The Right Amount Of Computer Time

In a country that settles each night in front of the television, it just seems strange that more and more people are finding the allure of the computer screen sometimes more important. There is no doubt that children do as their parents do. They enjoy exploring the vast world of the Internet. They are excited to get that new computer game. But, how much time in front of the computer screen is the right amount of time?

There is no doubt going to be a number of people that come out and say that children are spending far too much time in front of the computer. They may end up telling us that their eyes will go back or something. Regardless of what they will say, we know now that it is important to limit the amount of time children use the computer. We know this because we know that it just makes sense that children who play on the computer too much loose the physical aspects of life along with the elements of pretend play that actually teach them quite a bit.

As parents, it is up to us to limit what the child is doing. It is up to us to provide for them something worthwhile to do while they are on the web as well. In this, we mean that you, Mom or Dad, need to commit to knowing which games they are playing and which websites they plan to visit. Here's a great way to limit what they are actually doing.

Instead of allowing them to surf and end up on some bad website out there, go ahead and download a game or two for them. Games that are available on the web are fun, but when the parent gets to do the picking, they can be fun and educational at the same time. Does your child need math help? Then go ahead and give them a fun math game that teaches what they need in an easy to get along with manner. This can be done for a number of subjects like spelling, science, history and language. By giving them a computer game like these, they can make their computer time, well, worth it in your eyes.

You would be surprised by how many parents simply say, "Yes, you can play on the internet." Many of them do not know what their child is doing let alone know that he or she is playing an educational game! Yeah right! Most kids are going to find and play a game that interests them with flashing colors and graphics. That doesn't mean that they won't like games that don't provide this element. But, the websites they tend to visit are full of advertisements that lure them in. Your job is to point them in the right direction.

So, back to our question; how much is the right amount of time for computer time for your child? Well, inside that question is the word, "your" and that means that it is at your discretion that you should consider their need. Balance their day with physical, emotional, pretend and all those other important educational elements then add in a little time for computer play. Believe it or not, they are building skills that they will need later in life too.

by: Steve Hall

Wisdom to Chew On

Wisdom to Chew On

by: Cathy Warschaw

As a high school senior, you are probably looking forward to graduating, but have you given much thought to what lies beyond that? Well now is the time to take action in order to get ahead of the competition.

Many experts are reporting that the competitive nature of the job market continues to grow and is forcing job seekers to develop an extra edge to stand apart from the crowd. What will your edge be?

Dental office management is a rapidly growing field that offers a strong potential for career growth. Many people, however, will begin their dental office careers as a receptionist or other front desk worker because they lack the skills necessary to jump right in as an office manager.

Office managers enjoy not only higher salaries, but also greater responsibility and independence than front desk workers. They are the team leaders that keep the office running smoothly with their organizational and communication skills.

You may now be asking yourself, “What can I do to get the edge I need to reach office management?” The answer is simple -- don’t delay in learning the skills today that open the doors of tomorrow.

Develop skills right now such as: dental terminology, interpersonal communication, appointment scheduling, and insurance processing, just to name a few. These are the kinds of capabilities that employers in dental office management are searching for in potential employees.

Study in a dental office management program right from the comfort of your own home. In a very short time, you will gain a valuable education that will place you teeth and gums above the competition.

After all, you used to believe that visiting the dentist was painful; well now you realize that it doesn’t have to be anymore.

"Changing Lives...One Career at a Time."

Tips For Successful Homeschooling

Tips For Successful Homeschooling

by: Desmond Edwins

There are many reasons why parents choose to homeschool their kids. For many it is because they want to add religious content to their children’s learning experience.

Making the decision to home school is usually a very difficult not and it is not one to be taken lightly. It is a personal decision that no one can make for you, but maybe I can help in the thought process by providing you with a comprehensive guide to making the choice to homeschool your kids a successful one.

When making the homeschool decision, you must first consider these things:

1. Time commitment that is involved. Homeschooling has a tendency to take up a lot of time in your day. It involves more than just sitting down with books for a couple of hours. There are experiments and projects that have to be done, lessons to prepare, papers to grade, field trips, park days, music lessons, and the list just keeps on going. You can go online and search for some sample schedules that will help to give you an idea of a typical day.

2. Personal sacrifice. The homeschooling parent has very little personal time or time alone and away from their children. If a lot of care is not taken to set aside time for yourself, it is easy for the parent to feel overwhelmed. Basically, the parent and child are together 24 hours a day and this can get frustrating on both sides.

