Get Ahead Kids Magazine Vol. 2. No. 5. Sep/Oct 2010

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EDUCATING FAMILIES ON THE GO

Vol. 2 • No. 5 • Sep/Oct 2 010

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Study & Assessment Exam Time Studying for Exams Making Milestones Reading Assessment in Infant’s Classroom Top Tips for Supporting Your Child Through the HSC Retaining & Improving Water Skills for Your Toddler

An Interview with

Mem Fox

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Sep/Oct 2010

Contents

This Month’s

FO R FA MILIE S O N T HE G O

Spotlight

®

4

Editorial

4

Your Letters

5

News Newcastle Grammar School Aerobics Team Wins Medals!

St. Philips Launches ThinkSMART™

An Interview with Mem Fox

6

Spotlight An Interview with Mem Fox + Possum Magic Giveaway Study & Assessment

8

Making Milestones

Get Ahead Kids® © MAP Marketing 2010

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Retaining & Improving Water Skills for Your Toddler

12

Reading Assessment in Infant’s Classrooms

Publisher MAP Marketing ABN 38 003 493 007 Villa Franca, 2 Scott St. Newcastle NSW 2300 www.getaheadkids.com.au P: 02 4929 7766

14

Exam Time

16

Studying for Exams

18

Top Tips for Supporting Your Child Through the HSC

Managing Editor Maria Charlton MAP Marketing ABN 38 003 493 007 Villa Franca, 2 Scott St. Newcastle NSW 2300 E: maria@mapmarketing.com.au P: 02 4929 7766

20

Getting Along & Getting Ahead

22

Caring for Your Child’s Smile - What Every Parent Needs to Know

24

Eye Fitness & Study

26

Business

Graphic Design Katie Hurst MAP Marketing P: 02 4929 7766 Advertising Maria Charlton MAP Marketing ABN 38 003 493 007 Villa Franca, 2 Scott St. Newcastle NSW 2300 E: maria@mapmarketing.com.au P: 02 4929 7766

Health

Family Meals 28

News Lakes Grammar Outstanding Teachers

29

Book Reviews

34

Advertisers Index

35

Activity Zone

Get Ahead Kids® is published by Marketing Advisers for Professionals Pty Ltd T/A MAP Marketing. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher does not accept responsibility for the opinions, errors or omissions.

www.getaheadkids.com.au

3

Editorial I have been very privileged to receive a variety of excellent editorial contributions in the past.

But this issue exceeds in the number, variety and quality of articles.

Rev. Dr. Millers’ article of his challenges from failure in school exams to the successes in three university courses including a Doctorate, makes compelling reading.

The articles on studying for the HSC exams are a must read for parents and students sitting for these tests.

A special thanks to bestselling author, Mem Fox, for taking the time to provide us with your insights in our celebrity interview!

Dr. Brien puts forward a compelling case for active studying and Dr. McEwan focuses on the importance of canvassing a support system.

family centres Strengthening Family Relationships

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Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

Managing Editor P: 02 4929 7766

We at Get Ahead Kids extend our best wishes to families navigating the HSC stresses.

maria@mapmarketing.com.au

I especially loved the article ‘An interview with Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki’.

I believe all children have an awe and wonder of the universe that can be further inspired by gaining information and answers in such an easy to understand format. Our family is certainly looking forward to his new ABC series.

I really enjoy reading the book reviews as I am always looking for books that are suitable reading for my 6 year old son who loves to read.

The Boy vs Beast series will be a hit and I have also ordered Stick Dudes.

A. Hill, Moss Vale NSW

I loved the article ‘About Blogging’, especially because I feel so out of date with technology these days after leaving work to bring up 2 kids, who are now 2 and 4 years old. It was a great, quick, concise overview and you didn’t have to be a techie to follow. Thanks!

Need to talk?

interrelate

Maria Charlton

Your magazine arrived at my house just in the nick of time. I stood at the kitchen counter reading ‘The Brain and Technology’ by Dorte Bladt, listening as my children bickered and annoyed each other as they arrived home from school. Just as I raised my eyes to the heavens and sought divine intervention, this article provided some much needed advice. I bundled up my 3 energetic children and took them to the park for a run around before dinner. It was the best medicine ever!! Thank you for lending a helping hand to stressed mothers everywhere.

L. Jones, Dudley NSW

Mrs Saccasan, Lambton NSW

J. Stora, Merewether Heights NSW

Please send letters and stories with your name and contact details to: Get Ahead Kids® Villa Franca, 2 Scott St. Newcastle NSW 2300 F: 02 4929 7827 maria@mapmarketing.com.au

News Newcastle Grammar School Aerobics Team Win Medals!

St. Philips Launches ThinkSMART™

A dedicated team of aerobics enthusiasts from Newcastle Grammar School recently won a swag of medals.

St. Philips Christian College Port Stephens is launching a new program to be known as ThinkSMART™. This initiative aims to engage adolescent learners in innovative, enriching thinking practices using technology.

On Saturday, 3 July 2010, the senior school team attended the FISAF State Championships at Pymble Ladies College. 15 teams in total, competed on the day encompassing 86 students.

In what we believe to be a regional first, ThinkSMART™ provides students in middle (years 5-8) and senior school (years 9-12) of the College with their own personal laptop computer.

Newcastle Grammar School won 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. 10 teams gained a place in the National Championships to be held in Sydney in September 2010.

More Information

St. Philip’s Christian College has 5 campuses in the Hunter, Port Stephens and Central Coast area. The College serves over 2,500 students in an independent non-denominational Christian school environment.

More Information www.spcc.nsw.edu.au

www.ngs.nsw.edu.au

Babies (2-12 months)

Toddlers (1-3 years)

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

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Newcastle (02) 4955 9256

Maitland 1300 557 217

Gosford (02) 4339 1894

Central Coast (02) 4353 7765 www.getaheadkids.com.au

5

Spotlight

How do you contribute to the education of kids?

I write stories that I hope children will love. If they love my stories, they will learn to love books and they’ll learn to read easily.

I also talk to parents a lot about the fun and importance of reading to children in their first five years of life which is an important back-door way of educating children. My latest book is ‘Hello Baby’ and I have a new one coming out later this year called ‘The Goblin and the Empty Chair.’

Where did you go to school?

I grew up in Africa so that’s where I went to school.

Please tell us about your family I was one of three daughters and I am the eldest. My husband and I have one child, a daughter who is 38. She is a Labour MP in South Australia.

What are your hobbies?

Cooking, gardening, reading, exercising, and having coffee with my friends.

What was your first job?

Teaching English to disabled children in Africa.

What is your most unforgettable personal experience?

Having a baby.

What do you value most in life?

Kindness.

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Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

An Interview with

Mem Fox

What is your favourite Australian destination and why?

My home address is my favourite destination because I travel so much. I just love being home by the beach in Adelaide.

What are your career highlights?

There are far too many to mention!

But here are two career highlights: Having ‘Possum Magic’ published in 1983; and in 2009, winning the Australian Book Industry Award for best book for young children: ‘Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes’. I was also very excited when I was promoted and became an Associate Professor at Flinders University.

What is your best overseas experience?

There are too many good experiences to mention! My worst overseas experience was being charged by an elephant in Africa!

What do your books offer readers?

My books offer noise, comfort, humour, happiness and a good feeling about being Australian.

Biography I was born in Melbourne, grew up in Zimbabwe, went to drama school in London in the mid-sixties and came back to Australia in 1970. From 1973, I taught at Flinders University, training people to be teachers until I retired in 1996. I have been one of Australia’s best selling writers for 26 years!

More Information www.memfox.com

Spotlight

Possum Magic Author: Mem Fox Illustrator: Julie Vivas ‘Possum Magic’ has enchanted Australian families for over a quarter of a decade. Hush is a little possum that wants to become visible again. A feat that can only be accomplished be eating the right Australian food.

Julie Vivas’ has retouched and re-coloured her illustrations, so that the images are now truer to the original artwork than ever before.

It does not matter how many times you read this tale, it becomes more enjoyable each and every time. Kids are absorbed by it every time!

Age Guide: Levels K-2 (with application for older age groups) Extent: 32 Pages (Hardcover) ISBN: 9781862915657 Price: AU$19.95 Publisher: Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia P: 02 4328 3523 www.scholastic.com.au

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POSSUM MAGIC BOOK GIVEAWAY! With a special thanks to Mem Fox and Scholastic, Get Ahead Kids® have 6 copies of Possum Magic valued at $19.95 each to giveaway!

Visit www.getaheadkids.com.au and click the giveaways link for your chance to win!

Open Days

Interested students and families find out about courses, tour the college campus, student residences, college farms and Tocal Homestead.

Friday 1 October 10:00am - 3:00pm Friday 8 October 10:00am - 3:00pm

Tocal has a proven reputation for training students for careers in agriculture and the horse industries.

Ring for a Tocal Prospectus 1800 025 520 info@tocal.com | www.tocal.nsw.edu.au Facilities for Residential & Day Students.

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www.getaheadkids.com.au

7

Study & Assessment

s e n o t s e l i M g n i k Ma

By Aleesah Darlison

My kids are always trying to catch up to those around them.

“When will I lose my teeth like Chloe so the tooth fairy will come to me, too?”

“When will I be on the same reading level as Jack?”

“When will I be tall enough to ride on the big rides at Luna Park?”

Developmental sequences, or milestones, are similar in all children and are linked to the maturing of the central nervous system.

Milestones come in all shapes and sizes. Even if kids don’t know exactly what they are, they do know they’re striving to be like everyone else, to be ‘normal’. It’s this concept of ‘normalcy’ that pops up regularly when we start talking about milestones.

Milestones are considered under the following areas of interrelated development: • • • • •

Gross Motor Skills Fine Motor Skills Vision Hearing & Speech Social Skills & Play

While the sequence of achieving milestones is similar for all children, the rate at which they achieve them varies greatly and may be affected by prematurity, culture, environment, health and/or disability, and genetic factors.

Most people are familiar with the Blue Books, those personal health records of our child’s early years distributed by NSW Health and monitored by the nurses at the Early Childhood Centres (ECCs). The ECC system and the nurses who work within it are wonderful, providing support to new mothers at a time when they often feel completely overwhelmed.

8

Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

I still treasure my first child’s Blue Book. The list of milestones to achieve in that first year was daunting at the start and yet, there was some comfort in having an understanding of developmental milestones and the age at which my child was likely to reach them.

Those very-important ‘events’ we were told to measure included: smiles, laughs, rolls over, sits alone, on and on until we came to: gets dressed without help, manages buttons, talks in adult sentences (what a joy that milestone was to achieve!), ties shoe laces.

I placed enormous store in keeping a record of everything my first child did. If he smiled, it was written down.

If he clapped, it was written down.

If he sneezed, well, you get the picture…

At the time, we lived several short blocks away from a pharmacy.

Without fail, every Thursday morning, I would proudly wheel my pram up to the pharmacy to weigh my baby. It’s all there in the blue book, a record of my obsession with even the most simple of milestones physical growth. Now I can laugh, almost scoff, at my preoccupation with my baby’s development. But back then it was the most important thing in my world: to make sure he was growing, to make sure he was achieving those minimum standards of development, to make sure he was ‘normal’ at least in terms of what the Blue Book said he should be. The drive to achieve normal ruled my world.

With nothing else to do when we met each week, the women in my mother’s group would often compare what each child was doing. Some would report in glowing and detailed terms, precisely what

had been achieved that week by number 1 son or daughter as if they were “the messiah of milestone achievements”.

Sometimes, if my child hadn’t achieved the same milestone as everyone else’s, I would leave the get-together feeling let down, inadequate and worried. Was my baby normal? Would he be all right?

Of course, the answer was yes.

He was perfectly normal. I found reassurance of this fact in Robin Barker’s ‘Baby Love’, that classic Australian guide to baby care that all parents should own.

Robin says, “Milestones are a guide. Listening to other proud parents boasting about their baby’s achievements can be hazardous to your peace of mind. Variations in skills and personality differences between babies is just as diverse as it is between adults.”

I couldn’t agree more. And phew!

With my second child, the weekly weigh-ins started off with the best intentions then quickly dwindled before finally becoming non-existent.

Reading between the blank lines of that Blue Book, I can see I was learning that I didn’t need constant reassurance to know that my baby was okay. I was beginning to trust my own judgement as a mother and we were all happier and more relaxed for it.

When it came to filling in the Blue Book for my third child, there isn’t one single weekly weigh-in. Nowadays, I’m lucky to remember to make the appointments for the major developmental checks at the ECC. If she hasn’t hit every milestone she should have, I know she will eventually get there, and I’ll help her.

Study & Assessment Development in those first 3 years is conspicuous, dramatic and fastpaced. As children grow older, the rate at which milestones are achieved seems to slow down, yet there are still numerous moments to savour. Throughout primary school, high school and beyond, I will take great delight in watching my children grow and develop.

I’ll celebrate those moments, but I won’t sweat over them. No more Blue Book tick boxes for me.

Rose F. Kennedy (author and mother of JFK) said, “Life isn’t a matter of milestones but of moments.”

The life-changing phenomenon of parenthood is an incredible experience and I wouldn’t change my experience for the world. But it’s also nice to relax a little about the whole thing.

The only time to really worry - and to act - is when your instincts tell you something is wrong. If you do think your child’s development has stalled, make sure you check it out with your GP or ECC nurse. Other than that, we should learn to trust ourselves as mothers.

School Readiness Checklist The following list may help you determine if your child is ready to start school. Please note: this is a guide only. If you have concerns, seek advice from your child’s preschool teacher. ❑❑ Literacy - has experience with drawing, painting, writing, having books read to them & listening to rhymes & stories. ❑❑ Social Development - plays with other children, can follow instructions from adults. ❑❑ Personal Care - can go to the toilet unassisted, dress themselves & manage buttons/laces. ❑❑ Personal Safety - is aware of traffic dangers, knows not to talk to strangers, knows own name & address. ❑❑ Language & Communication can express themselves & be understood when they speak. ❑❑ Fine Motor Skills - holds a pencil, can draw, cut with scissors & copy shapes. ❑❑ Gross Motor Skills - is physically skilled & active, can run, jump, hop & skip. ❑❑ Mathematical Skills - knows about the days of the week, money & can count sequentially ❑❑ Emotional Development separates well from parents, pays attention in group situations & can accept rules. ❑❑ Technological Skills - knows how to turn a computer on, open & play a game or simple program.

Puggle’s Problem Author: Aleesah Darlison Illustrator: Sandra Temple Pipp Puggle is a tiny echidna with a big problem - his spines simply will not grow. He consults the koala, the wombat, kangaroo and kookaburra for advice that he follows to detail.

But still his spines refuse to appear.

After a heart to heart with his mother, Pipp learns that patience and time to develop are the only remedies.

This book is a heart warming tale that highlights the individuality of development milestones and how these are different for each person and within the context of this book,

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Aleesah Darlison is a mother, wife, sister, daughter and a children’s author. Her latest picture book, ‘Puggle’s Problem’, is about a baby echidna that can’t get his spines. Dealing with important issues of achieving milestones, feeling ‘normal’, and learning patience and perseverance, Puggle’s Problem uses humour to gently deliver its message.

More Information Aleesah Darlison E: aleesah@bigpond.net.au www.aleesahdarlison.com

each echidna. It’s a must read for every family and every classroom!

Age Guide: 2+ Years Extent: 28 Pages (Hardback) ISBN: 9781921633072 Price: AU$17.95 Publisher: Wombat Books P: 07 3245 1938 www.wombatbooks.com.au

www.getaheadkids.com.au

9

Study & Assessment

Retaining & Improving Water Skills for Your Toddler Swimming is a wonderful activity.

It brings a sense of achievement, independence, tranquillity and relaxation. Knowing how to swim can open many doors for participation in other sports and activities.

Some of the principles mentioned here are specific to swimming, and some also work very well in all aspects of development and learning for your child. So there are some great points to keep in mind for new situations or just in general.

Factors that Help in the Retention of Swimming Skills 1. Exposure The water is a different environment to what we experience every day, so some sort of exposure to this environment is critical. You can’t learn to swim if you never go near the water. You can’t learn it by talking about it. Because of this factor, time away from swimming has a huge impact on the retention of previously learnt skills. People will often find their child’s swimming has ‘gone backwards’ after even a small break. Unlike many other land-based activities, there is no real substitute for the water, so if kids aren’t in the water at all, their memory of how to move through it will fade.

2. Natural Ability & Strength Your child’s body composition will determine how quickly they progress through different stages of their

10 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

swimming. Just like on land, some children hit milestones early and some later, but this has little relevance to their end result. For instance a baby that walks at 9 months is not more likely to win the Olympic 100m sprint than the next baby.

3. Practise an Appropriate Distance It is important to keep distances achievable so they are attempted.

If a distance is perceived too great for a child, they will not attempt it independently, therefore will not get any independent practise. It is far more important to do many repeats at an achievable independent distance, than is it to do one assisted or forced at an unachievable distance.

4. Practise with Independence Its important to set up the arena around the child in a way where they can practise without assistance.

Look for ways to make your child feel comfortable and safe in the environment. Things like shallow water, close range handrails, ledges, steps, and walls will help with this. By positioning them correctly, this will allow your child to practise without heavy assistance. The more kids do themselves, the more they work out for themselves. Their knowledge of the water and how to manipulate it increase. If the child knows what will happen in the water, it takes the mystery out of swimming which leads to confidence and awareness of their own ability.

By Justin Norris

5. Consistency If you can maintain consistent exposure and practise over a long period of time, your child will be more likely to retain skills.

Points to be Aware of: You want to help them help themselves: for maximum learning, your child needs to feel settled. Help them only as much as they need it, while making sure your child is not unsettled. If children are fearful, they are protective and not receptive to new information. Assist enough to make them comfortable but don’t do it for them. Try taking them closer to the wall or side, to shallower water or take them near a ladder or something they can hold onto so they feel more in control. Children are more likely to trust solid objects they can touch. They will be more comfortable in shallow water, close to the side. Let them feel in control and they will practise more with independence.

Try not to make your job harder: Never force your child underwater or take them from where they are comfortable. It will make your job harder next time, as they will be less likely to trust you. Be conservative.

If you want your child to improve, a good rule of thumb is to double your practise time and consistency and halve your expectations. Let them choose. If you push too much and get angry, it will most likely make your job of getting them in the water harder next time. It will take you further away from your goal.

Study & Assessment

Awareness of our ability: If a child has an unrealistic awareness of their ability, it can lead to trouble. For instance, they may put themselves into a situation that they think they can handle but they cannot. If children are fully assisted in the water, such as being fully supported by floats like back bubbles, they do not know what to do in the water does without these things.

Too much physical assistance: Your child will need your help and support if they are upset. If they are settled however, you need to be light with your assistance. The problem with too much assistance for instance, is if a child is being ‘floated’ through the water, they will automatically disengage their muscles, they relax and are not required to make any small adjustments themselves to balance in the water. Therefore, their brain won’t have had any practise in telling the muscles how to adjust in the way that would help move through water. They can’t get any better at swimming if they cannot practise these adjustments on how to manipulate water. There are some swim schools out there that can quite easily make it appear that your child is swimming or floating, just by dragging or drafting them through the water but you can do the same thing with a rag doll.

Increased age equals increased risk perception: People will often say that their child used to be more of a daredevil in the water when they were 2 years old, but now they are 4 they are scared of it. This is because as they get older they can better perceive risk in situations. Of course, this is an important life skill that makes it less likely for an older child to run blindly across the road, put their hand on the stove or fall down stairs than a toddler.

The most important thing is consistent exposure. If your child is in water consistently all year round, once a week or more, they are much less likely to become ‘scared’ of the water because they have been exposed to this in a comfortable way. They have ‘grown up with it’ as their mind has developed and sees more danger.

If they hit any hurdles in progression they can be dealt with quickly to put the course right again before they become big problems. They are confident in their own ability, whatever that may be, and they are aware of not putting themselves, in a situation they cannot get out of by themselves which means they are much less likely to have a ‘scare’ in the water.

You are stuck with the children you have: your children are their own people and they have their own personality. Parents who pull their children out of swim lessons because they think their child is not progressing or “doesn’t listen” often come back with the same problem later. Swimming is not the same as other activities a child may do as kids will no longer be getting any exposure to water. People who stop lessons for an extended period of time often come back with an older child with the same problem who is a worse swimmer than before, making the task harder and the parents more anxious.

❑❑ Remember the most important thing with any water activity is full parental supervision which means being within arm’s reach of a child in your care.

If you feel your child is not up to speed with where you think they should be with their swimming, contact a reputable swim school that should be able to help you.

Biography Justin is a dual Olympian having represented Australia in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He is an Olympic medalist in the 200 Butterfly and a finalist in the 400 Individual Medley.

In his career Justin has broken the Commonwealth and Australian records in both the 200 Butterfly and 400 Individual Medley. In Manchester, 2002, Justin won three individual Commonwealth titles in the 200 Butterfly, 200 Individual Medley and 400 Individual Medley.

Justin is the director of the Justin Norris Swim Academy in Thornton.

More Information Justin Norris Swim Academy 6 Sandringham Ave Thornton NSW 2322 P: 02 4966 1411 www.justinnorrisswimacademy.com

Remember ❑❑ Make sure your child is settled and feels safe - give them a hug ❑❑ Be conservative with your expectations but take them as often as you can ❑❑ Set up your arena so they feel in control ❑❑ If nothing is working, then stop and come back another day ❑❑ Swimming is important - don’t give up on them!

VIDA4029 Photograph: C.Hensel

If your child is too unsettled and you are unable to settle them, just stop for the day and come back another day.

• School holiday program • Picnic/BBQ • Playground • Canoes • Feeding Talks • Café Nourish and much more…

Off the roundabout, Sandgate Rd, SHORTLAND Phone 02 4951 6466 Email hwca@wetlands.org.au Web www.wetlands.org.au

Education

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www.getaheadkids.com.au

11

Study & Assessment

Reading Assessment in Infants’ Classrooms The focus of the infants’ classroom is still one of developing the 3 R’s: reading, writing and arithmetic. In this article I want to look specifically at reading assessment strategies and highlight what it is teachers are looking for at various stages of reading development. I will also look at how reading groups and home readers are chosen. As a former infants’ teacher and now as a specialised literacy teacher, I hope I can clearly represent the facts for both teachers and parents. Firstly, teachers use words like fluency, decoding and comprehension, but do we all understand their meaning?

Here are my simple definitions.

Fluency - is the ability to read words without hesitation, reading at a good pace and adhering to punctuation cues. The reading flows, rather than stops and starts.

Decoding - is reading words by blending the sounds together of sound-accurate words. Initially these would be words with a short vowel, then moving on to long vowels and diphthongs (e.g. air, or, ow).

Once readers are more confident it would also include silent letters and irregular sound words. Decoding develops with a mixture of blending skills and extending sight word vocabulary. This is why sight words are a part of most infant’s reading programs.

Comprehension - is understanding the meaning of what you have read. Comprehension is important because we read to gain information or meaning. Teachers are trying to make reading an effective form of communication. All reading assessment should involve comprehension questioning.

12 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

By Nicole van Wyk

Now that we understand the terminology: the first reading assessment students undertake is often during Kindy start programs.

Most of these assessments are observation based. At this stage, I would look for awareness that words contain sounds. I would also question students to assess if they could identify the initial sound in words. There may also be testing on alphabet sounds or letters. The focus at this stage, and right throughout the Kindergarten year, should be on letter sounds. It is the sounds that will develop reading ability. It is helpful to use sounds even when spelling words. I don’t start referring to letters by their names until after students are reading. The names are introduced but they are not the classroom focus.

During the first term of Kindergarten, most schools assess their student’s literacy skills. They are tested on sight words; usually lists are sent home each week. I have noticed many schools have started sending home readers within the first two terms. Students are exposed to print constantly. Both whole words and phonics are a focus. Much of the assessment is still observational and through questioning. ‘Reading’ at this stage is memory driven.

The first six months of Kindergarten, reading lessons are mainly devoted to the alphabetic principle, phonics and learning sight words, rather than independent reading. This then makes the transition into reading easier for students. All schools will program a little differently but the theory is usually the same, foundational skills first.

Sight words are usually tested individually but other formal reading evaluation may not be undertaken unless a student is already decoding words on their own.

In Kindergarten, usually during Term 2 or 3, each student is put on a levelled reader. They may be given a colour or a number. I encourage parents to know where their child is expected to be by the end of each year. This gives them a goal to work towards and helps parents discover if their child is falling behind before it becomes an issue. Most schools have a K-2 reading program.

Progress can be tracked by the reading level they are on and the reports home. So, how do teachers find student levels?

Often teachers start by using a running record, either from a book or a sheet. All infants’ students, to my knowledge, will be tested at some stage by a running record.

The students are asked to read a text. Teachers may time them or just be looking for accuracy and comprehension. A formula is worked out that involves the number of words and the number of mistakes.

Comprehension questions are asked and all information is recorded for student files. My students had to have a 98% accuracy to try the next reading level. Teachers will look at: how easily the student reads the words (decoding), whether they are reading well and at a good pace (fluency), their self-correction ability, how accurately they read, if they understand what they are reading (comprehension) and if the student uses punctuation cues.

Study & Assessment Teachers will level students throughout each school year. In my Year 1 classroom, I formally assessed reading using a running record at least once, but usually twice, a term. Students progress at different rates and there are plateaus and spikes in reading progress. It is important for students to be on the right reading level. If a text is too hard, the students will struggle and if it is too easy, they will get bored and lose interest. I also found that if the students progressed through the levels regularly, it kept them motivated and they tried even harder.

It is important to note that students are often working at a higher level in the classroom than take home readers. With expert instruction and teacher support, students can be encouraged to challenge themselves, without ending up frustrated and confused. Home reading is for practice and mastery, the books sent home shouldn’t be too challenging for them to read.

Although students read to gain meaning from the text, confident readers are also accurate readers.

This is why teachers use a number of strategies to assess readers to ensure continued development and to expose particular weaknesses.

Practice makes perfect. Mistakes

are picked up but we also want students to enjoy reading.

Ten Reading Assessment Strategies Checklist

When teachers are forming reading groups, or finding a home reading level for Infants’ students, they do not just rely on reading records; observation, cloze passages, comprehension worksheets and intuition can all play a part in decisions. Some students, although capable, are unable to work in certain environments or with particular personalities. If you have questions about your child’s placement, a brief conversation with the teacher usually dispels any concerns.

❑❑ Teacher Observation

All teachers and parents know that the road to independent reading can be a rocky one but it is certainly a wonderful one too. It is important to celebrate the little victories along the way because it is well worth it when you are at the other end.

Assessment keeps teachers informed so that they can make the best decisions for all their students. It also highlights those little steps on the road to being literate. Assessment is our friend, not something to be feared.

❑❑ Sight Word Testing ❑❑ Running Reading Record ❑❑ Cloze Passages ❑❑ Comprehension Questions ❑❑ Reading to the Teacher ❑❑ Letter-Sound Testing ❑❑ Shared Reading ❑❑ Spelling

More Information Nicole van Wyk P: 02 4365 4428 erina@icanreadsystem.com www.icanreadsystem.com

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13

Study & Assessment

m a x E

Time

I can feel the tension already.

Mention the word ‘exam’ and I start up. We didn’t get on, exam time and me. I can remember my school reports even now.

‘Could do better.’

‘Not working to capacity.’

‘Kim doesn’t concentrate.’

And the killer comment from one angry teacher – ‘I’ve seen your IQ!’ My poor performance was showing up in how she was being assessed for promotion.

It was obvious that I could not get the right answer onto the page. My answers seemed OK in my head, but when they hit the page they were not winners.

It’s a bit of a problem, sorting out questions and answers, don’t you think? I managed Primary School on memory and intelligence but when I hit high school I needed more. What I needed was good solid learning but something wasn’t working for me.

Education back then was so straightforward. The teacher had a bucket of answers and his job was to pour it into my head. Let’s think about that for a bit.

Which is more significant, the question or the answer? Do you want your children to learn all the answers? Or do you want them to learn to ask the right questions? And what questions should they, or the teachers, ask anyway?

I studied Ancient History in high school. I failed. No way could I give the dates of the major events of Ancient Greece. The Trojan Wars, the Peloponnesian Wars, The Sicilian

14 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

iller

r. Kim M

D

By Rev.

Expedition, The Peace of Nicias, all the stuff about Sparta and Thermopylae. It was as if the whole of history depended more on the date than on the reason.

I studied Modern History. It was dates all over again. And without the date the answer was incomplete and not worthy. Then they invented multiple choice exams with three dates to choose from. Doomed. I was history.

Personally, I think questions are often more important than answers. Here are a few questions I wanted to ask. ‘Why was everyone at war all the time? Who decided that? Why couldn’t they find some other way to deal with their stuff?

But my questions were not in the curriculum. They were not in the teacher’s bucket. There were also questions that I wanted somebody else to ask.

‘Why is Kim not working to capacity?’

‘Why does Kim have trouble with dates and numbers?’

‘What is happening at home that Kim is so out of focus at school?’

I was to learn much later in life about dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder. My son went onto meds for ADD as a teenager and the neuropsychologist who was working with him picked it in me immediately. He could have written the script for my high school performance.

I still don’t do numbers well. I even forget my own phone number. One time my son heard me give it wrong to somebody and had the good sense to interrupt and correct me.

Street names on maps sometimes merge into each other. I type

words in the wrong order when I am writing and have to proof read carefully. But I still manage to write books that get published, even with that happening. And those school comments keep rolling through my memory.

The doctor picked up the trouble at home when I came down with shingles. I was thirteen and covered with flaming itchy blisters around one side of my chest, from sternum to spine. The scars are still there.

The doctor recognised the signs of distress and saw that I was coping badly through the time of my parents’ divorce. I had been living in a war zone on the home front for years. No dates necessary.

Kids don’t sit history exams for doctors. They don’t get assessed for future education by doctors.

Decisions on career prospects are not made by doctors. I would have liked my teachers to have asked the questions that the doctor was asking.

I would like to tell my teachers that I managed to make it as an engineer, that I’ve got three university degrees, one of them is a PhD from a top university in the UK. I’m proud of that. A scholarship paid for it but it was me who worked to capacity.

You know why that PhD was possible? I had no exams. I had no lectures. I read what I wanted to read. I asked the questions I wanted to ask of the world’s great minds. I wrote what seemed right

Study & Assessment to me as I slowly found answers to my own questions. My PhD bridges theology and history (believe it!) and psychology. The psychology professor had to find somebody from elsewhere to be my advisor as I was asking questions that nobody in his department had asked before. I like that about questions.

suddenly felt desperately lonely and asked the teacher who was in the car with him that day, but the teacher was non-committal.

Months later in a conversation about questions, the teacher says, ‘Clem, you asked me about who was in the car with me, but the real question concerned your dad…’

Somewhere along the way I had learned about questions. Then I went looking for answers. It’s a process that should have started way back, but education in my day had this pre-filled bucket of answers sitting there on the teacher’s desk and there was no escape.

Clem realises the teacher’s family is a metaphor for his own desire for love and family. He tries to sort it out and suggests this answer to the teacher. ‘We keep finding metaphors but the metaphor questions don’t work. One day the real question comes up and finds the real answer.’

I wrote a novel about a teenage boy who couldn’t handle normal school. I’ve had mothers of boys tell me it made them laugh, then it made them cry. That’s just a warning for you. The book is called, ‘They Told Me I Had To Write This.’

This boy, Clem, is in trouble at home and at school and with the coppers and at war with himself. His life needs sorting out. But I had to invent a different kind of school where he could explore himself and learn to ask questions.

In one part of the story Clem is talking with a teacher about how the real questions take their time in coming to the surface. Ages ago he had seen the teacher drive through town with his wife and children. He

Then he says, ‘How come my dad doesn’t have room for me?’ Clem has now asked the real question. It was a long time coming, but that’s the way it is with questions. Answers can be very quick, questions take time.

OK, it’s time to wrap this up.

Questions or answers, which are the most important? Questions or answers, which are the easiest?

Exams and assessments, will they point you in the right direction?

The past or the future, where do you want to live? The journey or the destination, are they the same thing? What is school all about anyway? How can you help your children find who they really are?

These questions should keep you going for a while.

Biography Rev. Dr. Kim Miller is a prison chaplain who has worked with men and boys in strife for many years. He is the author of teen fiction novel, ‘They Told Me I Had To Write This’, Ford Street Publishing, 2009. He is married to Kay and they have an adult son, Sam.

More Information

Rev. Dr. Kim Miller P: 02 4962 4774 kmiller@samaritans.org.au www.kimmiller.id.au/clem www.homeforgood.org.au www.scribblygum.wordpress.com

They Told Me I Had To Write This Author: Kim Miller www.fordstreetpublishing.com

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15

Study & Assessment

Studying

By Dr. Joan Brien

for Exams

The upcoming NSW School Certificate and NSW Higher School Certificate examinations require students to STUDY! Leading up to these examinations many students (and many parents) begin to feel a number of different pressures coming from many directions. While being expected to complete multiple assignments and projects, students have the added pressure of having to find time to study. It is possible to feel totally overwhelmed at times by the demands of ongoing schoolwork, the need to begin studying and for many students, on top of all of this they have to work part-time.

Along with all of the above, students try to have a social life as well. In order to accommodate all of these pressures, you MUST be organised.

The aim of studying is to be able to successfully answer questions about the content of all subjects studied.

In order to do this, a student must be able to RECALL information. Each person will use a different study method and some will be successful and others not.

16 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

Study methods can be either active or passive.

One of the most common passive methods used by a number of students involves simply reading their notes over and over again. After a while, they think that they know their work but all that happens is that they become very familiar with their notes. This does not mean that if they are asked a question about those notes that they will be able to answer it successfully.

Reading is a very passive way of studying and is not very successful for most people because, while reading, your brain often drifts off and is thinking about what you are going to do next weekend, so before you know it, you have read a page but have no idea what you have just read. Another ‘passive’ method involves listening over and over again to the notes that have been recorded. Again, it is possible that after a while, your brain has drifted off and not really hearing what it is supposed to be hearing.

A more active method of studying involves using a number of your senses while studying. This method involves seeing, touching, speaking and hearing.

When you are studying a topic you should have some writing paper beside you, have a pen in your hand and as you read out the main points aloud (to yourself), you should scribble down those points. In this way, you are using a number of senses to help you to start remembering or recalling what you need to.

Note that I said “start remembering” because there is an ongoing process that you should go through to ensure that you can recall the information that you need. I have used the word recall because that is the aim of studying... to recall what you have learnt. The only way to learn to recall information is to practise. That means that you need to ensure that if you are asked a question about a particular topic, you can recall the required information.

Study & Assessment

A technique that will help you to RECALL information is for you to go through your notes and write yourself a set of questions that you can practise answering. For example, if you were studying the topic cells in Biology, you could write out the following questions.

What is the definition of a cell?

What are the parts of a cell?

Which part of the cell controls the activities of the cell?

Draw and label a typical animal cell.

Draw and label a typical plant cell.

What is the main difference between an animal and a plant cell?

Once you have been through your notes and written out a set of questions for each section/topic, you should work your way through them methodically and many times, and you should find that each time you work your way through them, you remember more and more information.

To demonstrate how important it is to recall this information over and over, imagine if you meet a new person at school on Monday of week 1. You are introduced, so you know the person’s name, but because they are in a different year to you, you don’t see that person very often. The chance of you remembering that person’s name is very small because you have not had to recall their name since you first met them. But if you saw that person every day after you met, you would know their name after only a few days because you have had to recall it regularly. That is what has to happen when you are trying to recall facts and figures. If you don’t see them regularly, you will not recall them when required.

The other danger when studying is that you don’t ensure that each subject is studied equally. It is easy to concentrate on a subject that you find difficult and neglect another that you find easy. The best way to avoid this is to draw yourself up a study timetable for each day of the week. Make sure that you do not study for longer than one hour at a time, because your brain needs time to consolidate the information that you have just studied. A suggested timetable would be: ENGLISH: 9:00 am - 10:00 am MATHS: 10:10 am - 11:10 am Morning Tea: 11:10

am - 11:30 am HISTORY: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Lunch: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm CHEMISTRY: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm COMPUTING: 2:40 pm - 3:40 pm ENGLISH: 3:50 pm - 4:50 pm

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Note there is a ten minute break between finishing one subject and beginning another, except for the morning tea and lunch breaks.

Those ten minutes should be spent away from books.

During this time, your brain will incorporate the information just studied into your long term memory.

It is your long term memory that you will use during your exams.

More Information Dr. Joan Brien Irlen Diagnostic Clinic Suite 2/136 Nelson St. Wallsend NSW 2287 P: 02 4955 6904 brien@optusnet.com.au www.irlen.com

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17

Study & Assessment

Top Tips

for Supporting Your Child Through the HSC

By Dr. Rob McEwan

At the time of writing, the Tour de France 2010 approaches the final stages 23 day race. Television highlights from the Tour feature teams of riders working together for the benefit of a lead individual rider within the team, support vehicles with bikes and spare wheels strapped to the roof travelling alongside the riders and a series of different stages of the race, each with its own unique challenges.

At the same time, students in Year 12 are commencing their final term of formal school classes before going on to complete the Higher School Certificate examinations. Like the riders in the Tour de France, Year 12 students have been training and refining skills well before the event, they too have been on a long and, at times, challenging journey. But unlike the riders in the Tour, not all Year 12 students have assembled the support team that they needed to perform at their very best.

Parents play a critical and unique role in their child’s support team.

While teachers, classmates and tutors all make important contributions, parents provide the foundation. This foundation does not require knowledge and skills in the subject areas being studied, rather, it requires support built around a relationship with their child.

As parents, we naturally want the best for our children. It is hard to stand by and watch our son or daughter struggle with schoolwork, fit in socially or experience failure.

18 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

And yet, despite our best intentions, we can sometimes be left standing on the sidelines feeling helpless. Or worse, in an effort to help, we find all we have done is create conflict and distance ourselves further from our son or daughter in need of support.

The end-of-year school examination is one area that can be both a time where children need a support team and is a source of anxiety for both child and parent. The anxiety may relate to a child who you feel is not working to the best of their ability, or alternatively, a child who is worried about the upcoming examinations and has placed a lot of pressure on themselves to achieve an ambitious result.

In an effort to support your child, you might refer to well known study skill strategies that can enhance achievement in school examinations including regular exercise, healthy diet, study timetables, routines, balance between study and leisure, and realistic expectations. While all of these strategies are important, a single focus on study skill strategies is rarely enough. How we communicate these messages very often provides more support than the messages themselves. Children need to feel valued, respected and safe to make mistakes.

The following ideas are intended to help parents manage the delicate balance between warmth and affection on one hand and boundaries and discipline on the other. When this balance is

achieved, you, as the parent, are better able to perform the important role as the foundation of your child’s support team.

Checklist ❑❑ Tell stories don’t just offer advice By telling stories children can relate your story to their own experience you make your point memorable, personal and relevant. ❑❑ Be positive - A child’s belief that success in school is possible is an important factor related to achievement. e.g when discussing a piece of schoolwork, offer twice as much praise as constructive feedback. The behaviours you praise and reward are the behaviours children repeat. ❑❑ Be honest - Don’t pretend to know all the answers when it comes to study skills or exam technique.

Rather, share stories of your own experiences, e.g. when you found it difficult to study and what you tried to overcome the problem.

This will communicate that you understand the challenges they face. ❑❑ Be interested in your child - Not in the subjects being studied. Give yourself reminders and notes to ask questions about your son’s or daughter’s friends, their music, their activities, their life in general.

Your relationship is built on you understanding your child, not you being understood by your child.

Study & Assessment ❑❑ Reward effort - Children who achieve success based on their own efforts put more time, energy and commitment into schoolwork, choose more challenging tasks, and associate more positive feelings such as happiness, pride and self-esteem with their schoolwork. By rewarding effort you reward a quality children are able to control and with improved effort, many students will see improved levels of achievement. ❑❑ Influence rather than control Words such as “should”, “must” and “don’t” can often be interpreted as ‘nagging’. Telling your child what they need to be doing and when, places you in a controlling or judging role that can be met with resistance or non-compliance. Rather than telling your child something, it may be wise to ask questions.

When you ask a question, you encourage them to reflect and judge their own efforts and work while also giving them a voice in the discussion. ❑❑ Make mistakes - Mistakes lead to success. Children attempt and persist with study when they think it is okay to make mistakes. ❑❑ Communicate - The quality of the conversation reflects the quality of the relationship. Talk to your child as much as possible

about as many different things.

Discussions about ideas, homework, careers, and school, establish a supportive environment. ❑❑ Provide comfort - The study environment can be as central to academic success as any study skill strategy. If your child feels comfortable at home, they spend less time thinking about the environment and more time focussed on study. In the lead up to the HSC exams, try to be at home when your child is at home, lighten the load by reducing your child’s chores and provide an appropriate study area free from distractions. Know your child’s HSC exam timetable, wake them up on the day of the exam, cook a favourite breakfast and drive them to the exam venue with time to spare.

The Higher School Certificate is not a destination - it is only a journey. The relationship you foster with your child is a critical element in determining the level of success and wellbeing that your child will experience during the HSC. As parents, if we are to successfully contribute to our child’s support team, we must build our relationships, plan and become skilled in managing our interactions with our children. As we aim to build our relationships, it is important to remember adolescents are not

BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS

looking for their parents to be friends, they have plenty of friends their own age. Children need parents to establish boundaries, make decisions, to be accessible, interested and honest.

Biography Dr. Rob McEwan is the Head of Senior School at Newcastle Grammar School.

As part of his role, he oversees the academic programme in Years 9 - 12 and works closely with students preparing for the Higher School Certificate examinations. His doctoral thesis explored student motivation that he has presented at national and international education conferences.

More Information

Dr. Rob McEwan Head of Senior School Newcastle Grammar School 60 Newcomen St. Newcastle NSW 2300 P: 02 4929 5811 www2.ngs.nsw.edu.au

KINDERGARTEN It has been widely recognised that creating a solid educational foundation in the junior years of schooling is fundamental to overall success in later years.

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19

Health

Getting Along &

Getting Ahead

Kids homework. Don’t you just love it? The stress of fitting it in between the soccer run and the ballet drop off. And the melt downs of: “I just don’t get it”, “This is boring” and “I’ll never have to use this anyway”.

Knowing that the other parents are helping their kids and doing their homework, so therefore these kids will get better grades. And wondering why, if the kids have already been learning this at school, why is it so hard for them to do it at home? Then you start worrying that maybe there is something wrong, maybe they suffer with a learning disability and the stress only gets worse from there.

A dear friend of mine often shares the story of how she was a complete failure in primary and high school.

She thought she was stupid and struggled to learn how to read and write. That she never learnt HOW to learn until she entered university. This friend now has a PhD in Science. She is obviously a very bright lady!

Learning disabilities are unfortunately very common problems in childhood. Officially they affect 5% of the school age population, but according to the National Institute for Literacy in USA, 30-50% of the population has an undiagnosed learning disability.

Learning difficulties are problems in the central nerve system in which a person doesn’t learn or process information in the way we would expect. It is a disability which affects the brain’s capacity to receive, process, store, express and respond to information. Usually the person with learning difficulties has normal or above normal intelligence, but uses different parts of the brain for

20 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

reading and writing compared to other people. The problems don’t go away as we grow up, but as my friend did, the person often finds ways of coping. Types of learning problems include: Dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Learning disabilities are not the same as Attention Deficit Disorders or Autistic Spectrum Disorders. These are distinct disorders which often also has learning difficulties as well.

The cause of learning disabilities is not known, but we know that it is not related to race, socio-economic status or cultural background. It appears that the cause is multifactorial. For example there appears to be a genetic predisposition. Stress during pregnancy such as alcohol, nicotine or other drugs, low birth weight, less oxygen at birth can be a cause, as can birth trauma, knocks and falls as a young child, poor nutrition or exposure to toxic substances such as lead.

Dyslexia is a term used for having problems with reading, writing and spelling. Dyslexia affects 15-20% of school age children. A person with dyslexia will often find it difficult to distinguish, identify or separate the sounds in spoken words; to learn and recognise all the various sound combinations for the letters and to blend the sounds together to recognise a word.

Dysgraphia is having difficulties with writing and written expression.

Dyscalculia is having profound problems with maths despite having normal intelligence and proper instruction.

By Dorte Bladt

Dyspraxia is a motor planning disorder in which the child knows what they want their body to do but can’t get their body to do it.

This affects approximately 10% of children, 70% of these are boys.

Dyspraxia can be oral, verbal or motor. Oral affects the way the child uses his mouth as in blowing, sucking, swallowing and forming words. Verbal is planning and shaping the sounds of words, whereas motor affects the muscles so as balance, coordination and handwriting may be difficult.

In my practice I see many, many kids who suffer all sorts of learning and behaviour problems. As a chiropractor I work with the brain and the nerve system and how the system communicates with the muscles and organs of the body.

To function properly there has to be free flow of information from the brain, through the spinal cord and out to the peripheral nerves to the end organ, and all the way back again. If there is interference in this flow of information, the body will not function at optimum. In most cases this causes no pain whatsoever, only a decrease in the function at that level. What I do, is find where this interference is taking place in the spine or in the bones of the skull, and then I will gently and safely increase function and movement there to allow the flow of nerve information to happen properly. I often find that there is an imbalance between the left and the right hemispheres in the brain, where one side works less effectively than the other. To help this I give the child some specific exercises to do at home to train the weaker side of the brain. For example these exercises include marching and crawling on the floor

Health as well as balancing on one foot and lots of other things. The exercises and adjustments have wonderful effects for the child who struggles with a learning disability.

Case Study: Josh Josh is a lovely 7 year old boy who came in to see me, because he had trouble learning to read and write. His teacher was concerned that he was not keeping up with the rest of the class, although he seemed bright enough. His mother noticed that he was clumsy and uncoordinated. He could not ride a bike, and often chose not to take part in activities he had not done before. Homework time was a nightmare, because Josh found it difficult to remember what he had learnt even the day before.

Josh was so upset about the whole thing that he would throw temper tantrums on a daily basis when it was time to do homework. This was obviously very trying for the family who only wanted to help him.

When Josh came into our office, we played some games to find out how well his brain and nerve system was working. We found that he suffered from both dyslexia and dyspraxia.

He had significant misalignments in the top part of his neck and of the bones in his cranium. So we started to do some very gentle work to

these areas to help the nerves work better and we had Josh do some fun exercises at home.

Within a few weeks of coming into our office Josh was doing so much better. It seemed to happen from one day to the next. Josh’s mum told me that he got so excited when he realised he could read, that he read the whole Dr. Seuss series for her at bedtime instead of the other way around. He also improved dramatically coordination-wise, and was chosen to be ‘Man of the match’ after scoring goals in his soccer game.

How wonderful to see children, such as Josh, succeed. Who knows what subject Josh is going to receive his PhD in?

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Dorte Bladt Doctor of Chiropractic Family Chiropractic Charlestown 2 Lincoln St, Charlestown P: 02 4942 4842 dbladt@live.com.au www.familychiropracticcharlestown.com.au

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21

Health

Caring for Your Child’s Smile What Every Parent Needs to Know

By Dr. Helen Cornwell

Over the next three issues Dr. Helen Cornwell (Paediatric Dentist) will discuss caring for your child’s smile.

Part 1: Baby’s First Smile

Tooth Decay

That first smile is an amazing experience for any parent. It is the affirmation of the bond we share.

As we watch our children grow the sparkle in their eye and grin of pleasure warms the heart. However our children’s smiles are vulnerable.

Dental caries (decay) or trauma affects more than one in three of our preschoolers causing grief for the entire family. Whilst accidents are often unavoidable decay is a preventable disease and an early visit to the dentist is the best way to help to prevent it.

Decay is the damaging of a tooth due to bacteria. It is a relatively rapid process in baby teeth due to their anatomy. It initially appears as a white lesion followed by the development of a hole. As decay frequently happens between baby teeth, by the time the hole is obvious the decay is very deep.

Why are Baby Teeth Important?

1. Appearance 2. Speech 3. Chewing 4. Holding space for & guiding the adult teeth into place

Teething Teeth normally start to appear at approximately 6 months of age and most children will have their 20 baby teeth by 36 months.

Teething is often linked to changes in baby’s wellbeing, resulting in crying, dribbling, temperatures, red cheeks and being generally unsettled. Assisting tooth eruption by providing baby with objects that can be chewed can help; these can include teething rings and rusks. If your child is febrile or symptoms persist visit your GP for a full assessment.

22 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

Some Risk Factors for Decay 1. Tooth Factors a. Deep grooves b. Dental crowding c. Poorly formed teeth (sometimes called hypomineralised or hypoplastic) 2. Diet Factors a. Frequent snacking b. Use of bottle for extended periods c. Drinking fluids other than water or milk d. Consumption of sticky sugars e.g. muesli bars, fruit bars, lollies 3. Other a. Family history of decay b. Sharing cutlery, putting a baby’s dummy into someone else’s mouth

Health Tooth Cleaning

Common Concerns

Teeth should be cleaned from the time they erupt with a soft face cloth or a soft toothbrush.

Dummy & Thumb Sucking

Tooth brushing can be difficult with children and it does take time for kid’s to accept it. Ensure you and your child are in a comfortable stable position to minimise movement.

Toothpaste should not be used in children under 12 months unless recommended by your dentist.

Children do not have the skills to clean their teeth until around the time they can tie their shoelaces.

Due to the shapes of different teeth you may be advised to floss your child’s teeth.

Baby’s First Dental Visit Visiting your dentist early is critical in helping to keep your child decayfree. At this visit the dentist will investigate specific risk factors for your child related to their medical, developmental, diet and family histories. An examination will check the health of the soft tissues (pink bit) and teeth, including number and position. The dentist or staff will then discuss cleaning your child’s teeth as well as recommendations for the use of toothpaste. At this age, children are easily distracted, and stickers, toothbrushes and other treasures make it a fun excursion.

As your child grows and their mouth changes, your dentist may talk about cleaning your child’s teeth, applying fluoride and placing dental sealants.

Prolonged dummy or thumb sucking can influence the shape of your child’s mouth as well as impact on the development of speech.

Sucking is a normal activity for infants and something that they usually grow out of by the age of four. Some ways of helping children break the habit include: distraction, reward charts, reminders and barriers (wearing a sock to cover the hand at bedtime).

Tooth Grinding Tooth grinding is another normal self-soothing activity. It can be seen in infants through to adulthood.

In children it does not seem to be associated with stress as in adults.

Children usually do not have any symptoms associated with grinding and treatment is not required.

Tips for Looking After Your Child’s Teeth ❑❑ Visiting the dentist at 12 months ❑❑ Cleaning teeth twice daily using toothpastes as recommended by your dentist

JELLY BEANS AND

❑❑ Encouraging water consumption and minimising juices, cordial, flavoured milk and soft drinks

BANANAS

❑❑ Limiting number of times teeth are exposed to food (5-6/day) ❑❑ Looking after your own mouth and have regular dental checkups

More Information Dr. Helen Cornwell BDS(Adel), MDSc(Melb), FRACDS Paediatric Dentist Conjoint Senior Lecturer University of Newcastle 18 Lambton Rd. Broadmeadow NSW 2292 P: 02 4962 1121 www.kidssmile.com.au

Babies and children often look a little bent over in a jelly bean or banana shape.

Sometimes this is the only sign of physical restrictions in the body. Others present with a concern: Difficult delivery Ear infections

Settling Slow to crawl or walk

Kim Wheeler, Bianca Oehme, Eleanor Fernon University trained, Registered Osteopaths, AOA Members WARNERS BAY OSTEOPATHIC CLINIC Suite 9, 478 The Esplanade, Warners Bay NSW 2282 P: 02 4947 3099| F: 02 4947 3088 E: info@osteopathicclinic.net.au www. osteopathicclinic.com.au

www.getaheadkids.com.au

23

Health

Eye Fitness &

Study

By Susan Walton

Have you observed your kids while they do their homework and study, especially when they are in high school? How close to the page or computer are they? Is there reasonable lighting on their tasks?

How long do they read or look at the computer before taking a visual break? Do they get stressed at exam time? Does your child need a behavioural eye exam?

Your visual system is undoubtedly your most important gatherer of information and therefore deserves to have proper care. This starts by having regular eye exams which should occur every 2 years of age or sooner if difficulties arise from 3-4 years of age.

The types of difficulties that may be associated with your child’s visual systems include: ❑❑ Headaches associated with work being too close ❑❑ Blurred vision of near target ❑❑ Difficulty copying from the white/ smartboard ❑❑ Getting closer to the page/screen with reading or writing ❑❑ Slow at or not completing schoolwork ❑❑ Words run together when reading ❑❑ Burning, stinging, watery eyes ❑❑ Increased blinking or rubbing of eyes ❑❑ Skipping or repeating lines when reading ❑❑ Avoidance of reading & near work ❑❑ Reduced comprehension with reading

24 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

Many children have difficulties with their eyes at some stage during their school years. Fortunately, most cases are relatively mild in nature affecting either their ability to focus or point their eyes accurately or comfortably on the page or board for any length of time, or to easily switch back and forth when copying.

Good control of their eye movements is then often reduced so there is a negative effect on their schoolwork and ability to learn to read or read to learn. A behavioural eye exam can locate the problem and provide the necessary spectacles that may be required to provide support to a child’s developing visual system so that their education can continue more comfortably.

Your eyes are just like the rest of your body – they fatigue without appropriate rest periods. Any near visual tasks, such as reading and working on a computer, require the eyes to focus and converge (point together at the words on the page or screen) which is hard work. Looking away from these near targets allows the eyes to take a rest. Especially in this age of computer use we all need to consider the amount of time looking at a screen occurs without giving our eyes a break. This could be your kids using the computer for their homework, an assignment or study; or more often for games or social contact with their friends. Either way it is wise to set some sort of limits for this continuous use of their eyes.

Health

What is required for these visual breaks? Two or three times every hour you should stop what you are reading or looking at on the screen and look away into the distance, changing your focus from near to far and back again a number of times. At the same time do some extra blinking while you take several long slow breaths. The near/far looking allows for some release of the tension that builds up during continuous near viewing. The blinking is to avoid the possibility of irritation from dry eyes, which can occur after longer periods of near viewing, since there is a natural reduction in our blink rate during tasks which require concentration.

The breathing is to ensure that there is a good supply of oxygenated blood to the brain for better function when reading or studying, since our posture is often slumped leading to shallow breathing.

It is not easy to put an absolute time limit on how long we should allow for reading or computer use for our kids. However, it may be useful to know about the current scientific studies carried out in a number of Asian countries, where there is a significant amount of myopia (or short-sightedness). There appears to be a link to the amount of time spent outdoors, both in respect of motor activity as well as exposure to sunlight, in preventing myopia. At least two hours daily of outdoor time is recommended for children from these studies. For younger children in particular, a one hour maximum at any one sitting is probably enough computer time for their developing visual systems.

Checklist ❑❑ Blink ❑❑ Breathe ❑❑ Look near/far/near ❑❑ Limit time spent on the computer ❑❑ Encourage time for outdoor motor activities ❑❑ Have regular eye examinations from 3-4 years old

Biography Susan has been an Optometrist for over thirty years and in her own practice in the Newcastle CBD for 25 years. She became a Fellow of the Australasian College of Behavioural Optometrists in 1988 and specialises in behavioural optometry working with children with learning difficulties, people with special needs and sports vision, as well as general optometry. She is the Australian Director for the Special Olympics Opening Eyes program, volunteering both here and overseas since 1995. Susan is also the Sports Vision Consultant to the Hunter Academy of Sport. Her daughter Hannah has just joined her and is in training as a Vision Therapist so they can work together on programs for children (and adults) to remediate visual function difficulties (like eye movements and convergence) as well as visual perception and sensory integration problems.

Amazing Performances For All Ages Parties & Occasions Schools & Preschools

More Information Susan Walton B Optom FABCO 245 King St. Newcastle NSW 2300 P: 02 4926 4799 www.susanwaltonoptometrist.com.au

Call Now 4942 3593 www.jd4magic.com Professional, Affordable & Fun

www.getaheadkids.com.au

25

Business

Compared to 12 and 13 year olds who have frequent family dinners (5 or more times a week), 12 and 13 year olds who have infrequent family dinners are more likely to have used alcohol, tobacco and marijuana.

Family Meals

By Dr. Jane Watson

Does the thought of preparing a family meal send you into a spin?

Is it just too hard?... there’s never enough time... everyone wants something different to eat... the whole family is suffering from that end-of-the-day exhaustion... not to mention competing with afterschool activities, homework, TV and computers.

With the many demands of parenting, it’s easy to forget the benefits of something as simple as the family meal.

Current statistics reveal that 22 per cent of Australian families eat together ‘four times or less’ each week and 60 per cent of families ‘always’ or ‘often’ have the TV on during meals. Families with teenagers are more likely to consume fewer family meals and more likely to consume those meals on the couch and in front of the TV. While these figures suggest that the family meal is still alive and well in some households, there is definite room for improvement.

26 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

Psychologists, dietitians and sociologists are strong advocates of the family meal because family meals are associated with a number of benefits, including improved relationships between family members, better academic performance, improved nutrition and eating habits and improved social behaviour amongst children.

Social researcher Hugh Mackay states that eating together remains “the most potent symbol of a happy, secure household”.

Research undertaken at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) in 2007, found that family meals improved family relationships. Another study by the United States Council of Economic Advisors concluded that family meals are an important opportunity to develop strong parent-child relationships and family connections. The CASA study also found a strong link between family dinners and the risk of teenagers using drugs and alcohol.

The CASA study found a strong association between family meals and academic performance.

According to CASA, teenagers who have fewer than three family dinners in a typical week are more than twice as likely to do poorly in school. Research has also found that students who share mealtimes with their families four or more times a week fared better in an academic test than those who only ate with their families three or less times a week. Children whose families eat together regularly have been found to develop more extensive vocabularies, are more articulate and score better on standardised reading and language tests.

There are also very obvious nutritional and health benefits.

Families that eat in front of the TV and children who spend a lot of time on computers eat a higher proportion of junk food and their dietary intake is worse. These children often miss out on nutrients that help brain function and improve energy levels. A number of international studies show that children and adolescents who eat dinner with family members more often are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and are less likely to eat high-fat foods, convenience foods, and sweets and to drink large amounts of carbonated drinks.

Getting older children involved, especially teenagers, can be more challenging, however CASA’s results should hearten parents to engage in that battle. The overwhelming majority of teenagers (84%) said they preferred to eat dinner with their family.

Business Checklist ❑❑ Prioritise family meals Families that value mealtimes together and recognise the benefits for their children (and themselves) make time in their busy day to sit down together for a meal. Set aside as many nights each week for the family to sit at the table with the television off. ❑❑ Keep it simple Meals don’t need to look like the photos from a food magazine.

Even if cooking is not your thing, you can still provide the family with healthy food. Think spaghetti bolognese, lamb chops with mash and vegetables, BBQ chicken with salad and a bread roll. ❑❑ Plan ahead Plan your meals for the week and write a shopping list to ensure you have all the ingredients available.

This saves time and takes the headache of what to cook each night. ❑❑ Delegate Get other family members involved in planning meals, choosing recipes, buying ingredients, preparing & cooking the meal and setting the table.

Involvement in food preparation, growing vegetables/herbs and even composting leftovers helps develop positive attitudes to food. Even young children can help peel, grate, mix and serve.

❑❑ Create some ground rules A few simple rules can help make mealtimes more enjoyable for everyone.

These may include: • No negative comments about the meal • Taste everything on the plate

You’re Invited

❑❑ Be a good role model Set a good example by eating a variety of foods yourself. If you are eating a wide range of vegetables you are setting a powerful example for your children.

Biography Dr. Jane Watson is an Accredited Practising Dietitian specialising in infant and child nutrition. Her work focuses on helping families develop healthy eating behaviours for weight management and healthy growth and development. As the mother of 3 busy boys, Jane understands the importance of practical information and strategies that can be juggled with the challenges of family life.

Jane’s current challenge is learning to ride a RipStik like her 6 year old son.

Stay tuned!

An exhibition of 90 original illustrations from The Albert Ullin Collection (1974-2007) of Australian children’s books.

3 September - 6 November Lovett Gallery Newcastle Region Library, Laman Street Enquiries (02) 4974 5300

35

$

More Information Dr. Jane Watson Ethos Health P: 02 4962 8700 www.ethoshealth.com.au

Rajeunir �������������

�

www.getaheadkids.com.au

�

27

News

Front Row: Mrs Judy Foley, Mrs Nicole Walters, Miss Emma Hall Back Row: Mr Danny Summers, Mr Andrew Cameron, Mr David Sarich

Lakes Grammar Outstanding Teachers Mr Daniel Summers (Year 6 teacher), Mrs Judy Foley (Year 2 teacher) & Miss Emma Hall (Year 4 teacher), Mrs Nicole Walters (Opportunity Class teacher); Mr Andrew Cameron (Year 5 teacher) & Mr David Sarich (Head of Junior School) of Lakes Grammar - An Anglican school, have received special recognition from the school community as outstanding representatives of effective teaching initiatives through the NEiTA 2010 Australian Scholarship Group Inspirational Teaching Awards.

NEiTA expects to receive more than 1,500 nominations nationally for the awards. Nominated teachers will be presented with a NEiTA Certificate of Nominations.

LAKES GRAMMAR - AN ANGLICAN SCHOOL K-12 Co-educational School

Lakes Grammar opened in 2004 and has grown to over 700 students this year.

A reputation for excellent student care with a high quality academic program, at an affordable price.

Open Day Saturday 14 May 2011 10:00am-2:00pm Enquire Today Call 02 4393 4111 enrolments@lakes.nsw.edu.au www.lakes.nsw.edu.au Cnr Sparks Rd & Albert Warner Dr, Warnervale

28 Get Ahead Kids速 Sep/Oct 10

The NEiTA 2010 ASG Inspirational Teaching State and Territory Awards will be presented to 60 teachers nationally. Of those, 10 teachers will receive National Awards in early 2011 commemorated with a specially crafted NEiTA Crystal Apple Award and a professional project development grant of $5,000.

More Information www.lakes.nsw.edu.au

Reviews

This textbook is also recommend as an essential reference for all parents to help them understand the environment, child development and growth.

The Big Picture Author: Karen Kearns & Ben Austin This is a comprehensive adult textbook written for the Community Services National Training Package CHC02, and to assist students in attaining the skills and knowledge required to achieve a Children’s Services qualification in Australia.

‘The Big Picture’ is written to support delivery of the Certificate III in Children’s Services.

It is an essential reference for: • Day Care Centres - Study & Teaching • Child Care - Study & Teaching

Playgroups and mother’s clubs can use this textbook as a reference and discussion guide.

It adopts a multicultural, problem solving approach and uses case studies, discussion topics, summaries and activities to convey information.

The authors are to be applauded because they have written a reference book that is highly readable and interesting.

The text provides an introduction to working in children’s services and covers the topics such as complying, working, health & safety and nurturing.

Category: Child Welfare Series: Working in Children’s Services

• Child Care Workers - Training

Extent: 297 Pages (Paperback)

• Australian Textbooks/​Coursework

ISBN: 9780733985904

• Child Care, Child & Youth Welfare

Price: AU$54.95 Publisher: Pearson Education Australia P: 02 9454 2222 www.pearson.com.au

• Business Studies

The Star Author: Felicity Marshall Marion, a wooden doll, her friend Harley and their dog Polka, enter the imaginary World of Fame where Marion becomes a famous star. But she learns that stardom has a use-by-date. This story explores the superficiality of stardom.

It is a charming tale of Marion’s climb to fame and her descent to oblivion cushioned by her true friends. It demonstrates how fame can change even a wooden doll and not always for the best. It’s a great precautionary tale!

Age Guide: 10+ Years Extent: 32 Pages (Hardback) ISBN: 9781876462925 Price: AU$26.95 Publisher: Ford Street Publishing P: 03 9481 1120 www.fordstreetpublishing.com

Enrolment: Rolling enrolment! Begin anytime!

Time: Tuesday Evening Class - 6.30pm - 8.30pm Duration: 1 year, 1 evening per week + distance education study + workplace experience Certification: CHC30808 Certificate III in Education Support Venue: ICCC, 146 Lambton Rd, Broadmeadow

www.getaheadkids.com.au

29

Reviews

Get Ahead KidsÂŽ Partners Quizzical Series Author: Leanne Davidson This series of three books follow whiz kid Brain Davis and his mates through a series of problem solving adventures.

Readers are able to work out the same puzzles that Brain and his friends face during the books.

There is also bonus puzzles available on the Quizzical website www.quizzicalbook.com.

BMM UIBU JT */ GPS 1BSFOUJOH

A real parenting website portal, by parents for parents. Share your stories, experiences, or simply read some helpful hints.

Each book is full of action, adventure, likeable characters as well as nasty villains. A fun read for primary aged children who can easily relate to the characters and most of all enjoy the puzzle solving.

Book 1: Quizzical Daramour Primary has been invited to send a team of 3 students to appear on the game show ‘Quizzical’. Naturally Brain Davis, the smartest kid in school, is selected first. His best mate Ted Dimple and the girl Ted has been chasing, Harriet Spittle, are also chosen.

TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE NEW

Pilates, Brass Band, Choir, Chess, Table Tennis, Judo, Akido Kickboxing Boxing, Gymnastics, Circus, Dancing, Fencing

P: 4961 4493 | www.pcycnsw.org

30 Get Ahead KidsÂŽ Sep/Oct 10

Book 2: Money Bags Following on from his success on ‘Quizzical’, Brain’s best mate Ted Dimple is invited to participate on the new TV quiz show ‘Money Bags’.

Everyone knows that Brain is the smartest kid in school and they are shocked by this announcement.

The tables turn when Ted is discovered missing just as he is about to go on stage to compete.

Will Brain get his chance after all?

Age Guide: 10+ Years Extent: 208 pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9781741788594 Price: AU$14.95 Publisher: The Five Mile Press P: 03 8756 5500 www.fivemile.com.au

Book 3: Puzzle Palace In ‘Puzzle Palace’, Brain Davis is one of five lucky winners in a unique competition. The prize is one of the first people to enter the theme park Puzzle Palace.

The trio faces a very big task of overcoming the prestigious Daramour Grammar, a school that has never been beaten at anything.

Brain and the four winners work together to solve the puzzles and make their way through the giant brainteaser.

Brain has this feeling that someone is trying to stop him from competing.

When strange things begin to happen like the kidnapping of his dog Mischief, Brain’s concerns are confirmed.

Age Guide: 10+ Years Extent: 213 pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9780980724103 Price: AU$14.95 Publisher: The LJD Books www.quizzicalbook.com

Age Guide: 10+ Years Extent: 192 pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9781741788587 Price: AU$14.95 Publisher: The Five Mile Press P: 03 8756 5500 www.fivemile.com.au

Reviews

I Went Walking Author: Sue Machin Illustrator: Julie Vivas I went walking. What did you see?

I saw a black cat looking at me.

So begins a young boy’s exciting adventure as he is followed by interesting animals.

This is the highly collectable 21st Anniversary edition of a book that continues to enchant infants. Young children will relate to the rhyming verse and in identifying the animals and their colours.

This is an excellent book for reading aloud and children will love the colourful illustrations.

Age Guide: 1-5 Years Extent: 216 pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9781862918832 Price: AU$15.99 Publisher: Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia P: 02 4328 3523 www.scholastic.com.au

Does my bum look big in this ad? Body image and the media Author: Lisa Cox Illustrator: Donna Rawlins Hard hitting information, advice and discussion questions on how the advertising industry works. It informs teenagers how to develop and maintain a positive body image as they become besieged by the mass media.

This book may be small in size but it is high in wisdom. It’s highly recommend for high school girls, youth groups and families.

Age Guide: 12+ Years Extent: 76 Pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9781921633058 Price: AU$12.95 Publisher: Wombat Books P: 07 3245 1938 www.wombatbooks.com.au

The Amazing Bike Ride Author: Lorin Nicholson Illustrator: David Emerson An inspirational true story of how an almost blind boy, Lorin, rode his bike over the mountains to experience the beach.

This book is a testament to a boy’s determination and perseverance on a journey over the mountains to achieve his dream against odds. It is a heartwarming feel good story that is enhanced by the colourful illustrations.

Age Guide: 8+ Years Extent: 30 pages (Paperback) Price: AU$12.95 ISBN: 9781921633126 Publisher: Wombat Books P: 07 3245 1938 www.wombatbooks.com.au

“It does not cost any more to help our environment at NCP Printing.”

This is a rhyming, comical tale that proclaims the virtues of the Aussie Dad. An excellent book to buy Dad for Father’s Day so he can read and enjoy it with his kids

My Aussie Dad Author: Yvonne Morrison Illustrator: Gus Gordon

Age Guide: 2-5 Years Extent: 24 pages (Hardback) ISBN: 9781741692280 Price: AU$15.99 Publisher: Scholastic Australia P: 02 4328 3555 www.scholastic.com.au

17 Arnott Street Newcastle West NSW 2302 Tel: 02 4926 1300 Fax: 02 4926 5557 Email: sales@ncp.com.au Web: www.ncp.com.au

Cert no. SGS-COC-005911

www.getaheadkids.com.au

31

Reviews

999 Tadpoles Find a New Home Author: Ken Kimura Illustrator: Yasunari Murakami When nine hundred and ninetynine tadpoles grow into little frogs, their pond becomes overcrowded.

Mother and father frog lead the little frogs in a quest to find a new home.

On the way they face predators and other survival dangers. But, in a surprise ending potential tragedy leads to triumph.

This is a fascinating story that has some high suspense moments and a happy ending. Its appealing green and gold illustrations add movement and action to the tale. It is an excellent first reader.

Age Guide: 4-8 Years Extent: 32 pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9781877467271 Price: AU$15.99 Publisher: Gecko Press P: +64 (0)4 801 9333 www.geckopress.co.nz

Always Jack Author: Susan Gervay Illustrator: Cathy Wilcox Life is finally better for Jack; he has a happy family life, enriching friendships, inventing the ponto and the beginning of sexual awakenings when he is with Anna. But trouble, looms on the home front as Jack’s mother is diagnosed with breast cancer.

This is a heart-warming tale on the effects of breast cancer on family life. Susanne’s gifted writing style allows readers to appreciate the seriousness of breast cancer without allowing it to become a depressing read.

Thumbs up for Susanne who survived cancer and can write about it in a highly readable way.

Age Guide: 8-13 Years Extent: 160 Pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9780732290207 Price: AU$14.99 Publisher: Harper Collins P: 02 9952 5000 www.harpercollins.com.au

Water Author: Geoff Havel Tully just wants to be like all the other kids in Rivertown but her father, Jack has always been strict with rules; keep away from strangers, don’t stay at home along, and never EVER go in the water.

When Jack is late home from work for the first time ever, Tully opens the door to a stranger who holds the terrifying secret her father has been protecting her from…until now. Tully will discover a whole new world, unlike Rivertown, a world to which she belongs.

Water is an adventure-packed thriller that will keep you intrigued from the first pages until the very end. As the mystery starts to unravel, you will find it hard to put this book down!

Age Guide: 10+ Years Extent: 192 pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9781741695601 Price: $16.99 Publisher: Scholastic P: 02 4328 3555 www.scholastic.com.au

For more great reviews visit www.getaheadkids.com.au

You Are A Star Author: Michael Parker Illustrator: Judith Rossell Under pretence of telling the child he is a star the author weaves the story of Earth’s existence and how each child carries a star within.

32 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

This is a charming book that is excellent as a first reader or for reading to children.

Age Guide: 4-6 Years Extent: 30 Pages (Hardback) ISBN: 9780733325397 Price: AU$24.99 Publisher: ABC Books P: 1300 360 111 www.shop.abc.net.au

Reviews

Rufus the Numbat

Leo the Littlest Seahorse

Author: David Miller

Author: Margaret Wild Illustrator: Terry Denton

Rufus the Numbat walks out of the bush at the front of the book back into the bush at the end of the book.

During his walk through the town Rufus startles a cyclist, a painter and later a Chinese Dragon creating all sorts of mayhem.

The story contrasts life in the bush with life in town from the viewpoint of Rufus. This is an unusual book as its Spartan text allows for reader interface and interpretation. The detailed illustrations are splashed with colour and present an ideal platform for questioning and discussion.

Age Guide: 3-6 Years Extent: 32 Pages (Hardback) ISBN: 9781876462963 Price: AU$24.95 Publisher: Ford Street Publishing P: 03 9481 1120 www.fordstreetpublishing.com

In the warm waters of the coral reef, Potbelly the father Seahorse gives birth to one hundred and one baby seahorses. Then the challenge is to teach the babies the ways of the sea. They are all fast learners except for Leo. But when a hungry groper approaches, Leo saves himself by camouflaging in the sea coral.

A beguiling story with colourful illustrations that demonstrates that even the developmentally challenged seahorse can triumph in adversity. A great story for reading out loud!

Age Guide: 2-6 Years Extent: 36 pages (Hardback) ISBN: 9780670073559 Price: AU$24.95 Publisher: Penguin Australia P: 03 9811 2400 www.penguin.com.au

The Little Yellow Digger and the Bones is an easy to read picture book that tells the story of a Little Yellow Digger that helps his friends remove rubble from a landslide caused by heavy rain.

The Little Yellow Digger and the Bones Author: Betty Gilderdale Illustrator: Alan Gilderdale

While clearing the rocks, the Little Digger shows how being smaller than the bigger diggers can sometimes be an advantage. This leads him on an exciting adventure where a mysterious discovery is made.

Diary of a Would-Be Princess #3 Author: Jessica Green In this book, third in the ‘Diary of a Would-Be Princess’ series, Jillian James faces new and sometimes overwhelming challenges in Year 7; new school, new teachers, new friends and new family conflicts.

This book shows how honesty and wisdom may be the keys to negotiating friendships and academic achievement in the first year of high school. It is a highly readable novel that will appeal to teenage girls as well as their parents.

Newcastle based, Jessica Green is a teacher and author. Jessica is a regular contributor to Get Ahead Kids and the author of Theodork.

Age Guide: 12+ Years Series: Diary of a Would-Be Princess Extent: 252 pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9781741697407 Price: AU$15.99 Publisher: Scholastic Press P: 02 4328 3523 www.scholastic.com.au

Age Guide: 0-5 Years Series: The Little Yellow Digger Extent: 32 pages (Paperback) ISBN: 9781869438999 Price: AU$14.99 Publisher: Scholastic NZ P: 02 9416 4000 www.scholastic.com.au

www.getaheadkids.com.au

33

Index

Article Themes 2010 January/February

Advertisers Index

Back to School Ad Booking Deadline Nov 6, 2009

Alphabet Street

30

Editorial Deadline Nov 11, 2009

Baby Ballerinas

13

Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College

17

March/April

Essential Moves

9

Physical Education

Family Chiropractic Centre Charlestown

21

Ad Booking Deadline Feb 5, 2010

Get Ahead Learning

21

Editorial Deadline Feb 12, 2010

Gymbaroo

5 & 30

Hunter Valley Grammar School

21

May/June

Hunter Wetlands Centre

11

Languages & Communications

I Can Read System

30

Ad Booking Deadline Mar 26, 2010

INParenting

30

Editorial Deadline Apr 6, 2010

International Child Care College

29

Interrelate Family Centres

4

July/August

Irlen Diagnostic Clinic

17

Learning Innovations & Technology

JD’s World of Magic

25

Ad Booking Deadline May 28, 2010

Justin Norris Swim Academy

36

Editorial Deadline Jun 4, 2010

KidsSmile

23

Lakes Grammar - An Anglican School

28

September/October

Maitland Mutual Building Society

27

Study & Assessment

Metroll Newcastle

2

Ad Booking Deadline Aug 11, 2010

NCP Printing

31

Editorial Deadline Aug 13, 2010

Newcastle Grammar School

19

Newcastle Region Library

27

November/December

NSW DII Tocal

7

Summer Learning

PCYC

30

Ad Booking Deadline Sep 24, 2010

Rajeunir Beauty Clinic

27

Editorial Deadline Oct 15, 2010

Susan Walton Optometrist

25

Tafe NSW Hunter Institute

15

Warners Bay Osteopathic Clinic

23

Zumba Fitness

13

THE GO FAM ILIES ON EDU CAT ING FREE

Dec 2 010

®

• Nov/ Vol. 2 • No. 6

For more advertising information please contact Maria Charlton |E: maria@mapmarketing.com.au | P: 02 4929 7766

Advertisers media kit & booking form at www.getaheadkids.com.au

Celebrity Spotlight Andrew Daddo Actor, Author & TV Personality Summer Learning

Nov/Dec 2010 34 Get Ahead Kids® Sep/Oct 10

DELIVERY POSITION VACANT Reliable person required to deliver magazines in the Cessnock area. Email resume to admin@mapmarketing.com.au

Activity Zone Its time for Dad to do some cleaning ready for Summer.

Spring

Cleaning

Can you find the following items in the picture below and make each item the colour listed in brackets.

1. Dad’s Car Keys (Blue)

6. A golf Ball & Baseball (Orange)

2. Baseball Cap (Green & Yellow)

7. A Corkscrew (Silver)

3. 7 Golf Tees (Outline in Orange)

8. A Camera (Purple)

4. A Tie (Yellow)

9. A Watch (Green)

5. A Spanner & Set of Pliers (Red)

10. A pair of shoes (Brown)

Visit www.getaheadkids.com.au for the answer. www.getaheadkids.com.au

35

Baby & Toddler Swimming Specialists

www.justinnorrisswimacademy.com or phone 4966 1411