Teaching Your Kids Using Sounds

Phonological awareness is to be able to use and work the sounds in language. Once a child has phonological awareness then it becomes easier for him to recognize letters and eventually words. Using the sound of the words he would know that words such as big, bag and bell all start with the sound of "b". He would also be able to tell that words such as cat, bat, and fat sound alike and rhyme. He would notice that sentences are made from words and words are made up from letters. According to studies, the ability of children to learn how to read usually depends on how much they can associate words with the sounds or their phonological awareness during their early age.

At an early age you have to make sure that know the basics of reading such as repeating rhyming words, poems and even songs. Let them identify rhymes and teach them how to make their own rhyming words. You can even let them play rhyming games to make it easier for them. Emphasize also the beginning of words that are the same through alliteration such as cat, cap, can etc.

You can always engage into activities that can help your children to learn about the sounds of words. You can start by choosing particular books which you can focus and where you can associate sounds, rhyming words and alliteration. You can teach your kids songs and nursery rhymes that will help them remember the words and emphasizing the rhyming words. You can also encourage them to alter words from a song or from a verse to let them make their own.

Playing is a good way for children to learn. Let them play with words to make them familiar with it. Their names are a good way to start learning about letters. Aside from the letters, it is also helpful to teach young children about prints. You can associate the prints that they can see around to the words that you teach them. Visual recognition is a very useful tool to learn more about words. Giving them alphabet blocks, toys and books that they can play with will help a lot for them to remember the words that they are learning.

By understanding the surroundings around them, they can be able to relate the words that they are learning. You should also be able to let them understand the words that a print represents. Teach them the purpose of different prints and let them learn more about them through writing.

Other materials such as books, printed materials, photographs, pictures, posters, calendars, labels and signs in their surroundings will be a good aid for them to learn and associate words with pictures. You can also let them play with other things such as menus, play money, recipe books, paper and pen, coloring books, stickers, truck, and other toys with printed words. Through these your children will surely learn more and it will be easier for them to speak and learn how to read.
By John F Smith

Understanding Short Term Memory in Children

Did you know that it is not just adults who suffer from short term memory loss our children do also? Short term memory loss is quite prevalent amongst children who have low self esteem or suffer from a lack of self confidence. It is also a fact that children who have hearing or site problems are also potential sufferers of memory problems. Unlike adult short term memory sufferers, young children with the same problem are often quite unaware that they have a problem so it is important that the child's carer monitor their situation.

Short Term Memory and Learning Difficulties

There have been countless scientific studies conducted which have explored the connection between language and speech development problems and short term memory skills in children. Many of these studies have found that there is indeed a connection between problems with short term memory in children and the way these particular children progress their speaking, reading and learning skills.

Treatment Options

As is the case with many mental problems there is not one single remedy for the treatment of loss of short term memory in children. The most effective way you, as a parent, can help your child improve their short term memory is to combine a number of well documented techniques to help improve the retention of what they are learning.

First of all it is important that your child is both mentally and physically active and that they interact with other children. These days a lot of children spend literally hour upon hour sitting in front of a computer playing games or chatting on the web. While using the computer is generally quite educational and useful there are other activities which are likely to be more effective with assisting in the improvement of short term memory in children.

A great way of improving short term memory in children is to encourage them to participate in a range of games and activities that have been specifically developed to stimulate the child's mind. These games and activities are not necessarily expensive or complex and include doing crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, match the picture cards as well as other trivia games. Children of all ages can participate and on the whole they find these style of games quite enjoyable and stimulating.

As a parent you should be mindful that problems with short term memory in children can often be an indicator of a more serious problem which could possibly require medical attention. A number of studies have identified that some children who suffer problems with memory loss can in fact be suffering from a form of dementia. This does not mean you should go in to an instant panic, but you definitely need to follow through with a medical examination if you notice your child is difficulties in this area.

If you notice that your child is continually forgetful or for no apparent reason has a marked deterioration in their school work you are encouraged to take your child to see your doctor as soon as possible so that they can have a check up to ensure that nothing more serious is wrong with their health.

The Simple Joy Of The Traditional Toy

As the years go by more and more people seem to be buying computer type toys for children. Traditional toys are considered somewhat old fashioned these days. Unfortunately, the age that the child will start with this piece of techno gadgetry would appear to be getting younger and younger. But at what cost?

