Educators 2009 : Page 3

dear teacher By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts Is your child stumped by story problems? Plus: First grade readiness … Homeschooling groups … Canning cursive … Motivating Lazy Learners … and more PARENT: Last year, my daughter struggled with math story problems. It’s the same story this year in eighth grade. She has no trouble reading the words, but still can’t understand how to get the answer. Is there any way to help her? TEACHERS: Your daughter is not alone. Solving story problems in math is a major roadblock for many students – even in the upper grades. Even good readers find them challenging to understand, as it’s hard to sort out relationships with so many facts and figures jammed into just a few words. To learn to solve problems, your daughter must solve problems. In other words, the more problems your daughter solves, the better her problem-solving skills will become. Use the following four steps to help her learn how to tackle story problems with more confidence: 1. Understand the problem Your daughter must be able to examine the information in a problem first. Have her write down all the known and unknown facts about the problem. She might even find it helpful to draw a diagram to show the facts and relationships of a problem. Have her cross out all the irrelevant information and re-read the last sentence several times, for it will usually tell what needs to be found out to solve the problem. 2. Think of ways to solve the problem This is difficult until children gain more experience and are able to relate previously- solved problems to current problems. In complex one-step problems, it can be helpful for them to find the biggest number and then decide whether the answer is likely to be more or less than this number. If it’s more, the problem will probably be solved by using addition or multiplication. If it’s less, they will usually subtract or divide to get the answer. It can also help to simplify a problem by using much smaller numbers. 3. Solving the problem When doing the actual calculation, children have to make sure that they’re using the right numbers and that their calculations are correct. 4. After the problem is solved Getting an answer is not the end to problem-solving. Children need to consider whether their answer is reasonable. Does it make sense? Were their calculations correct? They should also think about ways to check the correctness of an answer. PARENT: When I enrolled my child in kindergarten, I had the opportunity to choose one of two teachers. Since I did not know either one, I said it didn’t matter. Now I discover that my son has the teacher who does not teach nearly as many reading and writing skills as the other teacher. How can I make sure that he has all the academics needed for first grade? TEACHERS: Schools usually mix students from different teachers when children enter a new grade. Thus, the first grade teachers at your son’s school should be used to handling MetroParent.com • FEBRUARY 2009 / Metro Parent 31 children that have been in either teacher’s kindergarten class. Unfortunately, we have seen schools in which the children who have not had as much work in reading and writing are at a definite disadvantage on entering first grade. You need to talk to one of the first grade teachers to find out exactly what your child is going to be expected to do when school starts next fall. If it looks like he will not have the necessary academic skills, take this up now with his current teacher and the principal. Find out exactly how this problem will be handled. You may need to enroll your son in summer school or a learning center to help him get the skills that he’ll need on day one in first grade.

