Boston Parent February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021

TM

The

Joy of Learning

9 Benefits of Sending TEENS TO CAMP

READING SUCCESS in Small Children

COUNTDOWN TO COLLEGE Tips for Students

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Boston Parents Paper | February 2020

Contents

February 2021

9

Volume 36 • Number 2

9 Benefits

of Sending Teens to Camp

16

6 Ways Camp Experience Influenced Adults

18

Building a Strong Foundation for Reading Success

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

4 Family F.Y.I.

• Scribbles and Ink • Poison Control and Ingestion Safety

12 Deciphering Parenting Metaphors

What Kind of Parent Are You?

TM

Boston Parent 841 Worcester Street Suite 344 Natick, MA 01760 • 617-522-1515 info@BostonParentsPaper.com Visit us online at BostonParentsPaper.com

PUBLISHER Parenting Media, Inc ART DIRECTOR | Debbi Murzyn ASSOCIATE EDITOR | Jean Abernathy ADVERTISING SALES Holly Castro, David Morney

Boston Parents Paper is published monthly by Parenting Media Inc. Please note that the advertisements in this magazine are paid for, which allows this magazine to be free to the consumer.

60,000 copies of Boston Parents Paper are distributed to more than 1600 locations in the region. Past issues are available on our website, www.BostonParentsPaper.com Send letters to the editor or article submissions to editor@bostonparent.com.

Submit events to our Family Friendly Calendar at bostonparentspaper.com/event/ February 2021 | Boston Parents Paper

3

Family F.Y.I. Scribbles and Ink P

BS KIDS and WGBH has released a free interactive digital series that allows kids ages 4-8 to discover the joy of drawing. Scribbles and Ink, based on the popular books and characters by author/illustrator Ethan Long, allows kids to propel their way through an immersive adventure, drawing in an open-ended fashion that will be animated and become a part of the story! In Scribbles and Ink, kids’ creativity becomes front and center. Digital brushes, crayons and pencils allow kids to express themselves within a variety of story lines: throwing a party for a Snoogledorf, scuba diving in a surprisingly deep rain puddle and blasting off into space in a rocket drawn by the players themselves! The drawings can be changed and adapted at any point along the journey. Available free of charge at PBSKIDS.org and on the PBS KIDS Games app.

Black History Month “If there is no struggle there is no progress.”

– Frederick Douglass

T

hese words are as relevant today as they were in 1857 when the famous statesman, writer and orator first used them. Black History Month, or National African American History Month, was started in 1926 as a weeklong celebration coinciding with the birthdays of Douglass (Feb. 14, 1818) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809).

Poison Control and Ingestion Safety M

arch is National Poison Prevention Month, and this is a great reminder to familiarize yourself with Poison Control and safety interventions to help keep your loved ones safe. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness around the multiple different ways a potential ingestion could happen, and how to be prepared in case of this emergency.

WHAT IS POISON CONTROL? Poison Control Centers offer free, confidential services for possible ingestion 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Poison Control Centers answer close to 3 million calls every year, with one call happening every 15 seconds! Poison centers are staffed by pharmacists, physicians, nurses and poison information providers who are toxicology specialists.

These poison control centers also track emerging trends of hazardous ingestions.

HOW TO CONTACT In case of emergency of ingestion, contact the Poison

4

By Lindsay Gardiner, BSN, RN, CPN

• Hand Sanitizers: Hand Sanitizers range from 45-95% alcohol, and children who ingest even a small amount Poison Control Help Hotline can be at risk for alcohol 1-800-222-1222 poisoning.

Poisonhelp.org • Single load Laundry DeBe proactive and prepared for tergent Pods: Mistaken as an emergency by Texting POIcandy in younger children; SON to 797979 to automatically Also used in a viral dare save the Contact Info for Poison game that includes ingesControl in your phone! Also, tion amongst teens that can print the Poison Control Hotline potentially be fatal. phone number and store it on • Synthetic Cannabinoids: the front of your fridge so it is Side effects of use of this easily accessible in case of an are psychotic episodes and emergency. seizures.

