Halloween

In my opinion, Halloween is not a very good thing for children. To offset the witchcraft and concentration on death, many of the churches in the Sierra Vista area are having the children come to the church or even to certain homes for a game and party and goodies. That is a much safer way to spend the evening. Shiloh Christian Ministries is hosting the Festival of the Father of Lights. There are at least 5 homes in the different areas of Sierra Vista where there will be games, and goodies and non-Halloween fun. No Halloween costumes are necessary, saving time and money. If you are interested you may call Pastor Atticus Register, who is the coordinator of the home parties, to see where you might want to take your children. His number is (425) 508-7634.

As an educator, I like to warn parents that the day after this particular holiday, it can be expected that children might be hyperactive, sick, unable to concentrate or stay as focused as they should. Be forewarned and limit the candy and sweets and be lenient on homework, if you are going to allow a lot of sugar and color-coated goodies.

Many decades ago, Halloween seemed to be a harmless time to “trick or treat”. Times have changed and with them we must also change. Yes, I even remember doing some humorous and harmless pranks. Today, even those harmless pranks could bring on a lawsuit.

On a more positive note, we are coming up to Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukah, which are very heart-warming holidays and can become very educational.

What is more important? Grades or a Child's Life?

I own and direct Stilwell’s Learning Center. Prospective clients bring their children to me for an initial evaluation. This initial session is free. Here are some of the concerns I hear from parents:

• He/she is falling behind or failing in school grades. 

• Unable to concentrate in the classroom.

• He has ADHD.

• The teacher says he has dyslexia.

• He is just lazy. 

• He can’t get along with the teacher.

• He is being bullied every day.

• The teacher won’t listen to him.

All these and more complaints often boil down to only a few real problems.

1. I haven’t found a lazy kid, yet. Something else is in the mix, which is one of the reasons I give the child some diagnostic tests with the parents present.

2. The government school curricula does not usually include a real systematic and intensely rehearsed form of phonics. The reason this is important is that the brain performs best with systematic learning skills. The English language is very highly developed and yet approximately 97% of it can be understood and spelling and reading can become excellent by learning a systematic approach to it! 

3. The educational system in the United States has been “dumbed down” for decades. Now, we are paying the price.

4. Huge homework tasks, most of which are useless, are frustrating both to parents and children.

5. Basic math skills need not only a directional system of learning, but also a lot of rehearsal, as does any subject expected to be retained.

6. Learning good reading and math skills usually solves problems like, dyslexia, ADHD, focus concerns, work ethics, self-confidence and eliminating blames-shifting.

7. Oh! One more thing! The personal attention we give students in Stilwell’s Learning Center assures them of their personal value. We may have as many as 20 students, but each one of them is given personal attention and approval. They tend to thrive on hugs and encouragement. We value each one and attempt to have fun with them and they know we care.

A child’s life is not based upon grades, but in the process of helping a child gain a personal worth, the grades seem to rise and learning problems tend to disappear.