Dear Teacher

Peggy Gisler And Marge Eberts

Is your child stumped by story problems? Dear teacher Plus: First grade readiness … Homeschooling groups … Canning cursive … Motivating Lazy Learners … and more PARENT: Last year, my daughter struggled with math story problems. It’s the same story this year in eighth grade. She has no trouble reading the words, but still can’t understand how to get the answer. Is there any way to help her? TEACHERS: Your daughter is not alone. Solving story problems in math is a major roadblock for many students – even in the upper grades. Even good readers find them challenging to understand, as it’s hard to sort out relationships with so many facts and figures jammed into just a few words. To learn to solve problems, your daughter must solve problems. In other words, the more problems your daughter solves, the better her problem-solving skills will become. Use the following four steps to help her learn how to tackle story problems with more confidence: 1. Understand the problem Your daughter must be able to examine the information in a problem first. Have her write down all the known and unknown facts about the problem. She might even find it helpful to draw a diagram to show the facts and relationships of a problem. Have her cross out all the irrelevant information and re-read the last sentence several times, for it will usually tell what needs to be found out to solve the problem. 2. Think of ways to solve the problem This is difficult until children gain more experience and are able to relate previouslysolved problems to current problems. In complex one-step problems, it can be helpful for them to find the biggest number and then decide whether the answer is likely to be more or less than this number. If it’s more, the problem will probably be solved by using addition or multiplication. If it’s less, they will usually subtract or divide to get the answer. It can also help to simplify a problem by using much smaller numbers. 3. Solving the problem When doing the actual calculation, children have to make sure that they’re using the right numbers and that their calculations are correct. 4. After the problem is solved Getting an answer is not the end to problem-solving. Children need to consider whether their answer is reasonable. Does it make sense? Were their calculations correct? They should also think about ways to check the correctness of an answer. PARENT: When I enrolled my child in kindergarten, I had the opportunity to choose one of two teachers. Since I did not know either one, I said it didn’t matter. Now I discover that my son has the teacher who does not teach nearly as many reading and writing skills as the other teacher. How can I make sure that he has all the academics needed for first grade? TEACHERS: Schools usually mix students from different teachers when children enter a new grade. Thus, the first grade teachers at your son’s school should be used to handlingChildren that have been in either teacher’s kindergarten class. Unfortunately, we have seen schools in which the children who have not had as much work in reading and writing are at a definite disadvantage on entering first grade. You need to talk to one of the first grade teachers to find out exactly what your child is going to be expected to do when school starts next fall. If it looks like he will not have the necessary academic skills, take this up now with his current teacher and the principal. Find out exactly how this problem will be handled. You may need to enroll your son in summer school or a learning center to help him get the skills that he’ll need on day one in first grade. PARENT: For several years now, I haveWanted to homeschool my child. I want to teach with other parents. How can I find a cooperative homeschooling group near my home?TEACHERS: Homeschooling groups of all shapes and sizes are popping up constantly. If you live in a town with any size to it at all, you will find one. Begin by contacting your state’s homeschooling association and asking them for referrals to local groups. Other ways to find local groups include: surfing the Internet, asking at schools and churches, checking out library bulletin boards, asking at teacher supply stores and, finally, asking parents who you see out during the day with their children. When you find a local cooperative group that you might be able to join, visit it to see if the other parents share your educational philosophy. PARENT: The teachers at our school are debating whether or not cursive writing should still be taught. What are the advantages of teaching cursive when students with poor handwriting can just use a computer? TEACHERS: This debate on the need to teach cursive writing is going on in many schools. And we are sure that some of you will want to weigh in with your opinion. Many teachers are now saying that cursive is a waste of time and want to spend the time working on other skills. They point out that we live in a print world. What children see in their books and on signs is manuscript (printing). Furthermore, students are being taught to keyboard as early as first grade, reducing the need for handwriting. There are still advantages in teaching cursive. Many educators believe that it is easier to learn than manuscript. Cursive can help children learn to read as confusing print letters such as b and d, p, g, and q, and f and t do not look as similar in cursive as they do in print. It also makes the blending of sounds more obvious to beginning readers. Furthermore, it may improve spelling because the hand learns the pattern of words through writing them many times. And cursive does remain the preferred way to write letters of condolence and thank-you notes. There also still are occasions when cursive writing is more likely to be used than manuscript. This includes writing essays on standardized tests, such as the SAT. Plus, cursive is generally used for signatures. Finally, cursive handwriting is a personal expression of each individual’s personality. PARENT: Our second grader is a bright child with a great vocabulary. We thought that he’d do well in school. However, he