Top 10 Ways to Motivate Your Student

As the new school year begins, parents play a pivotal role in their child's success. Here are 10 tips for motivating your student from GoalSettingforStudents.com.

1. Stress "I'll Make It Happen" words. Encourage your child to use positive, motivating words like yes, I can, and I will.

2. Minimize "Bummer Words." Avoid using negative or limiting language in discussions with your children. Some of the most common bummer words include no, can't, won't, never, maybe, and if.

3. Do the Basketball Shuffle with your child. Play the Basketball Shuffle to encourage independence and responsibility. Write "It's in your court NOW" on a basketball, and place it in the kitchen or family room to emphasize how the entire family gets the school year off to a good start. Then "pass" the ball to your child to show how he or she is now responsible. Your child can "pass" it back when they need help. The basketball becomes a fun, visual and practical way to emphasize your child's role in his or her education.

4. Thank You, Ben Franklin. Ben Franklin used the following process week after week for fifty-seven years and claimed it made him a better and happier man. Develop thirteen character traits you and your child want to work on together. Consider honesty, fairness, self-control, order, sincerity, responsibility, self-respect, and kindness to others. Each week select one character trait, and, as a family, work to improve this trait. Provide rewards to the family member who shows the most improvement. Continue the process until you complete all thirteen weeks of character traits.

5. Stress the Importance of Goal Setting. Sit down with your child and set goals for the school year. According to John Bishop, author of the workbook, Goal Setting for Students®, "Students will take more personal ownership for their education when they learn how to set and achieve goals and how to use these principles in the classroom. They will embrace your efforts to help them succeed."

6. Accountability is a Two-Way Street. Both parents and students need to be accountable for a child's success in school. As adults, parents have to model responsible behavior for their children. Did you promise to volunteer at school, or help with the latest class project? Make sure you follow through.

7. Answer the "BIG" Question. At least three times per week have your child write down the following question, "Did I give my best effort to today's activities?" and record their answer. If their answer is "yes," reward them. If their answer is "no," have them list two things they will do tomorrow to improve their effort. Writing this question on paper (instead of just discussing it) will imprint the words in their minds.

8. Help Them Manage Their Time. Have a family meeting to discuss the weekly schedule. At the beginning of the school year, it is easy to sign up for too many activities, events and committees. How many activities will each child participate in? When will you have dinner together as a family? When will homework be done? What chores are each family member responsible for and when will they be done? Create a family calendar in a centralized location to keep everyone aware of the day's activities.

9. Make it easy to study. Create a study area that fits your child's personality. Do they work best at a desk in a quiet area of their room? Or is the dining room table a better place to work? Does music distract them, or help them focus? Help your child determine the best way to study. Fill a tackle box with commonly used school supplies and keep it stocked. Prevent last-minute runs to the discount store by keeping poster board, extra notebooks, paper and other supplies on hand.

10. Define success-in your child's eyes. Help your child define what success means to them. Bishop says, "Children need to know that success takes time; success takes planning and a strong desire; success takes setting and achieving goals; success involves helping others. Students need to know it's their achievement, not ours."
With a few simple steps, parents can get their children off to a good start for the new school year.

Alias: Aptitude

Be aware. You may become totally overwhelmed when you get the results of the special education testing on your child. There is a lot of "stuff" on that report! And much of it sounds like a foreign language to many people.

You get one piece the results from the Intelligence part of the test. This is extremely important information, but know that it will most likely come in disguise.

One of its disguises, or aliases, might be "Broad Cognitive Ability". Another may be "Aptitude." But, basically, they are measures of the same thing - your child's ability to process and learn information. So, for the sake of keeping things simple, let's just call it "aptitude."

As I've stated many times, in order for a child to be considered learning disabled, he has to show an average "aptitude" for learning. He must have the same ability to learn as well as any other child of his age or grade. An average aptitude score would be about 100, with anything between 85 and 115 being in the average range.

There are many different tests that measure a child's aptitude. One of these tests is the WISC-III. The Performance, or Perceptual Organization, section is the part that measures aptitude. It is divided into subtests, or smaller tests, and they assess different things that make up a person's aptitude.

Another common test used to measure aptitude is the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery - Revised. The aptitude section of this test is called the Tests of Cognitive Ability, and the overall aptitude score is called "Broad Cognitive Ability". It also has smaller tests called subtests, to measure aptitude, but they measure aptitude in a little different way than the WISC does.

There are other tests to determine your child's aptitude that don't involve reading or writing. Sometimes these tests are given if there is a language problem that might interfere with getting a true picture of the child's ability.

The important things to remember are that 1) you will probably see a score from one of these tests on your child's report, and 2) that score should be within the range of 85 to 115, for the most part.

The information you get from these scores will also tell you what the child is having difficulty with. For example, perhaps he has difficulty remembering what he sees. Perhaps he can't remember more than 1 or 2 directions at a time. Perhaps he can't process new information as fast as other children. These are important clues to letting you and the teachers know what to work on with your child and how to best help him.

When you get this information, the next thing that will happen is that this "aptitude" score will be compared with the child's "achievement" score.

His achievement score is a measure of what he knows and what he has learned. These will be his scores in things like reading, written language, and math. In order for your child to show a learning disability, there has to be a large gap between his "aptitude" score (his ability to process information and learn) and what he has actually learned.

In other words, the report is showing that, although the child is able to learn as well as anyone else of his age or grade, something is causing this to not happen the way it should.

Why is that happening? When the pieces of the evaluation are put together, it should provide information about why your child is not learning the way the other children are. It will provide clues to you and his teachers about how to help him in the best way possible and how to help him help himself.

By Sandy Gauvin

Strengths and Weaknesses

All too often, children with learning disabilities are seen through their weaknesses.

Like anyone else, however, they have many strengths. It is of the greatest importance to focus on the strengths that your child has and show them to other people. It will not only to help others who are involved in her life understand her better, but it will help the child herself know that she is loved and valued for who she is.

I always found that one of my biggest questions was, "How do I see all of my daughter's strengths, in addition to her weaknesses, so I can get a picture of her as a total person?" The answer lies in what is called 'quality time.'"

Here are some important way is to spend quality time with your child.

1) Do things with her. What activities do you both like? Do things with her that she likes to do, and ask her to do things that you like to do.

2) Go places with her. You don't have to travel far. Just go outside, or downtown, or to the mall, or to a movie.

3) Sit quietly with her. Silence says a lot.

4) Hear her when she speaks. Don't just listen - hear what she has to say.

5) Listen to and try to understand her frustrations.

6) Talk with her to find out about her likes and dislikes.

7) Know what is going on with her outside the home. Allow her to talk about it without being judgemental.

8) Provide a safe, understanding atmosphere that allows her to express her feelings and preferences.

9) Provide positive feedback when she talks about the good things she does.

10)Provide a structure that allows her to make mistakes and learn from them.

