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Dear Teacher Cutting Children’s Time on Mobile Devices
Experienced educators and authors Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts give solid advice about everything school and education-related. Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com
QUESTION: After their school closed last year, my children spent most of their day online doing classwork, playing games and visiting with friends. Now that they are actually back in school, they still are spending a lot of time online. Why is it so difficult to get kids off computers and devices? – Any Suggestions ANSWER: Right now, it is difficult to get children off computers and mobile devices because time on them was essential for both schoolwork, communicating with their friends and amusing themselves during the height of the pandemic. This is no longer true. =Since your children have returned to school, it is important for you to wean them from the computer and mobile devices. They will, of course, have some schoolwork that must be done on the computer. This is fine. You can be sure that they are not playing games or visiting with friends if their schoolwork is done in a location where you can observe them. Your children need to return now to doing activities outside the home from playing on sports teams to visiting friends to taking lessons in dancing, art or music like before
quarantining at home. Living online is no longer necessary or particularly helpful to their development. Decide with your children what a reasonable amount of time should be for them to spend online or with their mobile devices every day. Because being on phones and other devices is particularly addicting, it may be necessary for them to give you these devices after they have used them for the agreed upon amount of time.
How to Calculate Reading Speed QUESTION: With so many standardized tests being given by schools, I know that reading speed is part of being successful on these tests. How can I find out how fast my children read? I know that comprehension is very important, but speed is also critical! – Need to Know ANSWER: There are several ways to calculate your children’s reading rate which is typically expressed in words per minute (WPM). One way is to use the formula which is “Number of Words Read” divided by “Time in Seconds” times 60.
8 April 2021 • siparent.com
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3/24/21 2:04 PM
