Amanda King

Making the Grade: Advocacy for Children with Special Needs

December 6, 2012 by Amanda King Leave a Comment

Recently, I started tutoring a former student who is autistic. His parents are extremely driven to find the best course of action for his education. This entails meetings, assessments, observation, tutoring…the list goes on. It got me thinking about advocacy and support for parents who have children with learning needs. Having a child with a learning difference, be it ADD, dyslexia or any other need, can be daunting. Where do families go to educate themselves and find emotional support? How do they begin the long process of making changes to their child’s education? I asked the mother of my student what they found to be the most challenging part of the diagnosis for them and what has been the biggest help. My hope is that this information will assist other families in the process of becoming well-informed, proactive advocates for their children.

The Most Challenging Part: Some school systems do an excellent job of guiding parents through this challenging time and unfortunately, some do not. In the case of my student’s family, they did not agree with the school’s stance and forged their own path and found their own support. However, it is not always that way. Often meeting with the school’s special needs teacher or administration can give you the information and resources you need to make the next steps.

What Has Been Helpful: Connecting with parents who are going through a similar situation is imperative. Her saving grace was a woman she met through the school who also has an autistic child. She acted as a comfort, a counselor, a sounding board and above all a friend.

Extra Help: If the public school system does not provide sufficient support or you find your child needs more assistance, there are organizations that can help. These companies give many services such as student observations, behavior management, classroom assistance and tutoring after school.

Know Your Rights: Find out everything you can about special education law. While you may never need a lawyer, consulting one for questions surrounding this complicated topic is beneficial to ensuring your child is well taken care of by the school.

Here is a list of local services that cater to a variety of learning differences:

Choices 4 Learning: A great website to use when starting this process as it provides many different kinds of resources in the Bay Area. http://choices4learning.com/
Pacific Autism Learning Services: Services for autism that include, evaluations, aids, and tutoring. http://www.palsautism.com/index.html
Step by Step for Success: Academic coaching K-12 specializing in ADD/ADHD, NDL, Dyslexia and executive functioning. http://www.stepbystep4success.com
Parents Helping Parents: Support groups and events for parents. http://www.php.com/

If your child has been diagnosed with a special need, remember that you are not alone. There are many local resources that are just a phone call away and that can help you gain the knowledge you need to make excellent decisions for you and your child.

Making the Grade: Online Academic Resources

October 9, 2012 by Amanda King Leave a Comment

You survived the first month of school, the kids are acclimating to their new classrooms and all of your routines are becoming a bit more familiar. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back, you should be proud of everything your family has accomplished. But now there are new issues on the horizon: projects, tests, reports, difficult homework assignments and all of those questions asked by your children that you don’t know how to answer. There is no doubt evenings become significantly more stressful when this occurs. As a teacher, I know that sometimes you just have to say “I don’t know,” but then what? The next part of the sentence should be, “let’s see how we can figure that out.” I have collected some wonderful online resources that I use for just those situations and hope you will find them equally helpful. Here’s the breakdown:

Cosmeo – [www.cosmeo.com] This educational website is run by the Discovery Channel. It’s an all-encompassing site for children and depending on what features you use, I’m estimating it’s appropriate for ages eight and up. There are reference materials, homework and test help, thousands of Discovery Channel videos and skill building games. It’s truly an engaging site. What I love: there is a homework help section that can be broken down by grade level, subject and topic—so helpful! Down side: there is a $9.95 monthly fee. However, I would say this tool is worth the price tag.

Homework Hub– [http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/index.htm] Powered by Scholastic, this is a fabulous resource for parents to help their kids navigate the many challenges of education. It provides research and report topics, organizational tips for better studying, test preparation ideas, a writing guide and more (ages ten and up). What I like: The flash card maker is fun and easy to use for math and word practice. Downside: The website has lengthy explanations and suggestions. For younger students certain topics may be used more successfully with parent and child reading it together.

The Learning Network– [http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/] New York Times runs this website. It provides excellent content such as: this day in history, reading clubs, vocabulary enrichment, activity sheets, research topics, fun contests and current event articles in language students can understand (ages twelve and up). What I love: The Daily News Quiz keeps students on their toes about current events. Down side: It is a blog so it’s not as versatile and user friendly as a website.

My hope is that these resources will aid your ability to give guidance, help with homework and to answer those burning academic questions from your children that you just don’t know the answer to.