Allowing your child to have friends play with her at home can give great insight into your child's strengths and weaknesses. When we allowed Michele to have friends over, we could see that she was a great organizer of creative activities and was very social, but we also saw that she got very defensive at times. Having this information allowed us to know what to help her with. We also communicated this information to her teachers, so we could all work together on this issue.

Providing an opportunity for positive, open communication with her teachers and the other professionals that work with her allow you to get a picture of her strengths and we. There may be times when there will be disagreement, but these issues can always be worked out. Listen to the opinions of the others on the team. And don't be afraid to add your viewpoints. It is only through this honest, open communication that you will be able to see the total picture of your child's strengths and weaknesses.

To get a good picture of her academic strengths and weaknesses, the school is the place to go. As your child's parent, you are entitled to have access to her records at school. You have probably received copies of that information, but you do have the right to view what is in her records in the school office. Past and current report cards give you some information, as do any notes, reports, etc., that have been written by her teachers. The results of special education testing are also great indicators of what she does easily and what she struggles with. All this information should be in her school file. If you don't understand what those results or reports are trying to say, talk with the special education professionals who do understand it.

Remember, your child is not just a partial person. She is not just made up of weaknesses. She is a whole person. Her strengths are a large part of her.

Value her strengths; work with her on her weaknesses. But you can't do either of these things unless you know what they are. Take charge. Find out.

By Sandy Gauvin

To Test or Not To Test - That Is the Question

Little Suzy has really been having a hard time getting some of her assignments done. When she reads in class, she struggles with many words, and her mother reported at conference time that Suzy spends hours each night on homework.

At the same time, Suzy carries on intelligent conversation, and when you ask her about what she learned from the class, she has some good feedback. She is getting excellent grades in math class and, when she does experiments in science class, she knows exactly what to do and gets great results.

You've thought about referring her for testing, wondering if a learning disability is getting in the way of her reading - a skill that underlies everything a child does in school. You know she struggles with reading, yet she does so well orally and mathematically. Should you test her?



Little Johnny can't remember his multiplication facts. Much of the time, he struggles with subtraction facts as well. His reasoning skills for determining whether he should add or subtract, multiply or divide, are faulty. And when he writes a math problem on paper, there are no columns. The numbers are all over the place. He gets very confused with the entire process as well.

But, boy, can he read. He reads books that are way above what the other students in his class read. The words in them are harder, and they are more difficult to understand.

Does he have a learning disability? Should his teacher refer him for testing?

Do either of these scenarios sound familiar? The decision regarding whether to refer a child for testing can sometimes be a difficult one to make. There are many factors to consider, not the least of which is whether the child perceives a stigma attached to the testing.

As a teacher of students with learning disabilities, teachers often consulted with me when they questioned whether or not to test. After looking at all the facts, if there was still any doubt, I would tell them that I would rather err on the side of caution. If the child is not found to have a learning disability, at least we will discover his learning styles and how best to help him with his problem. If his does have a learning disability, we can proceed to get him the special help he needs to be more successful in school. Either way, he wins.

And who can question a win-win situation?

By Sandy Gauvin

Aptitude, Achievement, Processing Deficit - What Does It All Mean?

You are sitting with the professionals who know about learning disabilities. They have been explaining what they will be looking for when they test your child.

"We look for an aptitude-achievement discrepancy as well as a processing deficit," one of them explains.

Your eyes glaze over and you begin to feel you're not too smart. It's like they're speaking another language. You haven't a clue what these people are talking about.

Actually, I've always felt that special education does use a foreign language.

That doesn't, however, mean that you can't learn it. Like any language, after a while, you'll get it.

When you meet with the Pupil Evaluation Team, or the Case Conference Committee, or the Child Study Team, or whatever it's called in your area, you will probably hear the sentence mentioned above.

Let's chop that sentence into pieces:

"We look for an aptitude-achievement discrepancy..."

Your child's aptitude is his ability to learn. When I was in school, we called it an IQ. In order for someone to have a learning disability, he has to have at least average aptitude for learning. In other words, he needs to have the ability to learn as well as any average child of his age.

His achievement refers to how well he is learning, or the extent to which he has received information and mastered certain skills. This may be where problems show up.

The evaluator looks at whether there is a big difference, or discrepancy, between those two scores - aptitude and achievement. Is there a big difference between what he SHOULD HAVE learned and what he really has learned?

Let's say your child has an aptitude of 100, which is exactly average. That means that he should be able to learn things as well as any average student of his age or grade. But let's say that the test found him to be achieving only at a level of 60 in reading. That's 40 points below what he SHOULD BE doing in reading. That's important information.

"...as well as a processing deficit."

The next thing the evaluator looks at is a "processing deficit". The term "processing" refers to the way your child's brain works. Can his brain handle information better through what he sees (visual channel) or through what he hears (auditory channel). Can he remember a list of 4 or 5 things, or does he forget them quickly? How well does he find information he has stored in his head? How quickly can he process information?

A deficit in processing means that he has trouble with one of the ways his brain handles information.

Now, let's put it all together:

"There has to be an aptitude-achievement discrepancy..." The evaluator has found a big gap between your child's ability (100) and his achievement (60) in reading. That tells you that he hasn't learned what he needs to learn in order to be successful in reading.

"...as well as a processing deficit." The evaluator has found that he has a real problem remembering letters and sounds. And what is more necessary in order to learn to read than remembering letters and their sounds?

Now you know that he should be able to read like the other children in his class, but his brain isn't remembering letters and their sounds the way it should. That's what's standing in the way of his being able to read as well as the other children.

Chances are the team will decide that your child has a learning disability in reading and that he is eligible for special education services. He will be able to get extra help from a special teacher. There will be things you can do with him at home to help him as well. He will be able to receive help from people who know what will work best for him and who care enough to give him the skills he needs to be successful in life.

For more plain talk about learning disabilities,
please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.

By Sandy Gauvin

Beginning the Special Education Process

Like anything else in life, there's a method to the special education process. It was put in place to help people who deal with learning disabilities get the best services possible. In order to help you understand this method, here's a simplified version of the Special Education process.

1) Request for evaluation

Someone sees that the child is having difficulty in school and asks that testing be done to find out what's causing the problem. This request can come from parents or educators. If the parents make the request, the district must agree to give a full and individual evaluation. If the request is made from someone else, such as a teacher, a team of educators and an administrator will meet to review the reasons and decide whether to pursue testing. No matter who makes the request, you as the parent, must give written permission for this testing to be done. At this point, you will be informed of your rights and those of your child.

If the district decides not to test, then it must let you know that and inform you of your rights. You can continue to pursue the option through a due process hearing if you wish.

2) Results of the testing

You have the right to be notified of the results of the testing before the meeting. If you don't understand what is being said in the report, you have the right to have someone explain the results to you.

