Dear Teachers Q & A

Success Secrets in Content Area Subjects

Question: My son is only in third grade and is having difficulty understanding math, science and social studies. What can I do to help him handle these classes? – Help

           Answer: The first thing you need to do is to determine with his teacher’s help exactly why he is having problems with these three subjects. Is it a reading problem? Is it possibly a learning disability? If it is one of these two problems, testing will need to be done to find the way to help him.

  On the other hand, the problem could be that your son does not know the meaning of the new words that are being introduced in these content areas. Content area vocabulary begins to emerge in third grade and is the unique technical vocabulary used to teach the ideas, facts and skills of each content area subject. For example, understanding words like "fraction," "numerator" and "denominator" is necessary to succeed in math.

             The essential vocabulary of each content area is not easy to identify. These words are not usually found in basal readers nor on general vocabulary lists.

             Most science and social studies and even math textbooks and e-books do give students obvious clues about the words needed to master these subjects. Typically, they are found in a list at the start of a chapter or in the end material of the chapter.

             When your son starts a new chapter, look over the important chapter words with him. Choose a few each day and help him pronounce them and have him look up their meaning in the book's glossary if there is one. Then to reinforce the learning of these words, you may wish to have him read assignments with you and look up again any words he cannot define for you.

It will further help him learn these words if he does all the exercises at the end of science and social studies chapters—even if they are not assigned. For further reinforcement and understanding of this new vocabulary, make it a point to discuss what he has learned in school every day while trying to use the new vocabulary words.

             If learning the content words does not help him, then it’s time for another chat with his teacher.

Cutting Children’s Time on Mobile Devices

Question:  After their school closed last year, my children spent most of their day online doing classwork, playing games and visiting with friends. Now that they are actually back in school, they still are spending a lot of time online. Why is it so difficult to get kids off computers and devices? – Any Suggestions

Answer:  Right now, it is difficult to get children off computers and mobile devices because time on them was essential for schoolwork, communicating with their friends and amusing themselves during the height of the pandemic. This is no longer true.

Since your children have returned to school, it is important for you to wean them from the computer and mobile devices. They will, of course, have some schoolwork that must be done on the computer. This is fine. You can be sure that they are not playing games or visiting with friends if their schoolwork is done in a location where you can observe them.

Your children need to return now to doing activities outside the home like they did before quarantining at home: playing on sports teams, visiting friends and taking lessons in dancing, art or music. Living online is no longer necessary or particularly helpful to their development.

Decide with your children what a reasonable amount of time should be for them to spend online or with their mobile devices every day. Because being on phones and other devices is particularly addicting, it may be necessary for them to give you these devices after they have used them for the agreed upon amount of time.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2020

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