nano696

If your children have good writing skills, they will have a much easier time and get better grades in school. Here are some tips to teaching good writing skills that will encourage your children and last a lifetime.

Read to your children...read, read, read: from an early age. Readers turn into writers.

When your child is a toddler, point out letters to them. Sing them the ABC's and, as soon as they are able to, teach them how to sing them.

Have your young children tell you a story and write it down. Staple it into a book for them that they can keep. Show them that their words can make a story.

Encourage your child to make lists and write things down.

As soon as they are old enough, help them to start keeping a journal.

Teach them about great books and literature..start with the children's classics.

When they are coloring, have them try and copy letters that you write for them.

Help them find a pen pal that they can write letters to or e-mail. This will get them into the habit of writing often.

If they are having trouble with writing or comprehension, help them or find them a tutor. Don't let bad habits or lack of writing continue...once you go down this path, it is hard to get back on track.

Tell them how the movies they love and video games they love all started with the written word. This shows them that writing is everywhere.

Cut out pictures from magazines and have them write a story to go along with the picture.

If your children enjoy writing, try submitting their stories to a children's literature magazine or web-site. Once they see their name in print, they'll be hooked!

There is no better way to prepare a child for school and for life than to help him learn to read well and read often. Getting involved in his or her reading routine, and setting a good example, are important steps in helping your child develop good reading habits now that will last a lifetime.

Here are some other tips to help you get your child to read more:

Read to Children
Long before children can read by themselves, you can begin reading to them. Choose short books with wonderful pictures. Show your child the pictures, and use inflection to make the story more interesting. Many children who are read to on a routine basis, learn to read at younger ages than their counterparts do. Books fascinate most young children, and they begin turning pages as soon as their little hands are able. Take advantage of this fascination and transform it into a love of reading.

Have Children Read to you

Many schools now send home reading books and have children read to Mom and Dad for homework. This indicates that educators also believe that parental involvement is important in developing good reading habits. In addition to homework, ask your child to read to you and with you on other occasions. Allowing your child to pick the book may help motivate him to read. This is a good practice to keep children fresh over summer vacation as well. Reading often will keep your child from getting behind over the break.

Make Reading Fun

A good way to make reading more fun is to take turns. Set the timer for a minute or two and begin reading. When the timer goes off, re-set it and hand the book to your child. Stopping in an awkward place, such as in the middle of a sentence, can be very funny. Laughing and having a good time while reading will help encourage your child to read more often.

Utilize the Library and the Internet

Make reading into an outing, by taking your child to the library. Young children can enjoy story time offered by many libraries, and older children can obtain a library card and select books they find interesting. When your child has a question, rather than answering immediately, have your child look up information on the internet and read about the topic.

Seek Help for Reading Problems Immediately

While reading can help a child throughout his or her school career, reading problems can drastically affect a child's performance and confidence. If you feel your child may have reading difficulties, discuss these problems with his teacher or guidance counselor. It may be a case of simply needing more instruction and practice. If the problem is more serious, see if your child's school offers a remedial reading program. If not, you may need to seek assistance from a tutor or a literacy program. If your child does not read well, he or she will not want to spend much time reading. Do not ignore the problem. Your child can fall behind quickly, and this can become very discouraging.

Reading is one of the most fundamental aspects of a child's education. Well-read children are not only well rounded; they also score higher on standardized tests and tend to do better throughout school than children who are not avid readers.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard looks set to be available for Tuesday's Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers after returning to training ahead of schedule.

The England midfielder was expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks after sustaining a hamstring problem in the FA Cup exit to Reading on January 13, but could play at Molineux.

Manager Rafael Benitez will wait to the very last minute to decide if the 29-year-old is fit enough to help the Reds continue their climb towards the top four places in the Premier League.

"He was training on Saturday and then a full training session on Sunday, and today was the same," said Benitez. "Normally he's someone who, if available, can play. We'll decide tomorrow but I think he can be available."

Having previously struggled for form, Liverpool have now won three and drawn one of their last four matches and that has taken them to within a single point of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

A report in the News of the World on Sunday claimed that Gerrard was ready to play with pain killing injections to keep Liverpool's good form going.

Kids gravitate toward homework at about the same speed with which they ate spinach. While parents may not be able to get them to absolutely love doing lessons after school, there are a few things you can try to help kids turn off the television and pick up a textbook. Here are a few tried and true ideas.

1. Set a designated "homework" time each day. For some families, that may mean a quick 4 p.m. snack followed by an hour or two of lessons before supper. For others, an after-dinner time works best. Set aside between one and two hours, except for very young children in grades 1 to three. After checking family schedules for sports practice or a favorite television show, establish a mutually agreeable time when kids are expected to sit down to homework. This is a good opportunity for parents to model effective study habits by doing their own work-related tasks or by reading a book within the kids’ view.

