Back to School

Late August and early September are traditional back-to-school times. The staff of the Canton Public Library has assembled some resources that will help you get your child, and yourself, back into the swing of things.


Books

The Battle Over Homework by Harris Cooper (2006): Homework is the cause of more friction between school and home than any other aspect of education and becomes the prime battlefield when schools, families and communities view one another as adversaries. This comprehensive third edition tackles all the tough questions: What's the right amount of homework? What role should parents play in the homework process? What is the connection between homework and achievement? The author provides educators with terms, definitions and updated research to hold constructive conversations with students, their families and the community.

Bring Out the Genius in Your Child by Ken Adams (2006): Geniuses are born every day. Unfortunately, most of them will never receive the depth of intellectual nurturing required to push that genius into full bloom. Designed to stimulate the learning response in newborns through age 11, these practical exercises and interactive activities can enhance a child’s motivation and spur improved school performance. Examining how their children best learn new concepts enables parents to unlock impediments to academic success, and release the latent genius within. Activities are sorted by age-group and all communicated in a way that will bring out the best in every child.

Encouraging Your Child’s Writing Talent by Nancy Peterson (2006): Encouraging Your Child's Writing Talent brings a new perspective to teaching kids writing—one that helps parents encourage and cultivate a child's creative insights and love of words through the writing process. The author introduces parents to the characteristics of the gifted writer, provides them with tips to include writing in day-to-day activities, and leads them through the process of setting up writing workshops within the home. Along the way, stories and insights from published writers and examples of children's written musings show how the budding writer can be encouraged in his or her self-expression.

Get Smart! Nine Sure Ways to Help Your Child Succeed by Ronald Dietel (2006): The nine-point learning model is designed to help students succeed in a test-centric academic environment. The strength of this book is the author’s detailed, yet readable, explanations of how reading to children improves their communication and verbal skills. Each chapter is dedicated to a tenet of the "Get Smart" model and includes an overview, tips on implementing new habits (communication is key among them) and a mix of case-studies and real-world examples. Clear, concise writing, tried-and-true advice and the absence of testing jargon makes this a useful guide.

How to Help Your Child With Homework by Jeanne Shay Schumm (2005): Written by a teacher, this Free Spirit classic has helped countless parents avoid homework battles and promote school success. The newly revised and updated edition still covers the basics: building solid study skills in reading, spelling, writing, math, science, social studies and foreign languages. It also includes the latest information on phonics, the changing world of math curriculum, trends in parental involvement, No Child Left Behind, educational standards, electronic planners, new teaching methods, multiple intelligences, learning styles, and much more.

How Parents Can Help Kids Improve Test Scores by Steven Schneider (2006): To meet the goals of No Child Left Behind, standardized testing is preeminent as the sole indicator determining whether states across America demonstrate adequate yearly progress of student achievement in literacy education. Using non-technical language, the author shows how parents and teachers can assist elementary and middle school-aged children by extending and reinforcing education at home with student-friendly activities.

DVDs

Study Skills (2005): Students learn the cognitive elements of studying and the most effective ways in which to prepare for tests. This film also discusses strategies for improving organization, concentration, memory, and reading comprehension.

Taking Reading Comprehensive Tests (2005): Students will learn specific strategies for answering literal, inferential and analytical questions. Students will be able to find main ideas, determine the author's purpose or point of view, distinguish fact from opinion, draw conclusions, sequence events, identify cause and effect, and locate details.

Answering Test Questions (2005): Students learn to deal with multiple choice, true/false, matching and fill-in-the-blank test questions. The film teaches viewers how to identify distractors, recognize absolute statements and understand how double negatives can be misleading.

CD-ROMs

Topics High School Success Deluxe (2006): High School Success Deluxe 2007 is the leading-edge software tool for the personal computer designed for students age 15 to 18 in grades 9 through 12. Subjects included are: mathematics, science, literature, English, typing, foreign language, history, geography, and computer training. Ideal for young students at all learning levels, High School Success Deluxe 2007, has educator-endorsed and award-winning lessons that will improve any student's performance.

Topics in Middle School Success Deluxe (2006): Unrivaled in breadth and scope of curriculum, the absorbing activities in Middle School Success Deluxe will captivate user interest and maintain motivation. This learning system represents the very definition of educational achievement for students in grades 7-9 or 13-15 year-olds. Creative exercises in Mathematics, English, Foreign Language, Science, History, and Typing will expand problem-solving capabilities.

Topics in Elementary School Success (2006): Providing for 1st and 2nd graders with a uniquely diverse, fundamental course of study, Elementary School Success Deluxe enables students to build confidence and essential math skills through 3D adventures, amusing games and flashcard quizzes at three difficulty levels. Students will get a head start on reading, writing and speaking proficiency with these English language study areas including comprehension, grammar, usage and vocabulary. Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language lessons are included.

Websites

FamilyFun.com: FamilyFun is the America’s favorite family magazine. It is about all the great things families can do together. Lots of links on travel, food, crafts, parties, holidays, games, activities and products, and all the essentials that enrich the important time parents and children share as a family. These clever crafts, recipes, party games and projects will get the whole family excited about and involved with going back to school.

KidsHealth.org: KidsHealth is the largest and most visited site on the Web providing doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. This article deals with first day jitters, adjusting to a new grade level, preparing healthy meals and snacks, getting oriented to a new school and campus, and tips for keeping a positive attitude throughout the school year.

About.com Back to School: A comprehensive site about everything you need to know to get your child off to a good start on the first day of school. This Back to School Guide goes beyond the basics. There are tips for packing lunches for teens, keeping up with fashion trends for girls, and buying the best backpacks.

Back to School Tips From AAP: This site offers an abundance of practical health and safety advice from the experts at the American Academy of Pediatricians. A Spanish language version is also available. Starting with the first day of school to developing good study habits, this guide will help make the transition from summer to school a little easier.

Kaboose’s Back to School Guide: From preparing for the first day to back-to-school activities, crafts and party ideas, this site has what you need to get your family ready to go back to school. You can find lots of clipart, stories and games, healthy lunch recipes, and fun movie suggestions for getting in the back-to-school spirit.

This Special Collection last updated on July 20, 2007.