Making the Most of a New School Year

September 3, 2012 by Amanda King Leave a Comment

Yes, the summer did fly by all too quickly, as it always seems to do. The lazy days are winding down and there is a different excitement in the air: a new school year ahead! Now is the time for back-to-school shopping, early morning wakeups and a slightly less carefree approach to life. But one doesn’t need to panic about this transition. Here are a few ideas from a teacher on how you can make the most of your child’s year in a new grade.

Setting routines: While it is difficult to make your child go to bed earlier or shower at night in preparation for the early morning wakeup calls, start now. The longer your child has to adapt to the new schedule, the easier the transition for you, him and his new teacher. Those first weeks of school are emotional enough for students with so much change and information to take in. Adding new routines at home can be overwhelming. This overload takes on many forms in school such as falling asleep during class, irritability and a short attention span. When a student comes in adjusted to the early wakeup, well fed and ready to go, the difference is apparent.

Meet the teacher and stay in touch: I am always so excited when parents introduce themselves and ask for my email address. It shows me they are proactive and want to stay in communication about their child. This action puts us on the same team and is a fabulous way to jump into a new year.

Take a tour of the school with your child: Even if your child has been going to the same school since kindergarten and is now in seventh grade, it is always comforting to take a tour. Follow their schedule for switching classes and find your child’s locker. If your child is at the elementary level, take a look around the new classroom, meet the teacher together and scope out the nearest bathrooms (that’s always helpful for the little ones). A welcome back visit to school gets the excitement and confidence flowing for the year ahead.

Volunteer in the classroom: With many parents both working full-time jobs and single parents juggling packed schedules, volunteering in the classroom is difficult these days. However, if it is at all possible for you to take time even once a month to help out with classroom activities, it’s a rewarding way to stay informed. You can observe your child’s social and academic development, discover what skills they are learning, and touch base with the teacher. But perhaps the best reason of all: it shows your child you care. While there are usually more opportunities to volunteer at the elementary level, upper grade teachers may need help with large projects or field trips, so be sure to inquire.

Instead of the summer’s end giving your family the blues, focus on all of the positive actions you can take to make this school year a success.

Making the Grade – What You Need to Know About Bullying

March 10, 2012 by Amanda King Leave a Comment

There has been heartbreaking media coverage over the last few years of the growing bullying epidemic. The ramifications of these terrible acts for children and teens range from emotional and developmental issues to physical harm and even suicide in extreme cases. Government studies indicate that one out of five school age students are either the recipient or predator in a bullying incident. Bullying can happen at any age and to someone of any race, gender or socio-economic background. It occurred in my classroom despite the school’s education on the subject and my regular discussions and check-ins with students. Ultimately, I found that parents’ efforts and communication with their children and with me helped solve the problem. Here is what you should know and how you can help your child.

Types of Bullying
There are more types of bullying than you may think. Here is a breakdown:

Cyber bullying: via internet, phone, text or other forms of technology, a modern-day culprit that particularly affects teens
Physical: Pushing, hitting, punching, or taking a child’s belonging
Verbal: Any kind of teasing, threats or name-calling
Social: Gossiping to cause harm, damaging friendships, spreading rumors, forming clicks, not playing or hanging out with someone on purpose

Potential Signs Your Child Is Being Bullied
To recognize if your child is being bullied look for these signs: moodiness, anxious or hopeless behavior, lack of appetite, damaged clothing, “lost” items, bruises or injuries, inability to sleep, bad dreams, sudden unwillingness to go to school or extra curricular activities, unexplained drop in grades, complaints of physical issues such as stomach pains. Of course, many stresses can lead to these symptoms, but regardless, these behaviors are red flags that something is not right and you need to have a talk with your child and be vigilant.

What to Do If Your Child Is A Victim
If you suspect your child is being bullied don’t wait to take action. You want to let your child know you are there to help and give her time and space to share her thoughts. Try role-playing a similar scene as the one your child is struggling with and come up with a few different ways to handle it. If the bullying is happening at school or an after school program, it is always wise to contact the teacher and whomever else you feel will be the strongest advocate for vigilance and authority in the situation. If you have to talk to a parent, do so in person and with someone who can act as a mediator, such as a school counselor. Also, be sure to document cases as they occur. Being a proactive parent can completely change your child’s school and social experiences for the better and even save her life.

