3 ways parents waste precious learning time for their children

Many American children today are falling further and further behind in their education each year due to cuts in school funding. With fewer factory jobs remaining in the US, a good education has become essential to finding a well-paying job in today’s information and technology-driven economy. Tomorrow’s economy will be even more competitive and Americans will compete for jobs globally. Every parent wants their child to achieve the American Dream. However, schools do not determine, by themselves, whether children have what they need to be successful. Parents are in the driver’s seat when it comes to how their children spend their time outside of the classroom. You can make a big difference in your child’s future by avoiding these common mistakes.

Allowing too much “screen time”

The average American child spends 28 hours a week watching TV, which translates to 1,456 hours a year, and 24,752 hours by the time they turn 18 (assuming it starts on their first birthday, which is what many do). 24,752 hours is approximately 2 years and 9 months of your childhood spent in front of the TV TV time is NOT spent on: reading, exercising, doing puzzles, drawing, playing with other children, doing homework and other activities that helps a child learn and grow as a person. In the time most kids spend in front of the TV, they could have learned a second language or earned a black belt in karate!

Not making sure your child reads every day

In New York City, approximately 75 percent of public high school students who enroll in community colleges need to take remedial math or English courses before they can begin college-level work. At a minimum, this means that college students, or their parents, must pay for additional courses on top of the usual college tuition costs. According to the National Educational Association Today, the only way for children to become good readers is to practice. Even small amounts of reading each week add up over the years.

neglect the arts

Many parents think of art and music as “fancy” and don’t realize that the arts can have a huge impact on other areas of learning. In a UCLA study of Chicago-area schools, elementary students who attended schools where the arts were integrated into the classroom curriculum outperformed their peers in math who were not in the program. More than 60 percent of these students, involved with the Chicago Arts Partnership in Education, performed at or above grade level on the math section of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills compared to 40 percent from their peers (who could fall further and further behind each time). year). Any artistic activity, from painting to visiting local art museums and taking music lessons, can have lasting benefits for developing the mind.

So how can parents provide better learning opportunities outside of the classroom?

Here are some suggestions that cost little or nothing in time or money:

Limit or eliminate television Most parents won’t ditch the TV entirely, but setting clear limits on viewing time, such as no TV on school nights, will force kids to find other activities for fun (or finish their homework). ). Some parents worry that as soon as they turn off the TV, their children will complain of being bored, but boredom is often needed as a motivator for the child to have fun in a productive way, finding a new hobby, playing a game of table with her siblings, or participating in sports.

Go to the library at least once a month. Nearly every American household has access to a nearby public library, and many have an interlibrary loan system to provide access to books that their library doesn’t stock. Many have a children’s librarian who can recommend good books and help find them on the shelves. Parents pay taxes for these services, so why not use them?

Get your child started on an art project. It can be as simple as laying out crayons and paper on the kitchen table and asking them to draw, asking them to make a homemade birthday card, or decorating cookies with icing and colorful candies. There are children’s project books at your local library and many free online sites to give parents and children activity ideas. Even just looking at different types of painting exposes a child to a different art and broadens her horizons.