Dr. Linda’s School Success Newsletter | September 2009

Published monthly by Linda Silbert, PhD

Listen to the Note from Dr. Linda and find out what’s in your September newsletter.

In This Issue

September Quiz
Happening Now: PSAT, SAT, ACT, ISEE and TACHS Prep for upcoming tests
Note from Dr. Linda: Honoring “Back to School”
School Success Tips for Mom and Dad
Funny but True: Get on the Bus!
Now It’s Your Turn

September Quiz

The Roman name September comes from septem, the Latin word for ……..?

First five with the correct answer receives a free 15-minute telephone consultation with Dr. Linda to talk about your child’s school issues. Send in your answer here.

Happening Now

Happening Now at StrongLearning.com Call 845-628-7910 today.

Call for one to one tutoring. All subjects, levels and grades. No contracts. All areas.
Enroll in – PSAT, SAT, ACT, ISEE and TACHS Prep private tutoring for upcoming tests.
Enroll in – PSAT, SAT, ACT, ISEE and TACHS Prep small groups for upcoming tests in Westchester, Putnam & Nassau Counties, NY – three options to save money.

Happening Now at DrLindasBlog.com Call 845-628-7910 today.

News and updates about our events,online & offline
Articles (You’re welcome to eprint any article in full. Include my contact information. Great for a school or community newsletter, a blog or ezine.
Thoughts and observations about kids and school and learning
Your comments (I love to hear from you!)

Note from Dr. Linda

Hi Parents and Friends:

It’s September! Guess what we’re honoring this month? Of course-school. Even though it’s not fall yet, summer is over. Free time, playing, picnics, swimming, camp…done. Suddenly, the mornings have a cold nip to them, the leaves are starting to turn colors and those big yellow buses are everywhere.

It’s a new school year, a fresh start. New spiral notebooks, new loose-leafs, new sharpened pencils and new unused pens. This year will be great. I’m smart. I can do it. As Al Roker wrote in the foreword to our book, Why Bad Grades Happen to Good Kids, “The first couple of weeks were ideal. I turned in assignments on time; I had my loose-leaf binder with dividers for every subject and lots of clean paper with reinforcement rings on the holes. I was an educational ball of fire. But as the work started piling on and getting harder, those vows would fall by the wayside, one by one, until around Christmas, when I started to look at next year as the year that would be the real turning point.”

Well, hopefully, this year will be a continuation of great years past, or the turning point for your child. If you need any help along the way, any advice or a few tips, or just for someone to talk to about a school related issue, call me so that you and your child will have a happy and successful school year.

Good luck!

Dr. Linda

School Success Tips

If you think your child is having difficulty in some area of school, academic, social or emotional, don’t hesitate to contact the teacher, counselor, school psychologist or principal. If it continues seek outside help from your pediatrician, or another qualified professional near you.
If you feel your child is getting too much homework, contact the teacher. Follow the rule I talk about in my podcast, The Terrible Twos: Too Much Too Fast. 10 minutes for first grade. 20 minutes for second, etc. Add 10 minutes a grade. By 6th grade a child would have one hour. If your child is doing hours of homework in elementary school, find out why. Research has shown that more homework than that could have negative affects. Middle and high school can go up to 2 hours, but more than that is not beneficial either.
If your child comes home with the homework and forgets his book, or he has his book and forgets his homework, help him with organizational skills. He may be disorganized, he may be unmotivated or is procrastinating. I have a podcast you can listen to, called the “3 Tions: Organization, Motivation & Procrastination” because they are the three culprits that cause trouble for many kids, especially in middle and high school.

***

From ADHD to homework, from test-taking to phonics, twice a week, you’ll get short, effective tips to help your child learn. Sign up now and invite other parents to sign up. It’s my FR*EE gift to you and your children http://www.askdrlindasilbert.com/tips.html. Check out the bonuses that come with your tips.

Funny but true

A nervous and excited mom waited at the bus stop with all the other moms and kids on the first day of school. But this was a special first day for this mom because her daughter was starting kindergarten. She said she was more nervous than Suzy when the big yellow bus pulled up. She kissed and hugged her tiny little daughter as she told her to get on line with all the other kids. She was soooo little next to the other kids that she could hardly see her as they all got on the bus. She said she was trying to see through the windows to see where Suzy was sitting. The bus drove off as all the moms stood with their younger children mingling about and suddenly she sees Suzy. “What are you doing here? You didn’t get on the bus!” In all seriousness, Suzy looked up at her and said, “You didn’t say to get on the bus, you said get on the line with all the other kids.” And that is precisely what she did.

Now It’s Your Turn

Go over to DrLindasBlog now and subscribe by email or RSS feed so you won’t miss anything.

I love to hear from you. Send me an email. Let me know what you’d like to see in the next newsletter.

If one of my tips or articles has helped, send your child’s success story or a funny but true story to share with my readers.

If we use your story, you’ll receive an eBook copy of my award-winning book, “Why Bad Grades Happen to Good Kids,” which I wrote with my husband, Dr. Al Silbert. The co-host of NBC’s “Today Show,” Al Roker, wrote the foreword to our book.

* * *

Wishing all your children a happy and successful school year to all you loving, caring, and hardworking Moms and Dads. Thank you for all you do.

Watch for our Halloween Quiz in our October Newsletter.