2. Organize a homework area. Choose a quiet area with low traffic and few distractions. Dining rooms, family areas, or the child's bedroom may suffice, if there is no study or office room. Be sure to provide a desk with a comfortable chair and all the school supplies that may be needed, such as pencils with erasers, pens, markers, lined paper, and if applicable, equipment like a computer or calculator. Good lighting is essential, and keep the noise level down in nearby areas.

3. Protect your child's study time. Take phone messages or turn on the recorder, set appointments for other times, and hold off friends who come to the door to play. Encourage your kids to get the word out about the homework schedule, and interruptions will come less frequently. Consistency helps to keep everyone on task.

4. Supervise but don't intervene with your child's schoolwork. Some parents enjoy the challenge and take over an assignment as kids scamper off to do something else or sit back and watch their parent in action. Be available when genuine help is needed, but don't do the work for your student, or you'll disrupt the learning process.

5. Consider supplemental learning aids. Reference works like a dictionary, thesaurus, or research paper style guide can be helpful. CD-ROMs and software likewise can facilitate the child's efforts as well. Be careful about Internet use and check adult content blockers.

6. Take your children on family field trips. The library offers numerous resources that might be useful, such as videos, audiocassettes, books, and magazines. Or visit a local museum, nature preserve, or historical site.

7. Support your child's homework time. Provide healthy snacks during or after lessons. Fruit, veggies, nuts, or cereal bars make welcome treats, along with milk or a fruit drink. Promises of a favorite outing or special privilege after homework is satisfactorily completed can be a powerful motivator, along with rewards for good grades.

These practical steps of arranging a homework site and time, providing support and encouragement, and offering rewards for work well done may help your child learn to appreciate the value of a job well done

Brainstorming is a powerful tool used by teams and businesses around the world. Many business teachers and seminar leaders are teaching using brainstorming techniques. The following are some activities that either trainers or teachers can use to help lead their participants in more productive brainstorming sessions.


The concept was first introduced by Alex Osborne in the 1930s. It is a tool for generating ideas. It is an activity in which all members of a group (whether it be a work team, classroom, committee, etc.) contribute to a list of problems to be solved or solutions to a problem. Brainstorming helps get a lot of ideas into discussion in a short amount of time. Brainstorming may look unstructured, but to be effective, there should be some ground rules. These can include:

- Set a time limit on the brainstorming session.

- Don't let participants get sidetracked. Now is not the time to critique ideas that are being suggested.

- Be sure that everyone speaks freely.

- Be sure everyone contributes.

- Let the participants, not the leader, do the talking.

Elaine Beich, in The ASTD Trainer's Sourcebook: Creativity & Innovation suggests these similar rules:
1. Suspend judgement.
2. Encourage freewheeling
3. Quantity is wanted.
4. Piggyback ideas onto other ideas.
5. Post all ideas as you go.
6. Ask for clarification, but avoid questions such as ¡§how¡¨ and ¡§why.¡¨
7. Allow enough time.
8. Encourage playfulness and humor.
9. Assign a facilitator and a recorder.

Parents can help their school-age children learn and develop, but parents are often very busy. They may be working two jobs or trying to find a job, going to school, or taking care of other family members.

No matter how busy parents are, there are things they can do to help their children. Parents of first- and second-graders in the School Transition Study research project have discovered creative ways to stay involved in their children's learning and development. Researchers conducting the survey learned important and useful tips to share with busy parents everywhere.

Use Your Time Well
Organize your time. One single parent of four who is going back to school tries hard to organize her class schedule so that she has time with her children. She is able to be home with them in the afternoons on most school days. In another family where the mother and father both work full time, they are able to organize their work schedules so that one of the parents is always at home with the children. One day a week after school, the children walk to their mother's workplace where they wait a short time with her until their father picks them up.
Do a few things at once. One father arranges to do quiet household chores right beside his daughter who does her homework at the kitchen table. Then the father is there to answer questions. Another mother has her daughter start her homework in the family's car while they are waiting for her older brother to get out of school. The car is a quiet place where they can talk together.
Make daily routines a time for learning. When one mother walks her girls to school, she uses the time to talk about the unsafe parts of the neighborhood and how the girls can protect themselves. Children are learning all the time, but when you talk to them like this, it can help even more with their learning.
Find other people to help. One single parent who cannot be home in the afternoon or evening has the babysitter help the children with homework. Another single parent who works two jobs during the summer arranges for her son to get taken to his neighborhood summer program every morning by his grandfather, who lives nearby. When the program is over, the mother's friend takes the child to football practice and then back home, where the mother serves everyone a late dinner. As a busy parent, you can't do everything yourself. One important thing you can do is be the manager, and make arrangements for other people to help.

The very best form of motivation comes from within. Anyone observing healthy and well-attached infants knows that children are naturally curious and interested in learning, exploring, and mastering challenges. Youngsters with less innate talent but who gain satisfaction from engaging in tasks with responsibility, creativity, and effort can equal the performance of students with IQs 20 points higher. Persistence and task orientation make very significant contributions to achievement, sometimes over twice that made by IQ.
Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in tracking the occupational success of midd1960s Asian American high school graduates who were of average intelligence. Nevertheless, disproportionate to their numbers, they were working in high-level managerial, professional, and technical positions usually occupied by individuals testing above the 90th percentile on IQ tests. These people benefited from being raised by families that valued education above all else and instilled this drive in their children.

Students with learning disabilities who, despite competing against the odds, have maintained high internal motivation also can achieve significantly beyond the expectations set by their intellectual or information-processing weaknesses. Unfortunately, when such a student's high motivation results in grade-level achievement, the fact that the child has a learning disability may be missed altogether. Ironically, the child's motivation can mask his or her constant struggle, frustration, and effort to keep up.

The very best support for internal motivation is the family. When children see their parents and other family members work hard to achieve, they tend to do likewise. And after a while, they don't need hugs, praise, or treats for doing well. Achievement has become a highly valued motivator in its own right.

Some simple games to help children master the basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts that they need to learn.

Helping your child learn their math facts can be a fun and enjoyable time for you and your child. Simple games can give you some good quality time with your child and help build their confidence in their math skills.


Have your child bounce a ball for each number in a math fact, for example bouncing a ball 3 times, and then 5 times for the math fact 3 plus 5. Variations include you bouncing the ball and not saying the number, them having to cound the bounces, and tell you the math fact.



Pick a number and have your child tell you all the math facts that total that number, either addition, subtraction or multiplication.


Play bingo, with the math facts that add up to numbers on their cards. This can be used with any number of children, and if you have small prizes for a 'bingo' would make a great party game. Older children can have multiplication facts only. You will need to have the cards ready ahead of time, but once made can be reused over and over.


Have a speed race, how fast can your child recite the addition facts that start with 2+ up to 15? Time them and see if they can go faster. This will also work with multiplication. With more than one child you can let them race against each other.


Tell a story with math facts in it. For example, Little Red Riding Hood had 4 tassles on her hood and 3 on her dress, she had how many tassles? You don't continue the story until the answer is correctly identified. She took 3 steps and then took another 10, how many steps before she met the wolf? Have your child tell the story adding in the math facts as they go, and having to correctly identify the person who gave the right answer.


With younger children who are just learning math facts, a puppet can be a great help. Have them try to teach the puppet the math facts, of course it will take several tries before the puppet gets them right.


Have your child tell you how many plates and forks you need for dinner. Doing additon and subtraction for everyday chores and activities will help reinforce the learning, and help them to see the need for it on a daily basis.

The agent of Guus Hiddink has hinted at talks with Liverpool.

Cees van Nieuwenhuizen confirmed that Turkey were interested in appointing former Chelsea manager, but said they were just one of nine suitors for his client.

"I have spoken with representatives of four clubs and five national federations," Van Nieuwenhuizen told Sovetskiy Sport. "Almost all of the options have previously been mentioned in the press - Manchester City, Liverpool, Juventus, etc.

"However, as I have repeatedly said, we have not held talks with anyone.

"To all we have said that there must first be talks with the new president of Russian FA and to know his position on the future."

Van Nieuwenhuizen was keen to stress that no option was being discounted and he rejected any suggestion that Hiddink is too old to return to club management.

"It all depends on how a club is organised," said the agent. "For example, if the model is like Manchester United and Alex Ferguson, then Guus would be interested.

"After all, Sir Alex is not so much a coach at his club than a manager or technical director, identifying the club's transfer policy and organising the entire workforce.

"Ferguson does not even attend first-team training every day. This is a well-known fact!

"But Sir Alex is older than Guus. So I can easily imagine Hiddink leading a serious European club under such a model.

"But for now I see no point in speculating about it, because Guus's contract with the Russian FA is until the summer and perhaps it will be extended."

Great teachers set high expectations for all students.
They expect that all students can and will achieve in their classroom, and they don’t give up on underachievers.

Great teachers have clear, written-out objectives.
Effective teachers have lesson plans that give students a clear idea of what they will be learning, what the assignments are and what the grading policy is. Assignments have learning goals and give students ample opportunity to practice new skills. The teacher is consistent in grading and returns work in a timely manner.

Great teachers are prepared and organized.
They are in their classrooms early and ready to teach. They present lessons in a clear and structured way. Their classrooms are organized in such a way as to minimize distractions.

Great teachers engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways.
Effective teachers use facts as a starting point, not an end point; they ask “why” questions, look at all sides and encourage students to predict what will happen next. They ask questions frequently to make sure students are following along. They try to engage the whole class, and they don’t allow a few students to dominate the class. They keep students motivated with varied, lively approaches.

Great teachers form strong relationships with their students and show that they care about them as people. Great teachers are warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. Teachers with these qualities are known to stay after school and make themselves available to students and parents who need them. They are involved in school-wide committees and activities, and they demonstrate a commitment to the school.

Great teachers are masters of their subject matter.
They exhibit expertise in the subjects they are teaching and spend time continuing to gain new knowledge in their field. They present material in an enthusiastic manner and instill a hunger in their students to learn more on their own.

Great teachers communicate frequently with parents.
They reach parents through conferences and frequent written reports home. They don’t hesitate to pick up the telephone to call a parent if they are concerned about a student.

Home schooling is a challenge, but it has many benefits for your children. Staying organized is the key to make home schooling less stressful.


You have decided to home school your children. You know that this is a wonderful gift to your children, but you still may feel a bit overwhelmed. Being prepared, keeping things structured, and staying organized are the best ways to make each day go smoothly. You are teaching your children much more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. You are also teaching them –by example- how to give of themselves and how to organize their lives and use their time effectively.


Here are some tips to help you stay organized:



Designate certain spaces for specific activities


A playroom is not the best place to work, since it reminds the kids of playtime. If you do not have another space to use, section off the playroom into areas for work and play. It is a good idea to create a math center, a science center, a reading area, etc. It not only allows you to keep the items you need handy, instead of having to put science stuff away before starting on math, it also helps break up the day for the kids since they are allowed to move from one area to another. This will help reduce boredom for children as well as parents.


A place for everything


After organizing specific areas, you also need to find places for home schooling gear. Leaving items scattered does not make for a productive experience when you return to the area. Have your children help you put everything back in place when "school is out" for the day. You will be glad you did when you are able to start fresh with a neat, organized area the next morning.


Stick to your schedule


Make sure the kids eat something at appropriate times so they will not be distracted from their work because they are hungry. If it is time to do math, do math. When home schooling, it is easy to rearrange your schedule for more enticing activities, but it can become a trap. Do not let the kids pressure you into changing the schedule too often. Of course, being too rigid is not good either, so be flexible when necessary. If something important comes up, it is okay to bend the schedule a bit, but on a daily basis, try to stick to it as closely as possible.


Concentrate on one thing at a time


Do not try to do too much at once. If it is time for reading, focus on reading and do not try to incorporate other subjects at the same time. It is also a good idea to schedule household chores for rest time, playtime, snack time, or "after school." Attempting to do the laundry or to wash dishes while home schooling is not conducive to a productive learning atmosphere. This may require extra planning and more of your time, but it will be worth it in the long run.


Enlist help


If you know someone that works in a field your child is interested in, invite that person to speak to your child or have your child visit him or her at work if possible. On the other hand, if there is a subject that is not exactly your best, consider bringing in a tutor or trading subjects with another home schooling parent in your area. Nothing is more frustrating for parent and child than trying to work on a difficult subject, especially if you are ill prepared to teach that subject. Another parent might agree to teach your children math, while you teach his or her children science, or vice versa.

As a parent, you may have wondered how best to thank the teachers of your K-5 graders. One of the greatest gifts you can give your child's teacher is your active participation. Teachers appreciate parents who actively participate by giving a helping hand in the class and school, including serving in any parent-teacher organization. Then too, teachers appreciate parents who help by attending field trips and following up at home with homework, extra learning activities and disciplinary training (i.e., reinforcing the teacher's in-class conduct rules).



If you're mastering parent participation, you may be wondering how else you can show your appreciation for your child's teachers.


Throughout the year, there are several great opportunities to give a gift to your child's teachers. These include special holidays, as well as any day you want to send a special "Thank You," to teachers of your K-5 grade children.


Need some gift ideas? If so, consider some of the following awesome gift ideas for K-5 grade teachers.


1. Hand-made gifts are some of the best way to show your appreciation for your child's teacher. Gifts in this group include such things as hand-made cards, baskets, and soaps.


2. Baked good are also a hit and can include cakes, cookies, candy, cupcakes, muffins, or bread. If you're going to bake consider letting your child help with minor pre- or post-baking activities. Hint around to find out what is a favorite baked good, and make up a gift tin, or basket filled with these delicacies. But before you bake, keep in mind any special dietetic or medical needs of the teacher (ask before baking). If he or she is diabetic, for example, consider sugar substitutes that would complement a restricted diet. Perhaps the teacher is allergic to certain dyes, then opt for a baked good that does not include that dye.


3. You can never go wrong by giving your child's K-5 grade teacher some new teaching resources. Consider giving a magazine or newspaper subscription. When in doubt, say thanks by giving a gift certificate to a book store where your teacher can select a favorite teaching resource (or relaxing read).


4. Stickers and art supplies. Many K-5 grade teachers can't keep up with the demand for stickers that reward a child's performance. So, the next time you want to say thank you to your child's teacher, pick up an extra pack or two of stickers. Mid-year, you may also want to pick up some extra art supplies, including paint, glue sticks, brushes or crayons. While, stickers or art supplies are not personal gifts, they may be much needed by your kid's K-5 grade teacher.


5. Don't overlook the gift of technology, such as educational, grade-specific CD-ROMs. Such a gift may be more costly, but consider teaming up with other parents and give such a present at the end of school term as a thank you for the a job well done.

Studying a foreign language can be a great learning experience for your child. But is she ready to undertake this adventure?