When the testing is done, you will meet with the team of professionals to be told of the results. If your child is found to have a learning disability, and you agree that he should receive special education services, then you must give written permission for this to happen.

If he is not found to have a learning disability, you and his teachers will still have valuable information about him and the ways he learns best.

If you disagree with the results either way, you have the right to have him tested by someone outside the school district. The district must pay for the evaluation or show at a special hearing why it refused.

3) Placement

If you and the school district agree that a learning disability was found, then you and the team will decide the best program for your child. The team will make up an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that will include goals and ways to measure those goals during the year. It will also list the services your child will get and any special aids or helps your child can get, such as special transportation or speech therapy if he needs it.

Your child is entitled to receive his services in the "Least Restrictive Environment. "That means that he will receive the services that are best for him in the place that's best. For example, he won't be placed in the resource room for help with math if he needs help only with reading. He won't be asked to stay in the mainstream for spelling if he has a learning disability in that area. In other words, he will only receive help in things he needs help in.

It's important to be active in this process for your child. If you know the process, you can make sure that it's followed correctly and that your child's rights are recognized. This doesn't mean that you always have to be on the attack, but it does mean that you need to keep a watchful eye. Again, it all comes back to acting on behalf of your child, since he can't do that for himself. And, in the long run, he will be more successful because of you.

For more plain talk about learning disabilities,
please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.

By Sandy Gauvin

How to Study For the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

It is true that the GRE exam is a tough one, but getting a fairly good score is not impossible. Here are a few tips and techniques to help you plan your study and tame the GRE beast.


1.Prepare for the exam by practicing sample questions. Give yourself at least two-three months to practice daily. The time you should give to prepare really depends on your level. If you need to clear your basics first, you need another 2-3 months.

2.Familiarize yourself with the format of the test before taking the actual test. If you know the format before hand, you will sail smoothly throughout the test. You will get less confused and feel more confident if you know the type of questions you are going to get.

3.Concentrate on the sections in which you think you are weak. For example, if your arithmetic is poorer than your algebra, practice arithmetic more often and clear all your doubts while doing so. There are four parts of the GRE test - analytical writing, research, quantitative, and verbal. Find out the section which is the most difficult for you. Only you can find this out. You must work on this section by putting as much effort as you can.

4.Set your target GRE score, that is, the score you wish to obtain. By setting a score goal for yourself, you will give yourself an idea of how much preparation and study time you will need. Setting a goal will channelise your work.

5.Remember to see if there is any distraction while studying. If yes, take necessary steps to put an end to it. While studying, stay away from television, mobile phone, and music, if they distract you.
6.Practice daily. Think of it like a sports that you enjoy playing. You will need to practice this sport everyday to improve Similarly you need to practice GRE sample papers daily to do more and more better in the GRE.

STUDY ABROAD: A PRODUCTIVE OUTCOME

It is rare to find a student who participated on a study abroad program and didn't think it was an amazing experience. Study abroad teaches you about foreign politics, foreign culture, and often a foreign language. It also helps students gain new insights and learn how to adapt to new situations. Because of this, study abroad helps increase your job marketability.
Students study abroad for many different reasons. Some are bored at their school in the U.S., while others want to experience life in a new country. No matter why you want to study abroad, you will have an amazing experience and learn about yourself and the world than you every expected.
While choosing a location for your study abroad experience you should select places which match your personality, as you have to be happy wherever you go. For example, if you don't like big cities, you probably won't be happy in Madrid, Rome, or London. So, before you decide where you want to study abroad, think about what types of places make you the happiest.
Another important decision you have to make before you decide on a study abroad program is whether you want a small group or a large group. With a small group you will get more personalized attention and have more flexibility. With a large group you will meet more people, but not get as much attention from the staff.
Academic Studies Abroad is a trustworthy website which provides helpful information to students in choosing their right study abroad location. You can log in to their website at http://www.academicstudies.com to gain more details about their study abroad programs, which offer excellent opportunities and options for those wishing to study abroad.

The Future Of Books?

Books are outdated; anyone can agree that books have been around for thousands of years and really haven’t changed much. Very little has changed about the book itself except for the author, picture and content. I wonder if the ancient Romans also hated paper cuts. Let’s face it: paper really isn’t a very good record keeper; it’s flammable, ink fades, sun damages the paper, oils from your fingers are destructive to the pages, etc. But recently a new creation was born to take over the world of the book: Digital Book Reader.

A Digital Book Reader” is a device that is similar to the Pads” found on Star Trek. These electronic devices are usually tablet in shape and house a screen that is as easy on the eyes as a paperback would be. Actually better for those folks that would like to either enlarge or decrease font size. These digital readers can also save your page so you never need to remember where you were or where your bookmark is.

These digital readers allow for vast amounts of titles to be stored into the device’s internal memory. Then there are models that allow for expanded memory and the storage capabilities become virtually limitless. No longer is the need to carry 50 pounds of textbooks anywhere these readers often way less than 15 ounces! The amount of information that is accessible with one of these devices is staggering at best. You can be on-the-go and have all your favorite books, magazines, and even blogs brought to you daily and effortlessly. Reading when traveling has never gotten easier! These readers allow you to bring ALL your books along with no problem and no extra bulk in your suitcases.

Some models of Digital Book Readers offer the user wireless download of books from anywhere at anytime without the need to connect to a computer or even a network connection; the reader does it all on its own. Now that’s impressive; you can search, pick, download and start reading your book in under a minute anytime, anywhere.

These devices usually have a screen that can be viewed and read from even under direct light; just like your standard paperbacks. Also like paperbacks, digital book readers can be operated with one hand allowing the other free to do what it pleases. Pages can be turned with the single click of a button. Some models also allow for a full hands free approach with text to speech. Tired of reading? Simply tell the device that you want it to read to you!

Downloading books to your digital book reader is not just a snap but it’s also cheaper than buying the actual book. This, of course, is due in large part to the fact that there is no need to buy paper. Publishers save printing costs and you save directly on purchases of your favorite books. Bestsellers can go as low as $9.99!

It’s safe to bet that the future of book reading is soon on its way in. Once prices of Digital Book Readers have dropped enough that everyone can afford it (not to say its so expensive now) we’ll be seeing this device slowly replace the conventional book. Our planet also thanks us for this effort as less books means less trees being chopped down!

7 COMPONENT CTL

CTL, in the "world-educational" knows as Contextual Teaching Learning , is one of teaching learning approach which can theoretically teaching guidance. This approach is a holistic education process to help student understanding the mean of learning matter by relate the daily contextual, and than, student having knowledge, skill and attitude who can be transferred into the other problems. There is seven component teaching process by CTL approach.

1. Constructivisme.
The term is 'find and build strategic' more than first 'how much student reach knowledge'.
In this component for path can do is develop that children can be learn more meaningful than alone doing, find and constructivisme him knowledge and new skill.

