Online Q&A: Gerard Kennedy

Today's online forum featured Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy, who answered your questions on everything from funding for religious schools to mandatory phys ed for elementary students. Thanks for joining us.

Q: Learning about gender/women's issues is an important part of our everyday lives, affecting how we think and act. It is so important to have children understand gender and its implications in our society as it gives us an alternative viewpoint to analyze issues such as development, violence against women, eating disorders, homophobia ... The list is endless ... So why is it that something so fundamental to each individual's development and the development of our society is not taught in our school curriculums?

A: All new curriculum policy documents released as part of the current curriculum review process now contain a section on Antidiscrimination Education. Gender issues may also be highlighted here. For example, the just-revised Grades 9 and 10 mathematics document refers to the fact that some girls may need extra encouragement to see themselves in careers involving mathematics. Gender issues have also been integrated into the curriculum in various areas. For example, the Charter of Rights, as well as the impact of the women's movement in Canada are discussed in the Canadian and World Studies curriculum. Eating disorders are a topic covered in the Health and Physical Education program. In addition, we are working with the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration on a plan to educate and motivate children, aged eight to 14, to put an end to gender stereotyping and perceived inequality between women and men, girls and boys and help them learn social skills for healthy relationships that are free from all forms of violence.

Q: Why are high school students allowed to "earn" so many credits at independent credit mills where the credits and the marks are demonstrably related to the fees paid? These students then go on to occupy spaces in universities and colleges that they are unqualified for, squeeze out other students and create a greater demand than necessary for remediation in these higher institutions where there is greater than necessary cost to taxpayers. Students should be learning to learn and gaining literacy and numeracy skills before they go on to college or university.

A:The ministry is currently investigating the allegations concerning credit mills and will ensure that OSSD credits can only be earned by the same standard across the province.

Q: When is the government going to take the big leap and make physical education compulsory for Grades 9-12? I am amazed at the stats that indicate low levels of activity in kids of this age group. Your government seems to be treating the problem only on the surface. Think of the money spent in the health care system because of poor habits learned early in life.

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Q: Your government has banned junk food in elementary schools which is a great idea. When (if ever) do you plan to do the same for high school students? Almost every high school caf sells fries, and that is what most high school students eat (along with a nice rush of sugar pop). I personally would like to see a ban at the high school level on junk food too.

A: The Daily Physical Activity announcement and the junk food announcement for elementary students are two components of an overall Healthy Schools Initiative that will soon be launched in the secondary panel. We will have more information about that shortly. We are formalizing this initiative and will have opportunities in the near future for parents, educators and students to fully participate in the development of the high school program.

Q: The Rozanski report had a number of recommendations, but all hinged on updating the base funding for teacher salaries. Unless the government does that, all funding for ESL, inner city kids, caretaking, etc. is wasted because it goes to prop up the government's failure to pay the full cost of teacher's salaries. When will you update the board's funding for teacher's salaries?

A: The premise of this question is incorrect because we already pay the full cost of teacher salaries. What we've done, in addition, is put extra funding in the ESL grant, Learning Opportunities Grant, Rural School Grant etc. because we knew those were the areas that boards were borrowing from.

We make the argument that, effectively, the amount of investment recommended by Rozanski has been met and, in some areas, delivered in a different fashion. There is still more work to be done. But the substantial component of the recommendations has been accomplished. We are now going to work with boards to make the work transparent and obvious to all communities across the province. We will publicly disclose what the province funds, how the funding formula has changed and what work is still required.

Q: We have various concerns about split grade classes. Our daughter is in Grade 3 and started the year in a single class of 17 students. On September 30, due to less than anticipated enrollment, my daughter's class became a split Grade 3/4 class of 28 students. My wife and I are not happy about this as there are now 11 grade 4 students in the class ... Also, the concept of split grades is very problematic for us. With all the time constraints put on teachers with our new curriculum, and the addition of new physical activity guidelines, teaching time is already at a premium, yet you are asking a teacher to teach two full grade curriculums in one class. A split grade, in our opinion, means split teacher attention and split time to work effectively on each part of the years curriculum. This is ludicrous. A teacher cannot teach two full grades in one year without sacrificing other valuable teaching resources, such as reading time and art. Many of the teachers in this situation have told us that they would prefer to teach large single grade classes instead of smaller split classes.

