Help Your Child Set Goals and Achieve Them

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In school, we often use the term goals with your children. How can we help our students set realistic goals and stick to them? Consider these ideas you can also support at home:

  1.     Make the goal specific. The target needs to be very clear for your child. Help him/her clearly articulate what it is they want to achieve. Instead of a goal to get better at reading, the goal could be to better understand what is being read.
  2.     Set a short timeframe. Many goals fail because the time frame is too long. Set small, specific timeframes (2-3 weeks) that can be more easily monitored.
  3.     Make a plan. Help your child figure out actions they can take to reach their goal. How will you better understand what you are reading? Will you write a summary after a certain number of pages? Will you ask questions as you read?
  4.     Adjust the goal. There is nothing wrong with your child adjusting his/her goals. Adjusting will be more successful than quitting.

5.      Celebrate. Celebrate the small successes like sticking to the goal’s steps. There is something about acknowledging progress, even small progress, that propels us to keep at it and work toward the next small step along the road of attaining a goal.

The Power of YET

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Part of preparing students for learning is to help teach them to have a growth mindset. This means teaching them to recognize that there are certain things they are not able to do YET. To do this you can help your child think back to things they once couldn’t do like riding a bike, eating on their own or getting dressed. Helping them to have faith that if they try their best and remember that just because they can’t do something yet, doesn’t mean they won’t ever be able to. This mindset helps students approach learning with an open mind.

8 Tips to Keep Kids Germ-Free at School

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Kids love to be close and share everything, even germs. Here are some quick tips to help students reduce the spread of germs at school. 

 

  • Wash your Hands– Wash hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Sing the alphabet song once to help with timing.
  • Don’t Share– Send extra supplies so students can use their own items rather than community items. 
  • Cover Sneezes and Coughs– Sneeze into the crook of the elbow or into a tissue. Not into hands. If a student accidentally sneezes into their hands, remind them to wash their hands right away.
  • Hands off Your Face– Teach students to keep hands away from their face, out of their nose and out of their mouths. If they accidentally touch these things, remind them to wash their hands right away. 
  • Skip the Water Fountain– Send a water bottle with students each day so they can avoid the water fountain. If they need to use the water fountain, teach students how to drink without touching their mouth to the spigot.
  • Eat Fruits and Veggies– A healthy diet can help boost the immune system.
  • Get Enough Sleep- Sleep helps build the immune system. Follow these guidelines: Ages 10-17: 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night. Ages 5-10: 10 to 11 hours per night. Ages 3 to 5: 11 to 13 hours per night.
  • Stay Home From School when Sick– If a student is sick, they need to stay home until they are well again to avoid spreading illness to others.