2. Questioning.
Questioning viewed as fasilitator activity to guidance, to intelegence, and to give a stimulus to education. Develop the student currioscety by ask.

3. Inquiry.
In the teaching process must doing observation, questioning, hypothesis, sampling or data collected, and conclude. Do more inquiry activity for all topic.

4. Learning Community.
The concept to lay stress on learning achievement which cooperate the others. In the teaching learning, can do through build groups, cooperate with parallel class with other community or be asks to professional source. Create study-community by learn in groups.

5. Modeling.
The professional source, student or fasilitator became 'model' in the teaching learning. For coming model as teaching-learning sample.

6. Reflection.
The reflection is respond for case activity or the new receive knowledge. The reality is a testimony about what can reachable this day, note, or view of the teaching learning the day. Do reflection in the end teaching-learning.

7. Authentic Assessment.
The assessment is data collection who give ilustration student progress. Stressing in teaching learning to hope to help student learning how to learn, just not to the lesson. Do authentic assessment by all ways.

7 FEATURE THE DALTON PLAN

THE DALTON PLAN, is based on three fundamental principles. The first is freedom, which should perhaps be designated as individualized responsibility. The second principle is co-operation, or interaction between members of a group. The third is economy of energy through budgeting the pupil's time. That considers the plan as more of a sociological than an academic venture, and the objectives of education under this system emphasize the social aspect of the schools fully as much as the intellectual.

One of important feature of the plan is the organization of the school into 'houses,' each house consisting of pupils of all grades included in the school. This plan contrasts sharply with the usual practice, by which pupils are grouped homogeneousely into classes graded according to the level of their advancement.

A second salient feature of the Dalton Plan is the transformation of traditional classroom into subject-matter laboratories. In fact, the plan was originally known as the Dalton Laboratory Plan because of the basic ides that all instruction should be on a laboratory basis. This principle requires appropriate furniture for classroom, tables and chairs being provided rather than ordered rows of desks.

A third feature of the plan is abandonment of the daily schedule of classes. Instead of following a fixed routine each pupil budgets his own time and plans his own activities to accomplish the work laid out in the curriculum.

A fourth feature is the manner in which the curriculum is presented to the pupil. Instead of being laid out as a series of courses of study the curriculum is presented in term of "job". Each job represents one month's work in all subjects. Integration is carefully provided for in the planning of the job, and correlated progress is required so that the pupil does not advance more rapidly in some phases of his work than in others. The jobs are broken up into "units," each of which is a day's work in a single subject.

A fifth feature is the bulletin board. In effect the bulletin board takes the place of the daily schedule of classes. The pupil's first task upon reaching school in the morning is to consult the bulletin board and to note the scheduling for that day of group activities in which he will participate. The first fifteen minutes of the day are set aside as a period which the pupil may spend in planning his day's program.

A sixth feature is the independent work by the pupil. Class exercises of the recitation type are not held but instead the pupils work independently on their units and jobs, and consult teachers only for advice and assistance. Some group activities are maintained, for example, where the presence of the group is essential, but most of the academic work is carried on individually and independently by the pupils.

A seventh feature of the plan is the careful check that is continually made on the progress of pupils. Test a are given frequently in order to measure pupil achievements. Each pupil keep a job-book, in which the work he has accomplished is field, and this job-books are inspected occasionally to see that the pupils are doing the required work. Elaborate graphs are drawn showing the progress being made by each pupil.

MORAL EDUCATION

Moral Education - A New Perspective

For teachers, parents and all concerned with public life, moral education is an indispensable part of children's education. The systematic development of a moral education programme must be regarded as central to the building of a progressive society and a sense of true identity among its future citizens.

There is compelling and conspicuous evidence of widespread social disintegration in the world today. It is characterised by the lack of moral discipline, the increasing breakdown of the family and community, the loss of cultural identity and purposeful traditional values, the rise of lawlessness, and the want of genuine and committed concern for the welfare of humanity. Such social disintegration points to the imperative need for children to receive moral education in school from their earliest years.

Any one believe that the development of moral character constitutes the essential foundation of a true education. The Baha'i writings state: "Good behaviour and high moral character must come first, for unless the character is trained, acquiring knowledge will only prove injurious. Knowledge is praiseworthy when it is coupled with ethical conduct and a virtuous character; otherwise it is a deadly poison, a frightful danger."

Thus, beyond the belief in the importance of providing children with a relevant and excellent academic education, it is the Baha'i view that education must also exercise a transforming influence upon the character of the individual so that intellectual learning may be of genuine benefit to the individual and society.

The approach that the Baha'i community has taken in its education efforts has been to focus on the training of individuals capable of making moral decisions and acting accordingly. Examples of the capabilities that must be developed throughout the stages of growth of an individual are those of: exercising initiative in a creative and disciplined way; sustaining effort, persevering and overcoming obstacles; thinking systemically in the search for solutions; opposing one's lower passions and self-centered tendencies by turning towards one's noble attributes and aspirations and by directing one's energies towards the welfare of society; managing one's affairs and responsibilities with rectitude of conduct; creating environments of unity built on diversity; contributing to the establishment of justice; and participating effectively in consultation and in collective enterprise.

The Baha'is believe that moral capabilities, such as the few mentioned above, cannot be developed in a secular framework of education. An indispensable requisite for developing these capabilities is to establish a connection between the human heart and God, thus enabling the individual to manifest the spiritual qualities with which the human soul has been endowed, such as justice, generosity, love, compassion and truthfulness. The teachings of the religions of the world are the depositories of those truths that assist every human being in establishing a relationship with God and developing these qualities.

Thus, educational programmes addressing the moral dimensions of life draw upon the religious heritage of humanity, particularly the scriptures of the world's religions. This does not mean that such an approach is sectarian in nature. Rather, educational efforts are carried out in the context of the unity of God, the fundamental unity of all religions and the oneness of mankind. An essential concept underlying these programmes is that only an unfettered investigation of truth can free an individual from the chains of blind imitation and prejudice. A primary objective, then, of moral educational curricula is to foster in students the desire, skills and discipline for the systematic investigation of reality.

Adapted from: www.experiencefestival.com/a/Bahai/id/50440

AGES & STAGES - INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

Developmental milestones give a general idea about what to expect from children of different ages. However, there will always be differences between individual children. Some children begin to walk at 10 months, some at 15 months. Some toddle along quickly and smoothly, getting the "hang of it" right away. Others fall down a lot, hesitate, or even give up for a few days. Some children talk before they are 2, others talk very little before they are 3 or so. Some will always be quiet people.
Some abilities become clear in one child, but may never be very strong in another.

Recognize the individual in the child and look for differences based on the following:

SENSE OF SECURITY

Some children need more consistency, more reassurance, and more confidence and trust-building than others. Insecurity sometimes can cause a child to withdraw or behave aggressively.

