PARENTING
WORDS BY DEB KRUPOWICZ
Ask the Teacher
Flashcard exercises, school morning struggles and test anxiety
Q:
MY SON’S NEW FOURTH GRADE TEACHER SHOWED HIM HOW TO MAKE FLASHCARDS USING AN ONLINE PROGRAM TO LEARN HIS VOCABULARY WORDS. HE HAS DONE THIS FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS, BUT HE HAS NOT DONE WELL ON THE QUIZZES. WHAT CAN HE DO TO GET BETTER RESULTS?
A:
For some kids, creating the online flashcards is enough to help them master the words. For others, it is not. Some researchers have found that the physical act of writing out words and definitions activates a different part of the brain than simply typing them. Have him try that. To make the flashcards exercise even more effective, have your son categorize his words before making the cards. The words can be grouped in any way—by length, by beginning letter, by difficulty level, by part of speech, etc. Have your son write each category of words in the same color with a different color for each category. After a bit of practice with the cards, your son can add a simple picture or symbol to the cards with the most challenging words. Another strategy is to have your son move around as he studies the flashcards, going from one place to the next for each category of words. The more complex thinking as well as the additional associations of category, color, picture and place will lead beyond recognition of the words to mastery.
30 INDYSCHILD.COM September 2018
Q:
EVEN AFTER HAVING A FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL UNDER HER BELT, MY DAUGHTER IS STILL STRUGGLING TO FALL ASLEEP AT NIGHT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET HER UP IN THE MORNING, SO EXTENDING BEDTIME DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE ANSWER. SHE IS SO SLEEPY THAT I AM HAVING TO NAG HER TO GET HER TO FINISH WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE THE BUS COMES. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP HER?
A:
Help your daughter establish an evening routine that starts well before the time she needs to go to sleep. Require that she do some physical activity after school, even if it is just a half-hour-long walk or bike ride. Keep homework and study time productive and efficient by minimizing distractions and frustrations. Be sure to eliminate screen time well before bedtime. Then have your daughter take a warm bath or shower. Finally, encourage some reading time before lights out. For some children, the reading time is so engaging that it creates the opposite of the desired effect. If that is true for your daughter, try restricting the reading time to one or two chapters of a book. Should that not work, suggest that she read shorter pieces like short stories, poems, devotions or essays that are resolved in one reading. As you wait for the routine to become habit, to keep the mornings bearable, have your daughter create a list of what needs to be done each morning and the order in which tasks should be accomplished. Simply refer her to the posted list to avoid the nagging but to keep her moving along to be ready on time.