Improving school offerings

Food has been under attack of late—on TV, in the papers, and no more than on the school-front. The reasons speak for themselves:

• One-third of our children/adolescents are either overweight or obese, thus putting them at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health problems.

Meanwhile, 32 million children eat lunch at school every day, with 11 million more also eating breakfast there. Put another way: kids consume 30% to 50% of their calories at school, all of which is contributing to the weight issues confronting so many.

Enter the federal government.

Some time ago Happy Meal toys were banned, as were sugary drinks in vending machines. Then in December, President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Its stated goal is “to provide children with healthier and more nutritious food options, educate children about making healthy food choices, and teach children healthy habits that can last a lifetime.”

Maybe it’s about time. Take for instance the typical fare provided by our public schools, like next week’s offerings at one such school:

• Grilled hot dog on a wheat roll or baked chicken strips

• Bella Rosy pizza or oriental chicken

• Philly cheese steak or baked mozzarella stix

• Baked French toast or egg, ham, and cheese on a muffin

• Hot ham sandwich or baked chicken strips

Not exactly low-fat, low-sodium, the whole wheat hot dog roll and baked, not fried, chicken strips and mozzarella stix notwithstanding. Nevertheless, parents have always had the final word on their children’s food choices—and always have the option to pack their lunch.

Then again, maybe we parents are falling short in the nutrition arena, and we need this $4.5 billion law to make things right. Along with increasing the number of children in school lunch programs, it also:

1. Provides additional funding to schools that meet updated nutritional standards for federally subsidized meals.

2. Promotes local farm-to-school networks, the creation of school gardens, while ensuring more locally produced offerings.

3. Sets basic standards for nutrition and physical activity programs.

4. Mandates that parents can more easily access the nutrition values of school meals.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has recently proposed overhauling the nutritional guidelines of meals served at public schools, this for the first time since 1995. His plan is to:

1. Establish calorie limits.

2. Gradually reduce sodium content over the next 10 years, eventually by more than 50%.

3. Ban most trans fats.

4. Require that more fruit and vegetables be served

5. Mandate that all milk be low- or non-fat, and that flavored milk be non-fat.

6. Slowly up the amounts of whole grains until most of the grains are of the whole variety.

7. Include both a grain and a protein for breakfast.

Before all that takes effect, though, concentrate on serving lower sodium and fat meals and beverages at home. We can all do better on that front—and benefit from losing a pound or two, as well. Support is readily available online, think Weight Watchers, as is personal assistance. And since wholesome foods contribute to academic success, be sure to pack your child’s lunch, too, complete with, say, an apple and carrot.

It’s the right thing to do—government intervention or not.

Hard-working kindergarteners

The kindergarten controversy is not about to go away any time soon, as, more and more, school districts across the country turn the “children’s garden” into a full-day affair, complete with reading, writing, arithmetic, and testing, too. In other words, the new first grade.

Used to be, our youngest students engaged in all manner of play, everything from playing dress-up and building wooden block castles to carving out sand tunnels and singing along as their teacher accompanied them on the piano. And always for just a few hours every day.

That was then. Now, though, thanks in part to former President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, play and socialization have taken a back seat to curricular and testing demands. And fitting it all in has resulted in full-day kindergarten classrooms.

A few holdouts remain, however, such as Pennsylvania’s Methacton School District which offers kindergarteners both morning and afternoon sessions. A neighboring district took another tack, though. Its full-day kindergarten curriculum includes teaching commas in a series, using the caret (^) to add detail to writing, and putting quotation marks around dialogue. Really.

And to think that in the good old days it was enough that a child recognized his letters and their sounds before heading off to first grade.

Says psychiatrist, author, Tufts University professor, and early childhood expert David Elkind, “When children are required to do academics too early, they get the message that they are failures. We are sending too many children to school to learn that they are dumb. They are not dumb. They are just not there developmentally.”

Kindergarten teacher Christine Gerzon put it this way: “It’s destructive, even abusive. That’s a pretty strong word, but what do you call it when you take a group of children and you force them to do something they are not developmentally ready to do? What do you call it? It’s abusive.”

As a result some parents are taking matters into their own hands by delaying kindergarten until their kids are six, a trend dubbed “redshirting” after the practice of postponing participation in a sport in order to extend an athlete’s eligibility period.

And it’s not all that uncommon. Based on a 2007 and latest such report, a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) representative estimated that 14% of youngsters were redshirted or had parents who were considering it. Others put that figure as high as 17%.

Meanwhile, some parents are hiring tutors to fill in the blanks or give their kids a competitive edge. A quick Google search reveals numerous outfits offering such services. Among them is Sylvan Learning which promises to “grow your child’s confidence and build a strong learning foundation that will help him succeed in kindergarten.” Some even offer tutoring for the pre-kindergarten set.

So we push. Full-day kindergarten, loaded with reading, writing, arithmetic, and testing is pretty much a given now. And many say for good reason. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, for instance, found that the reading and math skills of full-timers outpaced those of their half-day peers.