The world is rapidly becoming even more diverse as travel and immigration rates accelerate. In the United States, it is estimated that by the year 2020, about 25% of the workforce will have originated in other countries. Never before has it been so important to learn a foreign language. Yet, most elementary, middle, and high schools offer language study as an option more than as a requirement, except for college prep and honors programs of study.


If your child attends a school where foreign languages are offered, this is a good time to assess the situation and determine whether she is ready to undertake this type of study. Here are some things to keep in mind:



1. Does your child have an aptitude for language study? If she performs well in language arts classes, she may be more apt to excel in foreign language learning. Students who are aural learners often tend to do well with communications-based classes like Spanish or French. Often, girls are more verbal than boys, so that may be another indicator that your daughter could enjoy a foreign language class, although this can vary widely by personality.


2. Is your child interested in foreign cultures or diverse people groups? If she enjoys meeting new people or learning about other countries, she may be ready to work on acquiring the skills of speaking a second language. You may want to borrow library videos about a culture or its people to see whether your child demonstrates interest in them. If so, explain that learning their language is the next step to understanding more about the culture and its inhabitants.


3. Does your family plan to travel? Even if you will be visiting an area where that language will not be studied in school, such travel provides an opportunity to observe the benefits of knowing and using a foreign language as opposed to looking for someone who speaks English. This practical experience may help to sharpen interest in taking a language class in preparation for future travel or workforce exposure to those from other lands.


4. Does your daughter read books or express interest in distant locales? You may have caught your child playing dress-up as a matador from Spain or an artist from France. Perhaps he enjoys watching films that are set in a certain country or that feature specific actors or characters from a specific region. These interests can lay the groundwork for successful language study later.


5. Are you willing to support your child's interest in learning a new tongue? Borrow audiotapes and work with your child at home, even learning the language yourself if possible. Play music from the country during the family's dinner time to expose everyone to some of the culture from the land of language study. Take the kids on outings or encourage school field trips to locales that celebrate individuals from a particular ethnic background where the language is spoken, such as the Alamo in Texas for students studying Spanish.


While these indicators are not sure-fire evidence that your child is ready to study a language and will do well, they may be helpful in considering some of the ways in which you can pique your child's interest to prepare her for this exciting new step in a school education.

Increasing student vocabulary is of paramount importance, since the words that we understand influence our very thoughts and our perception of the world around us. Many students come to our classrooms with vocabulary that is limited by their environment and experiences. As teachers, how can we increase the number of words that they have at their disposal?


1. Identify your students’ current level of performance. You will have a very difficult time teaching students to understand what the word economy means if they do not have an understanding of the word money. This is a very simplistic example, but you see the potential problem. You must check to see if students have a good base vocabulary to start with, because you cannot build on something that is not there. There are a variety of assessments available, such as the Reading Level Indicator (RLI) that can help you determine where your students stand.



2. Check for understanding. Many students will simply coast along in class, not asking questions, appearing to be lazy or disinterested, when in fact, they do not understand the material. Check for understanding of the content frequently, using ways that do not single students out. If you discover that many students do not understand the words in the content, reteach the vocabulary. Repetition can be quite effective.


3. Encourage students to read a wide variety of materials. If students perceive that reading is only something that is done from a textbook, then reading may not be very appealing to them. This is not uncommon, as many students come from homes where there are no bookcases, only entertainment centers. If students do not have the opportunity and encouragement to read materials of their own choosing, their vocabulary will stagnate.


4. Break down words. Teach students how words originated, which can often be quite interesting. Teach the meanings of common prefixes and suffixes and do activities where students try to guess word meanings based on those word parts.


5. Integrate vocabulary into each lesson, regardless of the content area that you teach. Make vocabulary a natural part of each lesson, and discuss the vocabulary surrounding the concepts that you teach, regardless of if it is math, art or music.


6. Teach students to use reference materials so that they can continue to develop their vocabulary independently, without having it explicitly taught. If students have reliable access to computers, teach them how to use the many online dictionaries and thesauruses that are out there. Many even have pronunciation guides that can be clicked on. In the classroom, there are a variety of games that you can play with the dictionary to increase your students’ comfort level with this resource.


7. Provide multiple exposures to new words. Just as when someone must practice new words repeatedly when learning a new language, students must use their new vocabulary in order for it to stick.


8. Help your students to develop connections between their lives and the vocabulary words. One way to do this is through whole class semantic mapping, as each student has an opportunity to add his or her idea about a word to the discussion.


9. Give assignments that give students a reason to use the vocabulary outside of class. For example, you may want to ask them to go home and bring back pictures that relate to the vocabulary words. For vocabulary to fully develop, it must also be used outside of the school walls.


10. Try playing physical games to teach vocabulary. For example, take words such as stomp, saunter, and crouch that can be physically acted out and play a guessing game. Incorporate other vocabulary games as well. If students are relaxed and having fun, the vocabulary is more likely to be remembered later. Games also help you cater to different learning styles in a very easy manner.


Try looking at the National Council of English Teachers Ideas Plus series of books for some great activities that you can do with children of all ages. Also look at the resources available online and at your local teacher supply store. The more diverse tools you have at your disposal, the more successful you will be at reaching every student and broadening their world through the development of a wider vocabulary.

I'm beginning to think it's not just how much you love someone - maybe what matters is who you are when you're with them.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt."

The heart that loves is always young.

"Loving can cost you a lot but not loving always costs more, and those who fear to I've often find that want of love
is an emptiness that robs the joy from life."

"In the race for love, I was scratched."

If music be the food of love, play on!

When was the last time you took a walk? Just a walk, a walk to nowhere in particular, for no reason in particular? A walk with your children? Try it!


Try taking a walk simply to enjoy a special time with your children and to examine and learn more about the natural world around you. You might be surprised by the many splendors you encounter together. You don’t even have to leave your own neighborhood.



Nature, and the beauty of it, is all around us. It surrounds us constantly. In today’s day and age however, most of us are usually too busy or in too much of a hurry to notice and to enjoy it.


My children and I take walks almost every day. It’s amazing that something as simple as that can become one of the highlights of our day. We take our time, examining everything we see. It’s a special time together.


In the spring we study the young buds on the trees, the new growth growing and gathering strength, much like a child.


In the summer we examine all of the wonderful, thriving nature that is everywhere. In the Fall, the colorful leaves as they are shed from the trees, the acorns, the pinecones. Even in the Winter the bare, trees and shrubbery waiting silently and dormant until Spring comes around once again. We hold hands, pick flowers (usually weeds, but beautiful in their own way), collect rocks and leaves, we examine bug life and listen to bird song. These walks can last anywhere from twenty minutes to over and hour and almost always give us a renewed energy, that boost that we all sometimes need to continue that which must be accomplished by days end.


We hold hands. Sometimes we walk quietly in the hopes of seeing a squirrel or a chipmunk. Other times we sing songs and skip and laugh. Every time we find something, something rare and special and beautiful as we are enjoying one another so immensely and learning about nature together.


We collect things. We take them home and examine and study them even more closely. We try to identify different leaves or rocks or weeds and if we cannot we’ll make a trip to the local library to do some research. We’ve pulled apart pinecones to see what they look like inside. We’ll study acorn shells to determine how a squirrel must have cracked it open. Even beautiful works of art can be created with some of the treasures we gather. Lovely autumn leaves can be pasted to paper to make a colorful collage.


Walks are wonderfully special times, especially with children. Sun, rain, snow – there is always something to see and to learn and it’s these times together that will make a lasting impression on your children. Try taking a walk with your kids and truly be together.

Here are some helpful tips that can make instilling the joy and fun of reading in your children. These can help you if you are a parent, teacher and/or home schooler

Every parent wants his or her child to learn to read. But, more importantly, they want them to learn to love reading. Without reading a person can not do much of anything. If a person does not like to read, they will not read even what is essential for every day life. The child that learns to love reading will enjoy a life filled with wonder and continued growth academically and personally.


It is not always easy to get a child to like to read. Some take to books naturally, but others will do just about anything to avoid them. This can be discouraging for parents and teachers a like. However, there are things we can all do to try and help each young person fall in love with the written word.

The first and most important thing an adult must do is to be an avid reader. If the adults in a child's life do not read and do not allow the child to see them reading, the child will have difficulty making the connection between reading and enjoyment. Read everything. Novels, biographies, non-fiction pieces, magazines, newspapers, the backs of cereal boxes, are just some examples of the things you can read in the presence of your child.


Let them see you responding to what you are reading. If it is a funny story, laugh and tell your child you enjoyed it because it made you laugh. If it is a sad news report, act sad and explain why you are sad to your child. If is a how-to article that you have learned from, let your child know you just learned something.


Make a special time that you and your child read together. At least four times a week, get comfortable in a favorite spot with your child. Let him or her pick out what they want to read with you. Talk about what you are reading and discuss any pictures or points of interest that come up while you are reading. By talking about it and asking him or her questions about how he or she feels about what you are reading you are telling your child that this is important and you value his or her opinion. This kind of positive reinforcement will create warm and comfortable memories that elicit a love of reading.


Make reading fun. Use funny voices while reading a story. Encourage your child to use funny voices. Both of you can role-play the characters of the story, pretending to be part of the story. The more you play with your child, the more excited he or she will be about learning anything.


When your child asks you a factual question, tell him or her you don't know, but you'll help him or her look it up. This gives you the opportunity to instill in your child the invaluable skill that reading really is. It gives you both time together to talk and discuss any information that may be important to one or both of you. By creating this kind of intimacy with your child you are allowing him or her to feel safe in coming to you with his or her questions. You will also be showing your child that reading is not only enjoyable, but purposeful as well.

