I'm sure many of you worry about the education your children and grandchildren are getting. I decided to post an email I recently sent my own children on this topic. Should you also be facing these concerns, something here might help you as well.
Dear children,
I include in this note resources that I found online to help your children
in school. Your father and I were fortunate enough to find a school with a
curriculum that taught these things so you all got well-drilled in the basics.
You must either find such a school or provide those basics yourself. Don’t take
it for granted that your children are getting what they need. That is a hard
lesson to learn after the fact.
These are excellent resources for helping your children develop skills they will need. Your child will be one among many in a classroom with children whose parents may already have
familiarized them with these concepts. You cannot
depend upon the schools to teach your child. Stay alert always.
1. Encourage your small children to learn to read phonetically. Regurgitating sight words is not reading. Children must be able to decode unfamiliar words or they will be unable to progress beyond the limit of their memorized vocabulary. Encourage
listening skills. Have them repeat sounds after you so they can identify them.
2. Make sure they know their addition and multiplication tables.
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/multiplication-tables.html
3. I remember Mother holding my hand and teaching me to
hold the pencil and then to make circles with the pencil. That helped me later
in writing cursive. Encourage that hand co-ordination because the notes a person
writes reflects upon their abilities. Handwriting also tells a lot about the
person. A signature or a thank-you note may determine the impression one makes
upon a prospective employer. Begin with teaching your child to hold a pencil
correctly.
4. Please encourage your children to write thank-you notes. Teach them
gratitude. If someone cares enough to give your child a present, teach them
gratitude and appreciation. Have them write a thank-you note or, until they can
write, draw a picture and help them write thank you note.
“Grateful kids tend to be much more satisfied with their lives,” says Froh. “They do better in school and are less materialistic, less depressed, and less envious. Their relationships are much stronger and more supportive.” In one study, grateful kids even reported fewer physical symptoms, like headaches, stomachaches, and fevers.”
Set the example of gratitude early. Remember that a thank you note consists
of at least three lines written in
cursive (after the third grade). The first line should read
something like this:
Date
Dear ____________, (a comma goes after a personal note and a colon goes
after a business note)
Thank you so much for the _____________________. (The second line
describes the item and how you plan to use it or what you really like about it.) I have already had hours of fun playing/building/riding/coloring. (Let the
third line reiterate appreciation.)You were so kind/generous to think of me in such a thoughtful way.
Sincerely (love, truly yours),
Name
Teach them that no one owes them a gift. Someone has sacrificed resources,
time and effort to think of a suitable gift because they love them and the least
they can do is sit down and write a note expressing their appreciation not only
of the gift, but the the care and love that came with it.
Take them places that will educate and not just entertain them. I suggest
watching the movie Gifted Hands: the Dr. Ben Carson story to see the impact
reading and being exposed to arts and music can make in the life of a child.
Talk to them explaining and describing as you do. Create imaginary activities in
your discussion to help them visualize and create. (See those birds gathered on
that pier. Do you suppose one of them is the teacher. What do you suppose the
teacher is teaching them? How to write? Can they write with wings? Could they
write with their feet?) Silly stuff. I remember Mother entertaining me by
sitting on the steps of the front porch and imagining a circus parade coming
down the street with clowns, tigers, bears, jugglers, etc.) We listened for
Alliwishus and she told me his story.
http://www.southern-style.com/Alliwishus/Alliwishus%20story.html
You are all wonderful parents and I am so proud of each of you. Your
children are your greatest contribution to the world. What you are is your gift
from God, what you become is your gift back to Him.
The greatest lessons of all are those will guide them to their own saving
knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
I love you,
Mother
No comments:
Post a Comment
I would love to hear from you!