Smart Parent Tips For Smart Learning - How to Help Average Kids Become Smart Kids

I don't know where your family lives, but here in Denver where I live the schools have had their budgets cut. I'm guessing your kids' school had its budget cut too. Maybe your children's teacher was let go. It's happening all over the country.

In most cases, fewer teachers means more kids in a classroom. More kids means less attention for your child from the teacher. And less likely this teacher will have an aide. What does this mean for your child? Will she fall behind? Will it affect his test scores?

READING GAMES FOR KIDS

All too often, the more children in a class, the less children learn. Research has proven that kids increase test scores and get better grades when teaching is one on one. Not 40 on one. It's the ancient Socratic method where the teacher asks questions and the student answers. The same model they use at Oxford and Cambridge.

It's a conversational model. A listening model. Not just one question after another. One-on-one is why home schooling and tutoring are so effective. But our schools can't afford to teach your kids one-on-one... even without budget cuts.

However, smart parents can help kids one-on-one at home. And I'm not suggesting home schooling unless that's something that works for you and your family. Your child has smart potential. With support from you, average kids, even kids doing poorly in school, can become smart kids.

Try these one-on-one strategies:

1. Learn Brain Gym and do it with your child. Teachers across the country use it in their classrooms. But no reason you can't do Brain Gym at home, one-on-one. It's quick, easy and effective. Brain Gym works for you too.

2. Have conversations with your child about books they have to read for their book reports. Read the books yourself. Helps with the conversation.

3. Play math and reading games with your kids. Even a game like Monopoly helps with both these skills.

4. Talk with your child about what you're reading, thinking about, getting at the grocery store, planning for the weekend. Conversation builds communication skills in children. It's essential for your little ones.

5. Watch TV with your kids-just not too much TV. Talk about the shows.

6. Take a daily interest in your child's homework. This is the opposite of nagging or policing homework-neither of which help nurture smart kids.

7. Have your child help at the grocery store with comparison shopping, reading labels, estimating how much the groceries will cost. Shopping offers lots of fun smart learning activities.

Using these one-on-one strategies will boost your kids' brain power, help them move from smart potential to smart kids, and improve their grades. It's just good parenting.

Smart Parent Tips For Smart Learning - How to Help Average Kids Become Smart Kids

Except for Brain Gym, I'm sure you know how to implement these suggestions. And you can find out more about Brain Gym at http://www.smartkidssmartparents.com/brain-gym/

Discover more strategies to help your kids do better in school in the Smart Learning Newsletter and Smart Kids Strategies at http://smartkidssmartparents.com/sign-up/ from MaryJo Wagner, Ph.D. - The Learning Doctor, helping you help your kids learn quickly and easily every day in every subject.

Got a school or PTA newsletter online or offline? A website? You can reprint this article. Just be sure to print all of the article and include my name and the information above.

READING GAMES FOR KIDS