" The past is gone so it cannot be undone; all we can do is learn from it to help for a better future which is yet to come. A New Year is another new beginning and new directions to follow where you are destined to be."
Copyright © 2009 Marita Manalo Domingo

" You should not wait; the time will never be 'just right'. Start where you are, work with whatever is at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."
Written in 2010 by Ybonette Gonzales --- Philippines

" You might not have been born with a Silver spoon but definitely you were born with a Golden mind. Therefore, say this often: My MIND needs to be MINED so that the GOLD MINE will be MINE.
"Copyright © 2009 Kunle Faniyan


" We learn more about ourselves when we fail...so, don't be afraid of failing. Failure is a part of the long process of success. People who do not fail are those who do nothing."
" Defrag your mind to free up positive space. Crop your thoughts to cut out all the negative parts or views of negative thinking. Copy & Paste daily inspirations and motivations to help focus on the good in each situation in life. When you change your thoughts, you change your thinking. Uploading this inspiration is downloading positive thoughts into your memory bank of thinking. Think bigger, better and brighter thoughts!"Copyright © 2009 Antonio Talbert

Parenting a gifted child requires resources. Read this article for information

1. You’re in Charge of Your Income. This can be seen as a pro or a con at first, but eventually the sky will be the limit as you develop your business. In the beginning, seeking self-employment might not make you as much as you used to, and you also may have to worry about issues like individual insurance coverage. The huge advantage is the fact that you keep every dime that you make and your salary is not capped by your employer.
2. You Have Creative Control. You get to make all of your decisions, no one else is telling you what to do. This is huge because many people run into boredom issues at their jobs. If you can choose the business you want, you can also pick and choose the types of jobs you accept. You do what you want, when you want.
3. You’re Responsible for Your Success. If you’re self-employed you can truly make a difference when you start your own business. This is because the success of the business lies on your shoulders. When you work for a large corporation, it’s easy to mix in with the rest of the employees and feel like it doesn’t even matter whether or not you show up to work. While you’ll still have to work hard when you’re self-employed, you really matter because you are your business.
4. You Set Your Own Hours. Setting your own hours is a huge advantage. You know yourself best and you’ll be able to build a schedule that’s most efficient for you. If you want to work really hard one day, and take a half day the next day, that’s perfectly fine when you’re self-employed. You can work all night and sleep all day if that’s your personal preference!
5. You’ll Be Challenged. Most people will find that they not only reach a salary cap when they work for someone else, but they also reach a point where they’re no longer challenged. When you embark on this new journey for yourself, it’ll be a risk and it’ll be a challenge. Also, as you keep gaining experience and income, you’ll continue to be challenged as you reach higher and higher levels.
6. You Can’t Get Fired. This is a great reason in itself. In the self-employment world you can’t get fired! You can change your mind about certain business opportunities, but that would just be shifting the focus of your business, you’d never be firing yourself. This takes a certain amount of burden off your shoulders because you don’t need to worry about someone suddenly taking away your income just because of cutbacks even if you’re doing a superb job.
Remember that there’s always a certain amount of risk associated with making a major change in your life. It’s never easy when it involves income and the future of your family. However, if you want to be your own boss, you can certainly do so. It may end up opening many doors to better your financial future.

The focus on music classes is greater than ever. With the focus on education in the media and budget cutbacks, we are now forced to cut corners in our schools. This is unfortunate because essential classes such as physical education and music education are now being removed from out schools curriculum. In recent years, there has been research on the importance of music classes for our children. The following will explain how music education can help your children today and in the future.
Math Skills: Music classes at an early age help our children's brains develop resulting in a better ability comprehend math when they get older. This is especially important now. Math skills are becoming more essential than ever. To compete in a technology driven age we must focus on the importance of math. Especially with our global economy, By refusing to expose our children to music at an early age we may be robbing them of an essential skill to compete with other countries.
Science Skills: These skills are also a benefit of music classes for many of the same reasons as before. Music enhances our children's reasoning skills, which is important to understand how science works. Again, these skills are required for our children to be competitive in the future.
Reading
Skills: Music classes teach you how to concentrate. To properly comprehend what you are reading concentration is key to success. It also enhances memory and recall skills. This is helpful in all areas of our children's education
. With illiteracy rate going up in our country, we must begin to try to enhance these skills.
Social Skills: Music allows our children to work in teams to create music as a whole. By enrolling your children in music classes in school, you allow your child to learn how to cooperate with others for a common goal. These classes allow children how normally wouldn't associate with each other to cooperate and promote unity. A sense of belonging is very important in our culture today. Especially important to those who grow up in environment which constantly plague on their emotions. Studies show that music classes enhance self-esteem in their students. Music education may also be an important step in reducing the incidence of violence in our school by bringing the students together.
In addition to these many skills, music classes have been associated with an increase in the IQ level of our children. It also helps children with breathing and speech difficulties and learning disabilities. They may be many other things that have not been discovered. By removing these classes from our schools
, we are robbing our children of the necessary skills for their future and our future. These children are going to be the ones who run everything in just a few years. Do you want to our futures in the hand of children who have not had a complete education? Music classes are essential. Don’t let ignorance stand in the way of our children's future. Educate yourself on the benefits of these classes. If you have a different opinion that is okay, but try to understand the otherside of the debate before making your decision.
If your local school system is considering dropping music classes, be vocal. Try to stop your local school system from robbing our children of essential skills. If you are unsuccessful in your effort to prevent the removal of these classes try to get them reinstalled. If you have children who will benefit from these classes consider enrolling them in private classes. One or two lessons per week or enough to get the benefits of music classes.

