| 4. Encourage a positive
approach A "can’t do"
approach weakens a child’s will to
"take-charge" of learning.
5. Understand
instructions
Your child
can’t gain a sense of
responsibility, work independently, and
"take-charge" in learning
situations without understanding
directions and instructions. Help your
child know what to do with everyday
instruction words by explaining, using,
and reviewing the key words and phrases
of instruction, such as:
- circle
P cross out P underline P delete P omit P graph
- compare/contrast
P explain P outline
 6.
Ask questions
When
students sense that they need to know
more about a topic, their motivation
increases and they want to take
responsibility for more learning.
7. Give praise
Praise
used effectively can increase your
child’s motivation and build a sense
of responsibility for learning.
Praise for
successful or improved performance, not
just working on a task. Wait until you
see that enough effort has been put
forth, or enough work accomplished, so
that praise is truly deserved.
8. Build on success
Once your
child’s skills are beginning to
expand and you see a
"take-charge" attitude toward
learning, you can help build on this
success.
- Give
opportunities to practice skills
informally
- Encourage
interests, activities, and
hobbies that provide practice in
learning
- Give
increased responsibility
|
What happened to February? It flew
by in our part of the world. Did it go by quickly
for you also? Perhaps it is the time of year, but
I find myself wandering out in my garden looking
for the new shoots of growth that are beginning
to push their heads through the brown earth. I am
anxiously waiting to see if the rewards of my
work last Fall have been worth the effort. A
visual reminder of the work is a wonderful way to
evaluate what one has done. 
How can you help
your child build a
"take-charge" attitude and
assume more responsibility for learning?
Read and discuss these self-management
strategies together:
Give examples of
goals you have set and met. Tell results
and benefits of meeting goals. Let
your child know that you feel good about
what you achieved.
To weep is to risk
appearing sentimental.
Many of my colleagues will
be retiring or looking for a job change in the
future. Many of them have discussed with me the
possibilities available in consulting. It is not
difficult to jump from practitioner to
consultant. However, before you make that move,
you must make some tough decisions:
