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Does My Child Need a Tutor? Signs Your Child Needs Extra Help

Does My Child Need a Tutor? Signs Your Child Needs Extra Help

Each year during parent-teacher conferences I get asked, does my kid need a tutor?” That’s a hard question to answer because every child learns differently. Some pick up new skills quickly, while others need more time, practice, or a different approach. It can be difficult for parents to know whether a child is simply going through a challenging phase or if extra academic support could make a meaningful difference.

The good news is that tutoring isn’t just for students who are failing. In fact, many children benefit from additional instruction before they fall significantly behind. Early support can help build confidence, strengthen foundational skills, and reduce frustration. [Read more…]

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Teaching Math: Tricks of the Trade

Teaching Math: Tricks of the Trade

Both my educational training and experience as a new teacher give me a lot to share about teaching math. Summarized below are best practices I used in the classroom during my first year as a fourth grade teacher.

Notebooks

When I first started teaching math in my own classroom, I found that students were often unengaged during the instructional portion. As a result, students had difficulty understanding the skill that was being taught. The students each had a graph paper notebook, but it was not utilized aside from pasting vocabulary and anchor charts. [Read more…]

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Helping Our Kids Prepare for Life and College

Helping Our Kids Prepare for Life and College

At Bert Corona Charter School, we tell our students that during their time with us, they need to learn how to become a CRACLL (pronounced “Crackle”). It’s an acronym that stands for College Ready, Active Citizen, and Lifelong Learner. We define these as our learning outcomes for our students and see them as a promise to our families.  Through our partnership with our parents, we strive to help our students gain skills they will need to be ready for college. We push them to engage in their communities. We also work to instill a love of learning because we want students to be lifelong learners. These outcomes were part of the reason I first applied to work at my school. These are also life values and skillsets that I am working to teach my own daughter. Parents can help develop these skills all year. [Read more…]

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The Homework Battle: Who Owns the Problem

The Homework Battle: Who Owns the Problem? 

If homework has become a nightly struggle in your house, you’re not alone. Many parents find themselves reminding, nagging, checking, correcting, and sometimes even completing homework just to get it finished. What starts as wanting to help can quickly turn into frustration for everyone. The question to ask is simple: Whose homework is it? The answer is: Your child’s. That doesn’t mean parents step away completely. It means shifting from owning the homework to supporting the learner. [Read more…]

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10 Ways Parents Can Set Their Child Up for Success at the Start of a New School Year

10 Ways Parents Can Set Their Child Up for Success at the Start of a New School Year

The start of a new school year is full of new beginnings. New teachers, new classmates, and new learning opportunities but they can also feel overwhelming for children and parents alike. The good news is that helping your child have a successful school year doesn’t require anything but a little planning and your time. The biggest difference comes from simple, consistent routines and a positive attitude toward learning. Here are 10 easy ways you can help your child start the school year with confidence. [Read more…]

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