~Bona Vita~

You are your child’s best advocate – I have heard this often, particularly as the parent of  a child with special needs. in fact, I have heard it repeated so often that it has come to sound almost trite.

On the other hand, I have, over the years, come to an understanding of what I think it means to be your child’s advocate. Children can reap the benefits of private schools, experience the expertise in  public schools, or enjoy a  homeschooled education. However, when the final page is turned and their young life is giving way to adulthood, what matters is how you have shaped and molded their values and education. It is up to us as parents to equip our children to succeed in society practically and morally. Yes, other experts and individuals can assist in this process but we must, as parents, understand that our children’s welfare and education is our responsibility. After all, no one else can love them, nurture them and fully understand their weaknesses and strengths as a parent does.

This has far-reaching implications for  families and society as a whole. Quite frankly, I do not wish to begin to touch on these implications here. But I would like to offer a few suggestions that will help parents equip  their children academically in any school setting. It’s time to ”drill” .  .  . .

I am a fan of drills. They may appear boring, monotonous, and even painful, but they do work. Furthermore, drills do not always have to carry negative connotations.  From the moment you teach a child to recite the ABC’s or step-count, they are practicing drills. The acquisition of math facts, Bible verses, nursery rhymes, poetry, musical scales, typing and language skills can be assisted and accelerated with drills.

Drills can be quite interactive. You, as a parent, can drill your child in a one-on-one setting.  However, drills can also be utilized to promote independent learning. Children can drill themselves with computer programs as well as work sheets. There are a number of educational games that are drill-based.

My children’s education has been enhanced, if not accelerated, by the use of drills. Memorizing the multiplication table was painless, at least from my point of view. My children simply filled out a multiplication table at least once a day (just like a daily vitamin) until it was second nature. They acquired the ability to type (at a pretty fast clip) early on from daily work with computer drills. Our piano teachers have always utilized drills in the form of practising scales. The sports activities that the children engage in all involve drills.

Help your child increase their knowledge base and develop skills that are vitally important to their academic education simply through the process of drilling.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• Calculadder – Math drill ( K – upper elementary)
• Quarter Mile Math – Computer based math drills (K – 12)
• Abeka’s Arithmetic Test and Speed Drills (K – 12)
• Mavis Beacon Typing (Beginning through advanced drill-based typing program)
• Abeka’s Oral Language Exercises – English grammar drills (K – 6)
• Abeka’s Read and Think – Reading Comprehension speed drills (K – 6)
• Daily Skills by Houghton Mifflin – Daily drills in math, language, geography, spelling, phonics  and science (separate workbooks for individual subjects grades K – 6)
• Math It  – Math game great for acquiring math facts (K – 4)
• English From the Roots Up - Vocabulary drill program based on Latin and Greek words and their English derivatives
• Around The Garden – Vocabulary game (early elementary)
• Flash cards for math facts (any brand will work; you can also easily make them)

Academic drills can easily be incorporated into your daily routine.  Here is a blank Multiplication Chart to help you get started.

Addendum: I just discovered Works for Me Wednesday over at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/. This is my Works for Me Wednesday tip!