The Njask is the Sat of the Younger Generation

--5Th Grade Math Book of The Njask is the Sat of the Younger Generation--

great site The Njask is the Sat of the Younger Generation

The Njask is the Sat of the younger generation. I state this to peak your interest even if it is a bit controversial. It may also guide you towards an comprehension of the place this estimation task, the New Jersey estimation of Skills and Knowledge has in the life of a student, parent, and teacher.

The Njask is the Sat of the Younger Generation

Thinking back thirty years or thirteen years, depending upon your current age, reflect upon your Sat or Act experience. Did your teachers share tips and strategies as a way of helping to prepare you for this test? Did you walk into the testing location 'cold' without any expand preparation? Did you use #2 sharpened pencils? Did you get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast before the big event?

Now come back to the gift moment. Visualize your classroom filled with your students. It is the school day prior to the Njask testing week. Do you have a provide of #2 sharpened pencils with erasers? Do you have calculators? Did you share tips and strategies as part of their expand preparation? Did you get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast? Did you share that restful nutritional tip with your students? But, if not, why not?

What is it about facing the test 'cold' that makes you believe that is a good way to approach the Njask or Sat? With sample scored tests ready for teachers to use as instructional tools, what is it that you don't want the kids to know? Why not prepare your pupils unless it is a response to your own fear of testing, your own test anxiety?

Conquer your test anxiety while simultaneously attractive your students to do the same. Why? So that you and your class have this shared sense and from that you can understand and even embrace the relevance of and advantage of test preparation, a making ready that is as much for emotional and affective reasons as it is to lower your blood pressure and calm students and parents, or whether it leads to an growth in operation scores which in some classes is all that it is about.

Testing Miss Malarkey is a story that I have read out loud with students and with adults. It can be borrowed from a library or purchased whether in man or online. When habitancy laugh at it, I often hear comments such as "That is exactly what it's like in my school." It touches us and makes us look at what is happening in conjunction with high stakes testing. Yet, while it reaches us affectively, it also may cause us to reflect upon the actions of colleagues or those of our own children's teachers.

Let's go back to the Njask-Sat connection. habitancy take and retake the Sat. habitancy spend money on prep books, tutors, and courses. The score, now 2400 is the greatest goal, impacts where the pupil applies to college and in many cases, which admission's officer will accept you to college. The scores impact scholarship money. The scores impact the district's school narrative card, and sometimes sales of homes in the district. The scores are used as bragging ownership by students, teachers, counselors and local news reporters. All of that for a test that takes place for a few hours on one day in the life of a teenager.

Let's look at the Njask. It is longer than the Sat and it is administered over the procedure of a week to students beginning in grade 3. Those students do not take it again to get a best score; they take it the following year when they are in 4th grade, then 5th grade and so forth up to the Hspa. Scores are not impacting scholarships or college admissions, at least not yet, but scores are reported on school and district narrative cards. Scores are used as tools by realtors and scores are part of news reports. So, rather than scoff at helping kids, let's take the time to share the inside scoop, to share the scored samples, to provide our students with skills and strategies for success. Why? We do this because we can.

Open your mind and adapt your educational philosophy just a bit. We are not giving in or cowering to the powers that be, rather we are recognizing the powers that be, and we have found ways to join them and show them how best practices coincides with curriculum standards and how when that becomes part of direct and indirect instruction, we can save jobs, growth home values, and more importantly growth district, and pupil pride in a job well done. There are expert improvement sessions, there are district reading coaches, math coaches, and literacy coaches who are ready with tools of the trade to guide and provide assistance. It's not if you can't beat them, join them, in a negative sense, it's if you can't beat them, show them how it's done and do it well.

share the Facebook Twitter Like Tweet. Can you share The Njask is the Sat of the Younger Generation.

Ready Or Not - The First Breeders Cup on a synthetic Track

History In The Making

The Breeders Cup will make history in 2008 when it is hosted for the first time on a synthetic surface. The honor goes to Santa Anita Park and its new Pro-Ride track, which replaces a controversial cushion Track. Synthetic, or engineered, tracks are not popular among all horsemen, and in fact have as many detractors as proponents. Nick Zito is among the most vocal and respected detractors. Zito argues that the rich tradition of dirt racing is what powers the machine of the racing industry. Supporters of synthetic racing surfaces cite statistics indicating a allowance in catastrophic injuries. This debate is, I am afraid, in its infancy, but it won't slow down the momentum foremost up to Breeders Cup 2008.

Breeders Cup 2008 is a two-day extravaganza beginning Friday, October 24 with five Breeders Cup races featuring the Distaff Division. And nine more Breeders Cup races, including the Breeders Cup Turf and the Breeders Cup Classic, are scheduled for Saturday, October 25. There are a total of six races on turf and eight on Pro-Ride (synthetic) during the Breeders Cup weekend at Santa Anita.

What Are Race Tracks Made Of?

It used to be the case that a racing exterior was either going to be dirt or turf, with rare exceptions. Most dirt tracks are composed of about 80% sand, with the remaining 20% a mixture of clay and silt. The new trend is synthetic surfaces, which are springing up everywhere, such as the new Polytrack surfaces. European-designed Polytrack is a synthetic mixture of wax-coated polypropylene fibers, recycled rubber, and fine sand. Polytrack is what is known as an engineered racing surface. The idea is that the Polytrack is supposed to form a supportive "cushion" for the horses to run on. This cushion, in turn, provides added safety because of a more even mixture across the track. There is other advantage: easy and effective drainage, allowing for races in roughly any weather condition. Most dirt tracks are slightly tilted inward to facilitate drainage, so when it rains some spots are thicker and others are thinner, and this makes the exterior somewhat uneven. On a Polytrack surface, water seeps level through to a drainage ideas below, eliminating any uneven spots that might be found on dirt.

Polytrack was a hot topic in horse racing circles even before 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro broke down in the Preakness Stakes, and at last had to be euthanized on January 29, 2007 despite a heroic exertion by Dr. Dean Richardson (of the New Bolton center in Pennsylvania) to keep Barbaro alive. Some tracks in England have used Polytrack for years, and it's indeed beginning to catch on in the United States. Polytrack was first installed in the U.S. At Turfway Park in Florence, Ky in 2005. Before Turfway, the last major North American racetrack to setup an all-weather exterior was Remington Park in Oklahoma City. It opened in 1988 with Equitrack, a polymer-based exterior in which sand is covered with a wax coating. But by 1991, the track switched to dirt because the Equitrack exterior was beginning to disintegrate (melt) and create unforeseen problems. When horses raced over the damaged surface, they kicked up "particles of dust" from the track, and the horses would breathe in this dust, causing respiratory illnesses.

These problems are not supposed to happen with Polytrack. Keeneland Race course in Lexington, Kentucky installed Polytrack in 2006 and preliminary reports have been promising. The Thoroughbred Times released some fascinating figures from the 2006 Keeneland Fall meeting, numbers that may, in the long run, provide racing with its greatest benefit. The average margin of victory at the meet was 1.6 lengths, much tighter than the 2.9 and 3.9 average margins at the previous two fall sessions run over conventional dirt tracks. In addition, the average length in the middle of the first place and the last place finisher was down by about 13 lengths in 2006 when compared with 2005. In other words, the synthetic surfaces (Polytrack at least) seem to be generating more contentious and dramatic contests, not unlike races on the turf (grass).

California Is fascinating Fast

The California Horse Racing Board directed that all major tracks in the state have a form of engineered exterior in place by the end of 2007. Ground was broken at Del Mar in early 2007 for premise of a Polytrack exterior to be ready for the summer meet beginning July 18, 2007. Hollywood Park was the first track in California to hold a racing meet on an engineered track. The Inglewood race course excellent cushion Track for its main track in 2006. cushion Track and Polytrack are very similar, with subtle differences in composition. Santa Anita Park (Arcadia, California) has chosen cushion Track as well, and is targeting early September 2007 to unblemished premise (in time for the Oak Tree meet). Yet other synthetic exterior is in play at an American racetrack. Tapeta Footings, created by very prosperous trainer Michael Dickinson, will make its racing debut in Northern California in 2007 at Golden Gate Fields. premise is scheduled to begin in the summer barring delays. Tapeta has had great success as a training track at Dickinson's Maryland farm.

In March of 2007, Bay Meadows became the first victim of the fallout of the Chrb mandate, after being denied (by the California Racing Board) a two-year postponement to setup a synthetic racing surface. However, in May the Chrb granted Bay Meadows a temporary exemption for 2008 as long as Bay Meadows guaranteed its racing dates. Should involved parties at last fail to reach a compromise, this would end a long run (currently 73 years) for Bay Meadows (opened 1934). Bay Meadows President Jack Liebau, angered by the customary ruling in March, lamented it would mark a date of infamy for racing in California.

On May 4, 2007, Arlington Park opened its summer meet with a brand new Polytrack surface. The dirt exterior that it substituted had a significantly higher ration of silt and clay (40%) than most dirt courses. The unusual mixture proved a disadvantage for front runners and a help to closers, and Polytrack should continue or even intensify that trend.

Reactions from horsemen have been mixed with regard to the Polytrack revolution. Bob Holthus, who trained Lawyer Ron for the Kentucky Derby, said (in 2006) it's a shame Keeneland was installing the surface. That track hosts the Blue Grass Stakes, one of the more prestigious Derby prep races, and Holthus says it's good for horses to run on dirt in their final race before heading to the dirt track at Churchill Downs. As for Barbaro's injury, Holthus stated he didn't think a change of exterior would have prevented it. "I don't think it had anything to do with it," Holthus said. "Horses make bad steps and they can do it on any kind of surface."

Jockey Victor Espinoza, a fixture in Southern California racing, was reported as making a salient point: "...horses that come off the pace are more comfortable..."

Generally horses that achieve well on turf, but also show some dirt aptitude, achieve well on Polytrack. Pedigree can recommend aptitude, but finally the proof is in the pudding. Specific patterns in the work on of pedigree on Polytrack performance are emerging, though. Carson City, Deputy Minister, Dynaformer, Storm Cat, With Approval, Forty Niner, Sadler's Wells, and Gone West are all stallions whose progeny are performing exceptionally well on the new synthetic surfaces.

It'S All In The Blood

A brave new world in racing is dawning with the coming of Polytrack and the other synthetic racing surfaces. In new decades, the breeding business has invested untold millions in an exertion to "breed for speed." About 75% of all modern thoroughbreds can be traced back to a single horse: Northern Dancer (deceased 1990). Everything that makes a racehorse prosperous in America is changing, roughly overnight. The progeny of stallions like Mr. Prospector (deceased 1999) and Northern Dancer, and their progeny, may lose some of their work on unless their descendants achieve well on the new engineered surfaces. At first glance, some of the more prosperous "Polytrack sires" are Storm Cat (a grandson of Northern Dancer), Deputy minister (also a grandson of Northern Dancer), Dynaformer (another grandson of Northern Dancer), With Approval (a great-grandson of Northern Dancer), Forty Niner (a son of Mr. Prospector), Carson City (a son of Mr. Prospector and great-great-grandson of Northern Dancer), Gone West (a son of Mr. Prospector), and Sadler's Wells (a son of Northern Dancer). It is apparent that Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector are well represented in this list. More and more dirt tracks are being substituted with engineered (synthetic) surfaces, and the breeding business will be holding a close eye on all the developments.

It is my plan that Northern Dancer progeny will probably fare good on Polytrack than Mr. Prospector's progeny. We have seen that Storm Cat, by all accounts a great source of Polytrack aptitude, is a grandson of Northern Dancer. prosperous Polytrack stallions Deputy minister and Sadler's Wells are first or second-generation descendants of Northern Dancer. Northern Dancer sired some of the world's greatest turf champions, including Nijinsky Ii, Sadler's Wells, and The Minstrel. And the correlation in the middle of turf success and Polytrack success would seem to indicate that the descendants of these turf champions will do well on the engineered surfaces. Northern Dancer, however, does not provide a source of great endurance, so his progeny are probably good superior to races on Polytrack of a mile and one-eighth or less.

The prosperous Polytrack stallions Forty Niner, Carson City, and Gone West are all sons of Mr. Prospector. But Mr. Prospector is revered as the great Triple Crown sire of our time. Mr. Prospector has influenced America's Triple Crown maybe more than any other sire. Curlin, new winner of the Preakness (May 19, 2007), is a grandson of Mr. Prospector. The Kentucky Derby (May 5, 2007) winner road Sense is a great-grandson of Mr. Prospector. Mr. Prospector's grandson Unbridled won the 1996 Kentucky Derby. His great-grandsons Real Quiet (1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness) and Grindstone (1996 Kentucky Derby) won Triple Crown events. His son Conquistador Cielo won the 1982 Belmont. Other descendants winning Triple Crown events are Birdstone (2004 Belmont), Tank's hope (1985 Preakness), Hansel (1991 Preakness and Belmont), Timber Country (1995 Preakness), Victory Gallop (1998 Belmont), Thunder Gulch (1995 Derby and Belmont), Point Given (2001 Preakness and Belmont), Smarty Jones (2004 Derby and Preakness), Afleet Alex (2005 Preakness and Belmont), Editor's Note (1996 Belmont), Funny Cide (2003 Derby and Preakness), War stamp (2002 Derby and Preakness), and Fusaichi Pegasus (2000 Derby). There is probably no good dirt sire in the history of thoroughbred racing. But success as a stallion for racing on dirt will not necessarily translate into success for racing on Polytrack. Early indications are the breeding business may be leaning toward the great turf stallions for the future.

And what of the Triple Crown of the future? Will the Kentucky Derby ever be run on Polytrack? I'll believe it when I see it (I hope to be dead by then). But anything the exterior is in a race, the more races a horse has run on that exterior the easier it is to predict how a horse will run on that exterior the next time out. For the time being, there is not indeed an established handicapping methodology for handicapping the Polytrack tracks. This tends to create an environment that encourages a lot of surprises, and potentially long payoffs.

How Do You Handicap A Pedigree?

In late 2005 I sent an email to Dr. Steve Roman, father of the Dosage Index, speculating on the coming of Polytrack surfaces:

"...the knowledge of pedigree influences on the racing aptitude of a horse is going to be the most critical handicapping tool since the coming of the Beyer speed figure, at least in California, and maybe right now in Florence, Ky...and the theorize it will be so is because the vast majority of bettors has no idea what to make of a pedigree."

Steve Roman has been following the developments of engineered surfaces for some time, now. In my opinion, the contributions Steve Roman (father of the Dosage Index), Steven Crist (savior of the Daily Racing Form), and Andy Beyer (creator of the Beyer speed figure) have made to the racing business worldwide are unmatched.

I decided to power down my personal computer for a day and go to the closest Off-Track-Betting parlor (Otb) to check out an whole card run on Polytrack. I chose a typical day at the races at Keeneland on October 18, 2006, and observed the nine-race card from start to finish. The weather was slightly cloudy and the main (Polytrack) track was labeled fast. The results were illuminating. The average payout on a win bet for the whole card was a wholesome .87 (that's 10-to-1 odds) on average. The highest payout (Wellofaprize in the 7th) was an off-the-scale 7.20 (that's 52-to-1 odds). Wow! And it's no coincidence that the longest price on the board (Wellofaprize) is a grandson of Storm Cat. The pedigrees from the winners on the nine-race card were sprinkled with the names of familiar stallions: Storm Cat, Kris S, and Gone West, all proven turf (and now Polytrack) stallions. Storm Cat, Kris S, and Gone West are also proven dirt stallions, and therein lays the hidden to Polytrack aptitude. A stallion whose progeny do well on both grass and dirt seem to thrive on Polytrack as well. Whereas stallions whose progeny are pinholed to be dirt sprint specialists are probably not going to fare well on the engineered surfaces.

Let's get back to my day at the races at Keeneland. The lowest price of the day was a respectable .60 (that's 6-to-5 odds). If we throw out the high and low prices, we get a revised average of .43 (that's nearly 6-to-1 odds). Tossing out the high and low prices brought the average down, but the succeed is still very generous. I guess Polytrack is going to be the wild, wild west of horse race handicapping.

More On Pedigree (Using With A City As An Example)

A horseplayer must be ready to use all the tools available, including pedigree. Here is an example of how to use pedigree to tease out a horse's performance on Polytrack as opposed to dirt. It is a piece I wrote on With A City (unfortunately euthanized April 24, 2006) and his chances for the 2006 Kentucky Derby.

With A City: I dusted off my copy of the July 23, 2005 Daily Racing Form, and flipped the pages until I found race 10 for Calder, and stared at the page. It was a six panel sprint on the dirt to be run under starter allowance conditions. A nondescript field of seven 2-year-olds stared back at me. The eventual winner, Beit's Bridge, had two prior races, a win in a maiden claiming sprint at Calder and a 5th place end under starter allowance conditions, also at Calder. The eventual second place finisher, Suave Jazz, had won his maiden claiming debut at Calder. Suave Jazz has gone on to win a miniature over ,000 in 2006. The fifth place finisher in the July 23 starter allowance was a 2-year-old by the name of With a City, losing by nearly 10 lengths as the betting favorite. That is how things were going for With a City early in his career. It's not all bad. He won his debut easily, a maiden claiming sprint at Calder. He ended 3rd and 4th, respectively, in two restricted stakes for Florida-breds at Calder, losing to In Summation in both races by a combined 19 1/2 lengths. With a City managed to win twice on the turf at Calder, and herein lies the clue to his dramatic victory in the Grade 2 Lane's End at Turfway Park, March 25. There appears to be a mild correlation in the middle of success on the turf and success on the new "all weather track" at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky. Why is this? maybe it is the "spongy" mixture of the exterior that provides a buffer similar to the natural buffer that grass provides. Also, we know that the pedigree of With a City is influenced by a great source of turf aptitude, his maternal grandsire With Approval. And finally, With a City tried to give us a hint in the Battaglia at Turfway Park, finishing 8th but only four lengths back of the winner (Laity). What does all this mean for With a City's chances in the Kentucky Derby? Not much. The last time I looked, the Derby was run on dirt, and not on grass, and not on an "all weather track." The "poly-tracks" are coming, though, in California, and this is going to turn the handicapping & breeding industries topsy-turvy. None of the old rules will apply, in California anyway.

The Last Word

We have been concentrating on the Polytrack exterior because of its increasing prevalence in American racing. They do still run horse races on grass and on dirt in the U.S., though. anything the surface, the same ideas apply. If today's race is on the turf, then the more lifetime races a horse has on the turf, the more predictable his performance in his next race on turf will be. And if today's race is on the dirt, then the more lifetime races a horse has on the dirt, the more predictable his performance in his next race on dirt will be. The same holds for Polytrack, but there will more surprises on Polytrack at least for the near future. The theorize is simple: not as many races have been run on Polytrack. And that's a method for surprises.

read review Ready Or Not - The First Breeders Cup on a synthetic Track read review

The Scientific Process For Science Fair Projects

--5Th Grade Math Book of The Scientific Process For Science Fair Projects--

I was reading this The Scientific Process For Science Fair Projects

The Scientific Process

The Scientific Process For Science Fair Projects

The process that you are about to embark upon is a one that may seem remarkable at first glance. However, the Scientific Process, when taken one step at a time is very manageable and will guide you through your scheme rather than slow you down. In this report I will recap many of these steps key elements.

In my research, I came across a list entitled 'Scientific Process' in a book entitled How to do a Science Fair scheme by Salvatore Tocci. While each scheme may not merge every single item in this list, it will likely consist of most of them. If nothing else this list will prevent you from missing a key element to your scheme just by asking 'is this something my scheme requires. Okay, so here is the list:
1. Making Observations
2. Forming Hypotheses
3. Conducting Experiments
4. Recording Data
5. Making Measurements
6. Modifying Hypotheses
7. Conducting Interviews
8. Making Models
9. Reviewing the Literature
10. Making Inferences
11. Drawing Conclusions
12. Verifying Results
13. Communicating Findings
14. Sharing Information

Almost all of these items are self-explanatory except 'Making Inferences.' Inferences are conclusions that are not based on direct evidences or observations but rather on indications or logical reasoning. For example, if you light a candle, your notice is 'that a colorless liquid collects near the wax.' The inference would be to say that the liquid is melted wax (because it is the logical explanation). One other note must be mentioned at this point, and that is that your scheme should be done using the metric system. Metric is the universal measurement principles adopted by the scientific process.

The very first thing that you must decide when starting a Science Fair scheme is what your hypothesis will be. A hypothesis is an educated guess or assumption. It will be a proposal for solving a specific problem. Note that it is not necessarily an actual clarification to the problem. That is what you will find out as you do the research. The hypothesis is an idea that may or may not sass a quiz, or solve a problem but that is likely to, agreeing to your introductory investigation. A hypothesis should be clear, concise and specific. Try to state your hypothesis in one sentence. It is also leading to note that your hypothesis should be testable with the resources and knowledge that you have or have access to.

The next and most leading step in creating a Science Fair scheme is the experimentation. Your experiments should be as simple as inherent and direct. The more complex the experiment the more likely errors will occur and conclusions will be hard to determine. Also, always be sure to consist of a 'control.' Set up your experiment with multiple items of the same object. Keep all things about each of these items the same except for one variable. This variable is the one you are testing (ie - variable A had good results/growth than variable B, etc). Again keep one of these identical items without changing any variables to use as your control.

The last two steps are to analyze results and draw conclusions. When analyzing results be sure to only use the facts obtained from your experiments. It is also very crucial that you allow the results to decide theories rather than having a principles and trying to find a way to get your results to sustain it. The final step is drawing conclusions. The primary windup you should make is if the data collected supported or rejected the hypothesis. It is very leading to note that if your data does not sustain your hypothesis, then your scheme is not failed. In fact, the thing that makes a scheme fail, is failing to furnish any conclusions. The point of the whole scheme is to decide either or not your educated guess (hypothesis) was true or not, not that your guess was right.

share the Facebook Twitter Like Tweet. Can you share The Scientific Process For Science Fair Projects.

The Joys and Challenges of Gifted Children

--5Th Grade Math Book of The Joys and Challenges of Gifted Children--

her comment is here The Joys and Challenges of Gifted Children

Recently, I was reading a blog post on Gifted Children. This Mom had a unique perspective on just what it takes to raise a gifted child (being that all 3 of hers were). To her, having a gifted child, was not much different than having a extra needs child. In a way, I can see her point. There are assuredly challenges in motivating the exceptionally smart children.

The Joys and Challenges of Gifted Children

Jennifer, the author of the blog I was reading says, "In my observation, there are authentically Smart Kids, and there are Gifted Kids - and the parents of the authentically Smart Kids have the better end of the deal. True giftedness not only involves intelligence, but reasoning so covering the box that the box is not even recognizable. Gifted kids think differently, learn differently, recap to people differently. They are often misunderstood by teachers and peers, and they often struggle with fitting in and feeling accepted. There is a lovely petite term called "asynchronous development" that makes life oh-so-interesting: the gifted child may have the intelligence of one many years older, but his body, his maturity and his emotions are still at his biological age - or younger."

Grace
Grace was a child with a huge vocabulary before most of the children her age were even talking in sentences. people commented all the time on how grown up she sounded because of this fact. When she was 3, she started reading. I didn't feel like I had done whatever extra to get her to that point. She just came to me one day and said, "Mommy, I want to read this book to you." I was blown away that she was able to read me the whole book, only needing help with one or two words!

I also knew at a very early age that she had a real talent for music. As an infant, I worked at a child care town roughly an hour away. She came with me every day. On our commutes, she would sit in her car seat, trying to match pitches that I would sing to her. In her toddler years, she could hear a song one or two times, and know every word to the song. Before she was even walking, she'd be standing at the coffee table, tapping her feet to the rhythm of music. I knew I was going to have a very smart petite girl with some huge talents!

We had all the time joked that we were Not going to teach her to tie her shoes. After all, she needed to be able to learn Something in Kindergarten! Surprisingly, tying ended up being something she struggled with. In Kindergarten, she was already reading at about a 2nd grade reading level. She was identified as "Gifted", and put into a extra program with other industrialized readers. I was so glad she was put into that program. Up until that point, I wondered why I even bothered to send her to Kindergarten. Sure, she benefited socially, but academically, she was bored. The gifted trainer she worked with did a great job in exciting her to read more carefully, and gave her tips to push learning to the next level. She has continued to work with this trainer any times a year for the past any years. Now that she is a 4th grader, she is preparing for the statewide Battle of the Books. She is having a hard time getting motivated to read the books because, as she says, the books on the list are too easy.

While she is a very smart girl, she lacks some (Ok, a lot) in the area of self-motivation. Things come so easy to her, that she doesn't want to take the time to work at them. The idea of doing extra, just 'cause? Not in her line of thinking! Here's an example: Grace has been in dance since she was 3. This year, she was invited to join the competition dance group. I'm so proud of her! At the same time, I get so frustrated watching her. I know she can do the moves, and I know she has room for improvement. She just doesn't push herself!

Sadly, I can't get too upset with her, because I was the same way! When I was in 5th or 6th grade, I was identified as gifted. I was in a program called "High Potential." I was pulled out with some other children. I may have been a bit industrialized in some areas, but I never quite felt like I belonged in that group. I was terrible at math, and because I struggled in that one area, I didn't think I was as smart as the other kids in the group. Like my daughter, I didn't push myself. I didn't try at whatever quite as hard as I could have. I went straight through school in industrialized classes, and most of it was easy (though, history had a lot of numbers, so it wasn't my strongest area). I couldn't understand kids who struggled to read. Also, I played the flute. It came fairly easy to me (granted, if I had practiced, I probably would have been much better). I got by on my ability alone. I was in dance classes from 2nd grade straight through 10th grade. I danced at the contentious level for a incorporate of years, until I hurt my knee in 9th or 10th grade. Looking back, I wish I would have pushed myself harder. Instead of just getting by all those years, I wish I would have taken all to the next level and just Tried. I can only imagine where my music, dance, and even academics might have gone!

Michael
Michael is a Kindergartner. He began reading last spring. I was so excited, I tried to push him. He shut down and decided to quit reading altogether. His interest is back in reading these days. His trainer informed me just today that he is among the Top 10 Readers in all the kindergarten classes at his school. Question is, he won't read for whatever else except me. He refused to read for the trainer who wanted to "test" his ability in order to pull him out for a extra guided reading group. His trainer opted not to force him, for fear he would shut down. I think that was a good selection - for now. My challenge now is to outline out how to build his reliance so that he can comprehend his true ability.

Going back to the blog that got me on this topic for a second. Jennifer says that it is prominent for parents to advocate for their children. We need to work with teachers to help our children, and to ensure they are continually challenged. On this point, I agree 100%. It was a struggle for me and it is a struggle for both of my kids who seem to be on the industrialized end of the spectrum. Not only is it prominent to make sure our kids are challenged, it is also prominent to help them stay motivated (as they may struggle with motivating themselves). Our children who are either truly gifted, or just authentically smart, may have a hard time fitting in with their "average" peers. We need to not only advocate for them with their teachers, but we also need to preserve them in their struggles. The same is true with any child. It is part of our duty as parents.

share the Facebook Twitter Like Tweet. Can you share The Joys and Challenges of Gifted Children.

Book Summary - The Total Money Makeover - A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness - By Dave Ramsey

#1. Book Summary - The Total Money Makeover - A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness - By Dave Ramsey

Book Summary - The Total Money Makeover - A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness - By Dave Ramsey

Bottom line - buy this book. Financial stress is the biggest threat to our nation right now. People are running scared every day as unemployment increases, the value of a dollar decreases and high paying jobs are disappearing. Dave outlines everything you need to do to go from bankruptcy to financially fit. If you have not read or heard of Dave, you will like him because he brings a southern down home common sense to his work. My grandmother was from Georgia and had a 5th grade education and she had more southern common sense than anybody I have ever met. Dave is the same way.

Book Summary - The Total Money Makeover - A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness - By Dave Ramsey

Why is this important to me? Look at this and you will see why it is critical to get a control of your money and finances. Divorce rates in this country are north of 50% and the number one cause is financial stress. Dave talks about women having a security gland and the necessity for secure finances. When the future is uncertain in terms of living, education and family, women tend to be affected more than men. This inherent difference cases stress and thus divorce. Dave discusses how to handle this a bit in this book and in much more detail in Financial Peace University. What ever happened to peoples WORD? There were 1,593,081 bankruptcy cases in 2010.

I think my grandparents are happy to be in the next world because SOME people in this country have lost their self-respect and have huge entitlement problems. I don't like making sweeping judgments and I understand that some bankruptcies are inevitable due to medical issues or trauma. I have no problem with that but there are a ton of lazy people thinking they can just wipe the slate clean and start over. Worse than that, they have done it more than once. This is like a part-time Catholic cheating on his wife but asking for forgiveness at Sunday mass each week. He figures he can just start over. This is a bad thing.

This book is packed with excellent information that if followed is designed to get you out of debt and financially fit. For the sake of time, I will highlight certain sections and the myths that Dave outlines.

1. Financial Fitness is 20% how to and 80% behavior. The concepts are really simple but it is the behavior that is hard. I can outline a diet and fitness plan for anybody in 5 minutes that will produce results. The question is will it produce results for you - i.e. will YOU do the work??????? Shocking Stat: 90% of Americans buy stuff they CAN NOT afford.

2. Emergency Fund - How many people have 3 to 6 month's worth of funds available in case of an emergency? I was really lucky to grow up with a financially astute father. I thought I was 5 years old again reading Dave's book because all the things taught in the book were taught to me at an early age. I realize that not everybody is that lucky. The horrible statistic is that most Americans are 2 weeks away from financial collapse.

3. Dave outlines a myth that is very real. They myth is that if you loan money to a friend or relative, you are helping them. In reality, if you loan them money, the relationship will be strained or destroyed. The only relationship that would be enhanced is the kind resulting from one party being the master and the other party being the servant.

4. Golden Rule: The borrower is always slave to the lender.

Dave has a mindset saying that says: You need to be Gazelle intense when it comes to your financial fitness. You need to recognize that it is your behavior and your focus that will dictate if you become financially fit. If you are in a financial mess then the "how to" steps outlined in the book - work.

1. Create an emergency fund.
2. Tackle your debt.
3. Save 15% of your money
4. Eliminate all payments
5. Give
6. Imaging a life with no payment and all income.......Victory!!!

These 6 simple steps are easy to understand but hard to follow. As you know, most people will not follow these steps. This is why people gamble, and play the lottery. One of Dave's rants which I agree with is - "The lottery is a tax on the poor and people who can't do math."

Remember - "Where focus goes, energy flows" If you are in a financial mess then I recommended that you start with this book and change your mind set to fix the problem.

To live like no one else so you can later live like no one else is a brilliant saying. This basically means that you need to be disciplined and sacrifice now to have financial freedom and security later in life. Remember that if you are nervous about your finances now, it will only get worse as you get older. Most people do not think about their health and energy until they start to lose them. If you HAVE TO work into your 70's because you don't have money then that is a horrible thing. If you work in your 70's because you love it and DON'T have to then it is a blessing. Which do you want?

I hope you have found this short video summary useful. The key to any new idea is to work it into your daily routine until it becomes habit. Habits form in as little as 21 days. One thing you can take away from this book is look in the mirror. Denial affects you like poison. If you have financial problems then admit it and make a commitment to do something about it NOW. Schedule 15 minutes every day toward your financial education to fix the problem NOW.

share the Facebook Twitter Like Tweet. Can you share go to the website Book Summary - The Total Money Makeover - A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness - By Dave Ramsey.

Is Homework Important?

--5Th Grade Math Book of Is Homework Important?--

the full report Is Homework Important?

Debates rage on about the degree of value (or harm) that homework has on kids. Almost everybody reading this record has muscled through countless hours of homework, some hating it, some loving it, while most perhaps reconsider it a benign, boring necessity.

Is Homework Important?

On the one hand, homework has survived centuries of study reform, and is still thriving, so it must have at least some indispensable value. However, modern study in study has shattered these past norms producing hundreds of schools that focus on the student's thorough development, leaving traditional homework assignments out of their principles all together.

Why traditional study Advocates Homework

It seems the value of homework in traditional study is to bridge the gap in the middle of school and home. Teachers can cover far more material in a given year, and it's also believed to institute disciplined study habits and inculcate a feeling of independence through learner initiative. By being held to list for concrete assignments, a learner experiences personal accountability and sense of accomplishment. Personally, I very much remember and appreciate the sense of accomplishment, even though I hated every aspect of homework.
Finishing was awesome!

An discussion Against Homework

Getting more work done in a given year is amazing as long as the work itself has value to the individual. Many (if not most) students feel their school assignments have exiguous "real world" value to them.

Those feelings are proven true by the Tv Show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" where fully functioning, efficient adults are challenged to rejoinder the types of questions traditional 5th graders are predicted to know. When the adult answers incorrectly, there is a sense of embarrassment and humor. Yet the episode **I** get from that is 5th graders are studying Pure trivia. They're studying facts that lose their value after the 5th grade. So does it make sense to invite kids learn even more of this trivia in a given year, by taking on homework?

In regard to accountability, that's developed equally well by All activities that involve other people. Every act of transportation will only be understood by a listener, if the speaker expresses themselves clearly enough. If the words are mumbled, for example, the listener will hold the speaker to account, by saying something like "Huh? I didn't hear what you said" and now the speaker gets a second occasion to communicate. This is real-world accountability and it happens naturally in human interactions.

There is more to Life than Homework

If the child is cooped up in his room completing assignments which seem meaningless to him, just so he gets a grade in school, he's studying less about the subject and more that life is drudgery. At schools without traditional curriculums like The Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Ma, the kids still learn all the basics of human knowledge: reading, writing, math, they just learn that at a pace and in a style that fits for them.

I was once volunteering at a school in Los Angeles, Ca called Play Mountain Place where they too are free to create their own studying paths. The kids had friends in traditional schools who would have homework assignments, and a few of the kids felt left out. "We Want Homework!" They demanded. The staff members asked them if they were serious and the kids assured them they were. The staff abruptly assigned them homework in their beloved are of study, and off the kids went with their assignments. The next they came back, assignments were finished, although they lost interest in having another assignment. I asked one learner why and she said "Because I would rather do other things."

New Thoughts on Education

The commercial Age required students to be mostly focused on values like obedience. Work that felt like drudgery was the most many could expect or even hope for. In the commercial Age, there is no job security, the web has drastically shifted entire industries, nearly killing some and creating fertile ground for the rise and reach of thousands of new ones. Kids today need to be agile, intuitive, and open to a faster rate of change than ever before in human civilization. Homework is gadget leftover from an outdated studying principles and its value for the future leaders of our world should be seriously questioned.

share the Facebook Twitter Like Tweet. Can you share Is Homework Important?.