110 degrees magazine - Index

110 degrees magazine - magazine - Index

ABODE I PERSONA
1. EXPAND YOUR CHILD’S
HORIZONS.
Make childhood learning, especially in the early
years, a journey of self-discovery. Plato made
the wise observation, “Let early education be a
sort of amusement, you will then better be able
to find out the natural bent of the child.”
Since most children are not prepared to decide
what they want to do with the rest of their lives,
the best thing is to provide an education that is
as broad as possible. Let the kids drink deeply at
the fountain of knowledge from all its various
faucets. Encourage them to explore math and
science; literature and art; handcraft and mechanics;
engineering and design.
Help your child find a balance between academics
and extra-curricular activities. Encourage your
children to connect with organizations that permit
them to give back to the community, bolster their
resumé, and especially teach them about life. Let
them join the Scouts or AWANA. Check out the
Rotary Interact Club in their high school. The
Fremont Rotary Club awarded my daughter a thousand
dollar scholarship. Although she was very
involved in school, the majority of her service was
through her civics camp in Sacramento, City on a
Hill, and serving as a volunteer at a women’s shelter,
Shepherd’s Gate, in Brentwood, CA.
We are to be facilitators not tyrants in our
children’s development. Never forget the essential
principle that it’s their life to live and not
ours to live through them. As they grow older,
talk to them about their dreams and aspirations;
listen to the things they say.
Our task is to smooth their progress towards the
purpose our children find for their lives. We come
alongside our children and help them identify what
they want to do and then guide them to the goals
of their choosing. Our goal is to encourage our children
to be the best at whatever they choose.
56 www.110mag.com September/October 2008
“Shut off the TV set for a couple hours in the
evening and go over your children’s homework
with them. Read stories to them when they are
young; listen to them read when they are older.”
2. BE A PARTICIPANT AND NOT
A SPECTATOR IN YOUR CHILD’S
LEARNING.
One thing we should get straight is that it is not
our job as parents to sit in judgment upon the
wisdom, attitude, or qualifications of the people
teaching our children. We need to accept in our
hearts and with our minds that if our child graduates
from high school reading at a third grade
level or unable to count change, we have failed
that child more than the system did.
Our job is to spend time with our children participating
with them in their learning processes.
Reading comprehension is the supreme skill children
must develop, so if we discover that our first
grader is not able to sound out words, or that our
third grader is not able to read Dr. Seuss, or our
sophomore is not able to read the newspaper, we
must spend time reading with them.
Shut off the TV set for a couple hours in the
evening and go over your children’s homework
with them. Read stories to them when they are
young; listen to them read when they are older.
Talk to them about the things they are learning
in school. Read their essays. Review their
fractions homework with them when they are
young; discuss their Shakespeare assignments
when they are older. Give them reading assignments
of your own. Take them to museums and
to art shows. Demand that they use appropriate
language in social situations; correct their
grammar. Practice oral and written communication
skills. Insist upon excellence!
Approach your children’s education like the
righteous Hebrew was to be with the commands
of God, employing drill and practice.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when
you walk along the road, when you lie down and
when you get up…. Write them on the doorframes
of your houses and on your gates.”
Integrate learning with all of your family activities;
find ways throughout the day to keep
learning in front of your kids.
Devote yourself to the important role that
you as a parent play in your child’s education.
Do this every day. Even if you can only do it for
an hour at a time, just do it. No task in your life
is ultimately more important than this.
3. PREPARE YOUR CHILDREN
IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR COLLEGE
Identify your children’s passions and guide
them in the direction that will help them
become fulfilled and happy adults. College
should always be the default; it opens doors to
future possibilities that will otherwise remain
shut to them. Find out what ROP classes are
available and get your child enrolled in them if
they prefer a trade. Not everyone needs a college
education. If your child would love to be a
dental hygienist, for example, an AA Degree
from a local junior college would be far better
than a four-year liberal arts degree from a
university. Make sure your child participates in
Career Day and then discuss his/her reactions.
College preparation properly begins in high
school. Learn what resources are available in the
schools to help equip your student for their next
step. Find out what AP classes are available and
get your child enrolled in them when he/she is
ready. Talk with educators.
By the beginning of their sophomore year
have a checklist for each child that includes duedates
for college applications, admissions, and
financial aid deadlines. Discover precisely what
kinds of classes are required by the college that
your child wants to attend and make sure that
he/she is enrolled in these.
An alternative to AP classes would be to enroll
your senior high children in junior college