Posts Tagged ‘education’

Are we, as parents, completely misguided when it comes to, well, being parents? Are our assumptions leading our children astray?

According to NurtureShock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, “Many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring – because key twists in the science have been overlooked.”

“Childhood obesity might be the result of not enough sleep. Moving the argument to another room might be the worst thing parents can do. Babyspeak DVD’s may stunt your child’s verbal development (since those eight wasted hours per week weren’t spent doing something productive). How about this one: children lie more often to permissive parents than they do to parents that set rules and guidelines.” - Hugh C. Howey

In her review, Alicia Van Hecke provides a good list of basic topics covered in the book, including “The Inverse Power of Praise” and “The Search for Intelligent Life in Kindergarten.”

During the fall of 2009 the authors wrote over 90 columns for Newsweek covering such topics as “Kids’ Food Allergies are Skyrocketing – Is the Spike Real?” and “Why Going to a Diverse School Doesn’t Lead to Diverse Friendships.”

Let’s Start the Discussion: It’s a dense book with meaty topics regarding parenting and education. We encourage UrbanBaby members to read this book over the course of the next few weeks and then come back to the UB boards to discuss in detail. We’ll announce a date for a guided board conversation. Will you read it?

A genuine eye-opener.

At first a statistic gleaned by a study at the University of California, Davis, sounds alarmist: children of parents who graduated college are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than the children of high-school drop outs. White kids are more likely to be diagnosed. So are the children of older parents. OMG, does being well-educated, pale, and old cause autism?

Of course not, concluded the researchers, who also found no link between pollution or exposure to chemicals. The researchers instead suggest that the higher rates are simply due to these parents’ persistence in obtaining diagnoses for their children.

Study author Irva Hertz-Picciotto told NPR “It doesn’t necessarily mean that higher education causes autism It gets you the diagnosis more frequently.” That NPR story is illustrated with a map of the autism “clusters” identified by researchers in California that neatly outlines the richest and most metropolitan areas of the state.

Lee Grossman, president and chief executive of the Autism Society of America, told BusinessWeek that the study was “interesting but said that, in his experience, autism cuts across demographic and socioeconomic lines.”

BusinessWeek also teased out another interesting fact: In December the Center for Disease Control said that autism is now diagnosed in 1 out of every 110 children.

A Swedish research study which looked at 13,376 women born between 1952 and 1989 has found that the more educated a girl’s family is, the more likely she is to develop an eating disorder.

The study, reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology’s September 1 issue, tracked hospitalization for eating disorders with the level of education of her forebears, as well as the girl’s own performance at school. Researchers found that girls whose parents attended college were about twice as likely to be treated for an eating disorder. Girls whose maternal grandmothers had a college education were six times as likely. And girls with the highest grades at age 15 had double the risk of developing an eating disorder when compared to the group of girls with the lowest grades.

What does all this mean? Lead researcher Jennie Ahren-Moonga speculates that high-performing families create pressure to succeed and conform; this might play into the obsessiveness that fuels many eating disorders. In addition, girls who grew up in a competitive environment and succeed (as evidenced by higher grades) may themselves have qualities such as drive and perfectionism, that are often twinned with dysfunctional eating.

With so many great children’s books out there, how do you pick one that’s engaging, educational and age-appropriate?

What to Read When: The Books and Stories to Read with Your Child — and All the Best Times to Read Them guides parents through the process of finding that perfect book for any child at any moment. Award-winning educator and literacy advocate Pam Allyn offers an annotated list of more than 300 titles, broken down by childhood themes (from friendship to divorce), age and stage, and type of book (pop-ups, tactile, books for the bath). Family-oriented tips, like how to create a comfortable reading place in the home, will help foster a lifetime love of reading.

Available at whattoreadwhen.com.

Are you a helicopter parent? Of course not — but maybe you have a “friend” who is. Pass along these tips on making a smooth transition back to school, courtesy of Ken Haller, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

1. Encourage your children to discuss their problems, but let them come up with their own solutions. Problem solving is a great way for children to learn and grow.

2. Steer clear of battles such as disputing your child’s grades, discipline, placement on a team or squabbles with friends. Instead, enable your child to properly deal with his problems by asking him what should be done and offering possible solutions.

3. During homework time, be available to answer questions and clarify instructions. Avoid giving the answers or doing the work yourself, even if the assignment seems too difficult. Remember your job is to create a situation where your child can succeed. Provide the necessary supplies, create a quiet and well-lit study area and set aside time for homework.

4. Respect teachers’ schedules by making appointments and using e-mail. Your child’s teacher will be happy to meet with you, but she also needs time to teach and prepare for class. If you want to be involved, ask your child’s teacher how you can contribute to the classroom.

5. Teach your child to respect the authority of teachers and coaches. While it’s OK to question teachers and coaches, do not bad mouth them, break their rules or make excuses for your child.

6. Hold your children accountable and let them suffer the consequences of their actions. Especially by middle school, it is important to make your child responsible for studying, bringing homework home and turning in assignments.

7. If you’re concerned that your child is the victim or bullies or peer pressure, discuss your concerns with your child. Brainstorm appropriate responses, but try not to interfere at school unless your child is in danger.

8. Remember that your job is to prepare your child to be a responsible and capable adult, so decrease your involvement over time and let your child live his or her own life.

Whether it’s French, Mandarin or your family’s oft-neglected native tongue, knowing another language is a skill many parents want their (obviously brilliant) tots to have under their belt.

Author and linguistics expert Barbara Zurer Pearson, Ph.D., delves into the various reasons behind bilingualism in her new book, Raising a Bilingual Child: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents. Below are some of her tips for getting started.

Start young if you can. You want your language habits–in two languages–to be well established by the time your child is aware of choices.

Keep it fun. Children have to speak one language, but they must want to speak another one.

Praise, praise, praise. Remark often how wonderful and special it is to speak two languages. Praise the child’s (and other people’s) bilingual abilities.

Make time for the minority language. You don’t need extra time for it, but in the course of the activities of daily life, some routines should take place in the “other” language–consistently, routinely, and over a long period of time.

Don’t do it all by yourself. Language is a group activity. Find others to be language models for your child–other children are often the best motivators. Take advantage of immersion schools, camps, playgroups and travel opportunities.