3. Financial problems can arise. Homeschooling can be accomplished with very little cost to you; however, it usually requires that the teaching parent will not be working out of the home. Some sacrifices will need to be made if the family is used to two incomes. Of course, if you are a single parent, this could pose an even bigger problem.

4. Time for socialization. More attention will need to be given to getting your children together with his/her peers. The best part of homeschooling is being able to have more control of the social contacts your child makes. However, the downside is that you must prepare your child yourself on how to socialize with other kids. Homeschooling has a tendency to make your child feel isolated.

5. Household organization is harder. Housework and laundry and other house work will still have to be done, but it probably won't get done first thing in the morning. If you are a neat freak, you might be in for a big surprise. Not only does housework need to be let go at times, but homeschooling creates messes and clutter on its own. You will have to get organized so that you can keep your home together.

6. Both parents must agree to it. It is important that both parents agree to homeschooling. It is very difficult for this to work if one of the parents is against it. If your spouse is against it at this time, try doing more research and talking to more people so that you can be absolutely certain it is something that both of you can agree upon. Otherwise, the chances for success are much smaller.

7. Your child has to be willing. A willing student is crucial to the success of homeschooling. Ultimately, the decision is the parents to make, but if your child is dead against it, you might have a very difficult time in teaching them. The fact of the matter is that an unwilling child can sabotage his/her own school efforts.

8. Know that it works one year at a time. It isn't a lifetime commitment and doesn’t have to become one. If you find that homeschooling just isn’t worth it, you can choose to go the regular route.

There is a lot more to homeschooling than to just do it. As a parent, you must know that your child’s education is the most important factor in his/her future. You need to be thoroughly prepared for all of the time and commitment that is involved. If you are thinking of choosing homeschooling for your child (ren), this guide will help to make it a successful transition.

7 Safety Tips For School Kids

Travelling to and from school is often not very safe. However, there are some simple rules that can help to make the school journeys safer, ensuring peace of mind for both children and parents.

1. Waiting for the school bus in the mornings, while traffic is at it busiest, requires a degree of commonsense. Try to have a safe place for children to wait at away from the street and heavy traffic.

2. Don't let children move close to the school bus until it has come to a complete stop and the driver has signalled that it is safe to board.

3. At the end of the school day when children leave the bus, instruct your child to move away from the vehicle at least a dozen large strides to a point where the driver can clearly see them. This helps the driver and keeps the child safe as well.

4. Instruct your child to keep a close eye on all traffic near to the school bus. The law has some special protection measures for school buses, but car drivers are only human, and they can and often do make mistakes.

5. If your child walks to school, make sure he or she wears reflective material. Aim to make them as visible to as possible to all drivers. This will help to avoid accidents.

6. If a child rides a bike to school, instruct them to walk the bike through intersections, observe all traffic light signals, and be wearing reflective material. They should also be with a friend if possible as one can help to look out for the other.

7. If you take your own child to school in your car, always have older children in a seat with a safety belt on, younger children in a booster seat with a safety belt on, and very small children in special safety seats, all seated in the back with only you, the driver, in the front.

by: Janet Booth

IELTS Mental Preparation

IELTS Mental Preparation

by: Simone Braverman

It seems like everyone is talking about the best way to prepare for IELTS. Do we need a study plan or not, how do we master the art of interview, what is a good IELTS essay, and so on. Well, aren’t we forgetting something? What about the mental aspect?

IELTS, like many other similar tests, requires psychological preparation not less (and may be even more) than good solid studying. As you read this, at least two questions must run through your mind - what kind of psychological preparation and what do we need it for.

In my opinion, anyone who is planning to take IELTS must know that there is a lot of pressure involved. For example, the fact that during the Listening Section the tape is played only once can be very intimidating, so if you’ve missed an answer – you’ve lost it forever, no second chances. Or trying to speak during the Interview for at least two minutes without looking at your watch can scare person as hell. It is also very easy to get depressed in the process of studying just from looking at list of tasks you need to know how to do quickly and accurately.

Being mentally prepared for IELTS does two things for you – it helps you study more effectively and lets you concentrate on the exam instead of your own fears. You can start this preparation by setting a realistic goal – an IELTS band score you need to get. Knowing your target score makes it easier for you to measure yourself – where you are now and what you must improve to get to the target. This way you know exactly how many answers out of 40 you may get wrong and still reach your goal.

