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Show The anWers will tell you what -has happened in the classroom Since the "old dnvs" By VIRGINIA BURGESS WARREN Author of "Tested Ways to Help Your Children Learn" and "How Adults Can Learn More-Fast- er" 1. Why doesn't my child learn the alphabet? Your child learns the letters of the alphabet by name as soon as he starts learning, to rea- d- parents in kindergarten or first grade. The alphabet is also taught by rote in most schools today, though perhaps not as early as it once was. The lettersdthe alphabet,rrangedjn their proper sequence, are usually taught as soon as the" 'pupil needs them to find things in the dictionary-an- do their child real harm by either over-estimati- ng or' underestimating his ability. ' Many school authorities do reveal I.J. results to. parents because they feel that this informa-tio- n helps them make realistic college and career plans. They try to do this in personal interviews, however so they can make the limitations of the I.Q. perfectly clean d "encyclopedia. . If you fear, that your child is not learning the letters of the alphabet in their order, you may discover from his teacher that he actually is learning them, or. soon will be though perhaps not in the old singsong way, but by making his own dictionary and other devices. . . . 2. Should homework be assigned? In a recent poll conducted by the National Education Association, the following question was asked of teachers : "Should youngsters in the elementary grades through 6 have homework?" Almost 84 percent of the teachers who teach these grades said yes. But more than of this. group said: "Don't too start it early." They did not approve of homework in grades I through 3. Those who did favor homework for grades 1 hours, through 3 would keep it down to 2 about or 30 minutes weekly, daily. .Elementary schoolteachers who approved of homework said four hours a week, less than an hour a day, are enough for grades 4 through 6. grades 1 one-four- th 3. schools have field trips? Field trips give youngsters opportunities to learn by firsthand experience., For example, if. your child is taken on a field trip to a planetarium, accompanied by a teacher the exhibits in terms the pupil can understand, it is a rich educational experience. When the children are back in the classroom, a good teacher answers questions, clears up misunderstandings, and encourages further reading on the subject Why-d- o who-explain- s 5. Are competitive athletics overstressed? JSjebservers ?f school athletics think so and often blariie the parentsT or thisoveremha sis especially4f a school has a strong program of interscholastic athletics and a weak physical-fitnes- s program, for the rest of its youngsters. The most gifted pupils should take part in interscholastic competition, but this should not mean that the other students are mere spectators. In a balanced program, all the students should take part in some physical-educatio- n activity or intradural sports, and exercises should begin in elementary school. .6. What are teaching machines? program feeds small morsels of information to the student gradually, and the student cannot "turn the page" until he has absorbed the new knowledge. The box enables. the student to write down the answer to a question about this new, knowledge, then turn a knob that re" veals the correct answer. The uniquely effective aspect of the teaching machine seems to be that tlffeLrde'rFhro"ut" instantly whether he is right or wrong. Psychologists say that the immediate "reward" of knowing he has given a correct answer helps, the student remember the material. . 8. Do you teach my child how to study? Children in today's schools are taught how to do research, take notes, and make outlines. Many schools provide specific information on how to study mathematics, how to concentrate and memorize, and how to organize the heavier load of homework encountered in high school and college. 9. Is it true that reading is taught ently today? . differ- v Old methods of reading have not been tossed out, but it is true that new ways are being used. For example, almost every elementary school, still uses phonics "sounding out" of words in its reading instruction. But today phonics is just one'of the methods used to teach word recognition. SowmheHDtherrai syllables, arriving at themeaning through pre- fixes, suffixes, or roots, deducing the meaning through context, and using the dictionary. teacher is a good one? There are three ways to find out listen, look, and ask questions. First, lisjen to your child's remarks about school. Is he usually interested, enthusiastic? Or are his comments about his teacher and his classroom activities always negative? (A few gripes are only normal.) Second, look in onyour child's classroom-m- ost teachers welcome visitors and watch his teacher in action. Finally, ask questions about teaching methods you. don't understand. Here is a good rule of thumb: the more you know about your child's, school the better-equippyou will be to determine how well your child is being taught. nt fMOTOGtAPHS IT JACK lOStN ftOM NX The average child starts school with a lively natural curiosity working for him. The wise parent encourages this curiosity in every way possible. Unfortunately, by the time many youngsters reach the higher "grades, their natural curiosity diminishes. During these years, it is sometimes, necessary fpr parents to press ether motivationsTsuch as the need for good grades to enter college or to embark on a successful career. . i Research shows that parental example is important. In a home where parents themselves continue to read, study, and learn, the children often show the same enthusiasm. 10. How can I know whether my child'sT 4. Why don't they tell me my child's I.Q.? Educators know that intelligence-quotietests do not tell the whole story about a child's capabilities. Many parents give tod much importance to a test which, even when given under ideal conditions, has severe limitations. Also, tests may vary considerresults ably. Your child may take such a test tomorrow and come upwith a score 20 points higher or lower than he did in a similar test last week. Armed with a high or low I.Q. statistic, some . A teaching machine is Actually a book installed in a box. The book usually called a 7. How can I make my child want to learn? r . , . ed 1..Aa-- - Family Weekly, September 2t 1962 |