Education for Children

Many parents are concerned about laying a good foundation for their children that they might grow to become moral, responsible adults. In part, parents often rely on Sunday school or other types of religious education to help convey the message of morality. In raising moral children, there are a few points that bear remembering.

First, child rearing is a developmental endeavor. That implies that children progress through moral stages and understandings at a certain (variable) pace. There is little evidence that children can be hurried along the developmental journey. There is a developmental track for moral development, social development, and cognitive development. All areas of development come into play in our efforts to raise moral children. Jean Piaget, the famous developmentalist, reminds us that young children have not yet arrived at the stage of formal, symbolic thought.

Many parents will attempt to moralize with children in abstract, moral discussions-suitably “watered-down,” or so they think, to meet their kids where they are. However, if research on cognitive development is at all correct, it is unlikely that children are being “converted” to a moral or religious stance. They may say “yes” and seem to get the point, but it is unlikely that they do.

A much better approach is to work on actions involving simple reciprocity, things like sharing of toys and friends. Young children are naturally egocentric. By involving them in such simple understandings as “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,” children come to see simple morality as pragmatic, paving the way for the later stages when formal reasoning makes children receptive to more abstract appeals.

In terms of social development, Erik Erikson would no doubt point us to those natural conflicts that occur at each advancing stage of development. In the early stages when a child struggles between trust and mistrust, and shame and guilt vs. autonomy, children need reassurance. If they are subjected to constant moralizing and put-downs, they will likely adopt an outlook of inferiority. In addition, they will become increasing likely to look to an outside locus of control. The best way to raise autonomous, responsible adults is by acceptance as opposed to constant correction. Erikson’s theory predicts that someone might “get stuck” at an early stage if that stage is not successfully navigated. Continue Reading

Are you the parent of a child with dyslexia or another type of learning disability? Are you concerned that your child is not making academic progress at the same rate as their peers? Have you heard of progress monitoring but would like to have more information on it? This article will be discussing progress monitoring to be used for all children including those receiving special education services.

What is progress monitoring? This is a scientifically research based practice that is used to keep track of student’s academic performance and also evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction? This method may be used with an entire class or individual students.

How does it work? The student’s or class’s academic performance is measured on a regular basis (weekly or monthly). Goals are written, and progress toward those goals, are measured by comparing expected and actual rates of learning. Based on these measurements, instruction is adjusted as needed to meet individual student’s needs.

What are the benefits to the students of a school district using this method:

1. Accelerated learning because students are receiving more appropriate instruction

2. More informed instructional decisions

3. Documentation of student progress for accountability purposes

4. More efficient communication with families and other professionals about students progress

5. Higher expectations for students by teachers Continue Reading

Public schooling can cause serious problems with regard to an autistic child’s behavior. Despite getting grants from the government to cater to the requirements of special children, the facilities in most of the schools are not up to the mark. What’s more, not all faculty members are trained to handle the special requirements of such children. When you add peer pressure into it, you are bound to get worried about the well-being and mental state of your child.

Home: The Ideal Place to Study
No one is going to argue against the fact that for all special kids, home is the ideal place to study and learn. As a parent, if you can provide your child a top class education at home, then what’s the point of sending your child to a public school where facilities are not as good and your child can suffer due to mental stress?

There are particular schools that are designed exclusively for special children, but the fact of the matter is that autistic children suffer from behavioral disorder because of their developmental inability to function in a proper way socially. And that is where if they share the space with those who are already suffering from emotional issues it can worsen their condition even more.

On the other hand, home offers an ideal environment for autistic children as there is no social regulation attached. Your child will get special attention at home in every aspect of study. In addition, when studying from home your child does not need to deal with the negative mindset of fellow students and faculty members. Continue Reading