The buds are budding, the bulbs are bursting, the grass is greening, the birds are singing, the air is warming and the earth just seems to have new life everywhere.  Spring, the season of new beginning, is upon us.  

We all need "Springs"...new beginnings, new challenges.... that can jump start us from the dormancy of winter.  

I'm a collector of old books.  Most of them are children's books and old instructional material.  On occasion I pick up an old novel if it strikes my interest.  In the last months I have been reading some of these enchanting stories from the past.  I am reminded of the following quote by Gilbert Highet:

"Books are not lumps of lifeless paper but minds alive on the shelves.  From each of them goes out its own voice...and just as the touch of a button on your stereo set will fill the room with music, so by taking down one of these volumes, and opening it, one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind heart to heart."  

If you run across old novels or stories, take the time to read them.  You will find the difference in writing style, as well as the customs and ways of an earlier time intriguing. 

Please watch your children for signs of stress during the days and weeks ahead.  The images of war are not only stressful for us but especially for our children.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to those involved in war.  May it end peacefully and soon.   

Learning with e-Tutor:

Fourteen new lessons were added to e-Tutor this month.  We are constantly adding new lessons to the bank of lessons.  There are nearly 1500 lessons in the e-Tutor program now. 

A Word About Broken Links -
You may have run across broken links in the lessons.  This is common.  Please report them to us.  One of the features of e-Tutor is the use of Internet links throughout the lesson that reinforce the concept or skill being taught in the lesson.  Our goal has been to use links that will have longevity, over time even the best sites change their URLs.  With approximately ten links in each lesson, we are constantly checking these.  Sometimes we just cannot get to them fast enough.  Please help.  If you find a broken link, send us email with the name of the lesson and the broken link.  We appreciate the help.  

Records -
Set a simple file system for your child to keep his or her work in.  Use four file folders (there are some bright colored ones available), one for Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies.  As your student completes the Activity and Extended Learning included with each lesson, have him place them in the appropriate folder.  Once a month print out the report card and include this in the folder.  Your student will be able to see his or her own improvement over time.  

Your student should keep track of the time he or she starts to study each day.  This can be marked on a calendar or on a piece of paper.  Have your child keep track of music lessons or excursions to museums or parks.  Physical activities should also be part of the record.  

If you are not an e-Tutor subscriber, don't let another day pass without  logging on to virtual learning!

www.e-tutor.com

We owe almost all our knowledge not those who have agreed but to those who have differed. 

Charles Caleb Colton

Listen---So They Will Talk

Good communication builds good relationships and is the best foundation for helping your teenager learn to make more of his or her own decisions.  

Listening is an art that requires practice.  Here are some ideas to help you become a better listener for your child's sake.  

Be attentive
Stop what you are doing so you can give full attention.  Focus fully on your child's words, using eyes as well as ears.  Be sensitive to tone of voice and expression.  

Encourage talk
Eye contact, a smile, a nod and one-word responses indicate understanding if not agreement.  Keep questions brief, open and friendly and try to avoid "why" questions.  Children don't always know all the reasons behind their actions and feelings and open-ended questions won't help.

Try to empathize
Put yourself into another shoes.  Empathizing with your teenager may take imagination and patience, but try to focus on underlying feelings the child may be having difficulty in expressing.

Listen with respect
React to your teenager as you would to an adult friend.  Grownups tend to do most of the talking when conversing with young people.  LISTEN as much as you talk.  Accept the fact that teenagers are complainers.  Let them get their grievances off their chests.

Talk... so they will listen
Take time to have relaxed conversations alone with each of your children on a regular basis...five to 10 minutes each day.  It is often helpful to be doing something together when you talk...and preferably when others are not around. Here are some guidelines for talking with adolescents:

• Show respect
• Be brief
• Be aware of your tone
• Be specific
• Help your teenager empathize with you

Adapted from National School Public relations Association

Idealism increases in direct proportion to one's distance from the problem. 

John Galsworthy

One little detail makes all the difference.....