Our question to you is this: While you have committed to limiting class size to ensure that each child has more access to the teacher, why have you not committed to eliminating split classes, a process which, once again limits teaching time and teaching effectiveness?

A: What matters most is class size and the composition of classes and we would hope that schools would make some allowance for that. Our goal from JK to Grade 3 is 20 students or less. We believe that reduced class sizes, coupled with giving teachers flexibility in the curriculum, should make it possible to be successful in teaching students at their individual level. The class that is referenced above has two challenges: it is large and it is a split grade class. Smaller class sizes of split grades do not present the same challenges. We are looking at ways that we can support split grades if they become necessary in upper grades. The extra time that teachers have in smaller classes should be sufficient to make successes out of most class-size combinations at the lower level.

Q: I am a secondary school music teacher in York Region, and over the life of the new curriculum, I have seen the level of involvement in the arts diminish significantly.
Students, parents, and even our school's administration, feel it is important for students to complete their high school career in four years. However, this does not provide enough time for highly intelligent and talented students to explore their full abilities. We try to accommodate students, but by grade 10 or 11, students are opting out of the arts in order to take as many math and science courses as possible, even though this closes more doors than it opens.

I want to be able to encourage my students to take an additional year and explore the great opportunities that high school offers: arts, sciences, humanities, co-operative education. My administration tells me they are not permitted to advise students on taking extra time because of funding restrictions. At our school of 1,600 students, we are barely able to run senior-level music and drama classes because of this. What kind of future do the arts courses have in Ontario? What kind of solutions can we start working on now so that our students can succeed in all areas of their interest?

A: Since our first year, the government has encouraged schools and school boards to put increased emphasis on the arts in education. We have permitted boards to plan for 2,000 new specialist teachers - which alongside of physed will account for more music, drama and art teachers. We will be launching our arts education initiative in the next few months. It will allow for the broader arts education community to advise on how to best deliver arts education in school.

Q: This government is again making the school system responsible for failed parenting by adding this EXTRA 20 minutes of structured physical activity every day on top of the students' regular physical education period. How can we add this with all the other recommendations handed down for other curriculum-related subjects?

With my Grade 4 class, I have 300 minutes to instruct a day which would include a reading/writing block, science, math, French and then squeeze in this extra 20 minutes of exercise each day. Oh, and yes I do cross-curricular activities where possible.

A: We see the role of schools as supporting parents' intentions and efforts to activate their kids and help them be involved in physical activities. Our daily 20 of physical activity is appropriate. Parents, in their busy lives, will appreciate that the functions they expect to support their children are happening in schools. Daily physical activity will be incorporated with the regular curriculum and we will be providing teachers and schools with options for timetabling and scheduling.

Q: Will the 20 minutes of daily fitness apply to Grade 7/8 schools? Many schools do not have recess time and the timetable is full. Will there be flexibility or will programs have to be cut to implement this program? I see such schools being closer to a high school setting than elementary.

A: Yes. The requirement for 20 minutes of daily physical activity applies to all elementary school grades, including 7 and 8. For older students, we see 20 minutes as the minimum of physical activity and we believe it will contribute to their overall academic success. While it will take some time administratively to work into schedules, this is a requirement that we expect all schools to be successful at. We are also providing funding to hire 2,000 new specialist teachers - some of which will teach phys ed for 40-60 minute classes and will offset the time requirement of classroom teachers. We realize that it will take some time to implement, so it is being phased-in over the course of the school year. We are providing resources to train teachers and help them make physical activity a part of any class, from math to English to social studies. In addition, the province, with the help of experienced educators, is providing teachers and schools with options for scheduling the physical activity requirement.