But hold on. The study also found that those gains are short-lived, did not last much beyond kindergarten, and pretty much disappeared altogether by third grade. And that would come as no surprise to one Springfield Township School District teacher who said, “We stuff so much information into our kindergarteners’ heads that, by the time they get to my [third grade] classroom, many of them are burned out.”

Meanwhile, now comes word from The Alliance for Childhood, which recently responded to the federal Common Core Standards, so far adopted by 41 states and the District of Columbia. Its conclusion: of the more than 90 kindergarten standards, most are not research-based and “will require long hours of instruction if children are to achieve them.”

A laudable prospect? You decide.

Video gaming goes to the Supreme Court

Video games: absorbing, interactive, potentially addictive, and, on many occasion, violent—and therein lies much of the problem. That’s because many experts believe the brutality our children are exposed to desensitizes them and contributes to aggressive and very unchildlike behavior.

Indeed, says the American Academy of Pediatrics, “There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both counts. . . The conclusion of the public health community, based on over 30 years of research, is that viewing entertainment violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, values and behavior, particularly in children.”

For that very reason, California’s Senator Leland Yee—who also happens to be a child psychologist—sponsored a state ban of violent video games to minors back in 2005. In his view, more than any book, comic, or movie, these games are uniquely interactive with kids shooting, maiming, even decapitating human beings for amusement.

And he warns, “No parent can just play the game and know everything in it.” That’s because often the brutality comes only after hours of play and that, for instance, a player must first kill a cop before burning a woman.

Despite Governor Schwarzenegger’s signature, the law has never been enforced. That’s because, almost immediately, the gaming industry attacked it as infringing on its freedom of speech rights, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit agreed, declaring it unconstitutional.

Now the case, Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association, will be decided by the United States Supreme Court, and already it’s clear that there’s no easy agreement. For instance, Justices Alito, Roberts, and Breyer tend to agree that states have the right to pass laws prohibiting minors from purchasing “violent, sadistic, and graphic” video games. On the other side: Justices Sontomayor, Ginsberg, and Scalia.

A decision is expected in June.

You should also know that the California law would require that an “18” label—for minimum age—be affixed to the packaging of violent games, and that stores that fail to comply would be fined up to $1,000.

Meanwhile, though, the Entertainment Merchants Association and the Entertainment Software Association reminds us that Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) labels already exist, with six age-specific ratings:

1. EC (Early Childhood): suggests the content is suitable for children 3 and older and contains only age-appropriate material.

2. E (Everyone): suggests the content is suitable for those six and older and may contain minimal violence, some comic mischief, and/or crude language.

3. EC10 (Everyone 10 & Older): suggests the content is suitable for that age group and may contain more cartoon, fantasy, or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.

4. T (Teen): suggests the content is suitable for those 13 and older and may contain violent content, mild or strong language, and/or suggestive themes.

5. M (Mature): suggests the content is suitable for those 17 and older and may introduce more intense violence or language than those sold with the “T” rating.

6. AO (Adults Only): means the content is only suitable for adults and may contain graphic depictions of sex and/or violence—and are not intended for sale or rental to anyone under the age of 18.

Adequate? You decide. After all, some would assert that “minimal violence” and “crude language” might not be appropriate for a six-year-old or want their 13-year-old exposed to “violent content, mild or strong language, and/or suggestive themes.”

Plus, according to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2008 20% of minors are able to purchase “M” rated games; that figure stood at 43% three years earlier.

Moreover, researchers at Iowa State University found that about 8% of our 8- to 18-year-old kids “demonstrate pathological patterns of video-game play” and were more likely to have attention issues at school, lower grades, and more health problems than their non-pathological game-playing peers.

And a survey of 4,028 Connecticut high schoolers found that 6% of boys and 3% of girls reported signs of “problem” gaming, including “an irresistible urge to play, trying and failing to cut down on gaming, and feelings of tension that could only be relieved by playing.” Plus, 4% of the girls said they’d gotten into a serious fight, and 8% said they’d carried a weapon.

Then there’s the Saint Leo University’s analysis of 16 studies conducted between 1985 and 2004 on video games and aggression in children under 18. The conclusion: “Violent video games can increase aggressive behavior in children and adolescents, both in the short- and long-term, according to an empirical review of the last 20 years of research.”

An explanation is offered by Harvard University researcher Kimberly Thompson: “Video games differ from more passive mediums, such as comic books, in one important way. They are interactive. When you play a video game, you get feedback, you’re rewarded.” In fact, when she explored numerous popular teen-rated games, she found that “players were being rewarded for committing acts of violence. So basically, violence becomes just a part of how you move on in the game.”

The facts speak for themselves:

• According to the Entertainment Merchants Association, more than 2/3 of American households have at least one person playing video games.

• Video games pull in about $10 billion annually.

Meanwhile, a First Amendment Center survey of 1,033 adults, 18 and older, found that 86% said parents should have a “great deal” of responsibility in keeping video games out of their kids’ hands; 43% said video-game manufacturers and should be responsible. Only 28% said the government should be the responsible party.

That means parents must be accountable, vigilant, and well-informed by . . .

• Reading reviews online and in magazines before making any purchases.

• Test-driving, so to speak, purchased games.

• Keeping the rating labels in mind and deciding if the content is truly appropriate for their child, despite the recommendations of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.