does very little work and is being described by his teacher as an underachiever. How can we help him go back to the enthusiastic learner that he was in kindergarten? TEACHERS: Now is definitely the time to get your young son back on the right track. He will not be able to change his behavior by himself. You and his teacher will need to work together. Try to determine with the teacher why your son is not living up to his potential. Are his basic skills in reading and math strong? If so, he may need a greater challenge. If not, a tutor may be needed to correct any significant deficiencies. Your son was an enthusiastic learner. What has changed? Is it the classroom environment? Are the days too regimented and curriculum too dull? Are you and the teacher focusing too much on grades and his intelligence rather than on his efforts to learn? Does he enjoy learning new things at home? Have you asked him why he is doing very little work at school? You and the teacher need to help your son recapture his enthusiasm for learning. Try to tie the schoolwork to his interests. Be aware that so much of being an underachiever is tied to children’s perception of themselves. To be successful they need to receive support for their efforts and feel valued as a person by both parents and teachers. They also have to have the underlying mindset that their efforts can make a difference in everything that they do. Changing an underachiever to an enthusiastic learner is not an easy task. Here are two books that may help you in this undertaking: Bright Minds, Poor Grades by Michael D. Whitley and The Unmotivated Child by Natalie Rathvon. PARENT: I know that most parents write in with questions about problems or troubles with their children. I am just the opposite; the problem is me. My son is growing up so fast and isn’t my cute little boy anymore. We used to be so close. Now that he’s in middle school, he has best friends, wants to do sleepovers, and has ideas of his own about everything. It’s very hard to deal with at times. I know I have to eventually let go and let him be his own person and grow up. But I miss that little boy that used to sit around the house and use his Imagination to play with his toys. How do “I” get through this time of so many changes? He seems to be dealing with them wonderfully. It almost depresses me at times to think about it all. TEACHERS: Be proud of yourself for the great job you have done in raising an independent young man. Of course, your son is growing and changing. You are going through the same thing that all parents do as their children grow up. Share your thoughts with others having this same experience. Ask for their advice. The last thing that you want to do is to handicap your son by letting him think that you still need him to be a little boy. Think of how fantastic this new stage of his development is. Both you and your son are embarking on a whole new journey. You will have many wonderful times together as he continues on into high school and college. Trust us, he will need your help to get through these years, too. Here are some things that you can do that will keep you involved in what your son is doing in a positive way: • Be his supporter, go see every game or activity in which he participates. • Attend all school functions. • Communicate with his teachers. • Get involved in the Parent Teacher Organization. • Volunteer at the school. • Drive all the necessary carpools. • Encourage him to have friends over. • Spend the dinner hour or some other time catching up with his activities every day. If you can’t look forward and enjoy each step that your son takes toward independence, you may want to consider counseling. PARENT: Once again, it has happened. My bright fifth-grader is extremely anxious because report card time is coming. Her fear of report cards just gets worse each year. She frets over a few “C’s” she got on quizzes, and worries that she won’t make the honor roll. What can I do to help her relax – as she really is a good student? TEACHERS: First of all, you need to make sure that you are not putting so much emphasis on grades and report cards that she is afraid of disappointing you. Even if you don’t voice your expectations, she may believe that you expect her to get all “A” grades and be on the honor roll every time. There is another possibility. Your daughter may be a perfectionist who can’t face the possibility of getting less than excellent grades. Try to convey a very low-key attitude toward report cards and grades. Don’t ask: “How did you do on a quiz or test? Was your homework done correctly?” Instead ask: “What did you enjoy doing in school today?” To further deemphasize her fear of report cards, look at her work every day and stress what she has learned rather than comment on the grade. And avoid giving awards for getting good grades. Your daughter needs to start regarding a lower grade as a sign that she has not mastered some content rather than a disaster that means a lower report card grade. Encourage her to focus instead on learning what she doesn’t know. Try to help her become more realistic about grades and understand that they reflect all the work that she does in a grading period rather than just a few poor scores. PARENT: Whenever my first-grader has a math test, he gets poor grades – even though he has done the same work correctly at home with me. How can this be? TEACHERS: The reason that this is happening may be because your son is doing his math homework with you. It’s possible that you are giving him some hints on how to proceed or actually giving him too much help. Try backing off completely in giving him any help with his homework. This includes reading the directions. Then notice how well he does working completely on his own. It is likely that you will see some problems. You may discover that he is not able to read or follow directions on his own, lacks some basic skills or is careless. Address these weaknesses and his test scores should improve. Doing the work on his own should also increase your son’s confidence in his ability to do math.

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