Q: I have a child in Grade 6 who has been waiting for pyscho-educational testing for several years. She has consistently tested below average by 1-2 grades. She is receiving assistance with an IEP. This year we had supportive documentation recommending testing by two physicians one being a psychologist. We were told that there would be no guarantee that she would be tested even with the documentation. My question is this: Why does there not seem to be enough resources to test children to see if there is an underlying learning disability? I have been told that there are not enough resources to test everyone that needs it but yet who needs it more than a child that is testing 1-2 grades behind. I have subsequently found testing through a local hospital and am awaiting results.

And why is it that we have fewer educational assistants now than we did before we were told that Special Education was receiving more funding? If you are serious about helping the needy students then increasing the one-on-one interaction is required.

A: If a student is receiving an IEP - that's good news. Students should be getting assistance first without waiting or depending on an assessment. Further, the only assessments they should receive are the ones that tell us how to educate the child. Previously, many tests were conducted unnecessarily in order to become eligible for funding. We are working with boards now on an overall reform of special education that will require boards to do assessments at as early an age as possible. There are over 4,000 more education assistants than there were in 2002-03. As a result,  there has been a large increase in individual student assistance. We are now ensuring that there are strategies are in place to produce results for those students as a result in the 65 per cent funding increase for high needs special education students over the last two years.

Q: I want to know what are the minister's thoughts on the Safe Schools Act? Given that the Ontario Human Rights Commission is looking into the matter because of its effect on minority students, is this something that is a priority for the minister?

A: The Safe Schools Act is a broad issue. We are looking at it in a couple of ways:
1. Are we doing enough to keep students safe in school?
2. Are the measures that are currently in place fair to all students?
Both of those questions are being subject to a complete review of the Safe Schools Act.  The review will include public consultations and is underway this fall. We are committing ourselves in advance to taking action to what is found as a result of the review.

Q: Although the Education Act specifically states that no extra charges should be billed to parents for regular classes, parents are routinely asked to hand over money for everything from school trips to graph paper. In the Avon Maitland school district, schools tell parents it's not an option to refuse to pay, even you point out that this is against their own school board policy. As well, they break the law (Consumer's Act I believe) by forcing parents to purchase a "package deal" of student ID card, planner and yearbook, even if you only want the ID card.

The Avon Maitland school board meets on a regular basis to review and set policy on fees but what's the point? The policies are not enforced, there is no accountability, no policy of enforcing their own policies and there is apparently no mechanism in place for appeals, just a refusal from all parties to not pass the buck.

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Q: My son's school is having a fall fair fundraising event. The letter sent home said this event is to raise money for things like "doors for the classrooms." I don't mind helping to raise money for extra-curricular and special projects, but certainly classroom doors are a necessity for safety. I support you as my MPP and applaud your recent education announcements, but I think this Board should have the funds to put doors on the classrooms. I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thank you.

A: We believe that the fundamentals for an excellent education should be paid for by the government. We are giving school boards some time to adjust to the new higher levels of financing that we are providing and our instruction has been to ensure that those dollars flow to the schools.
We are also considering provincial rules around fundraising and school fees but are first giving the boards an opportunity to correct this problem by making sure that no student is being excluded and that no untoward use of fundraising is taking place.
Fundraising should be done for the 'extras' - things that are not essential to acquiring an excellent education in publicly funded schools.

Q: I was under the impression that class size for elementary schools was to be capped at approximately 25. Why then, are there 33 students in my son's grade 6 class?

A: Capping class size is a significant priority for this government. We are capping class sizes at 20 students from JK to Grade 3 by 2007-08. At the same time, the government will ensure smaller class sizes in the early grades do not come at the expense of larger classes in Grades 4 to 8. In fact, there will be an eventual decrease in class sizes in those grades as a by-product of this policy.

Q: While I agree that smaller class sizes certainly cannot hurt, would someone please explain to me when 30 students became such a problem? I went to elementary and high school in the 70s and 80s and 30 students was about the average class size then.

A: We know more now about the benefit of early intervention than we did in the 70s, which is why we are targeting those formative early years. Diversity in the classroom also means that teachers need time to deal with special challenges and give every student the individual attention they need to acquire the essential reading, writing and math skills for future success.