• Finding better ways to occupy their children by engaging them in a variety of activities.

• Avoiding the temptation of handing over the Gameboy for some peace and quiet.

• Limiting play time—and requiring that all homework and studying be completed beforehand.

• Keeping the conversation going about entertainment media and the decisions being made.

As a result, forty-four states have now instituted their own anti-bullying laws, and New Jersey’s “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights” only needs Governor Christie’s signature. Said Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle (D-Bergen), “This legislation makes it clear that preventing and responding to incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying are not optional.”

The need cannot be overstated, as victimized kids can no longer run home and find sanctuary. Cyberbullies circulate their maliciousness 24/7, and there’s no escaping it. Indefensible, for sure, yet some parents consider spreading hurtfulness a protected right and are going to court to make their case.

They don’t always win, though. Two heralded decisions stand out, favoring a school’s right to discipline its cyberbullies:

• J.S. ex rel. Snyder v. Blue Mountain School District: In February, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Pennsylvania school did not violate a middle schooler’s free speech rights when she was suspended for posting a fake profile of her principal on MySpace describing him in lewd terms as a pedophile and sex addict.

• Doninger v. Niehoff: Here, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a school district did not violate a student’s First Amendment rights when it disciplined her for calling school administrators as “the douche bags in the central office” on her personal blog.

Meanwhile, a California federal court held that a student could be disciplined for posting a YouTube slideshow of her middle school English teacher’s murder.

In another case, a Washington federal court upheld the 40-day suspension of a high schooler who videotaped his teacher in class, then posted it on YouTube with sexually suggestive graphics and music.

In other instances, however, rulings have found against schools taking punitive measures—all in the name of freedom of speech:

• Layschock v. Hermitage School District: Here, a Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a high schooler could NOT be punished for portraying his principal as “a drunk,” “drug user,” and “big whore,” ruling that such speech is protected by the First Amendment, since it wasn’t proven that the profile was potentially disruptive.

• J.C. v. Beverly Hills Unified School District et al: In this case, when a student posted a YouTube video belittling an eighth grader as “spoiled,” “a brat,” and “a slut,” she was suspended for two days. Her parents, however, claimed that violated their daughter’s right to be mean in cyberspace, and U.S. District Judge agreed because he found that it caused little disruption.

Stay tuned, as more parents take their cyberbullying children’s side by going to court, making headlines, and spurring officials to take more action. As it is, even the federal government is getting involved by developing anti-bullying strategies and highlighting effective programs on a specifically established site.

And, while, to date, no case has reached the Supreme Court, that may very well change. In the meantime, officials, such as Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli are weighing in. His stated legal opinion is that schools have the right to seize students’ cell phones and laptops and can also read their text messages if there is “reasonable grounds for suspecting that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated either the law or the rules of the school.”

We parents can do our part, too, by practicing kindness and respect for others, monitoring our children’s online activities and experiences, and making them mindful that mean-spiritedness is not just hurtful, it can have dire consequences. Remind them, too, that eventually, what goes around comes around . . .

A tutor comes to the task with a specific expertise or two.  For instance, many kids hit a math wall when algebra is added to their rosters or have trouble comprehending their textbooks.  If a parent doesn’t get it either, then a tutor is paid to come rescue the situation.

But such is not the case here.  As explained in the New York Times article, “Like a Monitor More Than a Tutor,” homework helpers are not teachers with an expertise in a certain subject area.  Think of them, instead, as generalists and perhaps even task masters.  As New York City’s Central Park Tutors’ co-owner Mike Wallach explains it:  “This niche industry caters to students who are capable of doing the work but need someone there who can just be there with them to consistently do the work in a regular manner.”

The company’s site puts it this way:  “[Along with tutoring services] for those who need it, we also have experience focusing on organization, learning disabilities, emotional frustration, or lack of interest.” 

Homework helper or parent substitute?  You decide.

As he has advised, “We’ve got to dispel the myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage—that it’s some inevitable part of growing up. It’s not. We have an obligation to ensure that our schools are safe for all of our kids. And to every young person out there, you need to know that if you’re in trouble, there are caring adults who can help.”

To that end, October was named National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, with November touted as Anti-Bullying Month, the 15th through the 19th Anti-Bullying Week, and the first called National Anti-Bullying Day.

All very noble, but lofty labels alone, while garnering a certain amount of attention, don’t necessarily affect change. Instead, every day of the year, we must all pull together and stop attributing all this meanness to just kids being kids.

For instance, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on October 25th, 17-year-old Jesse Buchsbaum hanged himself in his Gilbertsville home; his family believes bullying contributed to his death.

That’s why our schools across the country are so committed to reducing bullying, establishing a student code of conduct, providing outreach programs for parents, and adopting such programs as Olweus and Roots of Empathy, or ROE, which is showing even more promise in halting what some call an epidemic of mistreatment.

At the heart of school-wide efforts, though, is creating a climate where students can confide in their teachers, counselors, and administrators, knowing that their concerns will be taken seriously and addressed immediately.

