If you are supplementing your child’s education,

You Are Not Alone

According to Kauchak and Eggen in their book Introduction to Teaching (2005), a survey was taken in the US in the mid-80’s comparing Chinese, Japanese, and American child-rearing practices.  The survey showed that over 95% of native Chinese and Japanese 5^th graders had desks at home to do their school work (compared to only 63% of the American sample). Fifty-seven percent of Chinese and Japanese parents supplemented their child’s class work with math workbooks they used at home (compared to only 28% of American parents).  Likewise, 59% of Chinese parents also supplemented in the area of science (compared to only 1%).

So, if you have kids attending local schools and you are finding yourselves supplementing their education at home, then you are joining those of other nationalities who live in the US and supplement their child’s public education as well.  An interesting reversal….

Suggestions from parents serving abroad

Compiled by: Delana S

1. Stick to the Basics.

When supplementing your child’s national school education, it is important to stick to the basics.  Many families consider this to be English (reading, writing, and grammar) and Mathematics (if a supplement is needed).  For older students, it will also be necessary to supplement US History.  Don’t worry so much about US History and Geography.  If they start in the 7^th grade, it will get repeated enough throughout jr. high, high school, and college that they will get it down.  Don’t expect them to do well on the Social Studies portion of an American assessment test—and don’t let it bother you.

2.  Hire a local tutor for homework.

Some suggest that hiring a tutor to assist your child with her homework will help accomplish the homework in a less frustrating fashion.  (Sometimes math concepts may not be explained in a way that your child can understand.  Hearing an explanation again in English may help them grasp it.  As well as offering perhaps a different way of solving a problem.)

3.  Designate a time for the course or courses you will supplement.

It is suggested that lunch break, just before dinner, or close to bedtime be chosen (depending on the subject).  Reading to your child and having them read to you is a great bedtime ritual.  Sonlight history readers and read-alouds make interesting bedtime stories.  Allow your child to take turns reading parts to you (to help with pronunciation).  Some families recommend focusing on the supplements during Christmas, spring, and summer breaks, so as not to overly stress the student during an already long school day.

4.  Teach your child to read in one language at a time.

Though children can learn to understand and speak in multiple languages simultaneously, it has been discovered that troubles abound if a child is trying to learn more than one written code at a time.  If your 4-6 year old already has the ability to read well in English, then starting him into a local school should not be a problem.  If your child has been in a local preschool that is teaching her to recognize the local alphabet and begin to read, then it is better to not teach her how to read in English until she is reading well in the local language.  In this case, wait a while before teaching reading. It is very easy for a preschool or Kindergarten child who is being expected to learn two alphabets or “written codes” at the same time, to become very confused.  Down the road, this child may face troubles in speech, reading, writing, spelling, and attentiveness.  For more information on this subject, see http://www.educatingourkids.org/Teaching_Reading_Main.htm. Many educators recommend that a child learn to read in his heart language first.

5.  Read to your child daily and let her see you reading for your own enjoyment as well.

Even if you can’t supplement in any other way during the course of the school year, read to your child.

6. Have plenty of age-appropriate reading materials on hand for them to read.

7.  Recommended curriculum for supplementing.

Spelling Power, Explode the Code, Wordly-Wise, Winston Grammar, Sonlight readers, Easy Grammar, Daily Grams, Keys to Good Language, Alphaphonics, Wordsmith Apprentice

{The following notes were taken by Stacey B at the SHARE 2007 conference.  These are some incredible suggestions, not just for those supplementing national schools.  Some suggestions are useful information for those doing straight home-schooling, as well.}

Notes from Jean on smart supplementing for national schools (for us specifically in answer to our questions…we are currently sending our kids for 3.5 hrs in the morning, eating lunch, and then supplementing with American schoolwork).

Key points on supplementing national schools:

ü      MAKE IT AS FUN AS POSSIBLE,

ü      CHOOSE SILLY WRITING TOPICS,

ü      DO MESSY ART PROJECTS,

ü      BE CREATIVE,

ü      LET THEM SIT ON THE FLOOR,

ü      KEEP IT VIBRANT, FUN AND ENGAGING.

ü      KEEP PROVIDING LOTS OF GOOD BOOKS.

ü      COUNTERBALANCE THE SERIOUSNESS AND STRUCTURE OF LOCAL SCHOOL, WHILE PROVIDING THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF WHAT THEY NEED TO KEEP UP WITH THEIR PEERS IN THE STATES.

