Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 29, 2012
Elana is a feisty, intelligent high school student from Connecticut. She describes qualities in an English teacher that I’ve found to be key and, unfortunately, not so typical. Sara Carbone: What makes a great English teacher? Elana: A great English teacher knows how to interact with their students and knows the text being read in class [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 26, 2012
Even the most confident kids have moments of doubt about themselves and school. Others struggle with anxieties about adult approval, their grades and their abilities. One thing you can do is help her create a list called 50 Positive Things About Myself. Start with all the things she can think of, school-related and otherwise. Go [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 24, 2012
Is it torture to get him to read? Does she speed through a required school book? Is reading “boring, stupid and hard?” There are two types of reading these days for elementary school age kids: reading for school and reading for fun. Sometimes the two overlap, sometimes not. In any case, the goals are for [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 22, 2012
More tips on how to advise the child whose book report has so many negative comments it looks like it was dipped in red paint. Do start with something positive. Any time a student and I are going over work, I start off with the strengths. Examples: “Excellent structure and very clear topic sentences. Now [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 20, 2012
Joyce Meiklejohn of NY reflects on helping her two teenagers, Grace and Erick, with school. Sara Carbone: What do you think teenagers typically struggle with in school? Joyce Meiklejohn: A kid who is not doing well in school or making poor choices is very unhappy with his circumstances. Much like the adults around him, he has [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 18, 2012
Your grade or middle school child’s science or history textbook can be pretty dry or hard to understand. Doing things to clarify the material and bring it to life can help if he’s struggling. Go over the textbook with him each night. Talk about it to understand events, concepts and themes. Decipher the bolded words [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 16, 2012
Does your kid eat and sleep video games? A child’s addiction to video games can be worrying. It may also be a point of contention between you. One option is to turn the obsession into a learning experience. Here’s some ways to do so. 1. Have her write about them. Non-creative writing can feel hard, [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 13, 2012
B was one of those smart, jaded kids who was “not living up to his potential.” He was a likable young man with real depth and strength to him, having survived some things a teen shouldn’t have to. And B hated school. Was bored stiff in class, blew off his schoolwork and lacked the skills [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 11, 2012
Below are resources you can tap to help support your child in math – up to about 6th grade. She can use them on her own or with you. The list consists of books and sites that I have consistently turned to over the years due to their ease of use and strong content. Note: [...]
Posted by: Sara Carbone on: February 7, 2012
Erica is an experienced educator currently teaching 7th grade science at a Westchester, NY public school. Sara Carbone: When are parents too involved? Erica: Some parents are overly involved, requesting homework directly from the teacher. At the middle school level, this does not prepare your child to take responsibility for her schoolwork. She becomes dependent [...]