Can you remember when you were that young and use to get down and dirty in the mud? Well I can. Many a warm summer's day was spent making mud pies or making pretend flower furniture for the fairies that I was convinced lived in our garden. So what happened? Well, sadly for the children, the world has gone techno crazy and many manufacturers are now aiming for the new and emerging market, the toddler. Take a moment and think about this. What do you looks more attractive? A child sitting in front of a TV or computer screen frantically pressing buttons in seemingly frenzied concentration, or a child sitting with dolly dressing and undressing it whilst having a long length discussion with it about what to wear to the next party etc? The choice is obvious.

Some traditional toy manufacturers have come up with innovative ways to lure back parents and the older generation to the world of 'real' toys. Some are educational (not a dirty word kids!) and help the child to learn whilst having fun. Surprisingly, some manufacturers have improved on the old wooden jigsaw puzzle. Gone are the days of the flat, sometimes bland, puzzle that used to cause endless hours of frustration and in it's place come the chunky, wooden jigsaws that piece together to make up into all kinds of interesting articles. These come in a variety of designs and provide endless hours of interesting and informative play for children (usually three years old).

Some jigsaw puzzles are in the form of a world map. Remember those geography lessons at school? Huge maps with tiny writing pinned up on dusty classroom walls, how uninspiring! Nowadays you can join in with the children and find out for yourselves where Chile is or Peru. All the pieces are marked with the country and there is no possibility of misplacing it 'a la' geography lesson style. These jigsaw puzzles also come in the form of individual countries such as France, Ireland or Great Britain. This well finished traditional toy can spur many a conversation between adult and child about where the country is, what grows there, how do we get there etc. Imagine having a jigsaw map of France before you embark on that road trip. The child will be able to tell you where you are going before you even set out!

It may be time to think twice about techno toys and wonder if it is the right thing for your child. Traditional toys will encourage individual thought and imagination and also teach the child to co-operate with others in play. This can only bode well for the future when the child has to intermingle with others.

Kids and Teens - Just How Smart Is Your Kid?

This is very scary. If judged only by their IQ scores, kids today are smarter than any gereration since IQ testing began. We all think our kids and/or grandkids are the smartest kidd walking on this Earth. Believe it or not it now appears to be true. It is believe that this is attributed to: a richer intellectual environment; smaller families; testing dexterity and possibly genes. I used to ask my grandson "How did you get so smart?" and his answer was always "It's my brain, grandma".

My only concern is if the teachers are able to keep up with these intelligent kids. I have experienced some teachers that are lost when it comes to relating to kids in their classrooms (sorry teachers). I hate to categorize it this way, but it appears with some teachers the only way they know to relate to some of the kids in the classroom, who are completely bored with the average teaching that has been in place for generations, is to bully the student. At this point, it is the responsibility of the parent to check on the teachers to make sure their kids are being taught in the best way possible; considering our kids are getting smarter each and every day. Let's not, as adults, stay complacent and think kids today can be taught the same way we were taught.

One mom explained to me that she believes the teachers are only teaching the kids what they need to know in order to achieve high SAT scores to ensure state and federal financial support. That is truly a disappointment if indeed that is true. An easy answer for schools is to push the kids ahead in the "advanced" courses. Some kids are not mature enough to handle "advanced" courses even though their brains may be ready. As it turns out kids are struggling with "advanced" courses because they are not mature enough to plan their time; their concentration has not been developed to figure out how to get all of their school work completed; and the kids gets emotional about not being able to keep up.

Different Ways For Kids To Make Money Regardless Of The Age

There are a number of ways for kid to make money, many times depending on the age of the kid. If the kid is a teenager, it can range from working at the mall to working as a receptionist at a salon parlor. If it is a younger kid, you have to be a little more creative. But regardless, there are a number of ways to make money as a kid.

To start with, let's discuss ways for kid to make money if under the age of thirteen. At this age, most retail stores and businesses do not hire. Typically you have to be around fourteen or fifteen to begin working at actual businesses. While this will limit your choices, it does not eliminate the possibility of working altogether.

If you live in a climate that snows during the winter, a great way to make money is by shoveling your neighbors' driveways. Is it a lot of money? It will not make the kid rich, but it will give them the necessary cash to have some fun and buy video games. Another similar option is to rake the neighbors' lawn during fall. Labor work is the best way for kids to make a decent amount of money from surrounding houses.

