My Opinion

EXPOSE YOUR KID TO MUSIC AT ANY AGE- IT IS PIVOTAL

Singing and music play an important role in our culture. You’ll find music present in many aspects of our lives: theater, television, movies, worship, holidays, celebrations, and government and military ceremonies. At home, music can become part of our family cultures—a natural part of our everyday experiences.

From birth, parents instinctively use music to calm and soothe children, to express love and joy, and to engage and interact. Parents can build on these natural instincts by learning how music can impact child development, improve social skills, and benefit children of all ages.

It was not long ago that music education in schools was thought to be a luxury, and music classes were cut from the curriculum to make room for more time to prepare for standardized tests. Currently, there is more and more information available that shows how crucial music integration is to creating well-rounded, well-prepared learners and leaders.

Math and Music?  Never disconnect one form the other.

According to Saloni, Shah. (2010) “music theorists, like experts in other disciplines, use mathematics to develop, express and communicate their ideas. Mathematics can describe many phenomena and concepts in music. Mathematics explains how strings vibrate at certain frequencies, and sound waves are used to describe these mathematical frequencies.”

More here about  Dr. Saloni’s Study

Music and Brain’s development?

In the two-year study by researchers at the Brain and Creativity Institute (BCI) at the University of Southern California shows that exposure to music and music instruction accelerates the brain development of young children in the areas responsible for language development, sound, reading skill and speech perception.

More here about BCI’s Brain and Music Program

The study of 6-7-year-old children began in 2012, when neuroscientists started monitoring a group of 37 children from an underprivileged neighborhood of Los Angeles. Thirteen of them received music instruction through the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles Program where they practiced up to seven hours each week.

Eleven children were enrolled in a community-based soccer program and another 13 children were not involved in any training program at all.

The researchers compared the three groups by tracking the electrical activity in the brains, conducting behavioral testing and monitored changes using brain scans.

The results showed that the auditory systems of the children in the music program had accelerated faster than the other children not engaged in music. Dr. Assal Habibi, the lead author of the study and a senior research associate at the BCI, explained that the auditory system is stimulated by music and the system is also engaged in general sound processing. This is essential to reading skills, language development and successful communication.

Counting, rhythm, scales, intervals, patterns, symbols, harmonies, time signatures, overtones, tone, pitch. The notations of composers and sounds made by musicians are connected to mathematics. The next time you hear or play classical, rock, folk, religious, ceremonial, jazz, opera, pop, or contemporary types of music, think of what mathematics and music have in common and how mathematics is used to create the music you enjoy. Thinks as well how your brain is processing the experience.  Think about the powerful of music in your child’s brain and executive functions. THINK IN YOUR CHILD AND THE FUTUIRE

Maria E. Ruiz-Merroth, M.Ed

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Praising your kids, just because, can do more harm than good.  Why?  They will never know what is wrong versus  right.    Any parent can easily identify their child’s basic physical needs:

• Nutritious food
• Adequate shelter and sleep
• Clothing according to the weather
• Exercise
• Immunizations
• Healthy living environment

However, a child’s mental and emotional needs may not be as easy to identify, simply because every child is different. Even despite those differences, we can infer that every human being needs these basics:

• Family incondicional love
• Self-confidence and high self-esteem
• The opportunity to interact with other children
• Empowering teachers and supportive caretakers
• Safe and secure surroundings
• Appropriate guidance and discipline

Why Self-Esteem Matters

Kids who feel good about themselves have the confidence to test and try new things and are more likely to do their best. If they feel proud of what they can do, don’t mind to make mistakes, and know how to deal with it, they have more chances to excel in anything they do. I remembered I encouraging my kids many times to try at least four times on their own, before asking me for help.  They knew that no matter how many times they requested my help, I would not pay attention, until they showed me that they tried four times. This really helped them how to figure things out on their own, and bolstered their confidence about problem solving.   As a result, their strong  self-esteem and confidence helped them to do better at school, at home, and with friends.  It was a powerful bullying shield.

It is my opinion that self-esteem and self-confidence are key elements in any individual development.  That it should mandatory in the  K to 12 grade’s curriculum, at State and Federal level.   It needs to be encouraged by parents  from birth to adulthood.

