Homework, Homework, Homework!

How to Motivate Your Kids to Do Homework
(without having a nervous breakdown yourself)

By Chick Moorman and Thomas Haller

Tired of arguing, nagging and struggling with your kids to get them to do homework? Are you discovering that bribing, threatening, and punishing don't yield positive results? If so, this article is for you. Here you will find the 3 laws of homework and 8 homework tips that if implemented in your home with consistency and an open heart, will reduce study time hassles significantly.

The First Law of Homework: Most children do not like to do homework.

Kids do not enjoy sitting and studying. At least, not after having spent a long school day comprised mostly of sitting and studying. So give up your desire to have them like it. Focus on getting them to do it.

The Second Law of Homework: You cannot make anyone do it.

You cannot make your child learn. You cannot make him hold a certain attitude. You cannot make him move his pencil.

While you cannot insist, you can assist. Concentrate on assisting by sending positive invitations. Invite and encourage your child using the ideas that follow.

The Third Law of Homework: It's their Problem.

Their pencils have to move. Their brains need to engage. Their bottoms need to be in the chair. It is their report cards that they bring home.

Too many parents see homework as the parent's problem. So they create ultimatums, scream and shout, threaten, bribe, scold, and withhold privileges. Have you noticed that most of these tactics do not work?

Our responsibility as parents is to provide our children with an opportunity to do homework. Our job is to provide structure, to create the system. The child's job is to use the system.

Tip # One

Eliminate the word homework from your vocabulary. Replace it with the word study. Have a study time instead of a homework time. Have a study table instead of a homework table. This word change alone will go a long way towards eliminating the problem of your child saying, "I don't have any homework." Study time is about studying, even if you don't have any homework. It's amazing how much more homework kids have when they have to study regardless of whether they have homework or not.

Tip # Two

Establish a study routine. This needs to be the same time every day. Let your children have some input on when study time occurs. Once the time is set, stick to that schedule. Kids thrive on structure even as they protest. It may take several weeks for the routine to become a habit. Persist. By having a regular study time you are demonstrating that you value education.

Tip # Three

Keep the routine predictable and simple. One possibility includes a five minute warning that study time is approaching, bringing their current activity to an end, clearing the study table, emptying their back pack of books and supplies, then beginning.

Tip # Four

Allow children to make choices about homework and related issues. They could choose to do study time before or after dinner. They could do it immediately after they get home or wake up early in the morning to do it. Invite them to choose the kitchen table or a spot in their own room. One choice children do not have is whether or not to study.

Tip # Five

Help without over-functioning. Only help if your child asks for it. Do not do problems or assignments for children.

When your child says, "I can't do it,” suggest they act as if they can. Tell them to pretend like they know and see what happens. Then leave the immediate area and let them see if they can handle it from there. If they keep telling you they don't know how and you decide to offer help, concentrate on asking than on telling.

Ask:

"What do you get?"
"What parts do you understand?"
"Can you give me an example?"
"What do you think the answer is?"
"How could you find out?"

Tip # Six

If you want a behavior you have to teach a behavior. Disorganization is a problem for many school age children. If you want them to be organized you have to invest the time to help them learn an organizational system. Your job is to teach them the system. Their job is to use it. Yes, check occasionally to see if the system is being used. Check more often at first. Provide direction and correction where necessary.

If your child needs help with time management, teach them time management skills. Help them learn what it means to prioritize by the importance and due date of each task. Teach them to create an agenda each time they sit down to study. Help them experience the value of getting the important things done first.

Tip # Seven

Replace monetary and external rewards with encouraging verbal responses. End the practice of paying for grades and going on a special trip for ice cream. This style of bribery has only short term gains and does little to encourage children to develop a lifetime love of learning.

Instead make positive verbal comments that concentrate on describing the behavior you wish to encourage.

"You followed the directions exactly and finished in 15 minutes."

"I notice you stayed up late last night working on your term paper. It probably wasn't easy saving that much to the end, but your efforts got it done."

"All your letters are right between the lines. I'll bet your teacher won't have any trouble reading this."

"I see you got the study table all organized and ready to go early. Looks like initiative and responsibility hooked together to me."

Tip # Eight

Use study time to get some of your own responsibilities handled. Do the dishes, fold laundry, or write thank you notes. Keep the TV off! If you engage in fun or noisy activities during that time children will naturally be distracted. Study time is a family commitment. If you won't commit to it, don't expect that you children will.

Hello School Community!

We were happy to have participated in the biggest college fair that takes place here in Tegucigalpa. Our Juniors and Seniors got the opportunity to meet with college representatives and get information about the college of their choice.
I am very proud to say all our students represented our school well, asking interesting questions and behavior was at their best!!!

