Written by Hao Le 

Edited by Linda Lin

As Thomas H. Palmer once said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again”. These are the words I think of in times of stress and turmoil. These are the words my parents have instilled into me, again and again. Whenever I feel crushed under the weight of my responsibilities, my parents’ advice comes back, without fail, to remind me that I have the ability to achieve anything I wish. Even now, after all these years, their advice is still part of me.

Parents play a huge role in the development of their children – both physically and mentally. More importantly, though, parents are the ones who teach their children about morality and values. What is important in life? What is it that we hold dearest to our hearts? We learn all of this from our parents. And that is precisely why parents must develop their own morals.

Imagine a child, for example, who has never been taught the value of hard work. Instead, they have learned simply to rely on their own intelligence to cruise their way through school. This child will not develop proper study habits, nor will they learn to put any effort into their work. Their marks may start off decently high, but will almost certainly decrease as the workload gets heavier, and the course material gets harder. Once this happens, the child will be left unprepared to handle the situation in which they now find themselves – all because they had not learned early on how learn and work properly.

Now imagine a different child – a child whose parents have always emphasized the value of hard work. This child, whether or not they start off with a large amount of natural intelligence, will know to pace themselves and learn concepts as soon as they are brought up. This child will tackle their homework in an attempt to learn, rather than simply to get good grades. As time goes on, this child will achieve more and more, all because of their wonderful work ethic ingrained in them by their parents. This child, then, will have a bright future with endless possibilities.

An individual’s morals shape who they eventually become. Without morals, individuals have no sense of right or wrong – of what is acceptable and what is not. A parent without a sense of morals will fail to teach their children to distinguish between right and wrong, leaving these children to fall through the cracks. It is, then, a parent’s duty to develop their own morals so that they may teach their children to grow up and, in turn, become responsible adults with strong moral convictions. Through the development of their own morals, parents are able to act as role models for their children, showing them behaviours they hope their children will possess. This modelling not only helps children understand how they should behave in different situations, but also strengthens parents’ own beliefs and values. This development helps parents reinforce their own convictions, and in doing so, allows children to pick up on and adopt these convictions as their own.

It is clear, then, that parents must develop their own morals in order to help their children become successful and moral adults. After all, children copy what they see, and if their parents act in a morally responsible way, their children will follow.

Written by Hao Le 

Edited by Linda Lin

Parents from many different cultures immigrate to Canada in order to provide their children with a chance at a better future. These parents sacrifice stability for an opportunity for their children to grow up in a better environment – somewhere where they can live better lives. One unfortunate consequence of this sacrifice, however, is the fact that these parents often leave not only their country, but also their traditions and their culture behind.

Many children who grow up in Canada learn only the basics of their native language – if they are lucky. In fact, it has been found that a surprisingly large number of immigrant children are unable to write or even speak their first language. Their parents, having moved to Canada, hoped to immerse their children in the culture of their new country in an attempt to facilitate their transition and help them adapt to this foreign land.

Personally, I feel that it is a tragedy for parents to cut their children off from the rich culture of their native country. Although they no doubt had great intentions, I believe that each individual student’s heritage holds the key to their success. In my mind, it is the child’s understanding of the different cultures, and their ability to look from their respective perspectives, that allows them to develop and prosper as unique and outstanding minds. Through the child’s unique knowledge of both Western culture and the culture of their native country, they are able to make intuitive leaps and see things from angles which had not previously been considered. By cutting the child off from their culture, parents are depriving their children of a wonderful source of information which could have helped them become an even more knowledgeable and stand-out individual.

Furthermore, I believe that, by connecting students to their culture, parents can help their children construct a solid knowledge base on which they can build. What this means is that, by teaching their children about their native country’s culture and traditions, parents can provide their children with more experiences that they can use to relate to information they may learn later on. This knowledge can not only help children make more connections between what they learn in school, but can also help children become more interested in what they are learning. Having this cultural knowledge can help children relate to what they learn, and can also help engage them by teaching them the practical aspect of what they are learning.

