Monday, July 12, 2010

Headache

Seven Things Every Parent Can Do To Improve Their Child’s Success In Math




1.Music Lessons/Exposure to Music

Brain research is now telling us that early exposure and stimulation are the most critical factors in a child’s future learning potential. Studies have shown a positive effect between early musical training and a child’s brain development. It has been suggested that it can have a positive effect on a child’s academic achievement, especially in the area of mathematics.

Good mental stimulation in the first few years of life can increase a child’s IQ by up to 20 points (Beck, 1996). Research has found that the corpus callosum was significantly larger in musicians who trained from an early age than non-musicians (Shreeve, 1996).

The positive effects of early musical training are also showing themselves in the College Entrance Examination Board test. Students who had music appreciation classes and music performance classes scored on an average of 56 points higher on the verbal portion and 43 points higher on the math portion than students with no musical experience (Mahlmann, 1996).

Music also fosters creativity, imagination, cooperation, flexible ways of thinking, discipline, better concentration and self-confidence; all of which are invaluable to college entrants, no matter what their intended course of study. Music should be thought of as an investment in a child’s future and a required integral part of every child’s education – not an extra curricular activity for the chosen few.

2.Recognizing Math Vocabulary in Everyday Events

Take time to point out math situations and especially math vocabulary in print in your everyday lives. Start with the breakfast cereal box and read the ounces and servings on the box. Open a bank account for your child and teach them how to make deposits, count money, balance a checkbook, sort and classify. While at the grocery store talk about what you see on package labels and point out the abbreviations for ounce, pint, quart, gallon and pound. There are endless teaching opportunities throughout the course of a day to reinforce math vocabulary and skills.

3. Form a Close Relationship With Your Child’s Teacher(s)

Let teachers know you support them. Volunteer to help out on a weekly basis, if possible. If this is not feasible, then sign up to go on a fieldtrip with your child’s class or ask the teacher if there is anything you can help out with at home – like cutting out art materials. Also, ask the teacher for activity suggestions for you and your child to do at home to help improve and reinforce your child’s understanding of schoolwork. Parents and teachers should work together to benefit students.

4. See What’s In Your Local Teachers Store

Teachers stores are not just for teachers. They are a great resource for parents, as well. They carry many supplemental materials/games for home to help reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. Look in your phonebook under “School Supplies” or check the Internet for local listings. Take your child with you. Both of you will have a wonderful time exploring fun activities that you can do together.

5. Cooking

Cooking is all about math - and what a great way to spend some quality time with your child. Make chocolate chip cookies together. Have your child help you with dinner, all while throwing in a pinch of math. Here are some examples:

Have your child help read the recipe – In step 7 of this article you will read about the importance of math vocabulary exposure. This is a perfect opportunity.

  • Divide your recipe in half or double it, and have your child help you figure out the correct measurements and proportions.
  • Talk about how many cups in a pint, how many pints in a quart, etc.
  • Have them set the table. Use multiplication to figure out how many utensils will be on the table. Example: If each of the four people at the table have a knife, fork and spoon, how many utensils are on the table? (4 x 3 = 12)
  • If you put 7 dinner rolls on the table and each person has one, how many will be left over?

Math mastery is all about being able to apply it to everyday life. Cooking is one of the best opportunities to achieve that mastery.

6. Always Have a Positive Math Attitude

Never say things like, “Our family is just not good at math.” Children are like sponges and will also adopt that attitude. In her writing, Math: Facing an American Phobia, Marilyn Burns says, “Math is a phobia right up there with snakes, public speaking and heights.”

Massachusetts and Washington published a study about parents helping their children with their math homework. Here are some of the results:

Question: Do you personally find it easier, harder or about the same to help your children with math homework as with other subjects? (38% of parents inMassachusetts and 41% of Washington parents said they found it more difficult to help their children with math homework than with other subjects.)

Question: What kept you from helping in math? (The number one response was, “I was never very good in math.” 42% of Massachusetts parents and 32% ofWashington parents chose this answer.) (Mass Insight Education and Research Institute, More Math Please, April 2004)

7. Vocabulary Flashcards /Exposure to
Math Vocabulary in Print

Math tends to be a subject where we focus more on the numbers, as opposed to the written word. Computation and appropriate sequencing of steps is often emphasized, instead.

