testing and training the mental capabilities, the game refines the character of the person who plays chess on a regular basis.  It is this special quality of the game of chess that made it withstand the travails of time and technology for the past 1500 years and still fascinates people.  It is no doubt true that the game of chess will be there for many more centuries to come as long as this humankind, in its present form, exists in the world.

Teaching chess to children and encouraging them to take up the game seriously is one of the best gifts that as parents and well-wishers we can give to our children.  It is not an exaggeration, but a well-researched and proven fact.  Students who were taught to play chess as part of their curriculum in their schools performed extraordinarily in comparison with other students who were not playing chess or not exposed to the game in their schools.

By taking up chess as a sport or a favorite pastime in the young age and practicing the game frequently,  children cultivate very good habits that will not only help them gain expertise in the game of chess, but also guide them for a better, brighter and prosperous life qualitatively.

Children have the unique capability of learning things quickly and grasping them.  Once a child is taught the basic elements of chess and encouraged to play the game, he or she will develop an interest for the game and try to go up the ladder of growth in chess.  In his pursuit to learn more about the intricacies of the game, he will be anxious to read more about the grandmasters, the different types of games, tactics and strategies.  This curiosity will lead him to read more books related to chess, and in the process, he, without his explicit knowledge, cultivate the habit of reading.

One of the things a chess player should do while playing games is to note down the moves or record the notations, which will be useful for later analysis to find out the flaws or mistakes in the concluded game.  Children playing chess will be interested in recording the notations.  This exercise not only helps improve the understanding of the various squares, but also makes them write, which will ultimate improve their writing skills.

In the game of chess, each of the pieces has a set value and identity relative to their capabilities and utility.  The Queen is given 9 points, the rook gets 5 points, the bishop and the knight are assigned 3 points each and the pawns are given 1 point. Knowing the value of the pieces and their importance is very essential in the game of chess so that some sort of balance or equilibrium in terms of the pieces on the board is maintained.  This analytical ability and assessment of values will be of much help to the people while they learn the skill of mathematics or such other analytical skills.

Product Description
A large-format, fun, comprehensive workbook and instruction book for children and adults. who are new to chess or who are in the beginning stages of learning to play the royal game. Ten basic chess lessons and chess rules are presented in detail. Chess Workbook for Children can be used in conjunction with the book Teaching Chess in the 21st Century, a teaching guide for teachers or parents, complete with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards. Nationa… More >>

Chess Workbook for Children: The Chess Detective’s Introduction to the Royal Game

• ISBN13: 9781904600060
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product Description
With this charming book, children will delight in learning the basic moves of chess – the most popular and challenging strategy game of all. All the rules of chess are clearly explained, step by step, assuming no prior knowledge. The lessons are reinforced by the inventive tales that George is told by his pet alligator Kirsty, self-proclaimed Grand Alligator of chess. Chess is recognized in many countries as a useful tool for developing creative thinking in chil… More >>

Chess for Children