One final important benefit of teaching children about their roots simply involves the notion of acceptance and building relationships. By teaching children about their culture and the traditions that go with it, parents can teach children to be proud of their heritage and share with them something that they themselves know and value. Not only will this strengthen the relationship between parents and children, but this knowledge can also help the world to become more accepting about differences. After all, the more people become aware of the different cultures and traditions around them, the more they will come to understand and appreciate it. The simple exposure of individuals to the foreign cultures around them will help others learn to be more open-minded.

For these reasons, and many other others, I would urge all parents to teach their children about their culture and their heritage. After all, these factors may very well be the ones which help your children on their road to success.

Written by Hao Le

Edited by Grace Brnjac

In today’s classrooms, there is no doubt that schools want to ensure that their students have all the tools they need in order to succeed. Whether it be through recreational activities, life-skills, or even field trips, every initiative taken by parents, teachers, and administration comes from years of research on how best to help students. Although the majority of students will come to learn how to transfer learning skills across subjects, what can parents do to help continue this process in their children when they come home from school? How can parents and teachers work together to help struggling students manage their learning, while at the same time ensuring that the skills students learn help them in the workforce?

One way parents and educators can help children learn to critically solve problems and apply their skills to real-life scenarios can be found in the use of graphic organizers; more specifically, a KWL chart. In reading and language arts, the KWL chart helps students who would normally struggle make connections within early reading. These charts teach children to apply inference techniques (the ability to make connections between known and implied facts within a text) that are necessary to expand their comprehension of a text and help them understand how the text itself can become a mirror into their own lives and/or society.

In order to explain each section of the KWL chart, the story of Little Red-Riding Hood will be used to illustrate how to break down a whole story into manageable sections for children. First, K represents prior knowledge in a subject/topic; for example, teachers and/or parents can have children look at the cover of Little Red-Riding Hood and verbally explain (or write) what they know. Next, W represents what could possibly happen next in the story. At this point, children can be asked to write down or discuss with their friends what they think could happen in the story in order to help teach them to anticipate what will happen. Then, as students read the text of Little Red, they would start to get clues and/or answers to their anticipated questions, or they may discover new questions or facts they had not noticed before. Once the story is done, children would be encouraged to share what they learned (the L section in the chart). At this stage, students learn how to develop the habit of retaining information, summarizing key points, and learning to comprehend what they learned, all while providing examples and explanations.

As kids learn to read and dig into the texts, connections are bound to be made between the K and W sections of their charts (whether they naturally develop this ability in their minds, or they have the help of an actual KWL chart), because the middle section helps build their anticipation.  Many studies have shown that, by reading more books, students will learn to break down information they see/hear, draw out important facts, and come to a conclusion. Not only does this graphic organizer help students struggling with big concepts in language and reading, but it can also be applied within other subjects (such as math and science). Just like how the chart can break down a story, it can also break down concepts students may otherwise not understand within their other subjects. In these other subjects, students/parents/teachers can activate students’ existing knowledge within the general subject area. This acts as the first stage, known as the Knowledge (K) section. Secondly, the child/adult must anticipate what (the W section) they will learn from the topic(s) they are starting. Finally, the learner can auto-reflect, assess, or even discuss with peers what they learned (the L section) from the topic.

If a person is able to possess this ability to learn and comprehend abstract or difficult topics, they will find it easier to learn new topics or skills within a job that requires the same types of cognitive skills, as learning is not only limited to academics and classroom settings. For example, if an engineer has difficulty learning skills quickly on the job, they can learn faster by applying the same techniques used when completing a KWL chart. The learner will simply need to auto-reflect and ask what they knew (K) beforehand, what they think (W) they may/will learn from this challenge, and how their knowledge has changed (L) since the process began. By doing this, a person who has the ability to critically think and learn new things will stand out amongst their peers, as it signals to administration and/or employers that the individual is not afraid of challenges. This mindset is very beneficial not only for children, but even society as a whole. This mindset helps people expand their abilities in order to ensure further progression in their lives.

