tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7046800315294476592023-11-16T07:01:53.875-08:00School DaysGeeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-29225253968595508252012-03-24T23:45:00.001-07:002012-03-24T23:45:57.358-07:00What is Math Anxiety and How Can You Help a Child Who Has It?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As early as kindergarten, kids are introduced to math. As they progress in grade school, children will learn math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While math can be fun and challenging for some children, it can be a very different experience for others. For many students, working with numbers and math concepts can lead to math anxiety, in which they can develop a fear and stress about math. They can feel anxiety about not getting the answers right and not understanding what is being taught. They may feel frustrated and upset about not doing well in math, and may develop a dislike for the subject, making the development of math skills even more difficult.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Common Causes of Math Anxiety</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Often, children develop math anxiety when they don’t master early math skills, and then are continually expected to learn additional math when they haven’t yet gained the fundamental knowledge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just as a solid building cannot be erected upon a shaky foundation, expecting a child to gain new math skills when they haven’t mastered the basics can lead to lack of confidence and anxiety about math. But this is precisely what can happen when children try to struggle to find the correct answers to math problems without understanding the concepts in the first place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">School-age children may also see peers excelling in math and develop a belief that they are not as “naturally” good at math as these other children are. This can lead to self-doubt and a reluctance to try harder at improving their own math skills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How to Handle Math Anxiety</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parents can help a child overcome math anxiety by offering reassurance, practical assistance, and by making it fun. Most of all, they can set the tone by developing a positive attitude toward math themselves, and trying to find a way to use numbers as much as they can with their child in everyday life. Here are some ways parents can help their child avoid stress about math.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Play math games. Whether you play "math games online, get out some number-centric board games such as Monopoly or Double Shutter, or use some common kitchen items to play with numbers, playing games that are math and numbers oriented is an excellent way to make math fun and get children interesting in doing math.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be aware of your own attitude toward math. Have you ever said things such as, “I’m not good at math,” or “I just don’t like math”? If so, consider changing your attitude, or at least not voicing such negative ideas about math out loud. Your child is watching and learning from you, and if you express negative feelings about math rather than talk about the fun and important aspects of math, then you are doing your child a disservice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Practice with your child. When it comes to math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, nothing beats practicing. And learning multiplication facts is a matter of drilling. Practice multiplication tables on the way to school, while your child is having a bath, right before story time at night -- whenever you can squeeze it in. Print out math worksheets and practice doing math problems, making things fun and challenging by using a timer or giving your child a treat for finishing the problems and getting faster doing them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ditch the idea that some people are not good at math. This is a particularly important message for girls, who may pick up the misconception prevalent in the world today that boys are better at math than girls. While some experts have asserted that a math gender gap no longer exists, other researchers have argued that it does; the reason for those differences are likely complex and varied, including parents’ and educators’ failure to nurture girls’ confidence in math, societal pressure for girls not to succeed in math, and parents’ and teachers’ failure to spot girls’ early struggles with math, which can then worsen over time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Get help early. And while we’re on the subject of a math gender gap, a fascinating study from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign found that the math gender gap between girls and boys widens between kindergarten and 5th grade. Moreover, the study determined that many teachers may mistake girls’ attentiveness in class and completion of assignments as indicators that they understand the material, when in fact they may not. To make sure that a child -- boy or girl -- really does understand the material, teachers and parents should go over the material with the child, and if necessary, give him or her some extra help as soon as possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Help your child shake off mistakes. One of the best things you can do as you help your child develop math skills and learn other academic and life lessons is to assure him that mistakes are something that will happen and that they are learning opportunities. If you can help your child put math mistakes into perspective and remind him that they are what will ultimately help him learn, your child will be less likely to develop anxiety about math.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">courtesy :By Katherine Lee</span></div>
</div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-76965219401682940972012-03-24T23:42:00.002-07:002012-03-24T23:42:32.641-07:00Child Cries About Going to School<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kZFP3-rYnUcXmdYMSysYxYzB5NYhldXym_9korXhpQPqjinOPrU13VJjhnJV9ERRxsRPD2aYqV0CnOvbLvvzitHIgDEjhictwmppNBZeCGOxnQXECioZ69Iuzh0b9cpt6PT6Di8LmAM/s1600/child_crying_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kZFP3-rYnUcXmdYMSysYxYzB5NYhldXym_9korXhpQPqjinOPrU13VJjhnJV9ERRxsRPD2aYqV0CnOvbLvvzitHIgDEjhictwmppNBZeCGOxnQXECioZ69Iuzh0b9cpt6PT6Di8LmAM/s400/child_crying_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's good that you are taking him to school every day even though he is crying. That's tough, but it's really the best way to help him through it. Any of a number of things could be going on with him; but since he is doing well while at school, the problem with crying at home should ease over the next few weeks. Sometimes kids have a bout with school anxiety after the holidays or summer vacation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without interrogating him, see if you can pick up some clues about what is worrying him. Sometimes you can pinpoint a certain trigger for the anxiety. Often it is a combination of factors at home and school that lead to the anxiety related to school avoidance. Stresses at home may lead him to worry about leaving you. Or, fears and worries about certain aspects of school may be the triggers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you think that he has overheard something at home that has him worried, find some ways to reassure him that you are just fine. Don't oversympathize when he says he misses you. Instead, be matter-of-fact about going to school while you maintain good structure and familiar routines at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ask him about a variety of activities at school. Does he worry about going to the bathroom? Is there an atmosphere of strict punishment in the school or classroom? Does he have playmates in his class? Are there problems with bullies? Again, don't interrogate him about school. Simply talk about his day and listen for clues that might tell you why "school is too long".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If the problem continues or worsens, by all means, take him to a child therapist. You don't want to let his anxiety build without addressing it. School avoidance can have serious consequences in the short and long term. He's young and he misses you; that's understandable. But, crying every morning isn't good for anyone. If it continues, a good counselor can make a world of difference for you and your child.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From Kimberly L. Keith, former About.com Guide</span></div>