• CBD oil: Use of CBD oil is CURRENT TRENDS OF rapidly on the rise across all INGESTION ages.

Poison Control Centers • Opiods/Narcotic pain also track emerging trends of medication: Opioid ingestion ingestion and alert the public if continues to rise year after any of these trends are rising year. and cause for concern. Some

trends are more common PREVENTION/SAFETY amongst different age groups About 90% of accidental inas well, which is important gestions occur inside the home information for parents. The each year. Help keep your current rising trends of ingesfamily safe and poison-free with tion found are as follows: these tips: • E-Cigarettes: There conMake sure all household tinues to be an increased cleaners and laundry deterconcern this liquid nicotine. gents/pods are out of reach from children.

Control Center immediately, using one of the following methods:

Boston Parents Paper | February 2021

Educate older children about the hazards of E-cigarettes, CBD oil, and Synthetic Cannabinoids.

Secure all opioids and narcotic medication away in a child resistant locked area; and safely dispose of all expired medications.

Safety proof your household with safety locks on all potentially harmful areas.

Periodically inspect these areas to make sure they are still secure over time and use.

IN CASE OF INGESTION OR POISONING Take immediate action and call Poison Control ASAP if ingestion is suspected- don’t wait for signs of poisoning to be present in order to call.

Stay calm, and try not to panic.

Try to have the container of the potential product that was ingested- the label can hold vital information.

Call 911 if the person is having trouble breathing.

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Family F.Y.I. Are second born children getting the short end?

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ave you ever wondered why your second child just amount of attention of parents dedicated to their seems to be so much more trouble than your eldest? children. In short, the study suggests that first-borns Well science has an answer, and no it’s not just you. A get more attention from their parents. Second-borns recent study out of the Massachusetts Institute of Techget less. “Second-born children tend to have less nology investigated the impact of birth order on delinmaternal attention than do their older siblings,” the quency. The study looked at an enormous number of authors write. They explain that firstborns get the children in data sets from benefit of their mother’s the US state of Florida and maternity leave followSecond-born children tend to have less maternal from Denmark. “We find ing their own births that second-born boys are and following their sibattention than do their older siblings. substantially more likely to ling’s birth. The study is exhibit delinquency probnot suggesting that all lems compared to their second-born children older sibling,” the study’s are going to end us as authors wrote. Interestingdelinquents. However, ly, the data findings from it may answer that ageFlorida and Denmark – two old questions parents very different environhave been dying to say ments – was consistent. out loud for eons… ‘why The reason for this? can’t you just be more Well… apparently its’s the like your older brother?’

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Boston Parents Paper | February 2021

9 Benefits

By Kerrie McLoughlin

of Sending Teens to Camp

S

ummer camp is often a place to send elementary-age kids so they aren’t sitting around the house bored and so they’ll make friends and learn new things while having fun. As kids grow out of their “little kid years,” we sometimes forget that they still need those kinds of experiences they had when they were younger, just in a different form. Maybe you don’t think your teen needs summer camp. Your teen should be babysitting, mowing lawns, working at the pool, hanging around with friends, right? Well, sure! But why not send them off for a week or more of summer fun and learning this year for a break? Here are some great benefits for teens attending summer camp:

1

Learning how to give back. Community service camps

offer a great chance for teens to make a difference and help out in the community, while also learning skills that will carry them through their lives. Kids get to spend their days helping others, which just feels good to everyone involved. Maybe your teen will learn how to pack food for the homeless, teach kids how to read or work on a project that will

benefit the community, like cleaning up a playground or fixing equipment. They could even learn how to paint a house, care for a yard for an elderly person who is unable to do so anymore … or they may even learn how to plan and build a house for someone who is in need.

2 Making new friends.

It’s important to continue to grow and change, and adding new friends to one’s life enriches it at any age.

Some teens attend the same camp or camps every summer and might find the same friends there year after year. Many are attending for the very first time and need to hone their social skills to make new friends and get to know other kids in their age range outside of a school setting.

