Today was my first experience with real parent-teacher interviews. Prior to this, we've had interviews at the kids' nursery school, and with kindergarten teachers. But those were more about social development and behaviour than real academic performance. Grade One is a different … [Read more...]
3 Keys to Overcoming Learned Helplessness
Do any of your children suffer from learned helplessness? Do they seem to give up or quit as soon as a task gets difficult? Do they ever refuse to try activities, or get labeled as lazy or unmotivated? Are mistakes or failures usually blamed on other people or conditions? Well, the good news is that … [Read more...]
Brown Bag Turkey and a Trip to the Farmer’s Market
I finally downloaded some pictures from Thanksgiving. Here's my twenty-pound turkey in all it's glistening, savoury glory: I prepared the turkey in a brown bag. It's absolutely no-fail to the extreme. It's my ninth year doing this, and every single year, the bird is impeccably … [Read more...]
Teachers are awesome
Last night was Curriculum Night at my kids' school. It's a big, inner-city Toronto school with over 650 kids. I grew up in small town in the Maritimes, and my school experience was nothing like this. I am kind of freaked out by the largeness of everything in my kids' life, … [Read more...]
Creative Solutions for the Lunchbox Blaaahs
"Mum, I am so sick of turkey sandwiches!" And those were his words exactly. The Boy is in Grade One and takes his lunch every day. I don't mind eating the same things for lunch every day; my son, however, likes variety. By Day 3 he was tiring of my turkey sandwich/baby … [Read more...]
Learning to Remember
How would you rate your memory? Excellent? Good? Fair? (Or perhaps you've already forgotten the question?!)Every day many demands are made on your child's memory--be it learning the sounds letters make, new words, math facts, or perhaps even difficult scientific formulas. For some, this complex and … [Read more...]
First day jitters
Yesterday was the kids' first day at school. The Boy started Grade One and the Girl is in Senior Kindergarten. They're both in French Immersion at the same school and will come home on the same bus. The day unfolded in a completely different manner than what I expected (Isn't that … [Read more...]
Be Firm, Fair & Consistent
As a teacher and parenting coach, I am often asked to share tips on how parents can control their one or two kids as effortlessly as many teachers manage a class of twenty-five or thirty. Although setting limits and boundaries is a necessary part of teaching and parenting, it isn't always … [Read more...]
Does Your Child Have a Learning Disability?
Is your child struggling in school, or perhaps in one or two specific subjects or areas? While there can be many reasons for this, one reason many children fail to achieve good grades in school is the existence of an undiagnosed learning disability. WHAT IS A LD? Learning disabilities come in many … [Read more...]
Tips to Support Struggling Learners
As a parent you hate to see your kids struggle--be it physically, emotionally, or academically. Luckily for them (and you) most of these times are likely short lived and your children soon forget. But what if struggle has become part of their daily lives .. especially at school? This month I'd like … [Read more...]