Second graders actually encounter such extremely difficult vocabulary words as oblique line segment, commutative property, Venn Diagram and multiplication. Most of us would be thrilled if our second graders knew what each of these concepts mean, much less be able to proficiently read such difficult vocabulary language at the young age of seven.

When a new math concept is introduced in the classroom, a superb teacher will write some of the new vocabulary on the board. Excellent – now the child has seen the word in print one time. Not nearly enough – children need to be exposed to words and skills multiple times – repetition, repetition, repetition! Five months later, on standardized testing day, your child is not going to remember that one time he/she saw commutative property on the chalkboard. Chances are extremely high, that they will miss many questions on the standardized test because they are not able to read such difficult vocabulary words. Oh yes, they have definitely mastered commutative property (4 + 3 = 7 or 3 + 4 = 7). What a shame they may not be able to fully demonstrate what they know on the exam because of lack of exposure to such difficult vocabulary words and phrases.

Having difficult math vocabulary words and phrases exposed to them in print is keyto their math and standardized testing success, including word problem mastery. Vocabulary cards may be used for other reading skills such as alphabetizing, clapping syllables, usage in a sentence and drawing a picture of the vocabulary word – anything for added exposure to the written math vocabulary words.

Today, great emphasis is being placed on our children’s standardized test scores. The pressure is felt by the classroom teachers, students and parents. Application of math skills and exposure to difficult math vocabulary words and phrases is key to their math and standardized testing success.

Math affects all aspects of our daily lives. Try to make it more fun than just standing over your child’s shoulder while he/she completes their math homework. Then, everyone is a winner.


**** Sesungguhnya aku tengah sakit kepala memikirkan prestasi anak teruna sOrang yg merOsot lately ni.. he use tO be gOod in maths tapi ntah kenapa dia mcm confuse bila kita suruh plus (+) and minus (-) dan yg paling aku pelik kat umah ja dia jadi cenggitu sebab kalO kat sekOlah bila aku belek2 buku latihan dia, jawapan dia bOleh dikatakan semuanya betOi and cikgu dia plak kata "semua ni dia buat sendiri withOut guide frOm teacher". . Aku mintak pendapat salah sOrang ipaQ aku, nak tunggu dia balik alamat tumbuh janggut la anak aku! keh keh keh~ Ada la tips yg dikOngsikan dgn aku.. hOpefully berkesan! Aku dah berkira2 nak antaQ dia gi kumOn - apa pendapat kOrang?

Sunday, July 11, 2010

BrOnchitis

Bronchitis Symptoms







Acute bronchitis most commonly occurs after an upper respiratory infection such as the common cold or a sinus infection. You may see symptoms such as fever with chills, muscle aches, nasal congestion, and sore throat.

  • Cough is a common symptom of bronchitis. The cough may be dry or may produce phlegm. Significant phlegm production suggests that the lower respiratory tract and the lung itself may be infected, and you may have pneumonia.
  • The cough may last for more than two weeks. Continued forceful coughing may make your chest and abdominal musclessore. Coughing can be severe enough at times to injure the chest wall or even cause you to pass out.
  • Wheezing may occur because of the inflammation of the airways. This may leave you short of breath.

Kenapa aku berkongsi pasai brokintis? It's all because of my lil' iman, he had fever fOr almOst a week (starting saturday evening lepas aku baru balik dari teambuilding).. korang tau la, lately ni kan banyak jenis penyakit...virus fever la.. dengue fever etc...his temp is on & off sometimes cecah 4O. tapi anak aku ni xjenis meghap..susah nak tau dia sakit ke tidak, sebabnya tingkah laku dia mcm org xsakit. tau2 badan panas ..paling2 sgt pun dia lembik, ckp nak tidoQ, xlarat nak jalan. tu dah habis lemah tOl la... , alhamdulliah since dia kecik, kalau sakit xpernah la melalak2 nak sOh dukOng or meghap cuma lately ni sejak masuk 4 tawOn byk kerenah dia buat aku ngan hubby hangen satu badan.