</div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-52319598977141075762011-12-05T02:13:00.000-08:002011-12-05T02:13:41.099-08:00NCO FAQs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How does a student benefit by taking NCO ?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Participants of NCO are ranked on the basis of marks obtained. Hence, after taking the first level of the test, students can judge themselves academically at four different levels - within the school, at city and state level, and above all at International level. Finally students are suitably awarded based on their international ranking. Prizes include cash prizes, computers, medals, CD’s, etc.. The prizes for the first 3 toppers of each class are awarded at a grand prize distribution ceremony presided over by an eminent personality. Rest of the prizes are either sent to the schools or can be collected from the Foundation’s office after announcement. State level prizes are also being initiated to award state toppers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who all are eligible to sit for the NCO?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students of classes 2nd to 12th are eligible to appear for the NCO. There is no other eligibility criterian like minimum marks. The top 500 All-India ranked students of the first round from each class and 10 state toppers class wise are eligible to appear in the 2nd level online / offline exam. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am interested to take part in the NCO. Tell me how will I come to know about the details of the exam?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All the relevant information is sent to the schools all over the country along with prospectus, registration forms and posters before the first round and then as the date and venue of the second level is decided, the information is sent to the relevant schools again. The students come to know about the necessary details from their school teachers or through the Foundation's official website www.sofworld.org</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Myself and few of my friends are interested to take part in the NCO but our school has not yet received any information regarding the Olympiad. What do we do?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let us know the complete address of your school. We will send detailed information and registration forms to your School so that your Principal / Computer Teacher can register your names for the exam. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is the syllabus for the NCO?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The syllabus of the NCO is the Computers and Mathematics syllabus as is prescribed by the CBSE, ICSE or various state boards. If you sit for the second level and have moved onto the next class, the syllabus will remain the same (i.e. of the previous class). The syllabus is also posted on the Foundation’s website.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are there any special books which the participants should refer to for the NCO preparation?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are no special books as such. In general, NCERT books/course books prescribed by the CBSE/ICSE/STATE BOARDS are sufficient for the preparation. Your computer curriculum book is good enough to prepare you for NCO. MTG NCO Class wise Workbooks contain useful matter including exercises and previous years paper of NCO. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My school does not want to register for the NCO, but I am very eager to write the exam. Can I do it on my own?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SOF does not encourage individual participation. Students have to register through their schools only. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have already appeared for the NCO while I was in a lower class? Can I appear again?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Definitely yes. This will give you an opportunity to improve your previous rankings, and if you are successful in doing so, you will again be eligible for certificates and prizes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My school has already despatched the registration form. I am left out and I want to register myself for the NCO...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can request your school authority to send your exam relevant details and fee immediately to us. We accept it if it reaches us before the last date of registration (usually 4 weeks before the exam). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am going to write the NCO for the first time. Can I get sample papers?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sample Papers are sent to all the registered schools. SOF website also contains these papers (link for NSO / NCO / IMO). Sample papers sent to the schools prior to the first level test are helpful and can be used for both levels of NCO. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for more Visit <a href="http://www.sofworld.org/nco/faqs" target="_blank">SOF</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-43177020859982598072011-12-05T02:08:00.000-08:002011-12-05T02:08:55.470-08:00High School Student Exchange<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before you have children, you have a certain set of responsibilities, but you don’t have anywhere near the same type of worries that a parent has. The minute a child enters your life, you suddenly realize how fragile the world is and how easily you could lose the child that you brought into this world. For some parents, the fear of losing their child is enough to stop them from allowing their child to experience anything new, such as a high school student exchange. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fear can consume parents, but the reality is that if you prevent your children from doing the things that they long to do, especially safe things such as a high school student exchange, you are taking them away from the experiences that could shape their future dramatically. If you’re worried about letting your children become high school exchange students, there are a few things that you should know. The Family</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The families that are chosen for a high school student exchange are, for the most part, your average, everyday families. When a family decides that they want to host an exchange student, there is a process that they have to go through in order to be considered a qualified family. If they have not gone through the process, which includes a great deal of paperwork and an inspection, they are not allowed to host a student. The safety of the student is the most important thing for any high school student exchange program, and they are going to make sure that whatever family takes care of your student will do so as well as they possibly can.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your Child</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many parents are concerned that, just like a child’s first sleepover, the student will get to the foreign country and will decide that they don’t want to stay the required amount of time. Unlike that first sleepover, it’s almost impossible to go and retrieve your child, especially if you don’t have the financial resources to afford a trip to Germany, Italy or wherever they may be. If you support your child and keep in contact with them, they should be able to handle the separation as well as, if not better than, you can.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are many reasons that most parent can come up with as to why their children shouldn’t become high school exchange students, but the truth is that most high school exchange students get so much out of their experiences abroad that you should tear down the excuses and allow your child to enjoy experiencing the world.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div></div></div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-31214162184474870092011-12-05T02:07:00.000-08:002011-12-05T02:07:10.989-08:00High School Students Drinking Fewer Sodas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">High School Students Drinking Fewer Sodas</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One quarter of US high school pupils are drinking one soda every day, fewer than in the past, says a new report issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The authors explained that water, fruit juices and milk are considerably more popular among teenagers than sodas.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46i6M8E0q97rjaPsXFXy6iXzCoH3F1lyMhRbjbdtzGc8T5mkCRyKQ7aKdHkC7OrsEBaMafmq3Yg1pFe9vZxrO934EGmgB50rcpDScSmL6Qxf5LWbQY_C4w0rcjcZIHvLw2fT-5Hv1jG4/s1600/soda.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46i6M8E0q97rjaPsXFXy6iXzCoH3F1lyMhRbjbdtzGc8T5mkCRyKQ7aKdHkC7OrsEBaMafmq3Yg1pFe9vZxrO934EGmgB50rcpDScSmL6Qxf5LWbQY_C4w0rcjcZIHvLw2fT-5Hv1jG4/s320/soda.bmp" width="234" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The report, titled " Beverage Consumption Among High School Students - United States, 2010," involved 11,429 nationally representative high-school students from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS). The report appears in the CDC's publication MMWE (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The students completed a questionnaire, which among other things asked how often they had consumed the following drinks during the previous seven days: energy drinks, regular sports drinks, diet soda (or pop), regular soda (or pop), 100% fruit juices, milk, and other SSBs (sugar-sweetened beverages).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, when other sweetened drinks are included, such as Gatorade, approximately two-thirds of high school students have at least one per day. Towards the end of the 1990s over three-quarters of teenagers had one sugary drink each day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">US health authorities and health care professionals have long linked the country's high childhood obesity rates to the consumption of sugary beverages.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">29% of American teenagers consumed at least one soda a day in 2009, compared to 24% in 2010, the authors reported.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some experts wonder whether teenagers are underreporting their soda consumption. Among young people today there is much better awareness regarding the health consequences of over-consuming sodas.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Below are some facts from the study:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">72.4% drink a serving of water daily</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">16% have a sweetened sports drink each day</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">17% have a flavored milk, sweetened tea, or some other kind of sugary drink each day</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">African-American teenagers tend to consume more sugary beverages than their Caucasian or Hispanic peers do</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boys on average consume more sugary drinks that girls</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">42% consume at least one glass of milk each day</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">15% have a minimum of one cup of coffee or tea each day</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7% have at least one diet soda each day</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">30% have a 100% pure fruit juice each day</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The authors write that 100% fruit juices and milk are sources of key nutrients, such as vitamin C, calcium, as well as water. On the other hand SSBs have very poor nutritional value, and are only really seen as a source of water. SSBs are the single largest source of added sugars in the diet of young Americans.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The report urges parents, schools and youth-oriented institutions to take measures to reduce SSB consumption by teenagers, while at the same time encouraging them to consume healthier drinks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The authors inform that water, low-fat, or fat-free milk are healthy drinks. 100% fruit juices are too if low amounts are drunk. They add that according to the American Academy of pediatrics, children should avoid routinely drinking sports drinks. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Beverage Consumption Among High School Students - United States, 2010"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nancy D. Brener, PhD, Caitlin Merlo, MPH, Danice Eaton, PhD, Laura Kann, PhD, Div of Adolescent and School Health, Sohyun Park, PhD, Heidi M. Blanck, PhD, Div of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC. Corresponding contributor: Nancy D. Brener</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) June 17, 2011 / 60(23);778-780</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Written by Christian Nordqvist </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Copyright: <a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/228779.php">Medical News Today </a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</script>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-4196794761710708602011-10-17T04:50:00.000-07:002011-10-17T04:50:42.355-07:00INNOVATIVE METHODS OF PROMOTING READING<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg15HVyEucCbW5KVXgtUD9msuy8-pbZsAb24xxM7HcB4zUyWqeuqlUhU1pN75IpmMWcSDnDPcQ1sgZwOJsDQclWyDoHzIc81-84I9NPkcdkuY_XEoUgjEE_MxGUImrGupUlaNc3Td10ss/s1600/reading+clip+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg15HVyEucCbW5KVXgtUD9msuy8-pbZsAb24xxM7HcB4zUyWqeuqlUhU1pN75IpmMWcSDnDPcQ1sgZwOJsDQclWyDoHzIc81-84I9NPkcdkuY_XEoUgjEE_MxGUImrGupUlaNc3Td10ss/s400/reading+clip+art.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">INNOVATIVE METHODS OF PROMOTING READING IN PRE-PRIMARY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS</span></u></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">We're always telling children that books and reading are good for them,</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">but have we ever really thought about the learning outcome of reading ? </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Does reading matter ? According to me, it's true, reading really is</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">important, and that there are some solid reasons why that is so. Let's</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">begin with the practical benefits of reading supplemented by real-life examples from my pre-primary and primary schools.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">·</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Books help children develop vital language skills.</span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reading is an important skill that needs to be developed in children.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Not only is it necessary for survival in the world of schools, but in adult life as well. The ability to learn about new subjects and find helpful information on anything depends on the ability to read.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The more children read, the better they become at reading. It's as</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">simple as that. The more enjoyable the things they read are, the more</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">they'll stick with them and develop the reading skills. Reading should be</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">viewed as a pleasurable activity - as a source of entertaining tales</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">and useful and interesting factual information.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Being in the field of education for so many years and being associated with so many educationists, I have observed that the more the young children </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">are read to, the greater their interest in mastering reading.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I would like to highlight some of the innovative methods that we follow in </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">schools for promoting reading in primary classes. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">·</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Class Library</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television. ~Andrew Ross</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Each section maintains a class library with the collection of age appropriate selected books which may include fiction, non-fiction, classics, poetry, </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">encyclopedias, biographies, etc. Reading books from the class library has </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">opened doors to factual information in different subjects and gives them an easy access to books.