Do you know what your child learned in school today? How will you reinforce that lesson that the teacher prepared? Unfortunately, if you simply hope that your kid will remember the material, you might end up frustrated a little later. Being involved with your children as they go through school is vital to their success, and might even help them to stay out of trouble. Check out this website filled with interesting, informative articles about education. Jot down ideas that might help you on a daily basis. It might seem like a small move, but it might make all the difference to your kid.
Your child's education will have a significant impact on his or her life. Therefore, choosing the right private school will be of the utmost importance to your child's future. When meeting with school administrators or touring the facility, here are three questions you should ask to help you determine which school will help your child the most.
How is Learning Assessed?
It's all well and good to have teachers who are knowledgeable about their subjects. The real question is whether or not students actually learn anything and can apply the knowledge they received. The conventional method is to use tests to determine what the students know.
However, this type of testing can be problematic for a variety of reasons. Students may only learn just enough to pass the test and not develop any real skills. In some cases, testing may stifle children's creativity, and it may not be as useful for students who have mental or intellectual disabilities. Another problem is some students don't test well due to anxiety or other emotional/psychological issues and may do poorly even though they know the subject very well. Failing tests can damage the child's confidence, which may lead him or her to struggle the rest of his or her academic career.
Ideally the school should use a variety of methods to help kids and teens prove themselves. For instance, teachers could have students do projects that require them to apply what they've learned or create portfolios of work that lets the teacher judge their progress. Discuss the school's learning assessment policies and procedures to ensure they are designed to help students succeed in the long-term.
How Do You Handle Spiritual/Religious Subjects?
Religion is a sensitive subject for many people, because spiritual beliefs are often deeply ingrained in their culture or identity. If you're concerned about what you child may learn about religion, then you should definitely ask how this subject is handled.
You should even ask this question at private schools that cater to your particular religion, because there can be significant differences between sects underneath the same umbrella. For instance, the teachings of Catholicism are very different from those of Christianity, even though both groups believe some of the same things.
Some schools don't touch religion at all. Others take an academic approach and offer elective classes where students can learn about different religions if they want. And still others incorporate the teachings of a particular religion into every lesson. No school is going to match 100 percent, but you should endeavor to choose the one that best aligns with your personal preferences.
How Do Students Perform After Graduation?
As noted previously, a child's education will have a long-term effect on his or her life. Therefore, learning how graduates fare after they leave the school can tell you a lot about how good or bad the private school is. If most of the students go on to be accepted into top-tier colleges, then it's highly likely the school provided the kids with the skills and knowledge needed to do well. On the other hand, if a lot of kids ended up dropping out of school or seemed to do poorly, then the school may not be as great as the administrators would have you think.
Of course most schools will tell you all about their positive traits, so it may be a good idea to ask for the names and numbers of previous students you can talk to about their experiences and how they fared afterwards. Sometimes you can get a more honest opinion directly from someone who's no longer associated with the facility.
For more information about how private school can help your child or assistance with choosing the best one, contact a few in your area or visit resources like http://www.cadets.com.
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