01 2010 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX (Sakhir)
12 - 14 Mar

02 2010 FORMULA 1 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX (Melbourne)
26 - 28 Mar
03 2010 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX (Kuala Lumpur)
02 - 04 Apr
04 2010 FORMULA 1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX (Shanghai)
16 - 18 Apr
05 FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPANA TELEFÓNICA 2010 (Catalunya)
07 - 09 May
06 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2010 (Monte Carlo)
13 - 16 May
07 2010 FORMULA 1 TURKISH GRAND PRIX (Istanbul)
28 - 30 May
08 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2010 (Montreal)
11 - 13 Jun
09 2010 FORMULA 1 TELEFÓNICA GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE (Valencia)
25 - 27 Jun
10 2010 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Silverstone)
09 - 11 Jul
11 FORMULA 1 GROSSER PREIS SANTANDER VON DEUTSCHLAND 2010 (Hockenheim)
23 - 25 Jul
12 FORMULA 1 MAGYAR NAGYDIJ 2010 (Budapest)
30 Jul - 01 Aug
13 2010 FORMULA 1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Spa-Francorchamps)
27 - 29 Aug
14 FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2010 (Monza)
10 - 12 Sep
15 2010 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX (Singapore)
24 - 26 Sep
16 2010 FORMULA 1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Suzuka)
08 - 10 Oct
17 2010 FORMULA 1 KOREAN GRAND PRIX (Yeongam)
22 - 24 Oct
18 FORMULA 1 GRANDE PREMIO DO BRASIL 2010 (Sao Paulo)
05 - 07 Nov
19 2010 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX (Yas Marina Circuit)
12 - 14 Nov

1. The first step that you should take when dealing with your child's issues of moving to a new school is to simply not dismiss your child's feelings. Your child has probably made many good friendships at his old school and it will probably pain them to leave behind his friends. It is important to listen to their concerns about the move and to be able to ensure the child that just because they are moving away, it doesn't mean that the relationships will have to be severed completely.
2.If possible, show the child around the new area and school that they will be going to before the actual move. Part of the apprehension may be that they are sure about the area that they are moving to. Let them see for themselves what the school looks like and perhaps allow him to meet some of the children in the neighborhood. Sometimes it can be the thought of not knowing that can make the child feel uncomfortable
3.If you are friendly with the parents of your child's friends, and you are not moving a far distance, try to arrange for your children to still meet up and see each other from time to time. It could be weekend sleep overs, during the summer or just for lunch and a play date from time to time. Any connection that can be maintained between your child and their friends can be helpful.

Eating a good breakfast and
getting a good night's sleep are just a few of the ways to ensure your children start off to a good school year.
Here are a few more.

1-eat a good breakfast every morning, don't let them skip breakfast.
2-wake them up early enough to get up on time so they are not tardy! Even if that means waking them up 15 or 30 minutes earlier than they used to wake up.
3-be sure your child gets a good night's sleep. turn in early.
4-have them prepare all of their things the night before, including clothes or uniforms, socks, shoes, booksacks, homework assignments in booksacks,etc. down to the finest details, even hair accessories.
5-children should keep their booksacks, desks and rooms organized so they can find what they need easily and nothing gets lost.
6-praise your children, encourage them, use positive reinforcement, work closely with them. let them know that you are available to help if needed.
7-create a study routine for your child. a good rule of thumb is to have them do their homework right when they get home.
8-go over homework together.
9-check their booksacks for notes, missed assignments, book orders, etc.
10-promote healthy habits
like healthy snacks, low in sugar, fresh fruits and vegetables.
11-children should ask questions. don't be afraid to ask questions. that is how we learn.
12-a stress free child is a happy child. a happy child will do better in school.
13-children should start reviewing notes at least three days before a test. don't wait until the night before or worse, the day of the test to study for it.
14-children should write down their assingments carefully. have the number of a few classmates in case you forget to write it down.
15-parents, be a role model to your children. your children learn from you. be positive and supportive of the school system and teachers.
16-have your child read to you often and regularly.
17-have them put all of their things in their room right when they get home. this will alleviate the chances of losing or misplacing something. more time is wasted looking for a lost shoe or where they put their booksack.
18-children should take notes when the teacher repeats something, tells them to write it down or that is very important or will be on a test, or if she writes it on the board.
19-don't cheat, don't be lazy, do your projects and assigments like reports, ahead of time. study and learn. you will be proud of yourself.
20-during tests, read all of the directions, follow directions, read the questions carefully, and double check your answers if you have time after you are done.