ACTIVITY LEVEL

Some children need more active play than others. They need the opportunity to move around, jump, run, and bounce many times throughout the day. Other children need more quiet time or more rest.

RESPONSE TO STIMULATION

Children are inherently different in their tolerance to noise, activity, visual stimulation, or changes in the environment. An environment that is sensitive to this need in children will provide interesting activities as well as a quiet place to get away from the action.

THINKING STYLE

Some children think quietly through possible solutions to a problem; others push in and try the first idea that occurs to them. Some children are interested in experimenting to find out how objects work; others choose to ask friends or adults for help.

Developmental guidelines should be used as a general rule of thumb. In your work with children, do not confuse earlier or faster development with better development. Early talking by a 1-year-old does not mean that the child will be a chatterbox or a brilliant conversationalist at age 10. Later talking may mean that a toddler is putting more energy into physical growth and motor exploration right now.

Development or the lack of it that falls outside the normal range may indicate a problem that requires attention. You may need to help parents recognize possible problems and special needs, such as poor vision or hearing. Familiarity with developmental norms and with community resources can assist you in helping parents seek professional advice about developmental questions.

CHILDREN ANGRY

Here are some things to think about as you and you daughter strive to develop new skills for dealing with anger:

. Expect anger. Many of us have learned that anger is a bad emotion which good people don't have. When we operate on this premise, we tend to use denial and suppression when our inevitable angry feelings arise. Then when we can't contain it any longer, we blow up and feel out of control. If we can learn that anger exists as one in a range of healthy emotions, we can be more accepting of our own and our children's angry feelings. This allows us to be more conscious and in control of how we choose to express our anger.

. Think about where your daughter's anger is coming from. At one time or another most parents try to "take the blame" for their children's anger. When our kids start yelling at us and calling us names we go straight to the places we feel the most guilty. "Maybe, I haven't set enough limits with her." "Maybe I've set too many." "Maybe I don't even know how to set appropriate limits." Or, "I haven't been spending enough time with her." And then we tend to respond with anger at our child for "making us feel guilty." While it may be true that our kids would enjoy and benefit from more time with us, that is probably only a small part, if any, of what they are really upset about. They may be feeling frustrated with things in school: friendships, homework, whether they will get picked for a team. They may be feeling the push for independence and the best way they can think to establish it is to actively push away from us. If we can avoid "taking it personally," we may be better able to help our children sort out their complicated feelings and prevent our own anger from building up.

. Remember that anger is often a secondary emotion. Children and other people often choose anger as the vehicle to express a number of other emotions. Somehow, anger doesn't leave us feeling as vulnerable as sadness, fear, frustration, rejection, or confusion. If we treat our children's raging outbursts only as a sign of anger, we may miss many other important feelings they are trying to express. If you stay with a child who is "angry" and manage to keep your own anger from building up, you will most often discover more feelings underneath your child's anger, after the "steam has been burned off." You can even invite your child to think about other feelings she may be having as she starts to wind down. "I know you have been feeling very mad. I wonder if you have any other feelings." or "As well as looking mad, you also look sad."
This can be useful to remember for ourselves, as well as for our children. When we look under our own angry feelings, we are likely to find feelings of inadequacy, guilt, fear, sadness, frustration and confusion.

. Work to figure out what you can and can't control. When our children are in the middle of an angry outburst, often our first urge is to try to "stop" their feelings. As many of us have discovered, that is usually not possible. We still have an enormous amount of control, however, because we can control how we respond. If you can get enough perspective on your daughter's feelings that you don't end up mad yourself, you can help her through her struggle. If you do get mad yourself, you still get to control how you express your anger (and other feelings.) "I feel hurt when you call me names and say I don't care about you. I want to hear about how you are feeling. Can you tell me in another way?" "I can't let you throw breakable things when you are mad, but I do want to know how you are feeling. Let's figure out something else for you to do that is safe and still feels like a good way to express your feelings."

. Remember that you can prevent the build-up of anger, as well as learn positive ways to express it. Once we acknowledge that we do, indeed, experience feelings of anger, we can begin to recognize the build-up of our anger. If anger is a "10" we can learn to read if we are moving from a 2 to a 4 to a 6 and can do some things to express our feelings before we are at full-blown fury. "I'm feeling really frustrated by your yelling right now. I'm going to go into my room to take a break. I'll be back in 5 minutes if you want to talk to me then." "I don't want to be called those names. If you can tell me how your are feeling in a different way, I would like to stay and listen. If not, I'm going to go into the kitchen to start working on dinner. When you can talk to me without calling me names, come on in and we'll finish this conversation." You may need to remind your child of the limit (several times), but if you understand that she needs to figure out if you really mean it, you may be able to muster the patience to keep reminding her without getting furious yourself.
As well as averting your own anger in a moment of confrontation, you can also think about how to keep yourself in good emotional shape. What is it that helps you feel better about yourself and stronger as a parent? Taking time for yourself? Spending time with friends? Exercise? Movies? Gardening? Hiking? Seeing a therapist regularly? Getting a massage? The better shape you are in the easier it will be to learn positive ways to deal with your anger.

. Discuss the topic of anger with your daughter. It is very helpful to talk with your daughter about anger when you are not in the middle of a heated conflict. Tell her that you want both of you to learn better, safer, non-hurtful ways to express your anger. Brainstorm with her some different possibilities. You might come up with guidelines like, "You can raise your voice as long as you don't say hurtful things. If you accidentally say hurtful things, you can take them back and try again." You can bang on the couch cushions with the plastic bat, but no throwing things or hitting people." Only you and she will be able to come up with the best ways to safely and effectively express your feelings.

. Practice, make a plan. Once you and your daughter figure out the guidelines for anger in your family, you can practice. You could even use puppets or stuffed animals to pretend with.

. Don't be afraid to say you are sorry. Even with the best-laid plans, we may still fall into old habits. Remember that you can always apologize and think together about a better way you could have expressed what you were feeling.

. Talk to parents you admire. If you have a hard time thinking of ways to express anger positively, check in with parents or other friends you admire. Ask them if they have discovered healthy ways to deal with anger.

7 PATH YOUR CHILD'S SUCCESS: Teacher Tips

If you want your child to do well in school, there are several things that you as a parent can do to enhance his or her opportunities. Many of these are common sense items, but go often over-looked in this world of latch key children and hurry, hurry.

