Parents' Page
Great article on "Raising Successful Children": link
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Article on "Raising A Moral Child." link
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Article on "What Teens Need From Their Parents" link
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Wonderful reference book on Science: Sciencesaurus Handbook
If you ever want to purchase a great science reference book for middle-schoolers, this is one I highly recommend. Clear, simple explanations, with attractive diagrams and graphics. link
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Powerpoint from Back To School Night
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Ways You Can Help Your 7th-Grader Succeed in Science Class
7th grade can be a crossroads year when it comes to monitoring your child’s progress in her classes. You want to start backing away from closely supervising her homework and classwork, so that she becomes more independent (and she probably wants that too!). BUT, you don’t want to back off too much, so that she flounders and drowns. The result is that this year can be a tricky one to navigate. Below are some suggestions that parents have found helpful in past years. You probably already do many of them, but you may find a few useful new strategies among them.
◆ Make sure that your child has a quiet, distraction-free space to do homework. Many students claim that they can concentrate better when listening to music, and for many of them (but not all) this is actually true! But visual distractions (TV, computer, cell phone) are another story, and should be kept out of the homework area.
◆ Instead of asking “Did you do your homework?”, ask “Did you spend 90 minutes on your homework?”. This reinforces the idea that homework includes not only completing assigned tasks, but also organizing binders, re-writing notes, jotting down questions about points of confusion, making a review sheet or practice quiz for a test, etc.
◆ Encourage the use of an assignment notebook. Writing down what you need to do, and when it’s due, is a skill that will be used lifelong.
◆ If your child needs help with organization, make that part of the nightly homework check-in. Have her:
1. check that all parts of her homework assignments have been completed, and that the directions were followed correctly.
2. check that completed homework has made it into the binder.
3. hole-punch and file stray papers.
4. locate any papers that you need to read and sign.
Make a form with boxes that she can check off, so that by repetition she builds the habits herself.
◆ If your child needs help with managing her time, here are a few suggestions:
1. Hang a laminated monthly calendar above her study area.
2. Have her write in all her commitments (sports, religious studies, etc.), and the times they occur.
3. Have her schedule her 90 minutes of homework each day on the calendar. Encourage her to experiment to find out what time of day or evening she is most alert and ready to learn.
4. Break long-term assignments down into chunks, with deadlines.
◆ Encourage your child to be an active learner. Listed below are some active learning strategies:
o Make flashcards and test yourself or have someone else test you. (Ms. Shea makes flashcards on quizlet.com)
o Make split page notes and test yourself or have someone else test you.
o Make a practice test, take it and correct it.
o Re-read the textbook or your notes, then re-write them, organizing & color-coding them.
o Make a concept map or graphic organizer of the important ideas. Good strategy for visual learners.
o Draw pictures to help yourself understand. Good strategy for visual learners.
o Record vocabulary/notes on your cell phone and listen to your recording. GREAT strategy for auditory learners!
o Listen to books on tape, read notes or textbook out loud (More great strategies for auditory learners)
o Make up a song, poem or story about what you’re learning. Great strategy for all 3 learning styles.
o Walk around the room while you quiz yourself or review your notes. (Good for kinesthetic learners)
o Make up a mnemonic (memory help) to remember things (Example: My Very Exciting Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas to memorize the 9 planets of our solar system).
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Article on "Raising A Moral Child." link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Article on "What Teens Need From Their Parents" link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wonderful reference book on Science: Sciencesaurus Handbook
If you ever want to purchase a great science reference book for middle-schoolers, this is one I highly recommend. Clear, simple explanations, with attractive diagrams and graphics. link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Powerpoint from Back To School Night
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ways You Can Help Your 7th-Grader Succeed in Science Class
7th grade can be a crossroads year when it comes to monitoring your child’s progress in her classes. You want to start backing away from closely supervising her homework and classwork, so that she becomes more independent (and she probably wants that too!). BUT, you don’t want to back off too much, so that she flounders and drowns. The result is that this year can be a tricky one to navigate. Below are some suggestions that parents have found helpful in past years. You probably already do many of them, but you may find a few useful new strategies among them.
◆ Make sure that your child has a quiet, distraction-free space to do homework. Many students claim that they can concentrate better when listening to music, and for many of them (but not all) this is actually true! But visual distractions (TV, computer, cell phone) are another story, and should be kept out of the homework area.
◆ Instead of asking “Did you do your homework?”, ask “Did you spend 90 minutes on your homework?”. This reinforces the idea that homework includes not only completing assigned tasks, but also organizing binders, re-writing notes, jotting down questions about points of confusion, making a review sheet or practice quiz for a test, etc.
◆ Encourage the use of an assignment notebook. Writing down what you need to do, and when it’s due, is a skill that will be used lifelong.
◆ If your child needs help with organization, make that part of the nightly homework check-in. Have her:
1. check that all parts of her homework assignments have been completed, and that the directions were followed correctly.
2. check that completed homework has made it into the binder.
3. hole-punch and file stray papers.
4. locate any papers that you need to read and sign.
Make a form with boxes that she can check off, so that by repetition she builds the habits herself.
◆ If your child needs help with managing her time, here are a few suggestions:
1. Hang a laminated monthly calendar above her study area.
2. Have her write in all her commitments (sports, religious studies, etc.), and the times they occur.
3. Have her schedule her 90 minutes of homework each day on the calendar. Encourage her to experiment to find out what time of day or evening she is most alert and ready to learn.
4. Break long-term assignments down into chunks, with deadlines.
◆ Encourage your child to be an active learner. Listed below are some active learning strategies:
o Make flashcards and test yourself or have someone else test you. (Ms. Shea makes flashcards on quizlet.com)
o Make split page notes and test yourself or have someone else test you.
o Make a practice test, take it and correct it.
o Re-read the textbook or your notes, then re-write them, organizing & color-coding them.
o Make a concept map or graphic organizer of the important ideas. Good strategy for visual learners.
o Draw pictures to help yourself understand. Good strategy for visual learners.
o Record vocabulary/notes on your cell phone and listen to your recording. GREAT strategy for auditory learners!
o Listen to books on tape, read notes or textbook out loud (More great strategies for auditory learners)
o Make up a song, poem or story about what you’re learning. Great strategy for all 3 learning styles.
o Walk around the room while you quiz yourself or review your notes. (Good for kinesthetic learners)
o Make up a mnemonic (memory help) to remember things (Example: My Very Exciting Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas to memorize the 9 planets of our solar system).