Other suggestions:

q       It takes a lot of mental energy to make the switch from local school to English instruction and work, therefore minimize the # of times they have to make the switch, i.e. have them complete their local school homework first off so they don’t have to jump back and forth.

q       With younger kids who are beginning readers, (who are learning to read in the local language) read aloud a lot to them in English and only require them to read to you 1-2 minutes per day to keep their skills fresh.  For older readers provide lots of FUN books.  (It doesn’t have to be heavy literature.)

q       Teachers in schools consider it a good year if they make it through ½ to ¾ of the material.  You can take a course and spread it out over several years. (i.e. history or writing, literature, etc.).

q       In general, supplement math 2-3x/week, grammar 2-3x/week, spelling 3-4x/week (either by self-correcting their mistakes and making a list from that, or use Spelling Power or something similar).  She emphasized having them practice these words on their own, and rewarding for good test scores at the end of the week.  Have them write it correctly twice as many times as they write it wrong.

q       Give kids the Saxon assessment every year (if you are using that curriculum) to see if they will be able to skip any books (so much is review they probably won’t miss much if anything).

q       Only do ½ of whatever the math lesson prescribes—be selective, have them do evens and odds; have them pick the two hardest problems and bring them back to you correct—if they don’t pick the two hardest then you pick!

q       For older kids have them only do one big writing assignment per month so they can really focus on the rough draft, editing, etc. and do a nice job without being rushed.

q       Seat time: (amount of time the kids should be sitting and working on a given subject)–8 year old boys, 15 minutes of work at a time, then cycle in more active things like chores, reading, something to let them move their eyes and body around, then cycle back to the work.  Build in “Lego time” into their school day, (how happy would most boys be to hear, “Now go on over to your Legos and get busy for the next 15 minutes!”) or other centers that are fun learning times.  Make sure to keep them moving as they learn.  Use time at home to actively reinforce whatever subjects they are learning at school.  (i.e. if they are learning road signs in social studies, make the road signs and pretend you are cars that have to obey the signs). 12 year old boys, 30 minutes of seat time; 15 year old boys, 45 minutes.

q       If they hit a learning glitch (plateau, can’t “get” something) don’t move on to anything new for two weeks.  Then, if they get it, move very slowly onto the next thing.

q       Make learning fun, have them physically engage in their school work (jumping rope while spelling words—a letter per jump—or bouncing a ball, clapping their hands).  Another presenter really stressed counter-balancing the conformity and strict structure often found in local schools; and skits, messy art, drawing “whatever you want to draw,” and creativity on every level should be encouraged at home.

q       For reading, compare the booklists from Sonlight, Veritas, other curriculums and look for the overlap on their book lists.  The more you see a particular title showing up, the more critical this book is to read (rather than a book that only shows up on one list…it might be a great book but it won’t contribute to the literacy expectations of schools in the states, if that is eventually a goal—this is particularly true for the high school years).  When efficiency is key, just make sure these are on your must-read list.  Anything else is icing on the cake.

1.  Language Arts Scopes and Sequences available online:

Grade K-8^th– http://www.time4learning.com/Scope-Sequence/index.shtml

Grades K-12^th– http://www.avongrove.org/district/instructional/LanguageArts.pdf

Virginia Standards of Learning by Grade Level and Subject—

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/solscope/

Detailed Grade 4 Language Arts Scope and Sequence—

http://info.conroeisd.net/academics/cisd-languagearts/elemlangarts/la_4_ss.htm

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Language Arts and Reading—

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/index.html

2.  Websites for helping your child get up to speed in English:

Pre-K to Grade 2– http://www.starfall.com/

K-12—Language Arts’ Worksheets– http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/

K-12 Online Lang. Arts’ Games– http://www.teachervision.fen.com/reading-and-language-arts/games/5831.html

English Grammar– http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/

English Worksheets and Activities– http://english-zone.com/index.php

Parts of Speech and Verb Tenses– http://www.computerlab.kids.new.net/parts_of_speech_sites.htm

Free Software for Learning to Read– http://www.yourchildlearns.com/

Learn to Read with Arthur– http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/lesson/learn_to_read/

Learn to Read (Montessori)– http://www.learntoreadfree.com/

Learn to Read (Literacy Center)– http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm

Strategies to Help Kids who Struggle with Reading– http://www.readingrockets.org/helping

Does your student attend a National School?

Are you concerned about helping your child learn English?

Do you have limited time for helping your child learn English?