According to MenatlHelp.net , “self-esteem is important because it heavily influences people’s choices and decisions. In other words, self–esteem serves a motivational function by making it more or less likely that people will take care of themselves and explore their full potential.  People with lower self-esteem don’t tend to regard themselves as worthy of happy outcomes or capable of achieving them and so tend to let important things slide and to be less persistent and resilient in terms of overcoming adversity. They may have the same kinds of goals as people with higher self-esteem, but they are generally less motivated to pursue them to their conclusion.”

As parents, it is very important to understand the importance of self-esteem and self-confidence in kids.  When kids are confident and secure about who they are, they’re more likely to have a grown mindset. That means they can motivate themselves to take on new challenges and cope with and learn from mistakes.

The toll of negative self-esteem and self -confidence on children is too high.  Many kids have trouble building and maintaining positive self-esteem, for lots of reasons. One common reason is when kids struggle in school.  This could be due from the lack of positive feedback from adults and their classmates, or the feedback is not sincere.  As a result, it may end up in failures and disappointments  that can last  through his/her school years and adult life.

How to identify an individual who have negative self-esteem/confidence? 

• Feel frustrated, angry, anxious, or sad
• Lose interest in learning
• Have a hard time making and keeping friends
• Be more likely to be teased or bullied
• Become withdrawn or give in to peer pressure
• Develop self-defeating ways to deal with challenges, like quitting, avoidance, silliness, and denial

How do you develop self-esteem and self-confidence in a child?

• Respect them
• Let them to make mistakes. Do not facilitate a process for them.  it builds resilient and make them feel proud even when they make a mistake
• Facilitate their sense of control over activities and events in their life
• Let and encourage them to act independently
• Let them to take responsibility for their actions
• Present a n environment so them are comfortable and secure in forming relationships
• Encourage to have the courage to make good decisions, even in the face of peer pressure.
• Praise them, but do not over praise. Be sincere.
• Be a Good Role Model
• Focus on strengths
• Ban harsh criticism.
• Allow kids to help and give.

When kids have self-esteem, they feel confident, capable, and accepted for who they are. It is the best gift you can give to your child, for life.

 

Author:  Maria E. Ruiz-Merroth, M.Ed, Advocate, Mediator & ABA Paralegal.

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Homeschool Concept as a Teaching Alternative from Home

During my over 30 years of experience as a special education teacher and advocate, parent, applied behavior analysis therapist, consultant and supervisor, one question that parents had been asking me many times is:  Why I have to be my kid’s teacher?                   

Often children’s first wish is to be like their mother or father. Many agree that parents are the best teachers because they wish their children to success and they want them to learn positive things, so many feels that the best thing in life, in being taught at home. However, in order to thrive as parents in today’s world, our children need more than just to know good manners and be able to read and write. They need a very well structure schedule, and to be able to follow it, step by step, from simple to complex, so they can, successfully and without stress, complete it.

This is true today more than ever, during this COVID-19’s transition.  It is my hope that with this blog I would be able to walk you through a step by step process that will facilitate the way you structure your children learning experience during the COVID-19 New Normal In-Home Teaching Process. We are a team.  So please, feel free to add and share your experience in any language. We really are in need of each other experience and ideas.  It is the only way to help our kids to thrive with confident and in peace.

Adapting a Homeschooling’s Idea                                                                 

We all agree that the first teachers we have in our lives in most cases are our parents. They teach us to eat, speak, walk, dress and undress, daily routines, appropriate social interactions, ride a bike, etc. From my everyday experience and observation, I can totally agree with the statement that parents are, naturally the best teachers.  But I definitely respect those parents that disagree and firmly support the idea, that parents are not and will not be their children’s teacher. That it is solely their kids’ school system responsibility, especially during the COVID-19’s world we all are enduring.

But how to manage this teaching’s process?

The whole world is standing still. It is important for you to know that your child is not falling behind. When school starts again on the other side of this pandemic—in August or in September or whenever—every teacher has to remember, and must take into account, that nearly every child in the world are experiencing the same learning gap. Despite of it, every kid will still get into college; they’ll still learn logarithms  and the difference between the executive, the judicial and the legislative branch; they’ll still learn  how to read, write, and use their critical thinking to resolve daily issues, even if they do nothing with this time but binge Netflix and snuggle with you when your work is done.  The learning will not stop, just we are using a different approach.