Stop Bullying is a user-friendly website that gives excellent information on how to take action as a parent, teacher, child or teen. Share this link with everyone you know! www.stopbullying.gov

Making the Grade – Fun Food Ideas for School

January 29, 2012 by Amanda King 1 Comment

As an elementary teacher I have dealt with the ramifications of poor nutrition every day during my teaching. This does not mean that parents neglect their children; on the contrary they have the absolute best intentions of feeding them healthily. Unfortunately, with the rush of the mornings, dealing with children who are picky eaters, and little time to pack lunches and snacks, students often ingest empty calories and a lot of sugar. The result is lack of concentration, sugar highs, crashes, irritability and mood swings. These are very real issues to handle for teachers who are trying to maintain productive classroom environments. With this in mind, here are a few fun ideas I have collected from friends who are moms and food websites that are sure to help even the pickiest eater dig into his lunchbox and have a rewarding day.

The Breakfast Challenge
I have had many parents come up to me before the start of the school day and say in a defeated tone, “I just couldn’t get Patrick to eat anything this morning.” According to the Center for Disease Control “Eating a healthy breakfast is associated with improved cognitive function (especially memory), reduced absenteeism, and improved mood.” So what do parents do? My friend Lauren, mother of two, has a fabulous and fun solution: cookies! Not just any cookie of course, but cookies that have applesauce, dried cherries, oats, walnuts, dark chocolate and are low in sugar and high in nutrition. You can make them at the start of the week and freeze them for a fast morning solution. Who wouldn’t want to eat that for breakfast! Try this amazingly delicious recipe on the food network website for Kitchen Sink cookies by Ellie Krieger. http://www.foodnetwork.com/kitchen-sink-cookies/video/index.html

Snack Dilemma
Snack time is a well-deserved break in the morning for students and teachers alike. It is time to move around and fuel up before lunch. Snack is not an option in my classroom! Everyone needs to reboot their systems and when blood sugar levels get low, students suffer. I love this stuffed cucumber recipe because it’s fun to eat bite-sized things, it’s realistic to make and it incorporates vegetables!http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/stuffed-cucumber-cups-877034/

Lunch Time Doldrums
Part of my job that I wasn’t expecting is monitoring lunches to make sure every child eats. The most successful eaters in my class usually have a few things in common. A fun lunch case to use (try Bento mealtime Kit skiphop.com or Double Decker Mealbox giggle.com), and food presented in fun ways. Kids always seem to love wraps and it’s a fast way to keep them entertained. I liked this turkey, cream cheese, cranberry sauce recipe and recommend looking at the Super Healthy Kids Blog, as they have so many creative ideas. http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2011/11/healthy-lunch-box-turkey-wrap/

Hopefully these recipes and ideas will make dealing with hunger a little less painful in your family as well as healthy. Your child’s teacher will thank you!

Making the Grade: A Fresh Start to Tackling Homework

December 31, 2011 by Amanda King 1 Comment

For parents arguing nightly with their children over doing homework, the idea of a fresh start to the year is an exceedingly appealing one. As a primary grade educator I have worked with parents and students to come up with solutions to this exhausting cycle. Here are some general practices, that when implemented, can aid many situations and help bring peace to the household in time for 2012.

1. Know Your Child’s Academic Ability
Above all when analyzing the root of the tears and tantrums, it is important to first look at what is asked of your child and if you feel she is struggling with understanding the concepts and skills. If there is concern of a possible learning disability or need for a tutor, have a discussion with the teacher or learning specialist at school to set up a plan of action for help.

2. Create a Routine
As an elementary teacher I learned how necessary routine is in a classroom. When a daily schedule is mapped out there is no anxiety or chaos around what to do and when to do it. This applies to homework time as well. Having your child work in a public space in the house, like the kitchen, allows you to monitor her progress and be there when she has questions. Make it the same time, the same place everyday.

3. Organize
Give her the tools to be a successful, independent student by showing her how to organize homework assignments on a calendar or in a planner. Make it part of the routine you do together. Your child can learn to manage her time effectively and not panic about doing a project last minute. “Break down bigger projects into smaller pieces and help her avoid procrastination- this is the biggest culprit of tears,” says Keely Rollings, Clinical Psychologist and mother of three, “small goals make an easier time and no tears!”

4. Create Expectations and Stick to It
It is so easy to make exceptions to the rules you have set, but unfortunately this says to your child the rules can be broken. Let her know in very clear terms what the expectations are during homework time and enforce them. For example, “all homework must be finished before you can play outside with your friends.” It may be difficult to uphold the expectations, but it is far more painful to deal with negotiations and arguing when she pleads to bend the rules.

While these tips may not solve every homework issue between parents and children, they are realistic strategies to implement into a daily schedule and can be done so in time to start the New Year off on the right foot. Remember, the more independent and self sufficient your child becomes by learning how to use these tools and routines, the more pride and ownership she will take in her work, which ultimately is the best lesson of all.