Being in close proximity for days or weeks helps kids get closer, faster.

3 Learning new things.

Whether your teen attends a camp to learn more about horses, adventure, a specific sport or anything else, they have an entire day, week or longer to focus on that one activity and really immerse themselves in it. Who knows? Your teen might find a new passion that he never thought of before that could be helpful in his educational or work life later on down the road.

Continued on page 10

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4Deepening their faith.

If your teen enjoys church youth groups and activities, a church or other organized religious camp might just be the ticket. The day might begin with a church service, followed by breakfast, then a hike and some time spent in the cabin with friends memorizing Bible verses for a competition at the end of the week. Later there could be singing songs around a bonfire while roasting s’mores.

5Developing a hobby.

When your child is unplugged from the TV, video game player or smartphone, they can really focus on developing a hobby in a creative way. It seems like these days there’s a camp for pretty much any interest your kid has. There are camps for horse and other animal lovers, sports lovers of all types (think developing soccer skills, swimming, football, volleyball, baseball -- anything!), Boy Scout camp (it covers so many different hobbies and topics), Girl Scout camp (it also covers so many great skills) … the list goes on!

6Working as a team.

Your child will be meeting kids of different ages and from different backgrounds.

Learning how to get along and work as a team is a huge life skill that will be reinforced at camp. Some camps even have kids do team-building and trust activities to help kids get to know each other.

7Staying active.

Forget sitting around doing “screen time” all day long during the summer! When a teen attends summer camp, they often forget all about those things and focus on having fun with their friends while going on hikes, paddle boating, swimming and more, depending on the camp they choose! Bonus points for activity if they choose a camp targeted to a sport your kid is passionate about.

8 Standing on their own.

Let’s face it: as our kids get older they start to grow away from us. They are simply preparing to head out on their own and they are also preparing you for that transition by perhaps being a little distant. They are stuck in between childhood and adulthood, and it’s a confusing time. Going away to camp for even a short period of time helps teach independence.

There is a daily structure at camp that’s already in place which teens need to follow. Parents aren’t the ones doing the nagging, so teens don’t tune it out, while respecting other adults and learning from them.

9 Appreciating everything.

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Away from screens (yes, I keep focusing on this one), it’s easier to focus on nature, learning, forming relationships and more. Being away from parents, kids will come home with a new appreciation for what it takes to be in a family and help out in the running of the household. Your teen will probably also appreciate funny things like a full pantry that’s open all day, their comfy bed and privacy!

Teen summer camp has so many benefits that cover all the bases, including physical, social, mental and spiritual.

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Boston Parents Paper | February 2021

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Deciphering Parenting Metaphors:

By Cheryl Maguire Animals and Machines

W

hen I grew up parents were referred to as. . . well. . parents. But nowadays it is hard to keep up with the trendy terms to describe people who raise children.

First there were helicopter parents then lawnmower parents and now the newest one is snowplow parents.

I wonder what the next machine metaphor will be.

Since land and air vehicles have been covered, maybe submarine? Turns out there is already one of those too.

Besides machines there are animal or invertebrate types of parents. Do animals also gather around and coin terms for their parents? If so would they say, “You are really acting like a human parent right now.” Maybe that could be the basis of the next Disney Pixar movie. Until then here is a cheat sheet of the latest lingo.

problems, so the parent intervenes and fixes it for their child. I guess the people who reside in the cold weather wanted their own term since it is pretty much the same as the lawnmower parent—just you know more powerful.

The Machines HELICOPTER PARENT A helicopter parent is one that hovers over their child’s every move and helps when needed.

They tend to worry a lot about their child.

How do you know you are acting like one? Your favorite show is Dance Moms and you think the media has unjustly demonized the moms who are only trying to help their kid be on Broadway.