Q: Minister, the top salary for teachers in most jurisdictions is now over $80,000 per year. When generous benefit and pension plans are included, the total salary is likely over $100,000. What is the government doing to control salary levels so that more resources could be diverted to improving the educational system through reduced class sizes, better investment in our crumbling schools, and greater investment in school textbooks?

A: Two out of three dollars invested by the McGuinty government are going to improving education. One-third is being allocated to help give fair increases, in line with inflation, to teacher and education worker compensations. The top salary for a teacher is approx. $78,000. The starting salary is approx. $36,000 and the average salary is approx. $62,000.

Teachers work hard and are fairly compensated for that work. Because teachers have agreed to four-year contracts, we are able to put most of the education investment where it needs to be - new textbooks, $2.8 billion to turn crumbling schools into good places to learn and capping class sizes in the early grades where it really matters.

Q: Can you tell me how the government allows or requires school boards to operate in a consistent or uniform manner? At our daughter's Grade 1 class in Ajax, one of her classmates transferred from the York Region board. The parent of this child was very disheartened to learn that the Durham board does not provide teachers assistants like the York board. This means that one teacher alone must meet the needs of over 25 children. This makes it very difficult to implement programs in literacy where one-to-one interaction is required.

A: We require boards to have similar outcomes. Boards can have different approaches to being successful, so long as they are successful. We have changed the funding formula so that it is tailored to meet the needs of individual students. Boards with the same composition of students (low income, ESL etc) will get the same additional funding to meet those needs. Boards still have the flexibility and the choice on how to deliver good results for students. One board may choose to use educational assistants, another may choose a different technique to get the same result. That is the guarantee we give to parents - no matter what school they send their child to in publicly funded education - they will get a good outcome.

Q: It seems that many retired teachers are taking an early pension and returning to teach again. Is anything being done about encouraging the hire of new graduates?

A: New graduates have been enhanced in their future by the hiring of some 4,000 new teaching positions on the part of the province. As well, I believe boards should be giving opportunities to new teachers if they have short-term positions - which are the only positions that retired teachers are eligible for. Retired teachers are not eligible for full-time permanent teaching positions and they have limited eligibility for substitute teaching. We hope that boards are giving preference to new teachers for those positions to help bring them along to become good full-time teachers.
We have recently launched a new program to retain and help develop new teachers in their first years of teaching. You can learn more about the New Teacher Induction Program by visiting our website.

Q: Why does the province fund the religious education of one group only, Roman Catholics, to the exclusion of all other religious groups?

A: The province does not fund religious education. The province funds publicly funded education of schools that are required to meet high standards. Publicly funded schools must follow the Ministry of Education curriculum, all teachers are certified by the Ontario College of Teachers, and schools accept students, particularly at the high school level, from any faith. This is the type of publicly funded education that has evolved in this province and we have received no other proposal to make it more encompassing.
The private school tax credit was cancelled fairly as a result of the last election. That is the only proposal that has been brought to debate. Our priority remains making publicly funded education, the best education.

Online Q&A: Helping your child

This week's online education Q&A is now over. Thanks for joining expert Andrew Biemiller of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, who answered your questions about how to help children excel academically.

Questions and answers are archived below.

Q: Hi, My son is two-and-a-half years old. He has an advanced vocabulary, can count to 20 in three lanuages, understands the concepts of adding and subtracting, and has an exceptional memory. What types of activities or classes would you recommend for him?

A: Unfortunately, I really have no experience with very advanced children. If you enter Gifted children Toronto in Google (click on Canada), you will get addresses of local groups plus relevant literature. If you click on "websites" and Canada, you will get a lot of book suggestions, and probably a lot else.

Q: If you believe your child may have a learning disability how would you go about getting him tested? My son is currently in Grade 2. He still reverses a lot of his letters and has trouble reading. His teacher believes that it has to do with his fine motor skills but I am concerned that the issue is deeper than this.