Take, for instance, Pennsylvania’s Pottstown High School’s “Restorative Practices,” which is producing a culture of support when kids are confronted with bullying. And, when initial efforts to stem the problem prove inadequate, as Principal Stephen Rodriguez says, “The district gets tough.”

So should we all.

A recent Josephson Institute of Ethics survey of 43,321 teens, 15 to 18, from 78 public and 22 private schools, found that 50% said they’d been “bullied, teased, or taunted in a way that seriously upset me at least once.” Meanwhile, in the past 12 months . . .

• 52% said they’d hit someone in anger;

• 37% of boys and 19% of girls said it’s OK to hit or threaten someone who angers them.

And, as if that’s not enough, along with the fact that obese children are bullied more than anyone else, an American Justice Department survey found that:

• 25% of kids are bullied.

• 14% of those who had been bullied experienced severe/bad reactions.

• 20% admitted to being a bully or doing some bullying.

• 43% fear being harassed in the school bathroom.

• 8% said they miss a day of school each month fearful of bullying.

Even more unsettling is that bullying behavior patterns are set by age six.

All of this, of course, suggests that, along with sticks and stones, words do, indeed, hurt, and that means it’s all-the-more imperative that we parents be proactive.

Start by asking that your child’s physician discuss bullying during checkups. Plus, since this is no time to adhere to some unwritten code of silence, be sure to remind your child to confide in a trusted adult—you or someone else—whenever being harassed.

Always be vigilant, too, noting behaviors that suggest bullying might be involved, such as if your child:

1) Becomes moody, withdrawn, or stressed.

2) Complains of stomach aches and/or nightmares.

3) Shows signs of physical abuse, including tattered clothing and unexplained bruises.

4) Experiences a drop in grades.

5) Expresses disdain for others and engages in a good deal of gossiping.

Bottom line: listen well to your child, paying careful attention and providing solid support–communicating openly and serving as a guide without interfering unnecessarily in his or her life. And, of course, monitor your own behavior, too, as research tells us that the typical bully comes from a conflicted family.

The highly publicized deaths of Tyler Clementi and Phoebe Prince leave no doubt; no wonder November is National Anti-Bullying Month.

A short time ago in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, more than 100 Souderton Area High School students signed up in September for National Kick a Freshman Day; fortunately that effort was thwarted by officials.

Just recently, however,17-year-old Jesse Buchsbaum hanged himself in his Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania home, most likely a victim of bullying.

As John Halligan will tell you, the toll is great. Because his son Ryan killed himself after being bullied in school and online, he now tours the country advising parents, telling them “If we only knew; if he’d only told us.” In September, Mr. Halligan made his way to Arcola Intermediate School.

Even President Obama has addressed the issue, reminding kids, “You are not alone. You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t do anything to deserve being bullied. And there is a whole world waiting for you, filled with possibilities. There are people out there who love you and care about you just the way you are. And so, if you ever feel like because of bullying, because of what people are saying, that you’re getting down on yourself, you’ve got to make sure to reach out to people you trust. Whether it’s your parents, teachers, folks that you know care about you just the way you are. You’ve got to reach out to them; don’t feel like you’re in this by yourself.”

Meanwhile, in October, the North Penn School District presented the Internet safety program “Teenage At-Risk Trends: What Every Parent Needs to Know.” This month the district is offering “Good Kids in an At-Risk World: Parenting Skills for the 21st Century:

Where: Penndale Middle School, 400 Penn Street in Lansdale

When: Thursday, November 18th, at 7:00 p.m.

In addition, Pottsgrove School District’s SNAP (Students Need Assistance Project) Academy is offering two Internet safety presentations:

1. “Social Networking: Keeping Your Kids Safe on the Internet,” in the Pottstown High School auditorium, on November 22nd at 6:30 p.m.

2. “Cyber Issues: What You Need to Know,” in the Pottstown High School Auditorium on November 23rd at 6:30 p.m.

Getting in-the-know is crucial. A National Crime Prevention Council survey of 1,500 teens found that:

• 43% said they’d been cyberbullied last year;

• 96% have an email account;

• 43% said “their parents usually know what they’re doing online” but have no online use rules.

• 27% said their parents don’t know what they’re doing online; and

• Only 23% have and follow their parents’ rules.

Sadly, as the NCPC also reports, 81% of of the kids say cyberbullies think what they’re doing is funny; others say perpetrators . . .

• Don’t consider cyberbullying a big deal;

• Fail to consider the consequences;

• Are encouraged by their friends;

• Figure they won’t get caught.

And so many kids are involved. Says an isafe.com survey:

• 42% of kids have been bullied online; 25% said it’s happened more than once.

• 35% have been threatened online; for almost 20%, that’s happened more than once.

• 21% have received mean or threatening emails or other messages.

• 58% admit someone said mean or hurtful things to them online; more than 40% said it had happened more than once.

• 53% admitted saying something mean or hurtful to someone online, with 33% doing so more than once.

• 58% of bullied kids admit they’d never confided in a parent or other adult.

Furthermore, a recent Cyberbullying Research Center survey of 4,400 children between the ages of ten and fourteen revealed that 20% had either been a victim or had engaged in cyberbullying. However, these figures likely underestimate the problem, as it’s hard for kids to admit such things.