When Harry was a young boy in Louisiana, he was always getting into trouble.  On morning while waiting for the school bus, he pushed the outhouse into the bayou and went off for school as if nothing had happened.  When he returned, his father was waiting for him.  He said, "Son, did you push the outhouse into the bayou?"  "Yes, father,"  said Harry,  "like George Washington, I cannot tell a lie."  Harry's father said, "All right, son, I'm going to have to punish you."  Harry tried to explain that Mr. Washington didn't punish George when he admitted chopping down the cherry tree.  "Yes, son,"  said Harry's father, "but George's father wasn't in the tree."

Common Sense Safety

Warm weather means more outdoor fun.  Unfortunately, outdoor fun brings an increased risk of accidents for those who are careless or unknowledgeable about safety rules.

Accidents rank as the number one cause of death and disabilities in young people, according to the American Red Cross.  The good news:  you can prevent most of these accidents by keeping common sense safety rules in mind.  

• Never get into a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking or taking drugs, whether that person is a friend or an adult.  
• All cyclists should wear helmets, including those riding scooters.  Ensure visibility at night by using lights and reflectors.  Remember that traffic laws apply to cyclists too.
• Avoid roller blading or skateboarding on streets or crowded sidewalks.  Use a helmet, nee pads and elbow pads to prevent serious injuries from falls.
• When swimming, follow the rules set up for the pool, beach or waterfront.  Learn to swim well enough to survive in an emergency.  Never swim alone, even if you are an excellent swimmer.
• Make sure all equipment is in good repair and functions properly.  

Illinois Association of School Boards

The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.

Dr. Adolf Berle

The Top Ten Reasons Not To Give Your Children A Formal Sex Talk

• You're not too sure what the right answers are yourself.
• They would sense your anxiety about the subject, and  it would probably give them some deep-seated hang-ups.
• They probably know more about the subject than you do.
• Your spouse already took care of it. 
• They've already heard the TV sitcom dads give "The Talk" a few dozen times and you can't think of anything else to add.
• Perhaps they haven't thought about s-e-x yet and as they say down on the farm, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
• It would only encourage them/
• They might ask if you and the spouse still do that.
• The story about the stork still works for you.
• They will never be old enough. 

Smart Families

A Word on War

War is mankind's oldest weakness.  No civilization yet created has been able to abolish it.  In the past century alone, the United States was involved in four major wars...World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam....plus various minor military confrontations.  In that same period, the world tried to abolish war through non-aggression compacts, United Nations sessions, disarmament and arms limitation agreements, peaceful sanctions against aggressors, etc.  But military preparedness continued to be reflected around the world in mounting armament sales and the increasing sophistication of equipment.  The war against war has been waged at great cost.  

Getting Ready To Read

Readiness to read requires a certain amount of independence and maturity because it implies the ability to explore on one's own.  Children need help and guidance to achieve independence.  And successful reading requires that children determine words by themselves rather than rely on an adult.  Readiness to read also requires a willingness on the child's part to take risks, since mistakes are an unavoidable part of the learning process.  The child must be willing to make a mistake and continue.  Thus learning to read is hard work and children need all the emotional support they can get.  

• Correct sparingly.  Be careful not to produce anxiety that will threaten the child's willingness to take risks.

• Let your children know it's all right to move at their own pace, that they won't be compared to each other.

• Give your children responsibilities.  This will help prepare them to take responsibility for their reading. 

National Education Association

Page 4

You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to earn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. 

Health Education Covers a Lot of Territory

Today most Americans enjoy a healthier and longer lifespan than ever envisioned.  This condition was brought about primarily through the development of new medicines, research, better public health programs, improved medical services and care and health education.  But, in spite of these advances, millions of people are not living at their optimal level. 

Modern living has intensified many health problems...heart disease, obesity, mental illness, AIDS, drug addiction, venereal disease, teenage pregnancy and alcoholism, to name a few.  From time to time, one or more of these critical health problems has been enthusiastically attacked by health agencies and educational programs.  