oh ya, back tO main topic - sunday kitaorg bawak dia ke klinik, pada asalnya nak gi tengOk wayang - Karate Kid sekali lepas ja lunch kat mCd..iman dah lembik, apa lagi terus pecut gi klinik...habis ja makan ubat. laju ja dia sOh sambung hajat yg terbantut - karate kid siap kata "iman rasa iman dah selesa sekarang!" huh.. anak!
yet, his fever is on & off...siang dia ok, temp naik waktu malam nak ke pagi. last thursday, we decided bring him tO his pediatric. sejak lahir dia dirawat dOc tan, ubat lain memang xjalan la.. memang kalau xbaik, dOc tan ler jawabnyer! (bak kata laki aku.. ni semua psikolOgi jer!) ntah la, bagi aku.. aku percaya dgn keserasian. dOc tan kata iman xpulih sepenuhnya sebab dia kena BROKINTIS! Erk.. ngeri aku dengar! aku sehabis baik jaga makan minum dia.. aku ni boleh dikategorikan sgt ler berhati2 memilih makanan utk dia SEBABnya aku takot anak aku kena ASTHMA, or apa2 penyakit yg sewaktu dgnnya. sO, bila dOc sebab ja perkataan tu.. buat aku terkedu + risau + xkeruan.
Alhamdullilah, the next day Iman dah sihat xde demam2 dah tapi aku kena pantau takOt phlegm dia byk. Ya, aku tau bebudak nak membesar mudah terkena atau dijangkiti penyakit tapi ntah la.. maybe itulah naluri keibuan aku!

nOte : kOrang ada tak petua camna nak hilangkan or apa2 yg berkaitan dgn brOkintis? share le sama!

~life is nOt easy!





Kata salah.. xkata salah! semuanya serba salah...sOmetimes peOple misunderstoOd, i can said most Of the time la.. org misinterpret. aku ni kena kurangkan sifat concern terhadap org sekeliling..ya..i will do that!


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Bz Wizzy...

What a bz day...this mOrning, I was rushing tO EQ and yet stucked in the jam.. mcm lipas kudung kaki dah jadinya. (agaknya brapa byk ler kalOri yg aku dah burn arini ek?) Sesampainya kat ofis, berlari ke sana ke mari, arrange safety training for indOnesian wOrkers. tOmorrOw lak training kat TRADERS HOTEL, mana satu aku nak kejar ni.. Lunch kat EQ ke Traders? Kalau EQ, lunch date ngan F&B Director (ex-bOss masa kat Abedeen dulu), isk... Traders pun aku nak kena jengOk gak!garu kepala camni...


Oh ya, tOnight dinner will be at MansiOn 32. Kang aku uplOad ler picture2 nyer k! sedih jer, xdapek bwk anak + hubby.ntah apa la depa berdua makan malam ni. harap sgt dinner selesai awal...terasa sgt ler letih maybe becOz 1st day tutt kOt (kena plak heavy flOw)

Monday, April 12, 2010

Hey, I'm back!

fuh... sungguh lama aku menyepi dari dunia blOg.semua gara2 FB (salahkan FB lak ye...) I have lOt of stOries tO share but due to my laziness, I have to pOstpOned it! can meh? I have nO lOnger with ngO - my 'dOnia ikan', but I'm nOw attached with MNC. One of GIANT MNC at Bayan Lepas area. apO leh buek.. ingatkan xnak dah seberang jambatan. Offer yg dtg bergOlek2 semuanya dari island, sO i have nO chOice lOl.anOther gOod news is I'm back intO training sectiOn! 2nd good news - which is gOod $$$. Of cOurse ler nak jump2 kena tengOk $$$ kan? mata duitan sungguh aku ni ek!
aku baru join seminggu, sO xdapek ler aku kOmen byk2.
besOk ada HR dinner, our HR directOr sOh pilih tempat makan.. E&O? MansiOn 32 or chilli's?