1. Ensure that your child is getting an adequate amount of sleep. I would venture to say that about half of my students do not get more than five or six hours of sleep each night. I currently have a student that averages only two hours per night, because he is working a full time job in addition to attending high school. At the beginning of each school term, I survey my students. Many of them work more than twenty hours each week. Of the students that do work, most of them are working only for spending money or to maintain a car, not to assist the family. If you allow your child to work, limit the number of hours each week that he or she can work to no more than 8 or 10. I recommend that a child not be allowed to work while attending high school. Save it for the summer.
2. Ensure that your child is following a proper diet. Too many times children are left to their own devices when it comes to deciding what to eat. Moms and dads often both work outside of the home, and are often too tired at the end of the day to prepare a nutritious meal. Children will go the quick and easy route. Sometimes parents go the quick and easy route. I know several students who subsist on a diet of fast food and junk food. All of us require proper nutrition for optimum health, but this is especially true of children who still have growing bodies. If you are too busy or too tired to ensure that your child is eating nutritious, balanced meals, then try round robin meals with a friend or neighbor, or ask the child to keep a food log. Also, ensure that the child is eating more than one meal a day -- lots of my students skip break- fast so they can sleep later, and skip lunch because they are only allowed a minimum amount of time to eat at school and they would rather socialize.
   
3. Know your child's teachers. As a teacher and a parent, I know that not every child will get along with every teacher, and vice versa. Be involved -- check with your child's school (the counselor or the principal is a good place to start) to see if your child can be moved to another teacher. If you know your child is a visual learner, and has an auditory teacher, then obviously your child isn't under optimum learning conditions.
4. Know your child's friends. Stay on top of who your child is friends with. Peer pressure has an amazing stronghold on most children. Invite the children to your house, allow them to stay for diner, have sleepovers, and take them with you on fun days. If your child is friends with kids who place family and academics in high priority, then chances are your child will too. If your child is hanging around with known drinkers and drug users, it is a safe bet that your child is at least experimenting with the same. Place restrictions on your child.
5. Know the parents of your child's friends. Even through high school, children look up to the adults they are around. Children often mimic the behaviors of their parents -- if Mom and/or Dad smoke, it is a good chance that the child will too.
6. Lead by example. Be the kind of adult that you want your child to be. If you want your child to be educated, ensure that you are educated -- let your child see you learning. Don't drink and smoke if you don't want your child to do so. Don't have sex outside of marriage if you expect your child to be chaste.
7. One of the best things you can do if you want your child to do well in school is read to him or her every day when they are small -- several times throughout the day if at all possible. Almost all students who enjoy reading the most are those that say they were read to lots when they were small.

You can teach your child to love reading. Make shared reading your nighttime routine -- and nap time, and any other time you desire quiet time from your children. When my own children were pre-school age, they lugged books around everywhere! They memorized several of them, and "read" to one another, to their toys, to anyone who will listen. In addition, they often "read" the pictures of the stories.

When my children, who see me reading for pleasure often, ask me why Mommy thinks reading is so important, I reply, "Smart people read."

Finally: One would think that this would be an already known fact, but it doesn't appear to be. So here goes -- if you want your child to be successful in school, and ultimately grow up and be a successful adult, one of the most basic things that a parent or guardian can do is ensure that your child is not only going to school, but is actually attending his or her classes!

In this day and age, especially when the majority of parents work (both of them), it is easy to either see your children off on the bus, or even drop them off at school, and assume that he or she is attending class. However, in some cases, once that bus or parent drives away, so does the authority that got the child to school in the first place. It is easy for the older child, once at school, to leave. It is also relatively easy for the child to have a note or backup plan when and if the school calls home or attempts to contact the parent or guardian.

Please check with your child's teacher (or teachers, as the case may be) to ensure that
your child is regularly attending class. You would be surprised at how eager most teachers are to help you child succeed -- just as you will be surprised when you get a poor progress report, only to discover that your child has not regularly been attending class!

EDUCATION TIPS : Management Conflicts

Right now the process of advocating for your child seems overwhelming. There are new relationships to build, meetings to go to, and inevitable conflicts to negotiate. And then there’s the challenge of your child’s file. Remember as you gain experience the whole process will seem less daunting. Here are a few pointers to help you develop your skills in the some crucial areas. Remember, there’s no substitute for practice, but hopefully these quick tips will help you get started on the right foot.

Building Relationships

Knowing how to deal with people can make all the difference in successfully negotiating for your child. Here are some tips on how to deal with some of the more challenging individuals you might run into as you advocate:

• The job of a gatekeeper is to keep people from bothering their superiors with unnecessary questions. Remember that they’re doing their job, even when they’re making your job much more difficult. Getting angry with them won’t help. Try to present your case to them logically and be persistent. Call as many times a you need to in order to make headway, but always be polite.
• Make sure you have yourself under control whenever you engage in a conversation with anyone at your child’s school.
• Making people feel at ease with you is an incredible skill.
• When suggesting new ideas, do not attack. Acknowledge the power and skills of the person on the other side. Suggest that your ideas might make things go smoother, but do not insist. Be firm and confident, but not overly aggressive.
• Listen to people who know what they’re talking about, but make sure you know enough yourself to be certain of the accuracy of their statements. If you don’t know if what they’ve said is true, ask for some time to research.
• Seek to maintain a business relationship with your child’s school. Don’t bring too much personal information into your relationships.
• Remember that you are an outsider to the school culture. Treat it with respect. Even if you think you know all there is to know, someone will undoubtedly surprise you.
• Many school systems feel threatened by someone who is assertive and knowledgeable. When you speak or bring up points in writing, try to keep from threatening the knowledge or credibility of any members on your child’s team.

Meetings

Meetings. They can be frustrating and terrifying. And yet, they can be the center of action for your child’s education. Learn to use them to the best of your advantage:

• Try to keep the conversation focused. Don’t allow the meeting to derail.
• Be positive. Suggest solutions. Don’t wait for someone else to come up with the next idea.
• Go to meetings with support. When both parents are present, they are more formidable and powerful opponents. If your spouse cannot be present, enlist another family member or friend to go with you.
• Suggest tape recording the meeting. Check your state’s regulations on this before suggesting it to the school.
• Treat everyone in the room, including yourself, with respect.
• Make eye contact.
• Don’t let yourself be rushed or bulldozed if you are running out of time. You can always schedule another meeting.
• Always debrief after the meeting. Write down what you remember, including key points and important resolutions. Add your own opinions. Do this immediately.
• Write a thank you. Use it not only to thank the school for their time and concern, but also as an opportunity to reiterate any open issues and key decisions.

Resolving Conflicts

Negotiating with your child’s school is not always easy. Here are a few pointers that might help you get what you want without making enemies.

• Don’t forget that in a lot of conflicts, both sides can be right.
• Keep in mind that many school systems fear the expense of special education programs.
• Try to see your requests from their side. Ask yourself how you and your child appear to the school. How can you bring both views into line?
• Always approach conflict with civility and respect for the person on the other side. Never seek to blame or find fault. Do not speak with scorn.
• Ask lots of questions so that you can understand the point of view from the other side. This will help you find solutions advantageous to both sides.
• Try to make your child seem as “real” as possible. Tell about your experiences with your child as a way to help people understand what your child really needs.
• Compromise may be the key to getting most of what you want, even if you can’t get all of what you want. (A good argument for making a plan that prioritizes what you want for your child.)
• Keep a paper trail. Even though litigation is never anyone’s first choice, being prepared for it can save you a lot of trouble later.