As soon as you become a teenager, the options expand significantly. The most obvious choices are retail or within the food industry. Retail stores can range from working inside the mall, working at a sporting goods store, or working at an entertainment store. As for the food industry there are a lot of options. This includes working fast food, working as a waiter/waitress at a restaurant, or even being a cook.

Although not the most enjoyable job option, many do not consider the possibility of door to door sales. There are several businesses and company's looking for people to sale door to door. Selling subscriptions to the newspaper can be a great way to pick up money on an incredible hourly rate. The downside is that you cannot work too many hours because you will only have success when people are home from work.

One way for kid to make money that is growing at an exponential rate is internet marketing. There are several ways kids can make money on the internet, but it is essential that the parents watch over to make sure that the kid does not fall for any scams. But there are thousands of surveys to be filled out for money, article writing directories that pay for articles and many other rather simple methods to making money.

There are tons of ways for kid to make money, but sometimes you have to be a little more clever. It typically depends on the age, but the options are there if you are willing to take the time to research and look.

Teaching Kids About Money

Teaching kids about money isn't as complicated, or as difficult as we sometimes think. Kids can absorb incredibly complex ideas - think about the arcane rules of some of the computer games they play, for example!
You can break money ideas down into simple words, and use examples from everyday life.
When our girls started a rat-breeding business, they were paying interest on their start-up loan out of their pocket money. (The full story is at Cash-Smart Kids) Two of them wanted to pay back the money faster by repaying principal as well as paying interest, and one didn't. When you are teaching kids about money, situations like this are an opportunity to demonstrate money concepts.
We discussed the possibilities, and they all agreed that the one who didn't want to pay extra could become an employee instead of a business owner. This gave them the chance to explore the differences between owning a business and having a job.
Every time the cages were cleaned, the employee was paid $2, whether there was profit or not. But then, when there was profit to be distributed, the other two would get $20 or $30 each, and the employee would get nothing.
We explained as we went why things were different for owners compared with employees, and they all understood that it was fair. Even at age nine or ten, they could grasp the principles - the owner takes risk and does work for free now in the hopes of a big reward later, while the employee gets paid every time they work, but doesn't get to share the profits.
We compared each situation in their little enterprise with full-sized businesses they knew, so they understood that this is exactly what happens in the adult world.
Opportunities for teaching kids about money are everywhere. Accounting for their allowance money, attending a garage sale, buying a new sofa, and managing their cell phone expenditure can all provide important lessons.

By Jenny Ford

Children and Television - Is Censorship Really Necessary?

The obvious answer to this question is, of course, yes it is absolutely imperative. All children will switch on a television and watch it regardless of content. Selectivity is something they learn in their teens but many younger children tend to gravitate to the screen and watch whatever happens to be on at the time, especially if they happen to be snacking on potato chips at the time.

The after school hours are the most popular times for watching TV; that hour of rest between getting home from school and eating supper is the time when many children are drawn to the TV like a magnet, and sit there until they are physically swept up to do their homework.

I have only one child and in fact started a family quite late in life, so it was a shock to me when I turned on children's television and found that, in my twenties and thirties Watch With Mother had been replaced by Grange Hill and The Snotbags. Shock was replaced with horror when I actually watched ten minutes of these programs and found the content full of bad language, slang and offensive behaviour.

There was no way I was going to allow my three year old to watch such gratuitous garbage, so the television was promptly turned off until I could collect some suitable material for her to watch on tape.

There followed a number of years when my child watched pre-selected movies and recorded programs only. She watched children's TV at friend's homes only and by the time she was eight years old she had been sufficiently primed with respectability to be shocked at what passed for entertainment in other people's houses.

Not that one would wish to be a prude about such things, and certainly when kids start approaching their teens they need to be aware of what is going on in the world. I do believe, however, that certain programming ethics are geared to boosting viewing figures only, and are in no way concerned with the development of children's cultural welfare.

Program content is designed to shock and appal the viewer, because, let us face it, children love a bit of scary stuff or blood and guts to spice up an afternoon spent in the dreary confines of a classroom. Of course they do - it is what kids do. There is no need to supply them with a surfeit of the stuff, though, and we must remember that we, as adults, are supposedly in charge of what our children see and when.

At the very least we must strive to be aware of what is being consumed by our children in the way of entertainment, and remember that children sponge up not only information but impressions, language and styles of dressing, walking and speaking.