Meanwhile, online cruelty is not restricted to just Facebook and MySpace. There’s even a site that openly invites mean-spiritedness. Called Burnbook, it touts itself as “a social utility that allows you to gossip about the people in your life while staying completely anonymous.” One visit tells you all you need to know: its popularity is undeniable; its potential for incivility is endless.

All this means parents must be aware and on the alert for the telltale signs that their child might be a victim:

1. Avoids going online or using a cell phone

2. Is anxious when receiving a text, instant message, or email

3. Is visibly upset after being online or using a cell phone

4. Hides or clears the screen when you appear

5. Withdraws from friends

6. Earns lower grades than usual

7. Doesn’t want to go to school

8. Is uncharacteristically sullen, pensive, withdrawn, or angry

9. Is excessively moody, frequently cries, and/or seems depressed

10. Has trouble sleeping and/or experiences a loss of appetite

11. Complains of stomach and/or headaches

12. Refuses to join in family and/or school activities

On the other hand, might your child be the cyberbully and not a victim? Perhaps, if s/he . . .

1. Uses a number of online accounts—even other people’s.

2. Is heard laughing excessively when on the phone or computer.

3. Avoids talking about online activities.

4. Closes out or clicks to another screen should you happen to approach.

5. Uses the computer a lot at night.

6. Would be very upset were you to deny computer or cell phone access.

Have no doubt: this is not child’s play, so be on guard and be sure to advise your child:

• Never post or share personal information like your full name, address, phone number, credit card, or social security number;

• Don’t share your passwords with anyone but us;

• Never agree to meet face-to-face with someone met only online; and

• Trust us and keep us informed about all of your online activities and experiences.

Then add this: “If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it online. Delete cyberbullying; don’t write it; don’t forward it.”

And then fight back by seeking out more information and assistance from such sites as:

• www.mousemail.com ~ Says it’s “the only service that provides parents peach of mind and complete control over their children’s digital lives, protecting them from cyberbullying, sexting, cyber stalking, and threatening emails and text messages.

• http://www.socialshield.com/?ref=myshield.com ~ Says, “Some people think that Facebook monitors for content. They don’t. Some people think they can see everything their kids do simply by being their Facebook friend. They can’t. SocialShield sees it all and more and then we let you know right away when something goes wrong.”

• www.wiredsafety.org ~ Says it’s “the world’s largest Internet safety, help and education resource.”

For instance, many Texas districts establish minimum grades of 50, 60, or even 70 for assignments and report cards.  In other words, fail, then get a grade boost.

Apparently, such administrators believe that by thus helping students bypass failure, they will feel better about themselves, work harder, and meet success.

If only it were that simple.  Unfortunately, many kids figure out the system and play it like a fiddle, getting away with minimal effort, yet receiving the same grade as other students who work their butts off to pass.

Down there in Texas, Republican Jane Nelson doesn’t think that’s fair, so last year she sponsored legislation to prevent districts from setting these minimum grades, and her efforts are supported by the state’s education commissioner, Robert Scott.

National Education Association-Dallas board member, Diane Birdwell agrees and says, “We have now raised a group of students through the school system that know if you do nothing, you get a 50.  I don’t know any job that pays me half my salary for doing nothing.”

The districts in question are fighting back, though, so stay tuned.  Hopefully, they’ll lose in court, so that  whatever students earn ends up being the grades that appear on their assignments, tests, and report cards.

Never sure whether or not to subscribe to all that “wisdom” and act accordingly, many of us seek the professional advice of our pediatricians.

Only they might not have all the right answers.

So says Dr. Andrew Adesman, a pediatrician at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York and author of Babyfacts: The Truth about Your Child’s Health from Newborn through Preschool. For his study, he and his team sent out questionnaires to 5,000 board-certified American pediatricians and heard back from 1,002 of them. Of the 48 questions posed, 34 were so-called myths, while the rest were all true statements. The doctors’ responses—true, likely true, unsure, likely false, or false—should give us pause.

Dr. Adesman acknowledges that most old wives’ tales are harmless—and that, like the rest of us, many pediatricians buy into them, too. For instance:

• 9% believe that sleeping with a night light on causes nearsightedness.

• 11% believe sugar causes hyperactivity.

• 15% believe we should wait 30 minutes after eating to swim.

• 17% believe vitamin C helps ward off colds.

• 33% believe wounds heal more quickly when exposed to air.

The good news is that we parents can either heed such advice—or not—at no risk. The bad news, though, is that some long-held beliefs actually pose serious threats to our children’s well-being. For example, Dr. Adesman discovered that of the 1,002 respondents . . .

1. 3% said it’s fine to give honey to babies younger than 6 months; doing so can actually cause paralyzing botulism poisoning.

2. 5% said an ice bath can help reduce a fever; in reality, doing so can cause hypothermia, with the body temperature falling below 95.0 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. 5% said aspirin can safely be given to children over 6 years of age; however, that can trigger Reye’s syndrome, a potentially fatal disease.

4. 33% said it’s advisable to treat burns with an application of ice; in fact, that can cause hypothermia and/or damage skin.

