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National Sexuality Education Standards

Jennifer Wagaman — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:24:48 +0000

Three groups got together some time ago, (Advocates for Youth, Answer, and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States) and, hoping that federal funding for abstinance only sexual education would soon be eliminated, began to form standards across all grade levels – starting as young as 5 years old.

Reading this should cause a variety of conflicting emotions – first, a bit of outrage at how young they’re starting, a bit more outrage at the fact that they are hoping the abstinance education be eliminated, and a final bit of outrage at the parents who are not teaching their children and instead are leaving it up to the teachers.

Second, a bit of relief, knowing that children will actually be taught about their bodies, something that is ironically lacking in today’s society. Girls in particular are growing up either unfamiliar with their bodies and too scared or embarrassed to find out, or are finding out too much too soon, even before leaving elementary school in some cases.

First it is important to note that the standards for our youngest children (k-2) are simple and basic – the ability to use proper terms for body parts, understand that all living things reproduce, be able to identify differences between boys and girls and be able to identify the different make up of various family structures. (Well, I guess that’s important in our “anything goes” society) They also will learn what bullying is and understand they have the right to tell anyone to not touch them in any way that makes them uncomfortable. (yeah… this goes back to abstinence but come on, shouldn’t we also be teaching to not touch others?? Seems the onus always has to be on the victim there, huh?)

Now the Education Week article I read that discussed this had a link to a study on abstinence education that was fascinating to me – in fact, there seems to be no impact on children’s behavior when taking one of these classes, so the point there is why spend money on them if they are not working? Take a quick second to just scroll through it to look at the graphs – the control groups are almost identical.

Want more info on the standards? You might if you care what your child knows about sexual orientation by the end of 5th grade. I suppose the easy way to sum up the new standards is this: by the time all students enter high school, after going through each standard, they will know everything about everything… I guess the question left is will the kids be allowed to eat the banana after the lesson is over?

Bad thing? maybe not but if you care about what your kids are taught in reference to, well, who, where, when, why, or how… you best be on top of it at home because teachers are going to cover all that too, not just the what anymore.

Dress code for Parents?

Jennifer Wagaman — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:56:36 +0000

I am sure many teachers have had issues with students breaking the school’s dress code, but what about parents? One school on a military base had such a problem with parents dress when dropping students, they had to ban pajamas.

Yes, you read that right, parents dropping kids off in pajamas. Honestly I am not entirely sure what that means and would love to sit out side the school to see what these parents sleep in that is such a problem. Honestly, most of the time my “pajamas” would pass as ok to shop in or drop kids off outside a school, so either someone was tired of seeing wrinkled shirts and yoga pants or parents think it’s ok to go out in public in little nighties.

So ok, lets just say parents please dress in a way that you could stroll through a grocery store or stand outside at a gas pump, when you drop your kids off at school, ok?

Not sure which is worse – the fact that parents of young children are wearing inappropriate nightwear in public, or the fact that the school is imposing a dress code on parents outside their building.

The Public School Debate

Jennifer Wagaman — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:38:49 +0000

I was going to title this the homeschool debate, then realized it’s not about homeschooling, its about public schools. The alternative is not just homeschooling, but private schools too. Homeschooling gets a bad rap for pulling kid out of the public school system, but people say they don’t have the money for private schooling and leave it at that. In reality, parents who choose to homeschool are the same as parents who choose the private schools. In the end, it’s the public schools they are avoiding.

There is a lot of debate about how to improve the public school system. In fact, public school teachers are often offended when kids are pulled – only when pulled for homeschooling though, ironically. It is a well known fact in the public school system that a private school student will be ahead of all public school students. Homeschool kids on the other hand? They are rebels who aren’t being educated, or have parents who think they can do a better job than a certified teacher.

Well actually, some parents can do better than a certified teacher – if a teacher at a private school can do better (based on test scores) than a teacher at a public school, why can’t a parent do better? I think it’s not a matter of who does a better job, it’s a matter of parents taking control of their child’s education. Some parents choose to educate at home, some choose to lobby for better public schools and some parents choose to pay for private school.

Why should we criticize any parent for being involved enough in their child’s education to make a tough decision? Homeschooling is not an easy choice, just ask one of the thousands of homeschoolers who give up their time each and every day to ensure their children have a good education. Private school is not an easy choice, just as the thousands of parents who give up their hard earned money to pay 15,000-20,000 or more a year on top of taxes for public schools. Public school is the easy answer, unless you want a good education for your child, then it is a hard choice too – just ask the few parents who put the time and effort into working with teachers and schools and spending the time working with their child to ensure a good education.

The parent who sends a child to the public school system blindly, expecting a well educated child after high school graduation with no effort on their part, is the parent who should be criticized.

In the end, a good education is the goal, and reaching the goal is difficult no matter which path you choose to take. So public school teachers, back off of homeschool families, the effort of a good education for an individual child takes time and effort and money on the part of the parent, regardless of the direction they steer.

Looking for more information on homeschooling? Check out My Homeschool Guide

Mom, Sit Here!

Jennifer Wagaman — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:55:11 +0000

With the weather warming up, parents should be making a point to get children outside every day. The fresh air and sunshine are invaluable to keeping children healthy. In fact, time spent outside has even been shown to improve ADHD symptoms!

It is important to remind parents not only of the importance of outside playtime, but of the time spent with their children as well. While working in the yard today, my daughter called me over to sit by her and we watched earth worms wiggling about in the dirt together.