A: Reversing letters is not a predictor of reading difficulties. Dealing with sounds in words is (see answer to question below). Assisted reading at home would probably help. Find interesting books that he can read perhaps 90 per cent on his own. Some children do have a lot of "fine motor" trouble - I did. At this age, more important are what the child can understand and what sorts of stories and explanations he can provide, rather than what he can write.

Q: I have three children, ages 16, soon to be 14, and 12. The youngest is a girl and I have no problem at all with her settling into homework and assignments. She starts her assignments just as soon as they are given and the results show on her report cards. My boys, well that's a different story. I need to constantly monitor all their assignments and make sure they are doing their homework. Nag, nag, nag and even more nagging! Even when they complete projects on time, they forget to bring them to school to hand them in. I have heard it suggested that school has become too much of a "team thing" for boys to excel and get excited about. Academics are now geared to things that girls generally do better at. That is, the day of the "maverick" (which is more of a boy thing) is gone. Perhaps boys like "competing" with others rather than 'working' with others. Do you think there is any merit in this line of thinking? If so, do you think educators should change the approach to give boys a better chance at achieving higher levels in school?

A: I do not believe that making schools "more competitive" would help most children. Instead of around half of the children being perceived as doing well, only 1-5% would be "winners" and the rest would learn that effort won't do it--somebody is always better and "wins". We need competent children (and adolescents and adults) who can use their academic skills and knowledge for a wide range of appications in life. We don't need a few "winners" and many "losers" at school learning.

Q: If a child attends French immersion school (parents are not required to know or speak French) how much additional help will the child need as opposed to attending english public school? Additional help as in English tutoring or any other subject that parents will not be able to assist in. Are there any benefits in sending children to french immersion schools and should they go through high school as well?

A: I have yet to see evidence presented that shows that immersion French for English-speaking children yields the best possible English language development. A better case may be possible for "bilingual" education, is as currently given in Ottawa (and doubtless elsewhere). For children from bilingual (English/French) backgrounds, bilingual education may well be best.

Complicating the issue is the unfortunate fact that at some schools, immersion French is used as a means of segregating the more advanced children from the rest. Typically, able children are able to cope better with immersion French than others who are gradually "steered' back to English-taught classes. Again, whether this practice is good for able children or other children remains to be seen.

Q: How can I help my boys (ages 7, 11 and 12) improve their reading and math skills? Tips also needed to keep them motivated in these areas. What educational sites are available for homework help in both English and French?

A: See my earlier answers to the questions below, especially the first regarding assisted reading and another on the math curriculum.

Q: My son (age 8) has a slight case of ADHD. He is not taking medication for it. Is there anything my wife and I can do to help him focus and improve his behaviour in school?

A: I'm not a clinical psychologist, and I'm not sure what is meant by a "slight case" of ADHD. Many children do not attend or concentrate as much as we wish they would. Is there any area of activity in which your child is motivated AND persistant? (What does he "stick at"?) If there is, I would infer that he doesn't have a basic problem with focussing, but rather with his tasks at school. Most of us don't persist well at things we don't do well. Unfortunately, in an era when we are not willing to accomdate children by giving them some things they can do well as well as some things they are successfully learning, we wind up with many discouraged learners who think (correctly) that they will never succeed (when "success" is what the most talented achieve).

Q: Where can a parent get help with the new math curriculum? It is very difficult to help your child with homework when you yourself do not know what the questions mean. We are also concerned about the lack of basic computation skills being taught. We have four children. Two graduated under the old system and are doing fine in university. We are extremely concerned that the younger two will not be adequately prepared. They are currently in grades 5 and 11. They are so far behind their older siblings in basic math skills at these grade levels.

A: I am not an expert in math or math education. I am concerned that the current (Harris government) math curriculum contains some unnecessary sections (patterns and "algebra"), and geometry at the elementary level, and unwillingness to deal with the reality that children do not all progress at the same rate. Teachers are confronted with the provincial/Board expectation that "the curriculum" must be taught completely -- in effect, even if some children don't master it. We should focus on understanding numbers, computation, measurement, and various applied problems using math skills taught.