5. 33% said it’s safe to put a baby down to sleep on his/her side; do so and possibly risk crib death.

Best bet: play it safe by double-checking well-meaning advice—even from your child’s pediatrician–stay well-informed, and read the detailed summary of Dr. Adesman’s revealing study.

Making schools better with national standardsAfter taking more than a year to develop and built on a foundation of previously established college and career-readiness standards, the Common Core State Standards have now been released.

You should know that . . .

• The Standards were developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association—along with input from numerous teachers, parents, school administrators, civil rights and business leaders—and are designed to replace the various uncoordinated ones currently defined by the states.

• Only Texas and Alaska did not participate.

• The Standards address English language arts (ELA), literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects, and mathematics, K-12.

• All are “1) research and evidence-based; 2) aligned with college and work expectations; 3) rigorous; and 4) internationally benchmarked.”

• The states are allowed to add up to 15% of their own standards to fill in any gaps.

If adopted nationwide, as hoped, every state—thus every district—will essentially be following the same curricular guidelines, thus enabling a child to transition smoothly from, for instance, a school in Oklahoma City to one in Norristown, without losing any ground or repeating much material.

Meanwhile, state applications are now being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education for the second round of the Race to the Top (RTTT) grant competition. In the first round, Pennsylvania came in seventh; only Tennessee and Delaware won that time. We are now one of 35 states and the District of Columbia trying again.

Initially, Education Secretary Arne Duncan made adopting the national standards an RTTT application requirement, but organizations such as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development were wary of such a mandate. As a result, adoption now earns a state extra points on its application.

Competing this second time suggests that Pennsylvania will likely adopt the Standards, which, so far, appear to be in accord with our own.

To read all of the Standards, which represent “what students should understand and be able to do by the end of each grade,” go to www.corestandards.org.

You’ll find, for instance, that instead of a list of required readings, the English Language Arts Standards includes an appendix with suggestions for appropriate texts at each grade level. The exception: high school juniors and seniors must study the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, and one Shakespearean play.

Meanwhile, you’d also discover, for instance, that third graders would be able to describe the characters of a story, sixth graders could compare and contrast various texts, while 11th graders would demonstrate a knowledge of 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century foundational works in American literature.

And when it comes to writing, the standards indicate, for example, that a 5th grader would successfully write well-supported opinion pieces, while an 8th grader would be able to write arguments based on relevant evidence, and seniors would be able to convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly.

The Grades 6-12 Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science/Technical Standards include:

• Identifying aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point or view and purpose.

• Analyzing an author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, defining the question the author seeks to address.

Meanwhile, the Mathmatics Standards include, for instance, the expectation that first graders could solve word problems that call for addition of three whole numbers whose sum is less than or equal to 20, while 5th graders could handle fractions with unlike denominators, 8th graders could use rational approximations of irrational numbers, and high schoolers could apply the Remainder Theorem.

Of course, adoption would force states to amend their standardized tests and curricula to mesh with the Standards. Is it worth it?

Founder and chairman of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia, E.D. Hirsch, Jr. says, “This is a welcome acknowledgement that only a cumulative, grade-by-grade curriculum, focused on coherent content, can lead to the high level of literacy which the nation needs. In short, the Common Core Standards represent a fundamental and long overdue rethinking of the dominant process-approach to U.S. literacy instruction.”

Meanwhile, former Los Angeles Unified School District teacher and lecturer at the UCLA Graduate School, Walt Gardner is now an education contributor to major newspapers and magazines. He writes that “National standards are not a panacea for the ills afflicting public education, but they are a step in the right direction. There are always risks involved in an undertaking of this magnitude. On balance, however, I think they are worth taking.”

The bottom line: these Standards, developed, as they were, by experts, will provide teachers with flexible guidelines they can follow as they develop lesson plans that will meet the needs and interests of their students.

And that’s a plus, any way you look at it.

Nowadays, competition is getting a bad rap and self-esteem considerations reign with the result that, across the country, schools are naming multiple valedictorians.  Really.

Take for example:

• Stratford High School (Houston suburbs) honored 30 valedictorians this year–6.5% of the senior class!
• Harrison High School (north of NYC) named 13 valedictorians in a class of 221 students.
• St. Vrain Valley District (Colorado)  named 94 valedictorians!

As reported by Winnie Hu in her “How Many Graduates Does It Take to Be No.1,” Don Haddad, St. Vrain Valley District’s superintendent said, “We have not lowered the bar to achieve more valedictorians.  More kids are now getting over the bar.”

I just don’t see it that way.  To my way of thinking, doing so dilutes the distinction usually attributed to that honor, laying it to waste.

In the real world, there will always be a top dog, a numero uno, a star who steals the show–but, apparently, that’s a lesson a number of our schools refuse to teach.

Does putting thought to paper come easily to your child, or does it invite arm twisting, gnawed pencils, and piles of crumpled paper? And does it matter? You bet. Says Pennsylvania’s Department of Education, “Writing is an essential skill in most places, where it serves as a means of posing and solving problems, of making reports, and of persuading others to take a particular action.” There’s no getting around it. This is, after all, the Information Age.