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">·</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reading Time</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Amity strongly believes that ‘reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body’ and so we have made reading an integral part of our curriculum by </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">following ‘Reading Hour’ every Thursday between 7:50 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">wherein everyone in the school including the teachers and children indulge </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">in reading books. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">·</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Book Review</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind. ~James Russell Lowell</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It is a ritual for every class to make a presentation in the assembly in which book review holds a place of vital importance. A presentation is made on </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">the book eliciting its key points like author, interesting characters and </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">incidents and moral values thereby acquired. This helps in promoting and </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">popularizing books amongst similar age group.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">·</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reader’s Club</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">One of the USPs of Amity is the introduction of Reader’s Club where a </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">parent or a grandparent reads a story aloud which provides a great opportunity for children to socialize and to give a full run to their imagination.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">·</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Various activities in library</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">* Quiz on books and authors</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">*</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Creating magazines and newspapers containing self-composed articles.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">* </span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Summarizing the story books read in the library.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">·</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Book Allowance</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">*</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Setting aside a book allowance is an excellent idea. Even if the allowance allows for the purchase of one paperback book or magazine a week, you would motivate your child to develop the reading habit.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">·</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Incentives</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">*</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">At home</span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Praise your child for completing a long or a difficult book</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">*</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">At school </span></u></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> To announce the best reader of the week.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">‘Let books be your dining table,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">And you shall be full of delights<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Let them be your mattress<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">And you shall sleep restful nights.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Hence we come to the conclusion that reading provides children with endless </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">hours of fun and entertainment and acts as a lifelong source of pleasure and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">learning.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<pre><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><strong><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></pre></div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-89882421172509734612011-05-30T06:59:00.000-07:002011-05-30T06:59:16.282-07:00Reading is a Foundation Worth Building<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf_KKHYFuckd1QiBJIxTgzSCm5lzoHvyHCOepucXYpbmWKpyGpgR0XBMR1Gy-jsYd5D0haj5lGAkN2DdCJsHpUM6aHkRrDtmzb1G4CzkWWxacAPO7hv9pf9NPHZOzOixxVI6JIjZOF-E/s1600/kids-reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf_KKHYFuckd1QiBJIxTgzSCm5lzoHvyHCOepucXYpbmWKpyGpgR0XBMR1Gy-jsYd5D0haj5lGAkN2DdCJsHpUM6aHkRrDtmzb1G4CzkWWxacAPO7hv9pf9NPHZOzOixxVI6JIjZOF-E/s320/kids-reading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With all the homeschool curriculum choices, the lesson designs, the organization, the planning of the calendar, you know, putting the whole homeschool program together, the time involved, my goodness the time involved, the area of schooling that can not be overlooked is teaching the kid to read. Get them to create lovely reading habits. Reading is the lynch pin of all schooling. When a kid masters reading and gains an enjoyment of this powerful skill, they have built a foundation on which they can learn any subject. When you have learned to read, you explore any subject your mind takes you to. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Give it some thought, reading is the basis for understanding any subject matter. Even learning arithmetic is based on the ability to read each chapter and it is instructions. Reading and comprehension is a must. Even beyond the classroom, reading instructions on operating or assembling something, to navigating with a map involves this skill.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Encourage" is the only word that kids understand. Everyone likes to be praised for successes they have. Your kid is no different. Teaching reading is no different.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In case you are having trouble getting your kid interested in reading, try first to find out what interests them. What you think they ought to have an interest in may not be what they are necessarily interested in. Early on, take them to the library and watch what section and types of books they gravitate to. Keep in mind, I said watch. No need to recommend. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, often overlooked when working with babies and reading is the shortage of vocabulary development. Be sure to merge vocabulary building with their reading and match the kid's vocabulary level with the books you need them to explore. Lots of times babies get discouraged from reading because they get frustrated by not knowing the meaning of words. Vocabulary building is fun and can be comic. Taking words and putting them in to comic and ridiculous sentences helps the kid learn.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reading is a foundation worth building. A foundation that carries the kid through all subjects, and all their life. Take some time to know how to teach reading. It is a lovely investment.</span></div></div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-62830143869486648552011-05-21T02:05:00.000-07:002011-05-21T02:05:27.309-07:00Presentation Tips for Students<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Making effective <a href="http://www.sitesforkids.net/">presentations in the classroom</a> takes practice, but with some tips you are easily ready for the challenge. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sitesforkids.net/"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV03MuWF_fsm5VKZ0bRrPlC5wR3b8UqvclWBNmQd57uX81gEhuqp2L5c4ENd4801k2wG48kwy5Q-kOl-y-lgiVEtJsVKTB3g4oJDwp0b4HJEV4KjV-RbSHSnM8DzAJmUhtZfcqVoij9uI/s320/sitesforkids.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. <b>Know you topic</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Students usually want to charge right in and start using the presentation software immediately. Do the research first and know your material. Think through what you will present before beginning the project on the computer. Creating the slide show is the easy part. The best classroom presentations are created by people who are comfortable with what they are going to talk about.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.<b>Use key phrases on the subject</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Good presenters use key phrases and include only the most important. Your theme can be huge, but choose only three or four points and made several times during the presentation in the classroom. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3.