The FILE
The most important thing you can do in your efforts as an advocate is to keep records. And to keep them organized. Documentation is the only way you can truly know the progress your child is making and the way he is being treated by the school system. Documentation is also the only way you’ll be able to convince your child’s team of the validity of your child’s needs. When you develop your child’s file, keep the following pointers in mind:

• Keep a list of all the people who have ever seen your child for whatever reason. You can organize your list by services, for example, medical, psychological, etc. You can even be more detailed if your child has particular needs by organizing by specialty, for example, ophthalmology.
• Get a complete record of all your child’s medical files. You usually need to send a written request.
• Get a complete record of your child’s educational files. Again, you usually need to send a written request.
• Make copies. Never give your originals to anyone.
• Date all documents and file them in chronological order. This makes accessibility easy. You don’t have to remember the name of the doctor, clinic, or school.
• If you make notes (like dating) on your documents, use pencil.
• Use a three-ring notebook, so that you can easily add or access documents.
• Create a table of contents so that you know what you have.
• Add new information to your file immediately.

KINDERGARTEN

What is a kindergarten?

A kindergarten, or kindy as a lot of us know them, is an education and care centre governed by a Kindergarten Association. They are funded in exactly the same way by Government as Early Childhood Centres, with funding dependent upon how many qualified teachers are on the staff.

Traditionally, these centres were known as Free Kindergartens (i.e. available to all pre-school children), but are now more commonly known as Community Kindergartens, which reflects the enhanced partnership role of parents, whanau and the local community.

Kindys have traditionally provided part-time, sessional care for pre-schoolers (with a morning session for older children, and an afternoon session for the youngsters), but increasingly more and more kindergartens now provide an "all day" (i.e. up to 6 hours/day) service for each child. Check with your local kindy on their service offerings.

What ages does a kindergarten cater for?

Most kindys enrol children aged between two and five years, but placement is subject to availability. A quick phone call to your local kindy will enable you to find out at what age they are accepting children.

A word of warning: kindys are usually very popular, and often operate Waiting Lists. Their popularity is related to both their relatively low cost and their high quality education. We therefore strongly recommend that you get your child added to the waiting list well before you want them to start, or you may find that your child will not be able to gain entry until they are 3.5 or 4 years old.

At kindy the children are traditionally divided into two groups:

• older children attend morning sessions five-days-a-week। These sessions generally run between 8.30am and 12pm; and
  
• younger children attend afternoon sessions three-days-a-week which, for the most part run between 1pm and 3.15pm

But there is increasingly an "all day"service (i.e. 6 hour session x 4 days, and 4.25 hour session x 1 day each week).

Again, these are guidelines and can vary from kindy to kindy. The best place to find out about session times is from your local kindy.

The age at which children start and the age at which they move up a group will vary from kindy to kindy. There are no legal requirements or rules that apply across the country. The only legal requirement related to age at kindy, is that your child must be enrolled and attending a primary school by the age of six years.
How does kindergarten differ from other service providers?

Kindy is different from other ECE services in several ways.

• One of the biggest differences is the fact that all kindergarten teachers must be registered teachers. This means holding a Diploma in Teaching (ECE) or similar qualification, with a minimum of three years training.
• Cost-wise there is a noticeable difference. Kindy is, for the most part, government funded and costs parents roughly $2 - $5 per morning or aftersession. The fees are compulsory, enforced by a debt collection policy, the same as all other ECE centres.
• The ratio of teachers to children differs greatly. At kindys the ratio is around 1 teacher : 15 children, whereas it sits around 1 teacher : 5 children at other services.
• Kindy caters for children from 2 years through to 5 years of age, when they begin attending primary school. (In 2009, Government will raise the earliest starting date for kindy children to 2.5 years.) Other services cater for a broader age group including toddlers and babies.
• Kindy is part-time education. This can be difficult for working parents. The majority of other services provide full-time education and care.

What will my child learn?


In New Zealand we have an early childhood curriculum called Te Whaariki. This curriculum sets out the learning experiences and goals for children before they reach school age. The overriding aim of Te Whaariki is for children:

“to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society”

To help achieve this, kindergarten aims to provide environments for our children that create trust and foster their confidence. Children are encouraged to give things a go and to become active in their own learning.

Teachers plan learning programmes around the children’s interests at the time. As we all know, if our children are interested in something, they will be encouraged to participate for longer and consequently derive greater value from the experience.

There’s a lot of dramatic play and activity at kindergarten that allows the children to learn important social lessons about equal roles and equal rights for everyone.

Children are also encouraged to use language to communicate. They are taught to let others know how they are feeling and what their needs are by talking to them. The expression “Use your words” will be commonly heard – especially when encouraging youngsters not to hit or get frustrated. Your child will also be taught to stand up for themselves verbally, by learning phrases such as "Stop it, I don't like it".

The older children in the morning sessions will also learn to be “school ready”. They will become used to “mat time”, sitting quietly and listening, following the teacher’s instructions, and “playing nicely” with other children. They will also learn the basics of numbers and letters, and probably be able to write their name. They will also become familiar with books and reading, which will lay the foundations for their primary schooling.

How are kindergartens run?

Kindys are run by a committee made up of parents and people from the community. You can get involved on a day-to-day level by taking the opportunity to join the committee, or become a volunteer helper or fundraiser.

At a higher level, each kindy committee is answerable to the local kindergarten association. For example, the largest association in the country is the Auckland Kindergarten Association, which is responsible for 107 kindys in the greater Auckland region. The Associations take a strong governance and management role, and are responsible for the quality of education and financial control in each kindy.

What will it cost me?

Kindys will charge a fee at the beginning of each term. This is because government funding does not fully cover the costs of running a centre and resourcing it properly. Most kindys charge between $2 and $5 per (morning or afternoon) session per child to cover their operational costs.

Refer to the "20 Hours Free ECE" article regarding Government subsidies for parents with children aged 3 years and 4 years, and enquire about its availability at your local kindy.

Despite these additional charges, they also have to rely heavily on fund-raising undertaken by the community, committee and parent helpers, so kindy may also cost you some volunteered time.

Can my child attend kindy and another ECE at the same time?

Yes. There’s absolutely no reason why your child can’t attend kindy and daycare for example. Logistically this may be challenging in terms of pick-up and drop-off, especially if you are a working parent. But ask around, there may be other parents in the same position who are willing to share the task. Some day-cares do provide a drop off and pick-up service, but may charge extra for this.

If your child does attend daycare, making the decision to have them also attend kindy can be a difficult one due to the logistics involved. Some of the reasons parents choose this option are related to -

• cost – it may save you money to have your child attend kindy
• school-readiness – at many other ECE services the teacher/child ratio is likely to be 4-5 children to one teacher.
  