First step: bring it home. Don’t just think of writing and the honing of skills as the work of schools and teachers. Keep it close, keep it meaningful, keep it going—and get in the act, too. There’s writing to be done:

1. Message each other frequently by leaving notes on pillows, desks, mirrors, wherever.
2. Make letter writing a habit for all, sending them to friends, relatives, even Santa.
3. Write your autobiography as a gift to your child.
4. Have your child write an annual “Year in Review”–an ongoing record of your lives.
5. On birthdays, give written gifts of family stories and recalled moments.
6. Send postcards to each other—without going anywhere. We all love mail.
7. Make the sending of thank you notes a must for everyone.
8. Keep a family journal, a record of your lives over time—and include captioned photos.
9. Writing letters to the editor keeps the juices flowing.
10. Promote journal writing—and respect privacy.
11. Encourage your child to write and perform skits or puppet shows. Think Popsicle sticks.
12. Contact Student Letter Exchange for pen pals: 516-887-8628; www.pen-pa.com

With all that at-home writing going on—reading, too–skills improve. They have no choice. Meanwhile, back at school, essays and essay tests keep coming, so, to keep up the momentum, share these suggestions with your child:

1. Carry a “writer’s notebook” for capturing interesting observations, bits of noteworthy conversations, cool facts, great quotes, etc.–a gold mine for future writings. Here’s a favorite from mine:

“If life had a sneak preview, would you attend? Would you want to know everything in store?”
~ from a First Health print ad

2. A thesaurus, dictionary, and How to Spell It (for not-sure-how-to-spell words) are a must. So is maintaining a personal dictionary of troublesome words.

3. A word wall of newly encountered words, along with their definitions and parts of speech, builds vocabulary and language skills.

4. Travel logs for recording new sights and experiences bring the journey home and serve as a resource for future assignments.

5. A pad and pencil placed on the bedside table—flashlight, too—is the way to go for recording while-sleeping ideas.

6. “Free writing” for five minutes about a favorite person, place, thing, idea, or event; then switching to something distasteful serves as a super warm-up.

7. “Brainstorm” the topic first by creating a list of associated words and phrase, thus setting the stage for the first draft.

Start by explaining that effort is often more critical than ability, modeling hard work and valuing learning. Set up a schoolwork schedule together, and then limit distractions during work times. If necessary, help get assignments started—then, step back. This is your child’s job, not yours. At the same time, hold high but realistic expectations, believing in your child, building on his strengths, and never accepting good enough as good enough. Achievement requires time and effort, so acknowledge hard work, praise true accomplishment, and help him find opportunity in failure. Also beneficial is sharing news accounts and biographies of successful people and encouraging such as endeavors as painting and cooking. Then, with a schedule in place, develop goals with your child and monitor them.

Servants of motivation and success, goals are both guideposts and destinations, promoting self-confidence and accomplishment. Jim Morris, accepted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at thirty-five, says, “You need to have a series of goals to get you to your major goal. Break down big goals and take it a little at a time . . .”

Your child needs to know that achievement requires the desire to succeed and hard work, too. Goals mark the way–attainable but challenging enough to ensure a true sense of accomplishment. Remember: self-esteem comes from attempting a demanding goal, working hard, and finally either accomplishing it or knowing you gave it your best shot, be it jogging a mile, finishing a book, or improving a grade. It doesn’t stem from threats or promises of rewards, so tell your child to . . .

Make goals both specific and positive, moving from, “I won’t waste time,” to, “I’ll use my time better,” and follow that up with a plan.

2. Monitor progress and make adjustments when necessary.
3. Give goals a “due date,” and place sticky-note reminders on bathroom mirrors, the
fridge–all around the house.
4. Share goals with others; not wanting to disappoint is a powerful motivator.
5. Value positive self-talk, encouraging your child to say, like that little engine, “I
think I can.”
6. Replace, “I can’t,” and “It’s too hard,” with “I’ll do my best.” No one can ask for
more.

GOAL-SETTING

FIRST, my most important responsibilities as a student:
1. ______________________________ 3. _____________________________
2. ______________________________ 4. _____________________________

MY SHORT-TERM GOALS: DUE DATE:
1. ______________________________________________ ____________
2. ______________________________________________ ____________
3. ______________________________________________ ____________
4. ______________________________________________ ____________
5. ______________________________________________ ____________

WHAT I’D LIKE TO BE SOMEDAY: ___________________________________

STEPS I MUST TAKE: (“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” ~ Michelle Amodie)
1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________

If you’re still wondering if all this goal-setting stuff is worth it, the answer is, “You bet!” Putting one foot in front of the other—always moving forward with a clear destination in mind– is as good a definition of motivation and success as any I can think of. By setting reasonable but challenging short-term goals, progress is made. Make achievement the standard and share Aldous Huxley’s words: “There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” Don’t wait.

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through . . .

I’ll start by asking which of these words are correctly spelled. segue, dicotomy, bouillion, scissars, brouhaha, begger, shepard, lieutenent, calander, guaruntee. Are you sure? Remember that you can’t look them up. This is a test–just like the ones your child takes in school. Answers come later; for now, it’s enough if you’re starting to sympathize with the spelling-challenged.