ELEPHANT PARENT Elephant parents are the opposite of tiger parents (although I would The Animal/Invertebrate have picked a koala bear or someParents thing cute, cuddly and smaller as the opposite since elephants can JELLYFISH PARENT trample you) and focus on nurturA jellyfish parent is permissive ing and encouraging instead of and doesn’t create many rules or tough love and being demanding. expectations. They often give in These parents are protective of to avoid confrontation and lack a their young and intervene at the backbone like a jellyfish. first sign of danger. Sometimes these types of parents can be How do you know you are acting jellyfish-like in the sense they are like one? You kid has been whin- permissive and lack boundaries ing all day to eat their Halloween (again not seeing the similarity candy. Even though you know they to an actual elephant—maybe I can’t handle eating sugar you hand should help coin these terms). over the bag and let them have at it. When they are running around How do you know you are acting the house, unable to go to sleep like one? Not only did you have you realize that saying “no” would a video cam on your babies’ have been easier than dealing with bassinet, but you also situated it Taz the Tasmanian Devil. directly next to your bed. At the first murmur of a whimper you TIGER PARENT sprung out of bed and placed your Tiger parents are strict and debaby next to you where you wanted manding. They prioritize academic the baby to be all along. and extracurricular success.

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Boston Parents Paper | February 2021

How do you know you are acting like one? You hover next to your child as they eat their hotdog that has been cut into so many pieces it resembles grains of sand on a beach instead of food. And then you count the bites they consume to make sure they are receiving the proper amount of nutrition. If they haven’t reached 15 bites, you say you need to eat one more bite before you leave the table.

LAWNMOWER PARENT Lawnmower parents are more aggressive than the helicopter parent. Like a lawnmower that cuts grass or anything in its path the lawnmower parent mows away obstacles, so their child doesn’t have to experience any.

How do you know you are acting like one? When your kid calls, texts or sends a smoke signal to you that they forgot their lunch you rush it over to the school faster than a FedEx delivery truck. Ditto for homework, sports equipment and a water bottle. The thought of your child lacking in hydration for five minutes sends you into a tailspin.

SNOWPLOW PARENT The snowplow parent is more aggressive than a lawnmower parent since plowing requires more force than mowing. But they are similar in the sense that they remove any obstacles in their child’s way. The snowplow parent does not want their child to have to deal with

How do you know you are acting like one? Since you reside in a cold climate you deliver your child’s forgotten jacket, mittens, and hat to the school so that they can go outside for recess even though you are fully aware that they wore shorts and short sleeves to school.

And you know they didn’t forget but rather chose not to bring any of those items because they have no intention of wearing it.

BULLDOZER PARENT See definition for Snowplow. This one is for the warmer climate parents who were not happy with the lawnmower metaphor and wanted a more robust descriptor. They also never shoveled 15 feet of cold wet snow in 30 below temperatures (not including the wind chill) and therefore they don’t comprehend how powerful and savior-like a snowplow is when it clears the road.

How do you know you are acting like one? Since you reside in warmer weather, before your kid goes to the beach not only do you pack the sunscreen, towel, 10 water bottles, and 100 snacks you also apply the sunscreen to your 15 year old who is fully capable of depressing the button on the sunscreen spray bottle.

So, Which One Are You? I’ll admit it, I’ve probably exhibited symptoms of all these types of parents over the years. When you have three kids, you are going to resort to whatever works in the moment.

Instead of referring to parents as machines or animals maybe we can just call them what they are—human.

Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling Psychology degree. She is married and is the mother of twins and a daughter. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Parents Magazine, Upworthy, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessing, Your Teen Magazine and many other publications. You can find her at Twitter @CherylMaguire05

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Camp Experience Influenced Adults

H

By Cheryl Maguire

ow many kids do you think go to camp in the summer? According to the ACA (American Camp Association) website 14 million kids and adults attend camp every summer. Camp is an $18 billion industry.

To understand why kids love going to camp, I spoke to 5 adults about their camp experience when they were kids. They shared with me how going to camp helped shape them into the people they are today. Here are some ways they benefited from going to camp:

while we got ready for whatever evening activity. In our cabin we had endless conversation. I don’t think anyone ever really slept. It was 20 of my closest friends all hanging out in our goofiest pjs, having girl talk and eating junk food all night. It truly was amazing,” says Simokonis.