In my opinion the greatest today’s risk to our kids, and ourselves, as parents is the stress.  The overwhelming stress that we are adding into our lives by assuming that parents have to take the full responsibilities and progression of our kids’ education.  Many, many parents now are dealing with new challenges: How do we care for our children during this unprecedented COVID-19’s outbreak while working, schooling at home, and adding to it, preparing for the present world’s economy and political uncertainties?      It is not easy, but it is possible.

First step: Relax   Let’s take a deep breath. Know that we are all in this together, and together we will get through it. So let do it!

Second step:  Meet with the All Family – Lets have a talk.  Meet with family member to come up with a plan.  Explain what is happening (COVID-19), if they are not yet aware and plan together. Do not underestimate the capacity of any member of your family to understand and their capacity to offer solutions and do their part to effectively complete the task.

Third step: Reinforces.  What are each home’s member passions?    It does not need explanation you ….  CLICK and  LOOK AT THIS LIST!

Fourth step:  Keep a Routine.   Since changes in routine can be stressful, it will be helpful to talk with your kids about why they are staying home and what your daily structure will be during this time. It is very important, to work together in creating this daily schedule, if you create this along, they will not be motivated to follow it. It may not work at all.  Once done, hang it on the refrigerator or somewhere they can see it each day. It is pivotal to include breaks from videoconference or schoolwork to relax and connect with each other.

• Wake up, get dressed and have breakfast at the normal time.
•  Decide where everyone can do their work most effectively and without distractions.
• List the times for learning, exercise and breaks.
  • For younger children, 20 minutes of class assignments followed by 10 minutes of physical activity might work well.
  • Older children and teens may be able to focus on assignments for longer stretches, taking breaks between subjects.
  • Include your hours as well, so your children know when the work day is done.
• Schedule time for nutritious lunches and snacks. Many schools are providing take-home school meal packages for students who need them.
• Don’t forget afternoon breaks as well!
• Have dinner together as a family and discuss the day.
• Enjoy more family time in the evenings, playing game table, go for a safe walk (beach, park, trail, etc. in California ) (reading, watching a movie or exercising together).
• Stick with normal bedtime routines as much as possible during the week to make sure everyone gets enough sleep.

Recommended: For  Homeschool schedules examples Click in Here

Preparing a Setting at Home Where “School Will Happen”

Set up an indoor space where learning activities happen in your home. Team-up with your child to decide together about where “school will happen” and what materials will be needed. Set up a place where your child can reach needed supplies such as paper, a clip board, scissors, pencils, crayons, tape, etc.

Children and young people love to be assistants. They want to contribute to the process of getting ready, and they thrive when they feel a sense of achievement. After watching a teacher video or reading a prompt, invite your child to help you collect materials needed for the activity.

As children are working, hold space in your own schedule just for them. Describe what you see. Focus on effort. Name progress. Ask questions.

What we can learn or adapt from homeschool learning’s strategy?

The lesson to be learned from home-schoolers (and teachers) is that what kids need goes far beyond classroom instructional time.   A typical homeschool schedule for elementary school kids, for example, has only about two to three hours a day of instructional time. See more Homeschool Schedules in Pinterest:

The rest of each day is filled with exploration, reading, household tasks, and learning to manage boredom. Your child’s school schedule is much the same. Hours of their day are spent not on memorizing facts and learning new concepts, but on social interaction, games, and daily classroom tasks. Maybe parents can learn and adapt some of the homeschooling’s strategies to their regular schooling experience.

The idea is that during these downfall’s times we all can minimized any child and parent’s frustrations by encouraging creative learnings.  The true of the matter is that we cannot control the outside world events and outcomes, but we can control how to respond to it, without affecting our family’s balance and harmony. And our learning process is one of those areas that we will need to control and protect from the outside events. Remember our slogan “The Solution Is in Your Hands”.

Author:  Maria E. Ruiz-Merroth, M.Ed, Advocate, Mediator & ABA Paralegal.