<b>Avoid Using Too Much Text on the Slide</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the biggest mistakes students make presentations in the classroom, is in writing your entire speech on the slides. The presentation is intended to accompany their oral presentation. Written in the form of taking notes, known as bullet points on slides. Use simple language and limit the number of three or four bullets per slide. The space around it will be easier to read.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4.<b>Limit the Number of Slides</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Too many slides in a presentation will rush to get through them, and your audience may end up paying more attention to the slide in exchange for what he is saying. On average, one slide per minute is about right on a class presentation.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5.<b>Slide Layout is important </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make your slides easy to follow. Put the title at the top where your audience expects. The sentences should be read left to right and from top to bottom. Keep important information at the top of the slide. Often, the lower portions of the slides can not be seen in the back rows, because the heads are on the road.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. <b>Avoid Fancy Fonts </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Choose a font that is simple and easy to read like Arial, Times New Roman or Verdana. You can have a very cool font on your computer, but save for other uses. Do not use more than two different sources - one for headings and another for content. Keep all fonts large enough (at least 18 points and, preferably, pt 24) for people in the back of the room will be able to read easily.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7.<b>Use contrasting colors for text and background </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dark text on a light background is best. This combination provides greater visibility. Sometimes, however, you may want a dark background for effect, to dazzle the crowd. In that case, make sure that the text of a light color for easy reading in a class presentation. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The text is often hard to read on textured or patterned backgrounds. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep your color scheme consistent throughout your presentation in the classroom. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8. <b>Try a slide design template to maintain the consistent look</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When using a design template, choose one that does not detract from its presentation in the classroom. Try before time to ensure that the text is readable and the graphics are not lost in the background.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9.<b>Use animations and transitions with restraint in classroom presentations</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's be realistic. Students love to implement animations and transitions of each place they can. This will certainly be entertaining, but the public rarely pays attention to the message of the presentation. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apply animations to graphics to make a point, not entertain. Using an animation preset system applies to action titles and points, holding the slide show consistent and interesting. Remember, the slide show is a visual aid and not the objective of the class presentation.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div></div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-82428741398036728742011-05-13T10:16:00.000-07:002011-05-13T10:16:29.764-07:00iPods At School: A Good or A Bad Idea???<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HXkg4oZe94dyNppuAAHtvFyJ9BhtZUvgEwDFVd_qvZbzURDNoRdVqbbsNabCpsTmfVcpfOP4rAh6VW1zWairaIku16NcsJ9SFzal-yMvuQOLX-w2uN9Gf8_d-GSRBxH2kSPCbqb_drI/s1600/ipod.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HXkg4oZe94dyNppuAAHtvFyJ9BhtZUvgEwDFVd_qvZbzURDNoRdVqbbsNabCpsTmfVcpfOP4rAh6VW1zWairaIku16NcsJ9SFzal-yMvuQOLX-w2uN9Gf8_d-GSRBxH2kSPCbqb_drI/s400/ipod.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is not news that iPods have a large following and can be literally everywhere. But is it right for use in the classroom? (Educators everywhere collective sigh and shake their heads in disapproval.) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is quite obvious that students read more (if not entirely) to the iPod that allowed at school, while most educators unequivocally ban. Let's see how everything is weighed out and get a glimpse of ourselves, if our children should not take them to school. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cons: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a. Teachers resent that students might be too distracted and unable to listen to them while carrying out their lessons in class. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">b. Students can download multimedia files pornography or inappropriate and take them to school where other students may be affected. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">c. iPod can be used as a tool for cheating. Some teachers have heard students planning to download the formulas for math tests and the like. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">d. iPod could be a target for theft. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e. Some educators worry that students are isolated and antisocial. Instead of tuning into other people, who are left on and tuned in themselves. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">f. Students can become so absorbed in listening to music that can be adjusted completely to what is happening around them, causing unnecessary setbacks. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">g. Students could be playing his music too loud and could damage your hearing. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pros: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a. Students find that listening to music calms down and improve in school work. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">b. It gives students something to do when there is no downtime at school, or on the bus to or from school. (Watch a movie or an educational video, perhaps?) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">c. Students are able to show their individuality by the type of music they hear. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">d. Students agree not to become antisocial, in fact, believe it is a good way to connect with peers, to share their music with them (since there are two headphones from a friend.) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e. iPod can be used to record lectures in class and heard in the review of the exams. This is also favorable when the teacher speaks too fast, you can only rewind and listen again. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">f. There are no educational podcasts that students can tune to help them in their learning. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">g. Students can install educational applications, such as dictionaries, Bibles, and calculators eliminating added bulk to their backpacks / lockers. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">h. Audio lessons can be heard before the class allowing students more time to work during class. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">i. May be more beneficial for teachers (who has been teaching the same lesson over and over again) to record your podcast and lesson. Thus not be lost, including important points in your topic. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">j. recorded lessons can be shared with students who are absent. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">k. Podcast lessons are much more accurate instead of reviewing the notes. </span></div></div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-15020107415336239772011-05-13T10:06:00.000-07:002011-05-13T10:06:06.459-07:00Students Should Wear School Uniforms or Not?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuQY3hoQC5heCSIX3U_mxepc9M4cKxBtW_0mDYLZHJZBXu9yg-uYGhR6Iml-c_Hh3EVjSEf4RkhjzEl2e1yNeZKtWks50RPSpX-xcxLsRTbFNU7ixLtcvgAJwB7RK3WWhwRDzLb8YOLQ/s1600/_SchoolUniform_I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuQY3hoQC5heCSIX3U_mxepc9M4cKxBtW_0mDYLZHJZBXu9yg-uYGhR6Iml-c_Hh3EVjSEf4RkhjzEl2e1yNeZKtWks50RPSpX-xcxLsRTbFNU7ixLtcvgAJwB7RK3WWhwRDzLb8YOLQ/s400/_SchoolUniform_I.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The great debate continues about which students have to wear school uniforms? There is no definitive answer, because everything depends on the beliefs of people. There are benefits for some children who wear uniforms and disadvantages for others. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The main reason for the schools in the United States decides not to allow their students to wear their own clothes is because of the gangs. Have a uniform stop displaying gang colors and clothing. Schools are also thought to help stop violence and helps instill a sense of pride in students. It also helps break down barriers between different socioeconomic groups. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some views taken from a message board on the subject: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I feel that we have with the uniform. This is an example of the school. It represents the community. It is easy to point to different people. There will be more fights / bullly 's due to the lack of "fashion." " </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Many schools throughout the U.S. force students grades kindergarten through twelve to wear uniforms. Students who attend public schools should not have to wear uniforms for four reasons. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. School uniforms inhibit students individuality. Young people often express their feelings through the clothes they wear. Uniforms remove this form of expression. Why should school districts try to make everyone look the same? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. A school uniform policy inhibits a student's freedom of choice. Schools teach students that our country is free. But when the school board that students use what they say as well - that limits the freedom of students. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. There is the question of costs. Many parents store their children's clothes at discount stores used . Uniforms can cost more money these families could afford. In addition, these students would have to buy clothes for use after school and weekends. That is double the amount of money a family would spend than they would without the uniforms. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. The last reason I do not like the idea of school uniforms is comfort. Students enjoy comfortable clothing to school. Uniforms are not necessarily comfortable. In addition, wearing a uniform can make students uncomfortable with people outside of school do not have to wear a uniform. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want individuality, freedom and convenience for students, keeping costs down for families, we should not have a school uniform policy for students attending public schools. " </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"In my opinion, right up to the year 11 students / children should have to wear school uniform, to stop all arguments about who has the latest fashions, etc. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Geeta Singhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05062227449781982134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-27361735683886654842010-08-15T08:32:00.000-07:002010-08-15T08:32:06.248-07:00Is Your Kid Disorganized? What can you do?<div style="text-align: justify;">Children with disabilities like ADD, ADHD, Mood Disorders, and Autism have lots of difficulty with organization. This is because these disorders affect the Executive Functioning part of the brain. It’s very frustrating for parents and teachers to try to help these kids learn organizational skills. It’s just as frustrating for kids to always feel like they’re not prepared and not ready for what they need to do. But there are things that can be done. Children with these types of disabilities can learn strategies and techniques for independent organization. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Think about the last time you were in the grocery store and you realize you left the list of groceries on the kitchen table. You feel unprepared as you go through the store trying to remember what was on the list, hoping you don’t forget something you really need and pretty much just trying to get it done, but knowing you’re not doing a really good job. You feel stressed and anxious because you’re wandering up and down the aisles randomly choosing things from the shelves. Going back down aisles numerous times because something in another aisle reminds you of something you’ve forgotten. It takes you twice as long and you spend too much. Then you get home and look at the list and learn that you did indeed forget things and will have to go back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is how our kids feel every day. They get to school and they’ve forgotten their homework, or their book. They can’t find their assignment book. They know they were supposed to have something for their math notebook signed by mom, but can’t remember what. They start to get stressed knowing they’re going to get in trouble or even worse that they will get to class and not be able to participate because they don’t have their book. Their brain is thinking that they don’t want to tell the teacher they forgot it again and that causes them to miss out on what the teacher is saying to the class and now they don’t even know what is going on. It’s a vicious cycle. How can we help? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We can help by helping our kids to have good habits at home. After school, unpack the backpack and look at everything that needs to be done. Review the assignment book. Assignments should be in folders or binders, preferably colored for each subject. My son used an accordion file with different colored tabs for each subject. Then he only had to keep track of one item that went everywhere with him. He would put all papers in it in the proper section. Find what works for your child and stick with it. Help your child make a plan for the evening based on what needs to be done. When finished have him put everything back in the appropriate folder, etc., and then back into the backpack. Place the backpack in the same spot all the time. I recommend a hook right near the door. Do this at night before bed, so everything is away and you’re not scrambling in the morning. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">If your child is involved in any activities, have a bag for every activity to keep all of the needed supplies together. I suggest a soccer bag for soccer stuff, a baseball bag for baseball stuff, etc. You don’t want to get to the big game and not have cleats. (This has happened to me. Two hours away from home and we are hunting for a sports store to buy a pair.) Plus you don’t want to hound your child throughout the day to make sure they have everything. As I like to remind parents, we won’t be there forever to remind them, let’s help them be independent. We can’t follow them to college, I’ve tried but for some reason my kids object.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I used to have to remind my son every morning about 30 times to brush his teeth, comb his hair, get his shoes, and get his homework. I’d send him upstairs to do 3 things and it never failed, he would come down only having done 1 or 2. So, to help him be more independent, I purchased a write on wipe off board and placed it on his bedroom door. He wrote on it the things he needed to do in the mornings. He wrote, ‘Brush Teeth, Comb Hair, Get Shoes, Get Gym Bag, and Feed Fish’. He would then check them off as he had done them. Erasing the checkmarks at night. I never had to remind him of what he had to do again. He is independent. Our mornings are much nicer and there is much less stress for him when he gets to school. He can even add things that don’t relate to school that he wants to do, like call his friend to go to a movie or rent a video game. Of course, he still occasionally forgets something, (the disability never goes away), but it only happens once in a great while and let’s face it we all forget things sometimes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not all things work for every child, but keep trying things and you’ll figure out what works for your child. Give each thing you try at least two weeks before giving up and trying something new, don’t forget, we’re trying to help our child learn a routine which takes time. I now put my list in my bag as soon as I’ve finished writing it. I rarely forget it on the table. And my grocery shopping is much less stressful. Good luck.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-51614201998100239182010-08-15T08:31:00.000-07:002010-08-15T08:31:02.595-07:00Differences between Internet and Paper based TOEFL Test<div style="text-align: justify;">TOEFL test is undeniably the world's most popular English Language test. It is conducted at over 45000 administration site across 165 countries. The test so far has been taken by about 25 million students so far. The TOEFL is now conducted globally in two formats Internet Based Test (IBT) and Paper Based Test (PBT). It is very important to know the difference between the two tests in terms of pattern, structure and benefits according to individual applicant. StudyPlaces bring you a detailed comparison of the two tests to help you understand TOEFL better and shorten the distance between you and your dream college. Read on... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">IBT is four hour long and PBT in 3 hour long. IBT requires integrated tasks and note taking while PBT does not require any of it. While listening, reading and writing are common to both the tests, IBT has speaking as the fourth section and PBT has Structure which is majorly based on grammar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Due to their different structure, there is also a difference in the time duration of both the tests. While IBT is for four hours, the duration of paper based test is only 3 hours. Following is a section wise comparison for IBT and PBT tests:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>READING</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Internet Based TOEFL exam can consist of 3 to 5 passages of around 700 words each. Each passage contains 12-14 questions often based on comparison, contrast and cause & effect. The Paper Based Test or PBT is always made up of 5 passages from academic texts which are around 250-350 words long. The ideal time for reading section IBT is 60-100 minutes and the score scale of section is from 0-30. While the ideal time for paper based text is around 55 minutes and the score scale is between 31 and 67.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>LISTENING</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The listening section in TOEFL IBT is made up of 4-6 lectures (some with classroom discussion) and each lecture is 3-5 minutes long with 6 questions. For PBT, there are 3-4 mini talks, each one around 60-90 seconds and with 3-5 questions. In the next phase of IBT there are 2-3 conversations of about 3 minutes and 5 questions each. While in PBT, there are 2-3 extended conversations of 60-90 seconds and 3-5 questions again. PBT has another set of questions. These are about 30-40 dialogues followed by 1 question each dialogue. The duration of these dialogues is not more than 15 seconds each. The time for IBT should be between 60 to 90 minutes and it has a score scale of 0-30. While the time for PBT should be around 30-40 minutes with a score scale of 31-68.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>SPEAKING</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As we mentioned before, there is no speaking section in Paper Based TOEFL. In IBT, there are Six tasks is speaking section. 2 of these are independent where candidate has to express an opinion on a familiar topic. The other 4 are integrated tasks where candidate is expected to speak on basis of what is read and heard. The candidate gets about 30 seconds to prepare and 1 minute to respond for each task. The total time allotted is 20 minutes. The score of speaking section in IBT is on a scale of 0-4 which is converted to a 0-30 score scale. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>WRITING</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In writing section of PBT, there is only one independent task (Test of Written English) to be 'written' in 30 minutes. In IBT, there are two tasks, one integrated (write on basis of what is read and heard) and one independent ( support and opinion on a topic). The time allotted is 20 and 30 minutes respectively. The score scale of 0-5 is converted into ratings of 0-30 score scale. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>STRUCTURE (Grammar)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">While grammar is evaluated in speaking and writing sections, there is no separate grammar section in Internet Based Test. In the Paper Based Test, there are a total of 40 questions to be done in 25 minutes and the score scale is between 31 and 68. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>TO CONCLUDE...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The total score of IBT exam is from 0-120 and the total score of PBT exam is from 310-677. The IBT version scores on the fact that in it, a candidate gets performance feedback for each skill in the test taker report, which is missing in PBT. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Acquainted these facts about IBT and PBT, we hope now you are in a better and more informed state to prepare and appear for TOEFL. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>About StudyPlaces.com</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">StudyPlaces.com - a part of Educomp Solutions Ltd - is India's premier education portal helping students make smart career decisions. On the portal, you can find all information about UG and PG courses in any area of your preference all over the world. Here you can interact directly with University representatives and get all your queries answered by expert counsellors. You can also win scholarships worth Rs 100000 and find all information on entrance exams like TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT, AIEEE and CAT. Sign up with StudyPlaces.com to get all these benefits, free of cost.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-12532011211535632432010-08-15T08:29:00.001-07:002010-08-15T08:29:29.889-07:00Tips To Develop Your Child's Mental Skills<div style="text-align: justify;">When a children is exposed to new ideas or knowledge, their brain will absorb these like a sponge. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is crucial to the child's development both mentally and emotionally. Having an environment favorable to learning access to everything that can help a child learn new things are crucial in his mental development.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, we are lucky that we have things that are available that can help us achieve this. Here are a few: 1. Books- It is undeniable that children of any age enjoy reading books especially those which have colorful pictures and pop-up pages. Even children who are barely a year old are very eager to listen to bedtime stories. You should encourage your kids to read often. Take them along with you when you go to the bookstore. And when it's time, start teaching him how to read. It is through reading that a child can have the opportunity to see the world from many different angles. Reading can give the child the chance to learn new things, explore the world without traveling and most of all, he can be able to explore different cultures. This is not only a fun but this is a very inexpensive hobby. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. It's common to pregnant women to be advised by their friends or relatives to listen to classical music. This is because it has been reported that exposing children to classical music before birth will have a greater appreciation for this when they grow up. You can introduce different genres of music as your child grows and for those who can afford, enrolling your kids to piano, violin or guitar classes will help. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. Children, just like some of us, don't enjoy numbers that much. You can include math in your kid's daily activities like making them count their toys or their fingers or anything that can be counted. The challenge is to make math fun to learn. If it is fun, the child will have a greater chance of remembering each lesson he learns. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4. CAD for Kids- Every child has an artist in him. Children have different methods in expressing art. They may scribble, draw, sculpt, write or paint. Parents should encourage the child so that his creativity will be enriched. You can do this by giving them the opportunity to express themselves. CAD is software used by design professionals such as architects and engineers. CAD for kids, however, was designed to help children see the artist in him and help him learn to express this artistry through drawing on a digital medium. Who knows? Your child could be the next big thing in architecture for the future generations. When you help your child develop his mental ability, you are not only helping him be excellent in academics. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It has been proven that kids who explore different learning avenues grow up to be a more secure person than those who are always left with nannies and spending the entire day watching TV.