How do I know what level my child is reading on?

Leveling a child’s reading abilities is best left up to the experts (teachers).  However, if you are asking this question to know what level book to purchase at your local book store for beginning reading here is what you should know:

A child’s independent reading level is determined by a 95% accuracy level in a given text.   In other words, if your child can read the words in a given text with a 5% or less error rate during reading, he is considered to be able to independently read and comprehend that text without parent or teacher support.

A child’s instructional reading level is between 80% - 95% accuracy during reading.  If your child misreads more than 5% of the text but less than 20% of a given text, this is considered a text that you can teach skills from for increased reading development.

If your child makes errors on more than 20% of the text in a book, it is too difficult and should be put away for later use.  Work on more phonics skills and comprehension strategies to prepare him for success with that book later.

To answer your question directly,  count the number of total words in the book you are looking to purchase, then have your child read it to you.  Follow the scale above to determine whether you are buying that book for his pleasure reading or whether you are buying the book to teach him more advanced reading skills.

Two year old is cussing

Question:

How do I get my 2 1/2 year old to stop cussing?

Response:

Where did your 2 1/2 year old learn to these ugly words? Remove that stimulus from his environment and he will soon forget those words altogether. Your child learns what he lives. He had to hear someone using these inappropriate vocabulary words to begin using them himself.

If it is coming from the child care center he attends, find a new child care center. The teachers aren’t going to be able to change what the children are learning at home. Two year olds are especially good at mimicking everything they hear. If you don’t want them to repeat it, don’t say it.

Firmly say no to ugly words and praise good words. Remove the ugly words from his environment and don’t ever laugh at him after he uses this kind of vocabulary. Little ones love to be the center of attention and your laughter is a sign of enjoyment for his behavior.

Does punishment help or hurt a young child?

What is discipline?
Discipline is guidance. When we guide children toward positive behavior and learning, we are promoting a healthy attitude. Positive guidance encourages a child to think before he acts. Positive guidance promotes self-control. Discipline requires thought, planning, and patience.  The military teaches one to become disciplined much like a parent could instill in a child.

What is punishment?
Punishment is usually hitting, spanking, or any type of control behavior. Punishment is usually used because it is quick and easy and allows for an immediate way to vent adult frustration and exert power. It does not promote self discipline.

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Parents who use punishment as discipline utilize threats, physical pain or other negative approaches to end inappropriate behavior.  They might feel the need for a decisive solution to the problem behavior, particularly during an embarrassing display by their child in a public place.  They may also desire a quick fix that will minimize their own suffering or embarrassment or that of others:  a very human response.

Unfortunately, at such times we’re not thinking of how we want our child to be as an adult; if we were, we’d consider that a child who is spanked or threatened will learn to use acts of aggression to get what he wants when he grows up.  It’s logical, right?  Like it or not, he learns from you, and that is the example you’re providing when the going gets tough.

What can you do?

First, no one expects you to be a saint.  The key to this problem is to let consequences, not punishment, become your right-hand partner in disciplinary efforts!  A consequence is the natural result of an action.  It has no intention to cause pain and is neither positive nor negative in itself; it is only a result.  It’s also one of the most effective teachers out there.

When your child experiences a consequence from any source, whether positive or negative, take the time to explain how the consequence came about as a result of his actions.  Enable him to connect the two.

When you provide a consequence, make sure it is logically and immediately related to his actions.  For instance, if your older child forgets to put his DVD in the return pile and the rental store charges a late fee, don’t ground him for a week… that isn’t specifically or immediately related to his action.  Instead, show him the late fee and explain why it has been charged, then deduct the amount from his allowance or allow him to work off the money owed with extra chores.  He’ll be able to clearly connect his actions and the consequence - a much more effective learning tool.

Child loses focus

Question:  When my child loses focus, what is the best way to get him back on track?

Response:

This really depends on your child’s age.  The minds of children younger than five are amazing little things that are working at the speed of light.  Everything is intriguing to them and the senses are working over time to process all of the new information around them.  This is a hard time to expect kids to consistently focus and definitely not a time you can expect them to display self-control.

As they grow older, focus is an important part of being a member of a group, class or family.  If your child is struggling with focus and is above the age of four try some of these strategies:

1.  Break tasks down into smaller pieces and have your child repeat what you said in the order you said it.

2.  Turn background noise off when you need your child to focus.  If he won’t focus to get dressed because  Spiderman is on the television, turn it off.

3.  Make visual charts to provide more order in her life.  Visuals are stimulating to children who have a hard time focusing and accomplishing tasks.

4.  Use a timer to help him stay focused and to show him how long tasks are taking.  Encourage him to beat that time in the future for the same event.

Preschool or homeschool for preschool-age children?

Question:

Is it better to homeschool at child when they are three and four years old or send them to a preschool program?

Response:

From the perspective of a kindergarten teacher, it is better if children go to an organized preschool for at least their four year old year.  This is assuming the child will be going to a public or private school during his schooling years.  I say this because kindergarten has become so academic in the last eight to ten years.  No longer can teachers spend the entire day working on social and emotional skills.  If children have been in a preschool program for at least one year, they will understand structure, working with a group and will have less anxiety about school and the processes involved in learning.

If you can’t afford preschool and must home school during these critical years, don’t worry.  You can work on skills with your child to prepare him/her for school using programs like the one at Wiggle Giggle Learn for a smoother transition.  You will need to plan lots of play dates and take your child to other organized activities where children must share space and an adult’s time (i.e. - church, baseball team, etc…).