As with any skill or concept, true knowledge and application of this KWL mindset for struggling individuals (in this case a student) will take time and patience from the student, teacher, and parents. When children are at home, some challenges involving learning may arise. Studies show that, in certain cases, kids born into a turbulent home life may face challenges in their ability to learn. However, if the student is motivated, that can be all it takes to continue their learning outside of school. Nevertheless, this may not always work, and parents too must then find a way to help instill and foster learning skills within their children. If parents have these same skills developed in their own lives and make a conscious effort to help their kids at home, these children will be able to further develop outside of school, regardless of the potential turbulence in their home life. However, the same can be said of a stable home in which parents may not have fully developed inference and problem-solving skills themselves. If parents have not developed these life skills in their development, this may cause struggles within themselves and the lives of their children.

In conclusion, the ability to think critically, to understand, and to infer meanings is not limited to students’ reading and language skills. Students who struggle naturally with developing cognitive learning skills and application can use these same skills in many subjects and disciplines, even when they are an older student or an adult in the workforce. With help from teachers, tutors, educators, and parents, these skills can be nurtured outside the walls of a classroom, and help set students onto success in their respective career paths and future ambitions.

Written by Linda Lin

Children are their parents’ greatest treasures. There is nothing more a parent would like to see than their child’s continued success and development. But how do we ensure that our children develop to the best of their ability? To answer this question, it is important that we look into critical periods, or windows of opportunity.

According to psychologists, there are several periods during development where important connections are being formed in a child’s brain. During these times, children are well-equipped to learn and absorb information in certain areas of knowledge. After these windows of opportunities have passed, however, children may find it difficult, if not impossible, to gain mastery in these subjects.

It is often said that it is easier to learn a language as a child than as an adult. This saying is, in fact, supported by many different studies. Research on feral children – young people who have spent their childhood isolated from human contact – have shown that, without early exposure to some form of language, language development becomes severely hindered [1]. Even after years of trying, language never quite becomes as effortless as it is to most normally-developing humans. Basic language skills, like creating meaningful and grammatically correct sentences to express our feelings, are far beyond the capabilities of such individuals. As a result of the language-deprived environments they have grown up in, these children are forced to live on the edge of society, never truly able to communicate with those around them.

Windows of opportunity do not, however, exist solely for language. Although language is one of the more well-studied areas, it has also been found that such a critical period exists for mathematical and logical skills as well. Where the window of opportunity for language is open anywhere from birth to age 10, with an emphasis on the first two to three years [2], its mathematic equivalent for learning basic math and logic skills is open up to age 4 [3].

It is important to remember, however, that windows of opportunities only indicate the periods during which learning about specific areas of knowledge is easiest. Although the window of opportunity for mathematical learning is only open from birth to age 4, this does not indicate that we are only able to learn math during this period of time. In fact, these critical periods are simply periods during which children must be exposed to the basics of certain areas of knowledge. By age 4, for example, children must have grasped the concept of numbers and counting in order to be able to further develop their mathematical knowledge later on in their lives. Similarly, individuals must have been exposed to everyday language by age 10 in order for them to learn how words should be strung together to form a proper sentence. More complex forms of math and language, like calculus and literary devices, can be learned later on in the child’s life. So long as they have developed a solid foundation of these knowledge areas during their respective critical periods, learning can still occur without much difficulty.

So what does this really mean? All this information simply highlights the importance of starting your child’s education early. By exposing your child to things like language, math, and logic early on in their lives, you are helping them develop many important skills that may be crucial to their success later on in their lives.

[1] To learn more about feral children and their capacities for language development, please visit http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.363.5831&rep=rep1&type=pdf.

[2] For more information on windows of opportunity for language, please visit http://www.flbrain.org/earlylang.htm.

[3] More information on windows of opportunity can be found at http://www.ttac.odu.edu/articles/focuson3.html.

Written by Linda Lin 

Children go through many different transitions throughout their lives. From mischievous preschoolers needing guidance to independent teenagers always wanting to go off with their friends, it is often difficult for parents to keep up with the changes in their children. This article focuses on the development of school-aged individuals and aims to help parents better support their children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional growth.

