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On behalf of all of us here at San Diego 6 News - CW, we would like to welcome our new Sponsor of Your Family Matters with Dr. Kanner, Sylvan Learning Centers. Watch Dr. Kanner discuss this topic live, tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28th during the 8:00 news hour.
Background: Most parents have had the experience of "the poor report card wake up call." The
experience when we think our children are self-managing their homework
and test preparation only to find out that our child has either not
told us the truth or that they are struggling and did not even know
it! Whichever circumstance, the reception of a sub- par report card is
a "call out" to the parent that their child needs some help.
Development teaches us that most children are not born
studiers. In fact, studying, note taking, the completion of homework,
and exam preparation are NOT genetic but learned from various adults in
the child's life. As parents, we sometimes assume that the school will
teach these skills only to find out that these days with large class
sizes and 25 to 30/1 ratio of student to teacher, that their is only so
much a teacher can teach, including study skills. The burden then
rests on the parents of each child to be certain that such skills have
been taught and mastered.
To further complicate matters, depending upon the child's age and level
of development, what a child can comprehend at a given time is a
functional issue based on the development of their brain and the
"teaching" to them has to take this into consideration. This then
further makes the task for the common parent even more challenging
because you may not know what your child is capable of learning and how
to teach them at that particular level. Add in some possible learning
challenges, which all children have, and the parent commonly feels
themselves confused. How about the fact that as parents, most of us
have not done math and chemistry in over 20 years and may not have been
very good at it back then.
As parents, our job is to do our best and this can apply to helping our
children master the tasks of academia, but we need help just like our
children in assessing what we are naturally able to do and then be okay
about getting some help when necessary. This is where an agency,such
as Sylvan Learning Centers helps us figure out how best to help our
children master the various tasks that they face each day at school and
in preparation for the future. Below are their tips to parents about
"how to deal with a poor report card":
1. Set expectations. Not every child will earn all A's, but
that does not mean your child should strive for less. Talk with your
child before the school year starts and explain that you won't be upset
if he or she doesn't bring home all A's - - but that you will be upset
if he or she doesn't try their hardest and doesn't ask for help.
2. Communicate with your child: Talk with your child every
night and week about their homework and classes learning from them
about what's easy and what is challenging. Don't wait until you get a
bad report card to talk about school with them.
3. Discuss your child's performance with his or her teacher and/or guidance counselor.
4. Set goals for improvement with your child.
5. Establish a personalized study plan with your child.
Your child should keep a schedule of all classes, assignments and key
dates (e.g. project deadlines, big xams, etc.) As part of that
schedule, she or he should include specific time for studying, projects
and extracurricular activities. The more comprehensive the schedule,
the more efficient your child will be in completing his or her homework.
6. Seek outside help if necessary
7. Praise your child's successes.
 Dr. Keith Kanner/ Morning Show Host
Your Family Matters
XETV Bay City Television
San Diego 6 News
San Diego Living Show
8253 Ronson Road, San Diego 92111
ph (619) 261-2346/ (858) 756-3050
drkanner@sandiego6.com
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About drkanner
Dr. Kanner is a Licensed Clinical Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychologist and Psychoanalyst with a full time private practice in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at U.C. San Diego and a Clinical Instructor and Supervisor at the San Diego Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. Recently, he has become the Director of Clinical Counseling for La Jolla Country Day School and has been named to the National Board of Directors for KidsKorps, USA. He continues as a Consultant for many public and private schools in San Diego and has also received distinguished teaching awards over the past seven years. He is a published author and a sought after speaker on topics pertaining to childhood, adolescence, and parenthood. He is also presently writing a book for Fox based on his show, Your Family Matters.
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