Spelling demons abound—troublesome words loaded with silent letters (ache), and words that sound alike but are spelled differently (allowed/aloud). Then there are those troublesome double consonants where only one is sounded (allowed). Ever wondered about them? Educator James Cornish offers this explanation: During the Early English period, printers were paid by the letter. Adding an unnecessary one here and there increased their earnings—and messed with our heads forever after. As for those ninety spelling rules, the only one most of us recall is the “i before e, except after c,” but then weird neighbors come calling.

So now that you’ve taken a spelling test, been reminded of the vagaries of English, and are either a bad speller yourself or know one—perhaps your child–read on for some tips:

1. Talk often about the importance of spelling and play spelling games, such as Scrabble, Hangman, and Boggle.

2. Explain that all final copies, even worksheets, should be well-spelled.

3. Carelessness accounts for many misspellings, so remind your child to double-check by rereading the piece backward, starting with the very last word.

4. When unsure about a spelling, your child should circle it as she writes and look it up later.

5. Since looking up a hard-to-spell word can be a problem, consider investing in How to Spell It. Here, you find the word as you think it’s spelled, as in numonia, and right beside it is the correct spelling, pneumonia.

6. When asked to look over written work, don’t make the corrections yourself. Instead, place a light checkmark in the margin beside the line with the misspelling.

7. Frequently misspelled words should be recorded in a personal dictionary for easy reference. Just jot down the letters of the alphabet, each on a separate sheet of paper, together with several of their spelling demons.

8. For confusing words, encourage your child to come up with a mnemonic. (dessert: “Strawberry Shortcake is my favorite deSSert.”)

9. For repeatedly misspelled words, try VAKT (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Tactile). On a long sheet of paper, slowly write the word in cursive, saying it at the same time. Your child then traces it with a finger, while also saying the word. When ready, she turns the paper over and spells the word. If incorrect, these steps are repeated.

10. Help your child “hear” how some words are actually spelled, like “choc-o-late,” and “la-sag-na.”

11. Remind your child that a computer spell checker can reinforce correct spelling but also mislead. It doesn’t know, for example, that there’s a difference between then and than.

Answers: segue is correct. Correct spellings of the others: dichotomy, bouillon, scissors, brouhaha, beggar, shepherd, lieutenant, calendar, guarantee

Our memories, too, can let us down. Our short-term memory allows us to keep a thought—but not for long. Storing information, like a computer’s hard-drive, is our long-term memory’s job. To demonstrate, ask your child to look up a number in the phone book, close it, and dial it—then immediately hang up. Now chat a bit before having her dial the number again. No redial button allowed. Most likely, the number will be forgotten, as if a switch had been flipped.

If your child studies at the last minute, much of those stuffed-in facts will quickly leak from her short-term memory—and all the head banging in the world won’t recapture what’s been lost. As chemistry professor, Dr. Pedlow, explains, “If information isn’t ‘saved’ in your long-term memory, it soon fades. In two weeks, recall is down to about 20%; in a month, it’s hovering around 5%” No wonder, then, if she earned a low grade despite her knowing it cold when you quizzed her. Very cold, it turns out. So what to do? Students must more permanently store all those facts, dates, events, terms, spellings, and here’s how:

MEMORY LESSON #1: Repeat information frequently, with the intent to learn and remember.

MEMORY LESSON #2: Recitation (studying/reviewing out loud) is the most powerful memory tool of all when coupled with repetition.

MEMORY LESSON #3: “Chunking,” or grouping information, is particularly helpful when it comes to rote memorization of facts, definitions, etc. That’s why flash cards are always in style. After the first go-through, your child should end up with an I-know-these pile and one for the not-so-well-known. Those require repeated sessions until the entire stack is memorized. Ma Bell understands the concept. Instead of 1234567890, phone numbers are listed as 123-456-7890.

MEMORY LESSON #4: Create sentence cues for learning lists, such as “My Very Elegant Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” for recalling the planets in order.

MEMORY LESSON #5: Create acronyms for learning lists, such as ROY G. BIV for memorizing the colors of the visible spectrum in order (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)

MEMORY LESSON #6: Make up mnemonics to correctly spell tricky words. For instance, WE are WEird and ERIN wants to be a vetERINarian.

MEMORY LESSON #7: The brain has the remarkable ability to create and hold onto images. When looking at something, an electrical impulse reaches the brain’s vision center; it happens when we use our “mind’s eye,” too, so tell your child to create mental pictures when reading.

Here’s some more advice. To store information in the long-term memory, it must be reviewed three to five times over the course of three to five days. Believing you’ll remember helps, too. Meanwhile, gesturing makes thinking easier, while writing begins the memory process and causes the brain to process information deeply and refine thinking. Some also say that peppermint and gum chewing boost memory, while glucose helps improve memory test scores–foods like apples and dried fruit, not sodas or sugar-laden juices. Helpful, too, is coupling learning with the rhythms of music and relaxing all muscles. Finally, getting a good night’s sleep helps the brain store studied information. Losing just two hours of sleep one night can impair the ability to remember the next day.