“At camp I developed a set of friendships with fellow campers and counselors that continues to bring me joy and fulfillment to this day,” says Wolf-Sorokin.

LEARNED NEW SKILLS

DEVELOPED INDEPENDENCE AND CONFIDENCE

Attending camp gives kids the opportunity to learn new skills they might not be able to learn anywhere else.

“I learned how to juggle and play guitar at Camp Kingsmont. I vastly improved while there each summer because one of the counselors offered daily lessons as a free time activity. Juggling lessons was also a free time lesson from one of the counselors who went on to become a puppeteer on Sesame Street,” says Andrea Simokonis, 38 from Quincy, MA. At Chen-a-Wanda I learned swimming, boating, and jewelry making,” says Kim Liberman, 38 of North Andover, MA. “I learned to sail, leather work, water ski, camping (map reading, pitching tents, fire building), canoeing, woodworking and cribbage at Camp Kabeyun,” says Jake WolfSorokin from Brookline, MA.

DISCUSSED SOCIAL CHALLENGES Since camp is more interactive than a school setting, kids have a chance to discuss social issues.

“At camp we would talk about the hard issues that teens face like using drugs and alcohol, love, peer pressure, and often we talked about how God impacted our decisions in these areas. Every year there was a theme,” says Simokonis.

DEVELOPED CONNECTIONS AND CAMARADERIE The social setting of the camp helps kids to make new friends and feel as sense of camaraderie with one another.

“At the end of the day we raced back to our cabins to have camaraderie with our friends

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Boston Parents Paper | February 2021

Camp provides an environment that encourages kids to try new activities or select activities kids want to learn which helps them to develop independence and build confidence.

“For me, Camp Kabeyun’s enduring legacy, was building independence, confidence and self-reliance by treating children as ‘grown ups’ by entrusting them with more responsibility than they may otherwise take on during the year. At camp, I got to choose what I did every day, be it out of camp hiking and paddling trips, or in camp sailing, tennis and leather working. This was a stark and refreshing contrast from my hyper-scheduled life at school during the year. The camp’s non-competitive focus encouraged me to take risks and push myself, knowing I could return to my supportive set of cabinmates and counselors, even if I had just wiped out on the water-skis or lost a tennis match,” says Wolf-Sorokin.

“Camp always gave me a great sense of freedom, independence, and community. I could participate in a wide variety of activities every day from land or water sports to art and music classes. I was away from home which gave me a sense of independence but I had the support network of my peers and the many different staff members. Being in this kind of setting, in the woods on a lake, and sleeping in a cabin gave me an incredible feeling of freedom,” says Linsey Pimentel from Andover, MA. “I went to Camp Yomechas and I liked the adventure and fun that went along with each day,” says Darlene Cofran, 38 from East Bridgewater, MA.

“Every morning, the entire camp would get a sheet of paper with a bible passage on it and then some questions to help you reflect on the verse and how it pertained to your own life. Then you could sit and meditate on it for 15 minutes. The camp was entirely present, yet completely silent everyday. It truly was magical to get 500 teenagers to sit in silence for that long,” says Simokonis.

FOUND A MENTOR Camp counselors often develop mentor relationships with their campers.

“The camp counselors shared their experiences as a teen and were truly mentors to me. I loved my counselors and I keep in touch with them. It’s kind of amazing,” says Simokis.

DEVELOPED A CAREER Most of the people I spoke with either became a camp counselor as a teen or went on to be a camp director or serve on the Board of Trustees of the camp as an adult.

“I went on to be a counselor at Camp Kingsmont for 7 summers after I graduated high school and had just as much fun as a counselor as I did when I was a camper,” says Simokonis.

“My love for the camp experience led me to go back to work in the camp field. After sending my kids to camp Jori, I then worked again at Camp Jori as a counselor. After that I was offered the camp director role,” says Liberman.

