If your child performs excellently in school from the opening bell, this message is not for you. If you are among the fortunate parents who don’t have to push their child to read over the summer, this message is not for you. This message is not for you if you know exactly what your child will be facing next school year and have already begun to prepare him/her for the challenges. If your child is one of the exceptional few, who really understand what they’re in school for and don’t allow themselves to fall into bad habits, read no more.
This message is for the parents who by October begin feeling uneasy about where their child is heading academically. This message is for the parents whose child is repeating a grade or whose child just barely got promoted. For those parents who received report cards this summer that had them shaking their heads in dismay, this message is for you. Don’t worry it’s not hopeless. It’s just a warning sign that it’s time to take action. The key is prevention and intervention. We can’t wait until the condition is critical and extreme measures must be undertaken. We must act now.
This needed action is not emergency crisis intervention. It’s a relaxed approach that addresses the areas of concern without the drama of possible failure looming over the landscape. First of all, our children don’t like the drama of do or die crises interventions any more than we do. They create too much pressure. Regardless of what we might think, our children enjoy being successful. They just don’t, however, always understand the importance of meticulous preparation. That’s our job. We are the ones who must see to it that they are prepared for the challenges they will face. These challenges may be academic, emotional, social or a combination. Discipline, time management and the comprehension of the basics are the keys.
It becomes apparent by the third of fourth grade what kind of help, if any, our children need. If by the end of the fifth grade, your child still does not read fluently and with understanding of what he/she has read, there will be huge challenges ahead. If by the same time, your child does not have a good understanding of basic math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, measurements, pre-algebra, basic geometry and mathematical reasoning they will be in trouble.
Our children will be competing in an arena that is increasingly becoming a global arena. Right now America is about in the middle of world standings when it comes to literacy, math and science. This statistic is misleading however. Students from well-off communities usually score close to the top of the pack whereas students from struggling communities, especially in the inner cities and rural areas usually score near the bottom. In other words, the gap between the best performing students and the worst performing students is larger in America than in any other country.
If you know your child is struggling, don’t wait until it’s too late. Sometimes, even passing grades don’t tell the whole story. Find out what your child actually knows. Too often students in low performing areas are given work that is substantially beneath what they should be getting. More often however, students are prepped to take exams but not really taught how to think. Sadly, in some schools, children are passed for just showing up and behaving themselves. It’s sad to see some of these children actually graduating from high school yet totally unprepared to move on to the next level.
Do whatever it takes to give your child a fighting chance. If you feel that you’re ill equipped to help your child or you just don’t have the time, get help. Many people will take their car to the mechanic at the first sign of trouble but will wait for a breakdown to occur before they seek help for their child. Don’t be one of those parents who puts their head in the sand. Make sure your children have the foundation they need. Your children are worth it and so are you.
For information about Seedpod Empowerment Institute’s Summer Program, call 769-798-5247 or e-mail alimgaynor@yahoo.com.
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