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-52425038900640525882010-08-15T08:28:00.002-07:002010-08-15T08:28:48.444-07:00INDIAN SCHOOLS ALL SET TO IMPLEMENT RFID AND GPS BASED TRACKING SYSTEM<div style="text-align: justify;">Indian schools are all set to implement a high-tech solution that will enable the school and parents to monitor students' entry into and exit from school buses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Called RFID and GPS based tracking system; the state-of-the-art monitoring system will already been adopted by many renowned schools and the process of adoption is still going on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We have been working on this system for quite sometime so children can be monitored to ensure their security and safety," said the manager, Agnicient Technologies Pvt. Ltd.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A Noida (India) -based IT solutions provider, Agnicient Technologies Pvt. Ltd. will implement this automated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and GPS-based student tracking system in the school's buses. Agnicient Technologies Pvt. Ltd. uses a combination of RFID, GPS (Global Positioning System) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) technologies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">RFID is a type of automatic identification system whose purpose is to enable data to be transmitted by a portable device, called tag, which is read by an RFID reader and processed according to the needs of a particular application.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">All the buses of schools will be equipped with RFID readers and each student will be given an RFID card (pictured) which incorporates GPS and GPRS technologies, with all the student's particulars printed on it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Using the technology, the parents will get a text message every time the student gets into the bus and alights while going to the school from home and when returning. Alert messages will also be sent to the school authorities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"This technology will give peace of mind not only to the parents but also to us," said School principal, adding parents had been consulted with regard to the scheme and they had given positive feedback.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Parents were favorable with the system because ultimately it means security and safety for the students," he said, adding he could see that other schools could adopt it in the future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Agnicient Technologies Pvt. Ltd. manager said the application software displays not only a real-time view of the location of the bus but also the student inside the bus at any point in time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The system can be configured and could be converted into a smart card in the future to have other functions," Manager explained, adding RFID readers could be installed in other locations in the school as needed to further ensure the safety of students.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">He also said the text messages would be very specific. For instance, if a child is still inside the bus five minutes after the vehicle's engine is turned off, a text message will be sent to the school authorities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It means that this system from Agnicient Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Will answer the question more prominently that “Its already 10 PM do you know where your child is???????????</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But now every parent and school administration knows.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-13857031523117578202010-08-15T08:28:00.000-07:002010-08-15T08:28:07.265-07:00Emotional Abuse In the Name of Academic Success in Indian Schools<div style="text-align: justify;">Child abuse is a very serious matter in western schools and any teacher, parent and school involved in child abuse have to face the law. In spite of serious steps we still see some cases of child abuse here and there, but majority of children are safe from abuse. This is not the case when it comes to developing and under developed countries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many countries didn’t address child abuse because of their culture and lack of awareness about the issue. Some countries officially announced child abuse as illegal, but they are not serious in enforcing the law. India is one of those countries that made child abuse illegal, especially in schools but doesn’t enforce the law strictly. This is causing an enormous physical and emotional damage to the younger children.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In recent years there is no more canning of students in schools, especially in private schools. Parents are not at all tolerating their children being canned or spanked by teachers. This is a very good sign of change, but abuse is still predominant at homes. However, there is a different form of abuse that is happening in every private school in the name of academic requirements and student success. I call it as “emotional abuse” What is so sad is educated parents are also supporting the idea without even noticing that the excessive workload on students is causing an enormous ‘emotional damage’ to the younger minds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Private schools are very attractive to parents because they offer quality education to students, and they provide special coaching to students to prepare them for professional courses like Engineering, Medicine, and IIT (Indian Institute of Technology), highly reputed engineering and technology institute. While it is a good concept to prepare students to do well in school exams and also in entrance tests, it is sad that children are excessively burdened with school work and preparation. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For example, none of the private schools allow their students leave the school before 6 hours. They are at school almost 9 hours, instead of recommended 5 ½ hours. In addition to this many students attend before and after school tuitions, and still have to finish their 2-3 hour homework after all these sessions, irrespective their grade levels.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I look at school children in India my heart bleeds. Parents want the best education for their children, which is fair enough, but they are not noticing that with an excessive workload children are at abuse. This abuse of children must be stopped for the welfare of their physical and psychological well being. Since schools want to offer what parents demand, parents must take initiative in stopping this kind of abuse. On the other hand, teachers and educational experts must also make an effort to educate parents about this type of bad practice in schools. This I call a step toward a positive change, and perhaps an indicator of developing nation.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704680031529447659.post-4222641324690302012010-02-18T02:47:00.001-08:002010-03-08T21:53:52.995-08:00These are my School Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAo4-fi5OxDc93fWcbfPs-WvD4gdbtzwYnx3RvmayE7uUlvDSgjvPf5EP7oKQCiIxFYKOrPsh69U6oGmzI3ug9ZrkPjCfilvs0zc2X_RCJ_fDFVcHwH_HnBpZJIsya0e2KG0NR9UILbmw/s1600-h/schooldays.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAo4-fi5OxDc93fWcbfPs-WvD4gdbtzwYnx3RvmayE7uUlvDSgjvPf5EP7oKQCiIxFYKOrPsh69U6oGmzI3ug9ZrkPjCfilvs0zc2X_RCJ_fDFVcHwH_HnBpZJIsya0e2KG0NR9UILbmw/s400/schooldays.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br />
These are my <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">school days</span></b>, Of fun and play.<br />
<br />
When I forget all my inhibitions and fears,<br />
And the pain caused by others¡<br />
The lunches shared under the tree shade,<br />
The angry faces after a tiffin raid,<br />
Walking together in the lunch break,<br />
The difficult sums for homework to take.<br />
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<br />
Fights with friends and then making up,<br />
Or the time spent in Hindi class doing ¡<br />
Being caught during inspection for long nails,<br />
And trying to defend ourselves with cries and wails.<br />
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Long nights we spend mugging for a test,<br />
Trying to do well even in subjects we detest!<br />
Getting anxious and waiting for results,<br />
Feeling happy when teachers praise us.<br />
The tears for having failed a test,<br />
Making up our minds to excel and be the best.<br />
The strong friends who helped us through,<br />
Every darkened corner and nook.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Summer days of vacations, picnics and trips.<br />
What else can I say about this?<br />
They are the most glorious tension free days,<br />
They are my school days.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0