Spending time with our children is even more important than spending time outside, so send your kids out to play, and dedicate some play time of your own to spend with them.

Teaching Kids to Deal with a Bully

Jennifer Wagaman — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:33:29 +0000

Bullying is one of the most serious social issues that a child can face. It is important that both teachers and parents know how to help a child learn to deal with a bully.

Signs of bullying include:

Teasing
Making choices in play that will purposefully hurt another child
Being mean to another child

Signs that your child is being bullied:

Not wanting to go to school
Avoiding playing with other children
Emotional (either upset or angry) after time spent with other children or at school

It is important to teach children to not only treat each other nice, but to react appropriately when they are bullied.

Grandma, Why Didn’t God Make Me a Bird by Amanda Hines provides a unique perspective on bullying and how to deal with a situation where a child is being bullied. Read more.

Homework Communication Folder

Jennifer Wagaman — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:47:03 +0000

If, after discussing a student’s homework problems with the parent, it becomes evident that the parent will need to communicate frequently with the teacher regarding homework, it may be prudent to implement a homework communication folder. This is a simple file folder with a piece of paper taped inside with blank lines for the parent to write on. While not a high tech solution, this type of communication folder is often more effective and more used than an agenda with space for parent notes.

If there is an issue with the homework while the student is at home, the parent can write a quick note to the teacher and it is easy for the teacher to find the notes all in one place. The student can then turn in the entire folder with the homework and any notes from the parent. This works especially well for students who are struggling to keep up and who may need more parental involvement.

Parents may need more space than provided in an agenda and by pairing the communication sheet directly with the homework needed to be completed, the parent is more likely to write a quick note saying how the homework went. Additionally, parents may be more likely to help the child with the homework because they are face to face with the homework while they are writing their notes.

Here is a blank homework folder sheet word document free for teachers to download and use:

Homework Communication Sheet

SpellQuizzer, a Spelling Software

Jennifer Wagaman — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:15:21 +0000

SpellQuizzer is a spelling program that provides parents an alternative to traditional spelling practice that often turns into a fight.

What is SpellQuizzer?

SpellQuizzer is a simple spelling software that parents or teachers can download onto their computer and allows a parent or teacher to create a spelling list, and a student to then be quizzed on that spelling list. Students are given a recorded verbal prompt and must type the word. If spelled correctly the next word is given and if spelled incorrectly, the program provides the correct spelling and the option to respell those words at the end of the list.

The software is simple to install and comes with a thorough and easy to follow help section that will allow any parent the ability to use this program. Need additional help? There are several detailed video helps on SpellQuizzer’s website providing all the additional help a parent might need.

Does SpellQuizzer Work?

SpellQuizzer is a unique spelling program that gives students an alternate to the traditional call and response, paper and pencil spelling practice. This program is a particularly excellent choice for students with writing disabilities as it allows them to learn the spelling words without the burden of writing the words down.

Will SpellQuizzer be right for every child? Most likely not. Some children may need the extra reinforcement of putting pencil to paper to practice their spelling words. Some children may simply not like typing their spelling words. Many children will enjoy this spelling program, though, and with a free trial and low cost, there is nothing to lose.

Want to win a copy of SpellQuizzer? Leave a comment below and earn a chance to win a free copy of SpellQuizzer! Contest runs through Friday, January 15, 2010. Winner will be contacted by email.

Homework Help

Jennifer Wagaman — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:42:05 +0000

Many student have difficulty completing and turning their homework in on time, and this can cause stress for parent, child and teacher. The thing that is different in each situation is the reason behind the homework difficulty.

One child may not have time because of other family obligations such as caring for younger siblings.
Another child may forget to do the homework.
Another child may do the homework but forget to put it in his backpack.
Yet another child may not be doing the homework because he or she cannot understand it.
Another child may not be finishing all the homework because it takes him too long and he runs out of time.

Unfortunately, without understanding the reason behind why a child is having difficulty with his homework, a teacher cannot figure out a solution, and pestering and badgering the child rarely works to change anything. In fact, calling the parent rarely changes anything either. So what can you do?

The first step is to meet with the child’s parent and the child together to find out some answers behind the homework problems.

Stay tuned for more information this week on homework folder solutions. In the meantime, check out this Homework Pad as a great way to organize student’s homework assignments.

Snow Day Activities

Jennifer Wagaman — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:30:08 +0000

After a big snow, children are eager to get outside and play. What more perfect time to introduce some fun learning activities and take advantage of their natural excitement! Here are some ideas to get you started:

Make snow men, teaching young children about small, medium and large.
Catch snow flakes and look at them under a microscope or magnifying glass to see the varied designs.
Make snow angels and discuss the property of displacement.
Measure the amount of snow and talk about various forms of measurement.
Make snow ice cream and involve children in the cooking process.

Here is an article with some indoor and more outdoor snow activities.

Christmas Traditions for Parents

Jennifer Wagaman — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:55:05 +0000

Parents, Christmas is such a wonderful time of year when we can celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Public schools refuse to acknowledge the true meaning behind the season, which means it is that much more important for parents to teach their children at home about this important holiday.

Here are some creative ways to teach your children about Christmas:

Create (or purchase) an advent calendar that teaches the story of Christmas.
Purchase a nativity set and wrap each individual piece and allow the children to open the pieces one day at a time, saving baby Jesus for either Christmas eve or Christmas morning.
Read the Christmas story out of the Bible (or choose a Christmas story book) and discuss it with the children