So what can you, as parent, do? Probably make sure your children understand numbers (basic numbers, place values, decimals, fractions) and computation, and help them to see how to solve mathematical problems.

Q: My 11-year-old son does not focus on his homework assignments. It is a constant battle to get him to complete an exercise. Work is usually messy and incomplete. I have had him tested for ADD. How do I deal with this?

A: Assuming that the homework assignments are reasonable both in specific expectations and total amount of assignments (not more than 1 hour for a diligent child), I think you should look at cutting down or removing other activities until assignments are done. This means organized sports, television, computer games, internet, and if necessary, outdoor play with friends before dinner. (After dinner, priorities should be homework first, other things second unless the homework is already done.) You can do your best to explain the necessity of good school achievement, but whether or not he accepts that, he must know the consequences of not doing reasonable homework. You are ultimately in charge.

Q: How do I get my 15-year-old son to focus and get serious at school? His grades are just passing but he has a potential to do very well, only if he wants to.

A: Been there. Done that. I wish I had a better answer for you. Fifteen-year-old boys are hard. I wish we were a little more flexible in our curriculum, being a little more guided by what children -- and especially adolescents -- want to learn. In my experience, when an adolescent comes to have a goal ("This is what I could do and do well"), it is a lot easier to be motivated. In my non-expert view, the best you can do is help your child find worthwhile hobbies and vocations around which some of his school skills can be applied.

Q: How do I engage my 4-year-old daughter who has been reading since age 3. She cannot write and has no interest in writing at all. She is able to write her name but is not willing to even trace or copy any letters. She still use both her hands to write her name with.

A: I would really not worry about writing skills in a 4 year old child who is reading. The motor skills in writing are often very difficult for children of this age. If your child can read well, be happy for that and leave the writing alone. For any child who reads well, writing will come easily when the motor skills allow writing easily.

Q: I have a son who turned three in July and he already recognizes letters and can spell easy words (like mom or dad) which we've incorporated into a game that we play each day. I don't really know where to go from here, how else can I encourage him to recognize and read more words? Is he advanced for his age?

A: Learning letters and a few words are positive indicators of interest in reading. (You probably read aloud to your child a lot -- a very good way of fostering literacy and interest in books and reading.) There are some children who go on to be "early readers." However, the large majority of even very high IQ children do not read earlier than others. Conversely, many "early readers' are not otherwise very advanced. Certainly, acquiring reading skills early is not a problem.

I would put more emphasis on reading interesting books with your child rather than emphasizing reading/writing skills. Among others, Richard Scarry's books are very useful, and provide a strong emphasis on vocabulary. Most children like them a lot. I would also find books that follow up some of your child's interests. If he likes animals (e.g., zoo visiting or watching animals at home), extend that interest. If he likes contruction, find more about that. Building on an interest is a good way to extend both language and knowledge.

I would not stress reading skills at age three. If your child asks about a written word, of course tell him. But pushing reading skills too early may "turn off" your three year old's enthusiam for books and reading rather than increasing them. Concentrate more on what interests the child.

Q: My 6-year-old son has started Grade 1. His teachers have told us that he loses his focus. Any ideas to help him keep his focus? It is just that there is a lot of information coming at him?

A: The first thing to check is vision and hearing. Your boy may need glasses or may have an ear infection that results in poor or distorted hearing. Both of these are readily treatable.

If there are no vision or hearing problems, your child's phonological sensitivity should be checked. This is the understanding that words are made of component sounds. For example, "Take the word 'pin'. Take away the '/p/'. What do you have?" (in).Children who can solve this and a number of similar kinds of items usually have little difficulty learning basic reading skills. Children who have difficulty with these phonological tasks often have more difficulty with learning basic reading skills. Phonological skills can usually be taught. If your child needs work in this area, find out if the teacher is routinely doing anything re phonemes or component sounds in words.

In what month was your son born? Some educators don't like to hear it, but as a group, the youngest children in a grade do experience more difficulty than the oldest children. Performance on the EQAO is lower by an average 10 percent, and twice as many young-for-grade children are referred for special education as are "older" children, although there is absolutely no reason to think that children who are born in Oct.-Dec. have more learning disabilities than children born Jan.-Mar. To some extent, maturation makes a difference.

