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Trouble getting a child out of bed in the morning is not a rare occurrence, but did you know that not getting the proper amount of sleep has a variety of consequences, including a decrease in I.Q.? Children who don't get enough sleep have trouble focusing on schoolwork, and their brains are not as adept at storing the information they do learn.
There are a variety of reasons children do not get enough sleep: Many kids are overscheduled and overburdened. After school activities, sports, music, video games, and homework quickly fill a child's evening hours. Parents sometimes have a busy schedule as well, making bedtimes later and mornings earlier.
Many parents would be surprised by how many hours of sleep their children should actually be getting every night. A general guideline from WebMD tells us that children 3–6 years old need 10–12 hours per day, and children 7–12 still need a full 10–11 hours, while 12–18 year olds can get by with only 8–9 hours of sleep a night.
A one hour difference of sleep can mean years for a child's intellectual capacity. Fourth and sixth graders were tested in a study by Dr. Avi Sadeh of Tel Aviv University for three consecutive nights. According to NY Magazine, one group went to sleep 30 minutes earlier than the other group, which stayed up an extra half hour. The performance difference that single hour created was an astounding two grade levels. The scores were further apart than the scores of a normal 4th grader versus those of a 6th grader. By losing a single hour of sleep, a child loses up to two years of his/her potential brain power.
In the same NY Magazine article, another study testing pre-kindergarteners found similar results. Every hour of lost sleep on the weekends, due to later bedtimes, caused a loss of seven points on a standardized school-readiness test. Elementary school students who had sleep problems also showed a loss of seven points on a vocabulary test. The reduction of seven points is the same I.Q. reduction as that due to lead exposure.
High school aged children suffer similar symptoms. A University of Minnesota study of more than 7,000 teens showed that the students who earned A's averaged 15 minutes more sleep than those who were earning B's. The students with C grades slept 11 minutes less than the B students and 10 minutes more than those earning D's. The results from this study were almost identical to those from another study of 3,000 high school students in Rhode Island. The numbers speak volumes. Every minute counts.
“The ultimate expression of generosity is not in giving of what you have, but in giving of who you are.”
~Johnnetta B. Cole
It is tough for working parents to cram volunteer work into an already packed schedule. While volunteering used to be just a nice way to get to know your child’s teacher and classmates, now it has become a lot more. Schools need parent volunteers more than ever, as they play a growing role in saving programs and staff that generate enough cash to help salvage them. Having adults and parents present at school goes way beyond raising money for extracurricular activities and after-school programs; it also helps children develop into healthy, confident adults.
Some schools manage to turn out successful students despite a lack of resources. Community and parent support is one big reason. Even at schools with only one teacher and a handful of children, the presence of parents and neighbors not only enriches the teaching but helps kids develop self-esteem and the ability to form strong relationships with adults.
Volunteers’ growing role in education raises the discussion that all parents should try to figure out a way to contribute. There are a myriad of ways to do so: field trips, parties, working in the school’s copy center or library, helping with the teacher’s paperwork at home, reading or math tutoring in the classroom or in an “after-school program” are just a few.
Take advantage of various volunteer opportunities for and with your children. Below are more resources to get the creative juices flowing:
A required daily reading log is common practice in today’s classrooms. However, many parents and students dread this daily reading time as it is often the source of household tension and tears. But parents hold the key to the success of this very valuable homework assignment. Taking an active role in this daily reading, no matter what grade your child is in, is a start. However, there are many other things parents can do to make this time less stressful and, with time, make it an assignment to look forward to.
- Turn off the TV. This goes for the radio too. It is difficult to concentrate on the words on the page when your child is distracted by other things. Find a quiet place in the house where your child is not distracted by the television, computer, radio, telephone, or siblings.
- Let your child catch you reading. Children learn by example, and quickly at that. How often have you seen your child imitate a less-than-perfect behavior that you have? They are always watching and listening, even when you least expect it! If your child sees you reading—a newspaper, novel, magazine, paperwork brought home from the office—he is more likely to see this as a productive way to spend his time. And, if reading is something you enjoy doing, talk to your child about some of the things you are reading. This is a great way to open the lines of communication and turn him on to reading.
- Read together. Bedtime is a great time to wind down from the day and enjoy a little one-on-one time with your child. Any child will look forward to reading with or to a parent. If your child is too young to read on her own, read to her. If she is already reading independently, ask her to read aloud or pick up another copy of the book she is reading. Then you can talk about the book together. Even if you don’t share the same interest in reading material, you will know what she is reading and be able to share some special time with her.
- Find books at your child’s reading level. Nothing is more frustrating to a child than not understanding what he is reading. Make sure what your child is reading is at his reading level. If you suspect the book he chose is too hard, ask him to read a page to you aloud. If he struggles with at least five words on the page, the book may be above his reading level. Talk to his teacher about how to find books more at his level without discouraging his ability to choose.
- Go to the library. If someone told you that you had to read a specific book (think back to your own days in school), you likely wouldn’t enjoy it. The same goes for your child. Take him to the library or local book store and allow him to choose his own books. If he chooses what interests him, he will enjoy the assignment more and will likely look forward to reading time. Librarians are a great resource if your child still has a difficult time finding something he likes.
- Get help from the professionals. There are so many resources available to help you and your child find success in daily reading time. Your child’s teacher, the school’s reading specialist, Scholastic, and various other Web sites can give you great ideas of how you can help your child.
In the end, encourage and support your child as she completes her reading homework each night. Remove distractions, read with your child, and encourage her to choose her own books at her own reading level. When in doubt, get help from the professionals in your child’s school and the community. Extra time invested in this vital assignment will reap huge rewards in the future.
Here are just a few website to help you assist your child: