Posts

Showing posts from October, 2015

10 Reasons To Build Our Children's Moral IQ

Image
  Dr. Michele Borba Moral Intelligence is what helps youth act right with or without our guidance, and the best news is that this critical intelligence can be nurtured, modeled, reinforced and taught. Here are 10 reasons why we must build our students’ Moral IQ and recognize our children must have hearts as well as minds! 1. Nurtures  Good Character The foundation to good character–or “moral intelligence”–consists of seven core virtues: empathy, conscience, self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance, and fairness. These ultimately form our children’s character and are the principles they’ll use to direct the course of their lives long after we are gone. Building Moral IQ is our best hope that kids will have the foundation to good, solid character. 2. Teaches How Think and Act Right In these troubling times, parents need to know ways to help their kids learn to not only think morally but also act morally. After all, the true measure of character rests in our actions–not in mere thoughts

7 Tips To Build A Strong Parent-Teacher Relationship

Image
The relationship between a parent and their child’s teachers is important for that child’s development and fostering a life-long love of learning. It helps children relax when they know the various people they spend all day with are on the same page. Also, you don’t want to be known as a rude, absent or obnoxious parent! Apparently there are many parent-teacher relationships that go well, but there are also many others that go very, very badly. As in any relationship, some effort, openness, and conflict skills help get communication underway and flowing. Here are seven tips to starting a great relationship with your child’s teachers: 1) Introduce yourself and your child in the first week of school or at the orientation if there is one. Don’t forget nice eye-contact and a handshake. 2) Try very hard to get to the open house/meet-the-teacher event . This is a great time to have informal chats about strategies that have worked for your child in the past, and learn more about the teacher.

Robots Help Teach Social Skills to Kids with Autism

Image
Researchers believe robots hold the key to early diagnosis, as well as teaching social skills. What can they do that humans can’t? It is well known that individuals with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) often have social anxiety. Experts explain that learning social interactions via a less threatening interface, a robot, may help individuals with autism better identify emotions and use specific social skills with humans, like holding a conversation.  Children with autism often have a hard time talking with or even looking at human therapists, but experts say they light up when interacting with robots. It’s not to replace therapy with humans, but you can deliver a social skills lesson in a less threatening way, and the robot can deliver the same lesson multiple times, the same way. According to autism advocacy group Autism Speaks , as children with ASD develop, they may have varying degrees of difficulties in engaging in normal social situations. Although they may share a connection