Category: Education

Back to School 2017, Education, Parenting

Are You First Day Ready For School?

Erin Sluka

There is no mistaking that if your kids aren’t headed back to school now, they will be soon – the stores are filled with supplies and sales and ads for back-to-school. The beginning of a new school year can be an especially challenging time for parents and children both, although for totally different reasons. For parents, making sure that kids are equipped with the supplies and everything they need to get organized and have a good year is usually the first challenge. Then meeting the teachers, checking out the classrooms, and assessing the curriculum for the year is next on the list.

 

We just completed our school shopping this week. We also moved to a new town this summer so yesterday I dropped off all papers to register my son in 4th grade at his brand new school. He is excited but also nervous too. The next step for us is to wait for the call on what teacher he gets and if it is the same of some new friends he has met in our neighborhood and on his soccer team.

For kids, the stress of the new school year can be a little different than what we experience as parents. Did you know that one in five children in the U.S. have learning and attention issues, like ADHD and dyslexia? Children with these types of challenges – many of whom have never been formally diagnosed – can feel especially stressed during the back-to-school season as they face new subjects, teachers and schools.

As the new school year approaches, we were excited to get personalized tips from the First-Day Ready Guide to help our kids make a great start. The Ad Council and Understood.org have partnered to promote ways children and their families can be First-Day Ready. Understood.org is offering a free First-Day Ready Guide to help parents with students at every age successfully manage back-to-school transitions. Understood.org is a free, easy-to-use online resource and community designed to support parents and caregivers of children with learning and attention issues.

Having a guide is so helpful. My stepsons are 19 and 24 so it’s been some time since I have sent a fourth grader off to school.

 

These back-to-school tips from the Understood.org website are an invaluable resource for getting on track and starting the year of on the right foot.  They helped my family; hopefully they can help yours too.

 

  • Planning early is important to help relieve stress.  Creating structure and routine around the start of the new school year—with checklists, calendars and other organization systems— helps prepare kids for class expectations. I loved browsing the Printable Back-to-School Downloads. I am a paper person so this helps me a lot. I also enjoyed the 9 Apps to Help Kids Manage Back-to-School Challenges so we can use them to have mini discussions at bedtime leading up to the first day of school.

 

You can also take your child on a school tour to help ease fears by showing them how to find their classroom, nearby bathrooms, the cafeteria and other important places the first week of school.  This can be a huge stress relief whether the child is new to the school or not. Just knowing where to go can help them feel more comfortable.  

 

  • Connecting with your child’s teacher early on benefits everyone and creates a great starting point for the new year.  This will give you an opportunity to share your child’s needs or learning style while expressing your support for the teacher and the challenges he/she may be facing with a new classroom full of students.  You will help create an atmosphere of cooperation while speaking up for your child and his or her challenges.

 

  • Finally, get support!  Many parents and students are going through the same experience. Understood.org and Understood’s Facebook page connect parents across the country to share information and learn from each other. You can also ask around your community and school to find other parents you can connect with.

So, no matter your child’s age or needs, this Back-to-School season can be a seamless transition and positive experience for both you and your children!  

If you could use some help getting started on the right foot this school year, Understood.org is a great place to start.  

All kids learn in different ways and at different paces. With the right support, all kids can thrive in school and in life.

Books Reviews, Children's Books, Education, Parenting

Children’s Book about Learning From Failure – Mindset Matters

Erin Sluka

Sample copy sent for feature from Smith Publicity

 

Mindset Matters
By: Bryan Smith

 

Children do not like to lose. They need to learn and then learn to have fun but they take winning very seriously at times. Eventually that desire to win can begin to define them and that is not the direction we want our kids mindsets to head at that young age. Mindset Matters about Amelia who loves to skateboard. But, when she has a fall and hand injury and fears it will interfere with her sport she feels like a failure. Amelia’s Dad teaches here to have a different mindset. It is a mindset that about learning and growing.

 

Mindset Matters is great for the grades 1-5 age group. Teach your kids how to find their Gonna-Get-It-Done attitude. Not only is this book for the child athlete, but it can be related to sibling competition and hobbies as well as academics. Use Amelia’s story to start a conversation that will empower your child. I read this to my son the night before basketball camp.

Find Mindset Matters on Amazon and bookstores near you.

Back to School 2017, Books Reviews, Children's Books, Education, Gift Guides, Kids

Anti-Bullying Children’s Book – It’s Good To Be Kind

Erin Sluka

Copy sent for feature from Wear The Cape Kids

Anti-Bullying Children's Book - It's Good To Be Kind

It’s Good To Be Kind

By: Lauren DuBois Rosemond

Leonard the Lion wears a red cape and doesn’t let his position on the animal chain bring fear towards him from the other animals. Instead he uses his power to empower others. He will teach your pre-schooler to early elementary student to think ahead about their actions and whether they may HURT or HELP those around them. They can learn to be better than bullying and better than bad choices even in their communities.

You can find this book on Amazon and at Wear The Cape’s online shop. Remember, you cannot lift yourself up by putting others down.

About Wear the Cape™ and the kidkind foundation

Wear the Cape™ is the first global, mission-powered brand with the nerve to equate being kind with being cool. By coaching kids to be BETTER THAN THAT™, Wear the Cape breaks down barriers and brings people together—a world of new values prevails: It’s cool to be inclusive, tolerant and socially responsible. From its line of apparel and accessories, to its educational tools and its own non-profit the kidkind foundation, Wear the Cape sparks awareness and raises money to build heroes, a kid at a time. Wear the Cape’s products and resources are designed to create teachable moments between kids and the grown-ups they look up to with Hero Tags that tee up conversations about what it means to stand up and stand out; to stick up for the underdog; to do what’s right, not what’s easy. Wear the Cape donates 10% of its net profits directly to the kidkind foundation, and the rest is reinvested in the design and production of new products, as well as character-building educational materials for parents and teachers to help the kids they love. Wear the Cape’s work with communities and schools is helping mold everyday heroes that will create a kinder, better world for us all.

Back to School 2017, Education, Gift Guides, Kids

Technology Learning with Marbotic Letters and Numbers

Erin Sluka

This feature is in partnership of Marbotics. Product sent for feature

Technology Learning with Marbotic Letters and Numbers

It is almost that bittersweet time. You looked ahead and wondered about the days your child will start school and here you are dreading those hours of sending them off with a backpack and lunchbox to learn all day. Will they be ok without naps in their own bed? Will they make friends? Will they meltdown at drop off? Will they adjust from their daycare to preschool and kindergarten ok? It is such a fun memory to make as they start school but that first attempt at letting them go as Mom and Dad. Let’s make sure they are prepared to learn! Let’s give them one less stressor to deal with and we can do that with Marbotic.

All you need is an iPad or a compatible Samsung Tablet and some free apps to download to make this learning at home start now. There are 3 sets to choose from – the full kit, letters or numbers. I have the Marbotic Smart Letters set. It comes with 26 letters and there are 3 letter games I can download for multiple ways to learn with letters and at all learning levels.

Includes 26 wooden letters and 3 different ‘Smart Letters’ educational apps`(available for free download). It is made to educate given that it was designed by education experts and teachers, crafted with quality materials, and inspired by the Montessori method. They will take traditional wood blocks and combine them with technology for play that teaches. 

I’d love for you to see it in action so here is the product video below. I have a 3 year old nephew who will get this set and he can learn all year before next years preschool days hit him. It is fun, even my 9 year old was caught sitting at the iPad placing letters on the screen and watching characters come move and teach.

The Marbotic sets are available in the US now on Amazon. Get yours today and start learning so they can start school prepared and with confidence. It’s a hard day for them too so let’s send them off ready to learn more!