“I attended Camp Kabeyun, a boys camp on Lake Winnipesaukee for 6 summers when I was growing up. I then worked there as a counselor for 3 summers, and I now serve on the Board of Trustees of the non-profit organization that owns and operates Camp Kabeyun,” says Wolf-Sorokin.

Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling Psychology degree. She is married and is the mother of twins and a daughter. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Parents Magazine, AARP, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessing, Your Teen Magazine and many other publications. You can find her at Twitter @CherylMaguire05

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A

for Reading Success in Young Children

s an educator that specializes in teaching students with learning differences I am often asked by parents of young children, “How can I ensure that my child will be a successful reader and speller?” While a number of factors play a role in this effort, one of the most important is to build their phonological awareness, which is the basic foundation upon which all reading and spelling skills are built. It is a child’s awareness of the oral language segments (syllables and sounds) that comprise words, and scientific research indicates that without this crucial underpinning literacy skill children will struggle to achieve reading and spelling success.

Beginning to strengthen a child’s phonological awareness can happen quite early—it is an auditory skill that should be part of their literacy instruction in pre-school, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten classrooms.

Additionally, there are simple tasks that can be practiced at home.

Several skills fall under the umbrella of phonological awareness.

They include rhyming; segmentation of sentences, syllables, and sounds; sound isolation; deletion of syllables and sounds; substitution of sounds; and blending sounds and syllables. Below is a description of each area and how to

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Boston Parents Paper | February 2021

By Beth Dinelli, M.Ed. exercise these skills with your child.

The ability to recognize when words rhyme, and the ability to produce rhymes, is a skill that young children usually come by rather easily. For example, if you asked, “Cat, pat—do these words rhyme?”

Your child should respond, “yes.” If you asked, “Flip, cot—do these words rhyme?” The response would be, “no.”

You can do this activity in the car, waiting in line at a store, or at the dinner table. Tell your child that you are going to say two words and ask if they rhyme. Alternatively, tell your child that you are going to say a word and you want them to tell you a word that rhymes with it. It can be a made up word if they want. For instance, if you say, “tell me a word that rhymes with bat,” their response may be “rat,” or “tat.” Either one is correct. They are demonstrating their ability to rhyme.

Segmenting sentences, syllables, and sounds is another precursor to reading success. When you perform a segmenting task with your child you are asking them to chunk language into parts. For a sentence you are asking them to name all the separate words; for a multi-syllable word you are asking them to name the syllables; and for a single syllable word you are asking them to name the individual sounds. Tell your child that you are going to play a word game:

you will say a sentence, and they need to clap once for each individual word.

Say a sentence such as, “summer is my favorite season.” Your child should clap 5 times. Keep sentences limited to a maximum of five words.

The next level of segmentation is to identify the individual syllables in words. Tell your child that you are going to say a word, and they need to clap for each part of the word. For example, you might say the word, “scramble,” and ask your child to clap for each syllable. Lastly, the most challenging task is segmenting a word into its individual sounds. For this task, ask your child to tell you each sound in a given word. It is important to note that some words may have more letters than sounds. One such example is the word, “stash,” which has five letters but only 4 sounds, as the letter combination /sh/ makes only one sound. Segmenting prepares a child to compartmentalize the sounds in words for reading and spelling.

Two other important phonological tasks are deleting syllables or sounds from a given word and substituting sounds in a given word.

The former requires a child to listen to a word and repeat it without one of its parts or sounds. Asking your child to say, “kangaroo,” and then to say it again without saying, “roo,” is

one such example. Further, you can ask your child to delete a sound from a word and repeat the new word.

This is a more complex task. Ask your child to say the word, “meat,” and then to say it again without the /m/ sound, which would result in the word, “eat.”

Once a child can complete deletion activities they can advance to substituting sounds in a given word. This task can be completed with colored blocks, wherein one block represents one sound. When using colored blocks, begin by telling your child that you are going to show them how to make the word, “sun.” Place three different colored blocks in a horizontal line going from left to right to represent the sounds in the word. Next, ask your child to change sun to fun.