When preparing for IELTS, the most important thing to realize is that time is the luxury that you don’t have. This is why strategies were developed to cope with this limitation, and one of them is – skip time-consuming questions. If it takes too long – give up, move on. Some people find it very hard to give up, due to pride, up-bringing or perfectionism and in the end they get hurt because of it. To make sure it doesn’t happen to you, train your mind to obey you in advance.

Another important aspect is to know your weaknesses. Very early in the process of studying you realize what you weakest points are when it comes to IELTS. The most natural thing to do is to devote more attention to those weak areas and not to get discouraged if you find some subject to be more difficult for you than another. Knowing what to expect from yourself makes it easier to control your actions and behavior. For example if you have a tendency to write long complicated sentences and you know about it – you will pay extra attention to this aspect.

And finally, a very common problem: procrastination. You already know that you absolutely have to pass IELTS, that this is the door to your dream but anyway – you can’t get yourself to start studying. The solution: commit to it! Set a deadline, start telling people you’re studying for IELTS, let everyone know. The shame of not living up to people’s expectations will push you towards you goal, which is to ace the IELTS and forget about it.

Developing Reading Skills In Your Child

A lot of teaching your child to read is first instilling in your child a desire to read. It’s so very important for the child to know that reading activities and learning to read is fun. Early on, for instance, if you haven’t yet, set aside an area of your home where your child can have their very own reading area and little person library. This will get most all your reading activities off to a great start. Having their own special place for reading activities will encourage the child to spend time reading.

Encourage them to begin to find their favorite spot within their area for their reading activities. Grab yourself a comfy chair and join them and you’ll be amazed how much your child will want go into their reading area and have you with them for a reading session. And an added bonus to the reading area is a great place and time for you to spend with your child reading to them and vise versa. Reading is nothing more than a practiced skill. Practicing being the operative word. Instilling good reading habits in your child early on with consistent and daily reading and practice sessions is laying the bricks to a solid learning foundation no matter what the subject matter.

Books from bookstores, garage sales, flea markets and such are a great way to begin building your child’s reading library content. Grab a cardboard box, and old milk crate or two and decorate them with your child so they can have their own library and take pride in how it looks and help them organize their reading materials. If you already have bookcases, then clear of one of the shelves and make that special place for your child’s books. It’s fun to do and your kids will have fun too. Build momentum early with how much fun reading and exploring books can be.

Also make good use of your public library. Teaching reading skills begins with developing in your child an interest and love for reading. As your child’s library grows along with their reading skill they will understand that books are important, enjoyable, and always filled with new things to learn.

A good reading activity can involve very little actual reading. Use picture books with very few or no words and ask your child to describe the picture or tell a story about what the picture is about. This will allow you to monitor the child’s vocabulary and the use of the words they have been learning. Don’t overlook the importance of vocabulary building along with building reading skills. A strong vocabulary goes well with understanding what you’re reading which, in turn, keeps the frustration level down, and the fun factor up.

Encouraging your child to verbalize to you a story or even a couple pages of something they have read about gives them great pride (while you listen for accuracy) and makes them feel like a reader! And when kids feel good about their reading skills they naturally strive to learn more.

by: Mary Joyce

Good Listening in Class

It is important for you to be a good listener in class. Much of what you will have to learn will be presented verbally by your teachers. Just hearing what your teachers say is not the same as listening to what they say. Listening is a cognitive act that requires you to pay attention and think about and mentally process what you hear.

Here are some things you should do to be a good listener in class.

* Be Cognitively Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Make sure you complete all assigned work and readings. Review your notes from previous class sessions. Think about what you know about the topic that will be covered in class that day.

* Be Emotionally Ready to Listen When You Come to Class. Your attitude is important. Make a conscious choice to find the topic useful and interesting. Be committed to learning all that you can.

* Listen with a Purpose. Identify what you expect and hope to learn from the class session. Listen for these things as your teacher talks.

* Listen with an Open Mind. Be receptive to what your teacher says. It is good to question what is said as long as you remain open to points of view other than your own.

* Be Attentive. Focus on what your teacher is saying. Try not to daydream and let your mind wander to other things. It helps to sit in the front and center of the class, and to maintain eye contact with your teacher.