This ratio dramatically changes at kindys where it is more likely to be 1 teacher to 15 or so children. This may better prepare your child for the primary school classroom where they must deal with less one-on-one teacher contact.

What will my child need to take?


This will depend a little on the kindy your child attends. Some kindys have shared morning and afternoon tea for which the parents contribute a healthy item of food daily or weekly. For example, you may be asked to bring a piece of fruit each day for the fruit basket.

For the most part you’ll need to prepare a backpack with the following:

• small lunch box and drink bottle
• sun hat
• sun cream
• a change of clothes, and plastic bag to hold the dirty clothes

What else do I need to know?

Some kindys require that your child be toilet trained before they attend kindy, and some kindys do not require your child to be toilet trained. Please check the requirements of your local kindy.

In addition, it’s helpful if you can send them in shoes which are easy for them to get on and off themselves (i.e. with Velcro or elastic tops). Shoes with laces become very time consuming for teachers when taking a group of children outside to play!

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES : Understanding Your Child's Learning Style

A Fairy Princess. A Race-car Driver. A Mommy. A Firefighter. A Ballerina. An Astronaut. These are just some of the answers you may get when you ask your child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” You may think they are sweet to share with your family and friends, but your child’s response could be telling you something important about the way he or she learns and what type of ‘Multiple Intelligences’ he or she has.

So what are Multiple Intelligences anyway? Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences in 1983 to help educators, psychologists and parenting experts better understand how children process and learn information.

Not only has the theory become a respected way of looking at learning, it has helped validate other experts’ work. Dr. Joseph Renzulli, professor and director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented at the University of Connecticut, says he started his work with intelligence years before Gardner’s theory. But it was Gardner who brought widespread acceptance to the idea. That helped bring attention to The Renzulli Learning System, which utilizes the Intelligences. A great admirer of Gardner, Dr. Renzulli says, “The most important thing The Multiple Intelligences theory has done is called attention to the ways children express themselves.”

What Intelligences does your child possess? The following are descriptions of Gardner’s nine Multiple Intelligences, along with tips on how you can help your child stretch his or her areas of strength:

• Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart). This child focuses in school, enjoys reading, has an extensive vocabulary, prefers English or Social Studies over math and science, learns a foreign language with ease, is a good speller and writer, likes rhymes and puns, and communicates his thoughts well.

Tip: Encourage him to discuss books he has read with you, play word or board games, prepare speeches or enroll in drama classes. Possible career paths: poet, journalist, teacher, or lawyer

• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart). This child is curious about how things work, loves numbers and math (especially if he can do it in his head), enjoys strategy games like chess, checkers, brain teasers or logic puzzles, likes experiments, is interested in natural history museums, and likes computers.

Tip: Encourage her to solve various kinds of puzzles, provide her with games like checkers, chess or backgammon, let her figure things out and encourage her to ask questions. Possible career paths: scientist, engineer, researcher, or accountant.

• Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart). This child easily leans to read and understands charts and maps, daydreams often, is skilled at drawing, doodling and creating 3-D sculptures, enjoys movies, and likes taking things apart and putting them back together.

Tip: Provide opportunities to paint, color, design. Give him puzzles and 3-D activities like solving mazes, challenge his creativity, and encourage him to design buildings or clothing. Possible career paths: sculptor, mechanic, architect, or interior designer.

• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart). This child excels in more than one sport, taps or moves when required to sit still, can mimic other’s body movements/gestures, likes to touch objects, enjoys physical activities and has excellent fine-motor coordination.

Tip: Encourage participation in school and extracurricular sports/teams. Provide blocks. Encourage fine-motor ability (teach her to build paper airplanes, create origami, or try knitting). Enroll her in dance class. Possible career paths: dancer, firefighter, surgeon, actor, or athlete.

• Musical Intelligence (Music Smart). This child can tell you when music is off-key and easily remember melodies. He has a pleasant singing voice, shows aptitude with musical instruments, speaks or moves in a rhythmical way, hums or whistles to himself, and may show sensitivity to surrounding noises.

Tip: Encourage him to play an instrument, write songs, join school bands or choirs, or study folk dancing from other countries. Possible career paths: musician, singer, or composer.

• Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart). This child enjoys socializing with friends, is a natural leader, is caring, helps friends solve problems, is street-smart and understands feelings from facial expressions, gestures and voice.

Tip: Encourage collaborative activities with friends inside and outside of school, expose her to multi-cultural books and experiences, encourage dramatic activities and role playing, help her learn to negotiate and share. Possible career paths: counselor, therapist, politician, salesman, or teacher.

• Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self-Smart). This child shows a sense of independence, knows his abilities and weaknesses, and does well when left alone to play or study. He has a hobby or interest he doesn’t talk about much, is self-directed, has high self-esteem, and learns from failures and successes.

Tip: Help him set goals and realize the steps to get there, encourage independent projects and journal writing, help him find quiet places for reflection and appreciate his differences. Possible career paths: philosopher, professor, teacher, or researcher.

• Naturalist Intelligence (Nature Smart). This child talks about favorite pets or outdoor spots, enjoys nature preserves and the zoo, and has a strong connection to the outside world. She likes to play outdoors, collects bugs, flowers and leaves, and is interested in biology, astronomy, meteorology or zoology.

Tip: Take her to science museums, exhibits and zoos. Encourage her to create observation notebooks, ant farms, bug homes, and leaf collections. Involve her in the care of pets, wildlife, and gardens. Make binoculars and telescopes available to her. Possible career paths: animal activist, biologist, astronomer, or veterinarian.

• Existential Intelligence (Philosophically Smart). This child enjoys thinking and questions the way things are. He shows curiosity about life and death and shows a philosophical awareness and interest that seems beyond his years. He asks questions like, ‘Are we alone in the universe?’

Tip: Be patient with his questioning, as he may ask over and over again. Read books together that explore these topics and talk about them at an age-appropriate level. Possible career paths: philosopher, clergy, scientist, or writer.

Don’t worry if it looks like your child is only strong in 3-4 areas. That’s the way it should be. While children have the potential to be intelligent in all areas, they will most likely show dominance in some and weakness in others. Dr. Renzulli advises, “When we find our child’s preferred learning style, we should capitalize on it and give them many opportunities to express that in their work. But it is equally important to give them exposure to various kinds of styles.” In other words, your child may not realize what his preferred learning style is until he is exposed to it.

Perhaps your child will never attain Princess status, but she may write a novel about the royal life। And maybe your son won’t set foot on Mars, but rather, design the next generation of rockets. Whatever Intelligences your children have, be sure to watch for the cues along the way and encourage them to be whatever they want to be. In the meantime, let your kid have fun dreaming about the Indy 500, even if it gives you a few gray hairs in the process.