PLEASE REMEMBER

• This week you should finish filling in the Common App!
• This week you must ask 3  people to write you a letter of recommendation for your college applications. Make sure you choose people that know you well.

Who Should Recommend You?

Choose adults who know you well. Teachers can comment about your academic skills. But also consider other people who can write about your talents and abilities, like coaches, employers, and community and church leaders..

Some schools require more than one letter of recommendation from counselors or teachers in particular subjects. Carefully read the instructions on the application before choosing someone to write the recommendation.

Don't ask family members to write your letters; their comments won't be as credible to an admissions counselor.

Read more: Letters of Recommendation for Your College Application http://www.infoplease.com/edu/fastweb/lettersofrecommendation.html#ixzz1Z4ATlgHL

Have a wonderful week!

CIS College Fair - September 22

Dear Parents, Teachers, and Students,

The CIS College Fair will take place on THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2011.
The information that was given to schools was wrong, it said Wednesday.

Students will take part in two different activities once we arrive at the American School, then they will have time for lunch at the cafeteria. At 1:00pm the actual fair starts. Parents are welcomed to join us. Please send the permission slip signed.

TIPS FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION

TIPS FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION

READ THE DIRECTIONS and follow them explicitly.

Complete the application NEATLY. You may type, print legibly, or use your word processor to cut and paste your information. You are encouraged to use the Common Application whenever possible. The Common Application is a consortium of several hundred schools who all use a single application form. It is available to file on-line or may be downloaded, completed on the computer, then printed out. The Common Application is available at www.commonapp.org.

NOTE: Make sure you check to see if the schools you are applying to have any supplements.

The supplements will be available either on the Common Application site or on the college’s website.

PROOFREAD! This is equally as important when you submit an application on-line as it is when you do a hard copy version of the application. Spelling and grammatical errors are absolutely unacceptable.

Keep a copy of all documents that you submit. This includes when you apply on-line.

Applying on-line. Many colleges are encouraging students to apply on-line. You should apply on-line as long as you are completely comfortable with the computer. Here are a few recommendations if you do choose to apply on-line:

a. Always print a copy of what you are going to submit BEFORE you actually submit it.

b. Make certain that you print out the directions and READ THEM BEFORE you begin to complete the application.

c. Print out the “checklist” that colleges offer for the steps that you must complete after you submit the on-line application. This will include the list of additional documentation you submit or that our offices must submit in order to complete your application for admission.

Additional Pages: If you need to use additional pages to answer any question on the application, be sure to put your name and the other identifier you are using at the top of EVERY additional page. This identifier could be your social security number, your address, or a number assigned to you by the school.

Application Fee: Be sure to securely attach your application fee to your application.

 Signature: BE SURE to sign your application and the waiver statement on all forms you will be using to request a recommendation.

Photographs: If an application requests a photo, know it is always optional.

When going to the College Fair Consider This!

CHOOSING A COLLEGE

Choosing the right college can seem like a rather daunting task. After all, your college education and overall experience will affect the rest of your life. With over 3000 colleges and universities in the country, it can become overwhelming to narrow your focus to just the few to which you want to apply for admission. If you do not have an absolute priority like an unusual major, a special learning need, or a unique talent, your choices are wide open. There are many factors to consider when choosing a college, but following are some of the key factors you should consider:

·         Distance from home

Do you want to live close to home or live far away? Being close to home can hinder your ability to experience independence, but being too far may make you lonely.

·         Size of school

Do you learn better in a smaller learning community or would you like to be in a large lecture hall?

Small schools will offer you more personal involvement, a community atmosphere, and smaller classes, whereas the larger schools tend to be more impersonal, make it easier for you to be anonymous, and have much larger classes. Smaller institutions may not have as many activities and opportunities to offer as would a larger institution.

·         Setting – suburban, urban, or rural

Do you want to be in a rural area, in the heart of a large city, or at least have access to a larger city?

·         Academics

Consider the majors, academic support services or honors programs each school has to offer.

Do you have any special educational needs?

·         Campus life

Consider the diversity of the campus, residence halls, campus clubs and organizations, fraternities and sororities, and religious programs and opportunities.

·         Overseas study opportunities

Are you interested in studying for a semester or year in another country?

·         Admission Criteria

Do you have the required standardized test score and grade point average needed for admission? What is the percentage of students admitted? What courses are required or strongly recommended for admission?

·         Cost

Do you have the flexibility to consider an expensive private or public institution or are you limited to a less expensive school?

·         Scholarships and Financial Aid

Will you qualify for any institutional academic scholarships? Are there other scholarships for which you can apply?

·         Reputation

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the institution?

TIP: Use www.collegeboard.com’s College Matchmaker to help you research colleges. You enter your preferred criteria and it displays the results!