* Good Listening In Class, Ear Listening Be an Active Listener. You can think faster than your teacher can speak. Use this to your advantage by evaluating what is being said and trying to anticipate what will be said next. Take good written notes about what your teacher says. While you can think faster than your teacher can speak, you cannot write faster than your teacher can speak. Taking notes requires you to make decisions about what to write, and you have to be an active listener to do this.

* Meet the Challenge. Don't give up and stop listening when you find the information being presented difficult to understand. Listen even more carefully at these times and work hard to understand what is being said. Don't be reluctant to ask questions.

* Triumph Over the Environment. The classroom may too noisy, too hot, too cold, too bright, or too dark. Don't give in to these inconveniences. Stay focused on the big picture - LEARNING.

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The RQWQCQ Strategy for Solving Math Word Problems

RQWQCQ is a good strategy to use when solving math word problems. Each of the letters in RQWQCQ stands for a step in the strategy.

Read

Read the entire problem to learn what it is about. You may find it helpful to read the problem out loud, form a picture of the problem in your mind, or draw a picture of the problem.

Question

Find the question to be answered in the problem. Often the question is directly stated. When it is not stated, you will have to identify the question to be answered.

Write

Write the facts you need to answer the question. It is helpful to cross out any facts presented in the problem that are not needed to answer the question. Sometimes, all of facts presented in the problem are needed to answer the question.

Question

Ask yourself "What computations must I do to answer the question?"

Compute

Set up the problem on paper and do the computations. Check your computations for accuracy and make any needed corrections. Once you have done this, circle your answer.

Question

Look at your answer and ask yourself: "Is my answer possible?" You may find that your answer is not possible because it does not fit with the facts presented in the problem. When this happens, go back through the steps of RQWQCQ until you arrive at an answer that is possible.

Use RQWQCQ to help you correctly solve math word problems.

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Math Tips

Here are some "how-to's" that will come in handy.

How to Round a Number

To the nearest ten

If the ones digit is 5 or more, round to the next highest ten (68 rounds to 70).
If the ones digit is less than 5, round to the next lowest ten (33 rounds to 30).

To the nearest hundred

If the tens digit is 5 or more, round to the next highest hundred (384 rounds to 400).
If the tens digit is less than 5, round to the next lowest hundred (427 rounds to 400).

To the nearest thousand

If the hundreds digit is 5 or more, round to the next highest thousand (7,602 rounds to 8,000).
If the hundreds digit is less than 5, round to the next lowest thousand (7,268 rounds to 7,000).
How to Find an Average

To find the average of several numbers, add the numbers together and then divide the sum by the number of numbers.

The average of 17, 30, 6, and 7 = 60 ÷ 4 = 15

How to Tell if Two Fractions are Equivalent

Cross multiply the fractions. If both products are the same, the fractions are equivalent.

3 and 9 3 x 24 = 72 3 and 9 are equivalent fractions.
8 24 8 x 9 = 72 8 24

5 and 3 5 x12 = 60 5 and 3 are not equivalent fractions.
8 12 8 x 3 = 24 8 12

How to Find a Percentage

To tell what percentage one number is of a second number, divide the first number by the second. Move the decimal point of the resulting quotient two places to the right.

Example: What percentage is 20 of 300?
20 ÷ 300 = .067 = 6.7%
How to Change a Fraction to a Percentage

Divide the numerator by the denominator. Move the decimal point of the resulting quotient two places to the right.

6 = 6 ÷ 15 = .4 = .40 = 40%
15

How to Change a Decimal to a Percentage

Move the decimal point two places to the right.

0.792 = 79.2%

Refer to these how-to's until you can do them automatically.

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Writing Techniques

Writing is an important form of communication. Good writers use different writing techniques to fit their purpose for writing. To be a good writer, you must master each of the following writing techniques.

1. Description

Through description, a writer helps the reader use the senses of feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting to experience what the writer experiences. Description helps the reader more clearly understand the people, places, and things about which the writer is writing. It is the most common form of writing. You will find descriptive writing in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication.

2. Exposition

Through exposition, a writer informs, explains, and clarifies his/her ideas and thoughts. Exposition goes beyond description to help the reader understand with greater clarity and depth the ideas and thoughts of the writer. Expository writing, like descriptive writing, is commonly found in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication.

3. Narration

Through narration, a writer tells a story. A story has characters, a setting, a time, a problem, attempts at solving the problem, and a solution to the problem. Bedtime stories are examples of short stories while novels are examples of long stories. The scripts written for movies and plays are further examples of narrative writing.