Through experience we have learned that such hastily devised "crash" education programs often distort or overemphasize a particular health problem.  In reality, an effective health program must involve a continuing program of health instruction...a comprehensive program reaching students at every grade level. 

As part of growing mentally, every child must gradually learn to become the custodian of her or his body by taking on the responsibility of individual well-being.  It's a gradual process.  A learning process.

Through adequate education in health, we can provide children with -

• Opportunities to clarify values and attitudes about health that develop a sense of personal health responsibility.
• An understanding of growth and development.
• Pride in developing and maintaining good health.
• A critical attitude toward health services and products.
• An interest in health and safety aspects of their daily lives. 
• Needed information on crucial health problem.

National Education Association

Lost and Found

Sooner or later, even the most conscientious parents may find themselves separated from a child in a crowd.  The National Center for Missing Exploited Children has the following advice for youngsters who get lost.  Make sure your child understands it.

If a child is in a public place...a store, shopping mall, carnival or amusement park... and gets separated from his parents, he should not wander around looking for them.  Instead, he should go to a checkout counter, concession stand, security office or the lost and found and tell the person in charge that he has lost his parents and needs help finding them.  To help this person locate parents, even very young children should learn their parents' full names. 

Page 5

The most important product that America has been able to produce is not the automobile or television or the computer.  It is hope...hope not only for ourselves but for the world. 

Magnificent March Links

Hyper History:  The Hyper History site is a truly great use of the Internet. It doesn't just store information like an encyclopedia; it represents events and famous people using graphic timelines. Look up time periods in 500-year intervals and compare the ruling dynasties in different kingdoms of the world. Seeing information juxtaposed in this way can stimulate interesting connections and it's an efficient way to check your facts. Great links help you track down more detailed information. 
http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html 

BioTerrorism:  This is the companion Web site to "BioTerror" originally broadcast on November 13, 2001.  Follow reporters as they delve into the murky past of bio-weapons research and grapple with the current threat of anthrax and other attacks.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bioterror/

Little Shop of Physics: This  collection of hands-on science experiments presented by Colorado State University that are designed to be used by students at all grade levels, K-16. Check out the online experiments, and resources for teachers. Students learn science, but they also learn that science is something that they can do.
http://littleshop.physics.colostate.edu/default.html

The Jamestown OnLine Adventure:  Users are  in the situation of landing in the New World and making all the decisions needed to found a colony. This simulation lets 
them decide where to land, what to do when they get there, and even how many will be required to do hard labor. There are online helpers in the form of the London Company's Instruction and a Native American neighbor. Players will be scored as to how well they fared given the choices made, and will review what actually happened in Jamestown.  http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/

Book Adventure:  This website houses a free motivational reading program for children in grades K-8. Reviews help children pick a book to read, either from a library or bookstore. After the book is read, children can take a quiz online, with the incentive of prizes after a number of quizzes are completed. Parents can monitor their child's activities and find resources for reading challenges in their families. 
http://www.bookadventure.org/

Environmental Inquiry:  The mission of Environmental Inquiry (EI) is to support teaching and learning about the environmental sciences through teacher education, curriculum research and development and scientific inquiry by students 
and educators in grades 7-16. This site offers resources to aid development of meaningful research projects in the areas of toxicology, watersheds, ecology and biodegradation.
http://ei.cornell.edu/

Know Play? Reference Lookup:  Some pages hit at just the right time. Where else can you access (links to)  online dictionaries, thesauruses, rhyming dictionary, acronym, and artist lookup? The goal of this site is to simplify your life. It 
works for us.
http://www.kplay.cc/reference.html

Mount Rushmore - American Experience:  This online exhibit chronicles the planning, design, implementation and 
minutiae of Mount Rushmore, the U.S. monument commemorating four presidents. There are activities in the disciplines of civics, history, economics, and geography. 
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rushmore/

Enjoy a Wonderful Month!

From the Staff at Strategic Studies Corporation

 
Copyright © 2003 Strategic Studies Corp.
http://www.strategicstudies.com