One of the most commonly asked questions is, “How many colleges should I apply to?” There is no universal answer to this question since each individual is different. Some students may only apply to one or two schools while others may want to apply to ten or twelve. However each time you apply, there is an application fee that needs to be paid and it could get very expensive very quickly. After carefully investigating your requirements of a college, you should be able to narrow your choice to approximately 6 schools that provide the services you desire and place them in order of importance. As you are narrowing your choices, you may want to consider placing the schools into the following categories:

Reach Schools – These schools may be “long shots” based on your credentials and the admissions selectivity; however, consider stretching yourself and taking the risk to apply to these institutions.

Good Match Schools – These schools should possess significant features you want in a school, and it should be realistic that you will be admitted.

Safety Schools – These schools will have many of the features you are looking for, and admission is highly likely.

While there is no hard and fast rule regarding these categories, including one or two schools in each category is sufficient. You want to make sure you apply to at least two “good match” or “safety” schools to insure you will be accepted and be able to make a choice when the time comes.

A FEW POINTS OF CAUTION

1.       Many students spend hours deciding on their top few choices and very few minutes on their fifth or sixth choice. It is strongly advised that you take time in considering those choices as you may end up at one of those schools if admission and/or financial aid at your first choice(s) are not offered. You want to make sure your “safety” schools reflect the needs you desire, not just because they are inexpensive or admission is not as difficult.

2.       Some students feel that schools that fall into the “good match” or “safety” categories are not as good as those in the “reach” category. This is not necessarily the case. The selectivity may be stricter in some schools so your chances of admission may be decreased. In many cases, your good match and safety schools may be just as good to serve your purposes. You need to find the fit that is best for you!!

10 Ways to tell Kids " I Love You"

No matter how old and how mature our kids are, they are never too old to be told how much we love and appreciate them. Here are 10 ways to do it!

1. Make your home a place of safety, acceptance and love.
2. Build feelings of self-worth by showing your kids how they are special and unique.
3. Offer opportunities to learn and succeed.
4. Make sure your kids eat healthy foods, exercise regularly and get enough sleep.
5. Spend time with your kids. Talk, laugh, play and enjoy each other.
6. Protect your kids. Make their safety your top priority.
7. Acknowledge, praise and celebrate your kid´s successes. Don´t criticize when they try but fail.
8. Set limits to make them feel secure and to teach them responsibility.
9. Make a hug, a squeeze, a loving smile an everyday occurance.
10. Tell them you love them at least once a day.

 Adapted from the Bureau for At-Risk Youth

Junior and Senior Parents
I wanted to remind you the CIS University Fair is right around the corner and you are welcomed to join us on September 22nd at the American School.
Please let me know as soon as possible if you will go with us, I have to confirm our attendance by Tuesday of this week.

I am very happy that  our college application process is coming along fine. Please take some time to check with your student the information on the Common Application Form. If you have any questions don´t hesitate to email me at icasco@discoveryschool.edu.hn

We will soon have a couple of days to rest. Enjoy this time with your family, have a safe holiday and God bless you all!

Monday September 5, 2011

Monday September 5, 2011

We are excited about the visit our Seniors will make to the Education USA office, where we will work on filling out the Common Application most Universities and Colleges in the United States use for admission purposes. Parents will pick-up their student at the Education USA office located in Colonia La Florencia at the ICHI office.

Important Information to Remember:

UNIVERSITY VISIT: Tomorrow Tuesday, September 6, we will have Oglethorpe University (Georgia) visiting our school at 8:30 a.m. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about what this University has to offer. Parents are always welcomed to visit with college representatives.

ATTENTION Parents

Please save the date for September 21 so you can accompany our Seniors to the CIS University Fair Tour that will take place at the American School. This would give parents and students a better idea of what to expect from universities. Over 14 universities are invited!

CIS TOUR AGENDA

11:05 – 11:30 a.m.     Presentation for students on admission/financial aid. Location:   

                                   AST Gym

11:30 - 11:55 a.m.     "The G.P.A.  Game" with same attendees in same location.

11:05 - 11:55 a.m.     Counselors will meet with representatives from college reps.

                                   Location: AST Multipurpose Room

11:55 - 12:20 p.m.     Lunch - Everyone is responsible for bringing their own lunch or  

                                   purchasing lunch in the AST cafeteria.   Please inform your

                                   students that ordering or bringing food from outside providers  

                                   (pizza, etc.) is NOT allowed.

12:25 -   2:00 p.m.     College Fair Location: AST Gym.

Please let me know if you (parents) will be able to attend for I have to confirm how many people we are taking. Please email me at icasco@discoveryschool.edu.hn as soon as possible to reserve our spots.

Have a wonderful week everyone!