How can I help my child to think scientifically?Scientific thinking is based on things that children naturally have in abundance—curiosity, energy, and playfulness! While it may sound too easy to be true, a great way to develop scientific thinking is to let children explore and play. As children explore the everyday world, ask questions, and start developing theories about how the w...
Is proper stroke order important when kids print letters?When children are learning handwriting, it’s important to aim for “automaticity.” Automaticity refers to the ability to do something correctly from memory, with relatively little effort. As children learn the strokes to form letters in the same way, each time they write, they can achieve greater automaticity with handwriting. This incr...
My child still holds his pencil incorrectly. Should I worry?Holding a pencil correctly can help avoid fatigue and cramping that can make writing difficult. Have your child rest the forearm in a neutral position on a flat writing surface. The hand should rest on the little finger allowing the wrist to move freely. The thumb needs to be in a position where it can provide resistance to the fingers...
My son asks me to read to him even though he can read. Should I?Studies show that reading aloud to your child is the most important thing you can do to help build skills for future reading success. As children listen to books read aloud at any age, they can gain access to text that is more challenging than they could tackle on their own. This exposure helps young readers build oral vocabulary, prac...
My child is anxious when she gets wrong answers. What can I do?Getting wrong answers on homework or a test can be discouraging. We live in a society in which getting a "wrong" answer is typically looked down upon. We celebrate getting something "right" while disregarding "wrongs." It is no big wonder that many children get anxious when getting wrong answers. Some children get anxious even before c...
The reading homework is not challenging for my child. Advice?It sounds like your child is ready to engage in more independent reading to maintain a good level of challenge. Not surprisingly, research shows that the more children read the better readers they become, with a broader vocabulary and deeper knowledge about people and the world. Studies indicate that, on average, children who read more...
My child can count by 10s but not 5s. How can I help her?Skip counting is a skill that can help children become more confident in mathematical problem solving and in daily tasks such as counting money. Counting by tens is a great place to start! In many classrooms, children learn to count by fives while looking at a 100 chart. A 100 chart shows the numbers 1 to 100 in ten rows of ten. You ca...
I’ve never considered myself good at math. How can I help my child stay confident?It is wonderful that you want to help your child have a more positive experience with mathematics than you had. To do this, it’s important to avoid telling your child that you were not “good at math” because your child may begin to believe that mathematics success is related to an innate talent, rather than practice and perseverance. W...
Any advice on picking an instrument for my daughter?The piano and string instruments (such as a violin and guitar) are great choices because they give your child a solid foundation in reading music and music theory that will help with learning different instruments as she get older. Many string instruments also come in smaller sizes making them easier for young children to play. Larger ...
I'm looking for toy suggestions to encourage my daughter's creativityLook for toys that do not have one specific purpose, but can be used in a variety of ways. For example, toys like Lego, Magna-Tiles, and Citiblocs have the potential to be used differently each time you play with them and give your daughter the opportunity to be creative and use her imagination. In general, toys that encourage children...
How can I make the holidays special without spending a lot?There are many fun ways to enjoy the holidays without spending a lot. Creating decorations or holiday cards with your child is a fun way to spend quality time together. Rather than buying multiple gifts for different people, try doing a gift exchange–or better yet, try exchanging hand-made gifts. Another wonderful way to make the holid...
How can I get my son to act grateful if he doesn't like a gift?Learning gratitude is a difficult concept for young children to grasp. Being grateful requires a sensitivity to other people’s feelings, but the ability to take a different perspective or “put one's self in another’s shoes” is a skill that continues to develop throughout childhood. Teach your son the importance of saying “thank you” wh...
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