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Children between the ages of 5 and 8 are like “little scientists”, according to the psychologist Jean Piaget (Meece and Daniels 129). Young students around this age are learning to represent the world in their own minds and, as a result, begin questioning everything they see. Like little scientists, children are exploring their environments and attempt to explain the why behind every event. Imaginations are running rampant at this age, and children often enjoy imitating the actions of those around them (Meece and Daniels 136). Furthermore, they are learning to see things from other people’s perspectives, and begin to gain basic understanding of numbers, patterns, and categories (Meece and Daniels 144).

5 to 8 year olds start to understand that it is possible to experience different, even contrasting, emotions one after another. In fact, as they develop, these children even begin understanding that emotions can occur simultaneously (Fortune, Kwatinetz, and Hanna).

Physically speaking, children in this age range are starting to show hand dominance and are improving their muscle control. Large muscle movements, like raising arms to catch balls, are becoming easier and more automatic, while precision skills, like using zippers and buttoning small buttons, are developing. Children’s writing becomes clearer and more uniform by age 7; fewer letter reversals are seen, and they begin to use lower case letters (Meece and Daniels 93).

Grade 4 to Grade 6

At this point in their lives, children are becoming more logical and can see objects as having more than one dimension. They can recognize, for example, that a ball is both red and circular, rather than solely one or the other. Unlike their younger counterparts who typically see only similarities between objects, these schoolchildren notice both the similarities and differences. They are also more organized, and can now classify items hierarchically. Abstract and hypothetical thinking, however, is still difficult for many in this age group (Meece and Daniels 146).

Emotional development is also taking place. Where younger children struggle with simply understanding emotional conflict, older students are learning the social contexts under which they can appropriately display their emotions. They learn, for example, to hide their negative emotions, like disappointment after receiving a distasteful present (Fortune, Kwatinetz, and Hanna).

Some important physical changes are beginning to take place in these children. While many are continuing to hone their motor skills and their sense of balance, early-maturing girls are starting to go through puberty. Physical signs of puberty include breast development, pubic hair growth, height spurts, and menstruation. Rapid weight gain is also an important physical aspect of this developmental stage. In fact, this latter is concerning for many young girls. Due to the Western preference for thin body types, many girls going through puberty feel a lowered sense of self-esteem and may begin dieting excessively to try and lose the fat they gain (Meece and Daniels 104). Boys, on the other hand, usually enter puberty two years after their female counterparts.

Grade 7 to Grade 12

Older students organize and classify their knowledge, using it to successfully solve a wide range of problems. Adolescents are capable of imagining things they have never experienced, and are consequently better able to reason and argue logically. By this point in time, adolescents’ cognitive skills are roughly equivalent to that of an adult – all they are missing is experience (Meece and Daniels 149).

Emotionally, however, adolescents tend to suffer a great deal of turmoil. Teenagers view issues from many different viewpoints as a result of their improved hypothetical reasoning skills. The complexity of their thoughts causes them to spend a lot of time contemplating their own feelings on abstract concepts like justice and equality. Hormonal increases can lead to irritability, impulsiveness, and aggression in boys, as well as heightened anxiety and depression in girls (Fortune, Kwatinetz, and Hanna). Peer relationships are especially important to this age group as they seek more support from peers and independence from families.

Physical development in adolescence consists mainly of the changes associated with puberty. Both genders are now either going through or have already gone through puberty. This development in girls was described in the previous section. In boys, puberty consists of testicular growth, pubic hair growth, height spurt, penis growth, as well as facial hair development and voice changes (Meece and Daniels 105). Like girls, boys also experience a dramatic increase in weight. This weight increase, however, is mainly associated with muscle growth. For this reason, boys are more likely to gain self-esteem and self-confidence after having gone through puberty, as opposed to girls, whose weight gain often leads to emotional distress (Meece and Daniels 105).

Works Cited

Fortune, Ronald, Mike Kwatinetz, and William A. Hanna. “Emotional Development.” Http://www.education.com/. Education.com, Inc., 2006. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Meece, Juditch L., and Denise H. Daniels. Child & Adolescent Development for Educators. Third ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Print.

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