4. Writing Techniques, Pen Persuasion

Through persuasion, a writer tries to change a reader's point of view on a topic, subject, or position. The writer presents facts and opinions to get the reader to understand why something is right, wrong, or in between. Editorials, letters to the editor in newspapers and magazines, and the text for a political speech are examples of persuasive writing.

5. Comparison and Contrast

Through comparison and contrast, a writer points out the similarities and differences about a topic. Comparison is used to show what is alike or in common. Contrast is used to show what is not alike or not in common. Describing living conditions in 1900 and living conditions today would allow for much comparison and contrast.

By using the writing technique that fits your purpose, you will be able to communicate your ideas effectively.

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Taking Notes in Class

In classes, your teachers will talk about topics that you are studying. The information they provide will be important for you to know when you take tests. You must be able to take good written notes from what your teachers say.

Taking good notes is a three-stage process in which there are certain things you should do before class, during class, and after class. Here are the three stages of note taking and what you should do during each stage.

1. Get Ready to Take Notes (Before Class)

* Review your notes from the previous class session before you come to class. This will help you remember what was covered and get you ready to understand new information your teacher provides.

* Complete all assigned readings before you come to class. Your teacher will expect that you have done this and will use and build upon this information.

* Bring all notetaking materials with you to class. Have several pens and pencils as well as your notebook.

2. Take Notes (During Class)

* Keep your attention focused on what your teacher is saying. Listen for “signal statements” that tell you that what your teacher is about to say is important to write in your notes. Examples of signal statements are “The most important point…” and “Remember that . . . “ Be sure to include in your notes information that your teacher repeats or writes on the chalkboard.

* Write quickly so that you can include all the important information in your notes. Do this by writing abbreviated words such as med for medicine, using symbols such as % for percent, and writing short sentences.

* Place a ? next to information you write in your notes, but about whose meaning you are not sure.

3. Rewrite Your Notes (After Class)

*
Rewrite your notes to make them more complete by changing abbreviated words into whole words, symbols into words, and shortened sentences into longer sentences.
*
Make your notes more accurate by answering any questions you had when writing your notes in class. Use your textbook and reference sources to obtain the information you need to answer your questions. If necessary, ask your teacher or other students for help.
*
Check with other students to be sure you did not leave out important information.

Having good class notes will help you to be better prepared for tests.

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The Ten Study Habits of Successful Students

Successful students have good study habits. They apply these habits to all of their classes. Read about each study habit. Work to develop any study habit you do not have.

Successful students:

1. Try not to do too much studying at one time.

If you try to do too much studying at one time, you will tire and your studying will not be very effective. Space the work you have to do over shorter periods of time. Taking short breaks will restore your mental energy.

2. Plan specific times for studying.

Study time is any time you are doing something related to schoolwork. It can be completing assigned reading, working on a paper or project, or studying for a test. Schedule specific times throughout the week for your study time.

3. Try to study at the same times each day.

Studying at the same times each day establishes a routine that becomes a regular part of your life, just like sleeping and eating. When a scheduled study time comes up during the day, you will be mentally prepared to begin studying.

4. Set specific goals for their study times.

Goals will help you stay focused and monitor your progress. Simply sitting down to study has little value. You must be very clear about what you want to accomplish during your study times.

5. Start studying when planned.

You may delay starting your studying because you don’t like an assignment or think it is too hard. A delay in studying is called “procrastination.” If you procrastinate for any reason, you will find it difficult to get everything done when you need to. You may rush to make up the time you wasted getting started, resulting in careless work and errors.

6. Work on the assignment they find most difficult first.

Your most difficult assignment will require the most effort. Start with your most difficult assignment since this is when you have the most mental energy.

7. Review their notes before beginning an assignment.

Reviewing your notes can help you make sure you are doing an assignment correctly. Also, your notes may include information that will help you complete an assignment.

8. Tell their friends not to call them during their study times.

Two study problems can occur if your friends call you during your study times. First, your work is interrupted. It is not that easy to get back to what you were doing. Second, your friends may talk about things that will distract you from what you need to do. Here’s a simple idea – turn off your cell phone during your study times.

9. Call another student when they have difficulty with an assignment.

This is a case where “two heads may be better than one.”

10. Review their schoolwork over the weekend.

Yes, weekends should be fun time. But there is also time to do some review. This will help you be ready to go on Monday morning when another school week begins.

These ten study habits can help you throughout your education. Make sure they are your study habits.

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