They would need to recognize that the first sound changed from /s/ to /f/, so they would change the first block to a different color. Continue in the same way until they have made four more changes. This procedure can be done without the visual aid of the blocks as well.

Having the ability to name sounds in isolation is another skill young readers must possess. When given a word orally they should be able to name the initial, middle, and final sounds. If given the word happy, your child should be able to name /h/

as the first sound. It is important to remember that they are naming the sound and not the letter name. It is common for children to have difficulty distinguishing between a letter’s sound and its name. When asking for the middle sound only, provide words with three sounds such as, “moon,” “bait,” or “cub.”

Blending sounds at the syllable and sound level is the final phonological task a child has to master.

If given a multi-syllable word in its parts, they should be able to blend it together and say the whole word. For example, say to your child, “flow-er.

What is this word?” If they repeat it in parts, ask them to say it faster and model for them how to say the entire word blended together. When preparing for this activity it is important to not exceed four syllables. At the sound level, tell your child that you are going to say the sounds of a word, and they need to guess what the word is. For instance, say /g-a-p/ and ask “What word is this?” Choose words with a maximum of five sounds.

When practicing phonological awareness at home, only plan for a 5-10-minute activity per day and 1-2 areas to concentrate on, such as rhyming and segmentation, or isolation and deletion. As you begin to study phonological awareness with your child start with rhyming. If you

suspect that they may have a deficit in this area, testing may be required to determine whether intervention is needed. The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing-2 (CTOPP-2) is an assessment that you can request your school to administer. A child needs to be at least five years old to receive this test.

Ensuring that your child can become a proficient reader and speller is possible with appropriate phonological awareness practice. It is notable that phonological awareness does not always come naturally—some children require direct instruction in this area before they learn the rules that govern the English language. Being proactive will help prevent your child from struggling with literacy skills and assist them in becoming a lifelong adept reader.

Some helpful resources for phonological awareness activities include: • Phonemic Awareness in Young Children by Marilyn Adams & Barbara Foorman • Purposeful Play for Early Childhood Phonological Awareness by Hallie Yopp & Ruth Helen Yopp • Phonemic Awareness Activities for early Reading Success by Wiley Blevins Beth Dinelli is the Director of Commonwealth Learning Center in Danvers.

February 2021 | Boston Parents Paper

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Countdown to College Tips to Help Students Find Their Fit

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By Janeen Lewis

he high school road to college may seem like four of the most challenging years families face. There are deadlines, tough financial choices and parents and children don’t always agree on colleges. If that isn’t stressful enough, every year there are tasks that high school students should be checking off their to-do list. How do parents help their high school students navigate all the details and decisions they must make during their countdown to college? Here is some advice from the pros -- a parent who’s been through the process and a college admissions counselor.

“My children started taking high school classes in eighth grade,” Fain says. “A GPA is harder to bring up in junior and senior year, so our goal their eighth and ninth grade years was to keep their GPA high.”

The freshman year is also important for getting on a challenging track of classes.“Course choice is important,” Clark says. “Math in particular is something students need to pay attention to.”

Taking challenging classes in high school helped Fain’s son Matthew make his college decision. He decided to pursue his degree at the University where he took dual credit courses when he was in high school.

Starting the Conversation

Sophomore Year: Getting to Know You

It all starts with a conversation between parent and child. But often the question that starts the conversation is the wrong one, according to Rick Clark, an undergraduate admissions counselor.

“Parents ask ‘Where do you want to go to college?’

“Clark says. The biggest question that parents don’t ask or lose sight of is ‘Why do you want to go to college?’ “That why is important, and should be followed up with questions like “What do you hope to get out of this? What do you want to study? What do you want to do long-term?” says Clark.

Freshman Year: The Importance of Academics

Rachael Fain, a mom of three, stresses the importance of the GPA during freshman year. Fain’s daughter, Hannah, graduated from college in 2017. Fain also has a son, Matthew, who is a junior in college.