Are your kids tired of school and need a fun approach for after school or summer school English?

Would your kids have access to a computer and internet for the summer?

If the above questions receive a resounding “yes” from you, then you may want to consider an online tutorial program.  There are many programs out there and I have not checked out very many, but here is one you may want to explore further.

http://www.time4learning.com/summer-school.shtml

Online Summer School Program
An Online Program for Home Summer Study
“It’s Time 4 Learning. And Fun!”

On my way to Blue Mountain yesterday (Thank you again for Dora’s invite and Carmen’s transportation arrangement), I was reading an article “Cosmetic sales an eye-opener” (See link below) Toronto Star that I got from McDonald’s. This was totally surprised me that “Shoppers already has a 20 per cent share of Canada’s $1.3 billion prestige cosmetics market … With plans to open up to 50 stores across the country, the company [Shoppers] is aiming to capture up to $500 million in annual sales, supplementing its existing 1,080 drug stores with $9 billion in annual sales”

The link to this article: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/560638

Wow! This is impressive but I also heard that cosmetic industry is very closed and competitive. I’d like to know now about how Shoppers get into this market.

I have often wondered at times, heck, even marveled at women who seem to take on the world and appear to excel in all they do. How do they do it? How on EARTH do they keep up with everything and appear so calm and suave? Even with all that I now do and have been through, I have no idea.

There are days that go just right. No one screams or fusses, no one has an potty accident, don’t have to clean up after the girls (or the dogs), and the day just flows.

Then there are days like today where from the moment that I roll out of bed, it’s all downhill. Breakfast snack wasn’t the right thing, Alli got out of her room and got the ice pops out of the freezer, proceeded to yell and scream and throw fits the entire day to the point of being put in her room and left there so I could calm down before dealing with her zillionth tantrum in two hours. Cameron bit me twice today while nursing so he didn’t nurse much today at all, Charlotte needed to go potty every 5 seconds and of course it was gray, humid, and wet from yesterday’s storms so we couldn’t go outside to play, no TV show was the right one for us to watch, the girls wanted to play with what the OTHER one had – of course! Why would it be any different? Oh, and Maggie almost pooped on the couch right next to Charlotte as we all cuddled up to watch TV that we had actually agreed on! *sighs*

I know the whole nursing/supplementing thing is getting to me. It was so hard not to blame myself. After all, I have been Cameron’s ONLY source of food since birth. How do you not blame yourself? And now that we’re weaning (even though I’ve decided to keep nursing as long as he’s interested even with the formula), I know I’ve got a whole ‘nother issue with the prolactin and hormones coming ’round. To be honest, last Monday I was pissed. Pissed because I had finally been doing really well again – had been happy, confident, cheery – more than I had been in quite some time and then WHAM! the whole issue with Cameron and POP goes my happy bubble. I felt guilty about being pissed over my happy bubble being popped. I mean, c’mon – I should be concerned about my son – and I was, I am – but instead there I was, moping about my happy bubble. Everyone kept telling me that I couldn’t blame myself that there was a myriad of reasons that he wasn’t doing well – to which I replied – Yeap, got the flow chart in my head already, you’re not telling me anything new. I almost made the flow chart. Thinking that may have been a bit over the top.  I moved through my emotions on Monday pretty quickly, or so I had thought. I am so hoping this is PMS and not PPD that’s been lying in wait, ready to pounce at the first sign of honest vulnerability. I’ve got a lot going on elsewhere too and as crazy as it sounds have been so busy that I haven’t even had time to do a to-do list. It’s on my mental to-do list to do a to-do list (try saying THAT three times fast) but I just haven’t gotten around to doing it. i’ve got to otherwise this is just not going to get any better and I will become even more lost in the forest of tasks that seem to be springing up around me, especially if I keep having days like today.

I feel like a deflated clown punching bag after a state fair.

Just toss me in the corner and leave me to be covered in hay and dirt and Lord only knows what else.

I’m pissed. I’m apathetic. I’m just well – here. I don’t really want to be awake but not quite ready to go to sleep yet. I can’t think of a darn thing to cheer myself up besides coming here and just letting it all hang out in naked honesty. I need to pray. I need to go lay down and read the Bible and find my answer there.

Hey – Chris is listening to the radio on his computer and it’s my favourite uplifting song – Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. Starting to feel better already.

Here’s to hoping tomorrow will be a better day. It has to be. Alli will be starting music camp so she’ll be gone from 9a – 12n every morning through Friday. I’m ready for another break.