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Boston Parents Paper | February 2021

Tenth grade is a good year for self-reflection. Students can take personality tests and the PSAT to figure out their strengths and weaknesses. They can also start thinking about the kind and size of school they want to attend.

Understanding what they are good at will help high school students be realistic about the school that is the best fit for them.

Junior Year: Balancing Grades and Activities

Grades are crucial during the junior year. Junior year also involves a more challenging track of classes and leadership roles in clubs and activities. It’s hard to do it all, so how important are the extracurricular activities?

It depends on the student and the college.

“At one of my children’s colleges, extracurricular activities were really important,” Fain said. “At the other one, they didn’t’ matter as much.”

Clark says one out of every four students who apply to the school where he works are accepted.

“Most students that apply have good test scores, good grades and good courses. Then the review committee asks ‘Is this kid a good fit for us?’”

Clark says they look for students who are innovative or who are entrepreneurs, and they ask “How does this student use their time?”

“If they are a good student who goes home and plays video games, what will they contribute to the school?” Clark says.

But it stands out if students are responsible, if they work a job or if they make an impact some way.

Senior Year: Find Your Fit

Clark says the most important thing about making a college decision is finding a good fit.

“Fit doesn’t really mean can the student do the work, but are they aligned well to the school.” For example, Clark says two universities can look the same on paper. A student will apply to each with the same grades and same test scores and get accepted to one and not the other.

“That is what fit is,” Clark says. “How a student fits with a school, not just from an academic standpoint.”

If you and your child do not agree on the same school, Clark says how you approach the topic may resolve a lot of conflict over the situation. “Continue to tell your kids you love them, and that no matter where they go to college, it will be great.”

The good news is that there are many schools across the country and probably more than one of them will match your student’s personality and academic standing.

“If you or your child feels overwhelmed, take a deep breath and remember there is a school for every student,” says Fain.

Janeen Lewis is a writer, teacher and mom to Andrew and Gracie. She has been published in several parenting publications across the country.

Countdown to College Checklist A Timeline That Will Take You Places

Preparing for college can be overwhelming for high school students and their parents because of the many steps it takes to get an acceptance letter. But breaking the college to-do list into manageable steps for each year of high school makes the process less stressful and teaches students responsibility, the very thing they will need for what they want to achieve -- a college education. Follow this step-by-step guide for a smoother countdown to college.

FRESHMAN YEAR • Talk to your parents and guidance counselor at the beginning of the year to set goals.

• Take the most challenging courses available to you.

Make good grades.

• Try a variety of activities.

• Take advantage of opportunities to visit college campuses when you travel.

SOPHOMORE YEAR • Visit college and career fairs.

• Build your resume. Make a list of awards, accomplishments, and activities.

• Take the PSAT for practice (you can take it your sophomore and junior year, but it won’t count until you are a junior).

• Start studying for the ACT and SAT. There are many test prep guides available online and in book form.

• Assess your strengths and weaknesses and take a personality inventory.

• Research possible careers.

• During the summer begin researching colleges that might be a good fit.

JUNIOR YEAR • Take the PSAT. • Accept leadership roles in the activities that suit you best.

• Narrow your list of possible careers.

• Narrow your list of possible colleges.

• Take the ACT and SAT. • During the summer volunteer or find an internship or job related to your future career.

• Write a college entrance essay draft. Have it critiqued by a guidance counselor or teacher.

SENIOR YEAR • Narrow your college search to six to eight schools.

• Post all important deadline dates on a wall calendar.

• Retake the ACT or SAT if needed.

• Polish your resume.

• Ask for teacher recommendations.

• Visit the colleges you are applying to.

• Send out all your college applications.

• After you receive your acceptance letters, compare scholarship and financial aid packages and make your final decision.

• Notify all the schools you were accepted to of your decision.

• Celebrate the beginning of a new timeline at college!

February 2021 | Boston Parents Paper

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