Q: My daughter, who has just started Grade 4, is still having more difficulty reading than I believe is normal for a 9 year old. I'm a high school teacher who has worked with kids with serious reading and writing deficits, but these are kids several years older than my own daughter, so I'm less sure of my own diagnosis of what I believe is my daughter's LD. She has difficulty decoding, sometimes forgots familiar words or letter patterns, and is generally less fluent than I think is normal. Beyond regular reading, which we do, what suggestions might you offer? Thanks.

A: See my answer to the first question below. Assisted reading is a really powerful way to help a child improve her reading, and is something any parent can do (if there is no language barrier -- clearly you do not have a second-language problem). We have seen children improve markedly in reading fluency and comprehension as a result of 16 weeks of assisted reading for 30 minutes per day. (In our work, we used old basal readers from the 1960's which provide a systematic increase in reading difficulty. Our Grade 3 and 4 children read through at least 2 first grade reading programs, 2 second grade reading programs, and 2 third grade reading programs in 16 weeks, for 30 minutes, 4 days a week.)

Q: How do I know what homework my child is suppose to have every day? He is in Grade 9. All I can do is take his word, is there a away of getting the teachers to write it down or send an e-mail? Thank you.

A: In many schools, information about assigned homework is provided. Sometimes teachers do this by a posting on a website. Others send home a "contract" listing major assignments for a month or "unit." IF your teacher(s) report that your son is NOT completing homework, it is reasonable to ask to be better informed about assignments. Conversely, if your child's teachers report that work is being done satisfactorily, then you should leave the matter alone.

Q: My daughter in Grade 1 has a peanut allergy. The school principal is new and has not yet posted the children's posters at the school nor done the minimum amount of things to be done under the school board's policy such as advising the other parents. The principal was provided with this info before school started. The board policy also seems to not have taken into account Sabrina's Law either.

I know Sabrina's Law comes into effect in Jan 2006 but what can I do in the meantime to get the principal to live up to her stated responsibilities & protect our children now? The principal seems to view this as a bother and is not seeing that she has a duty of care while our children are in her school.

A: I do not have any expertise with this problem -- neither the medical aspect nor the school administrative aspect. It is probably best to talk to your daughter's teacher or the principal directly.

Q: My son is in Grade 6 and has an auditory processing learning disability. His reading and language is assessed at a Grade 3 level. His goal is to read at his grade level. He reads a half hour each night. Do you have any suggestions to help with reading and spelling words with consonant blends?

A: Reading half an hour each night is one of the best things you can do. However, I would try "assisted" reading. While reading, encourage your child to ask you about any word he can't read. You just tell him what it is, and let him go on reading. In our experience, in most cases after asking 1 or 2 times about a particular word, it is learned. While doing assisted reading (as in the half hour at home), the immediate goal is to maximize the amount of reading, not to stop to teach decoding (sounding out) words or other strategies for identifying words that aren't recognized.

I would also encourage your boy to ask about word meanings when he doesn't know them. Again, explain the meaning briefly in the context of the reading. (If you don't know the meaning either, say so, and together get a dictionary and figure out what it means in the context. It's okay for your son to see that you, too, sometimes don't know.) I wouldn't worry about consonant blends until the boy is reading at approximately grade level.

Online Q&A: Peer Pressure

That's it for the education Q&A today. Thanks for participating. Our next topic and expert profile will be posted Friday. Please join us again next Tuesday for questions and answers.

This week's expert was Dr. Marshall Korenblum, a child psychiatrist who specializes in the issues of peer pressure, social anxiety and making friends at school.

* Please note this forum is intended only to provide general answers to readers' questions. Those experiencing difficulties should contact their family physician or seek counselling.

Q: My son is soon turning 6, and just started in Grade 1 this year. He has a few friends that I know of. My concern is that he is unwilling to go to his friends' houses for playtimes, instead he's always asking if his friends can come over to our house. When I ask him why he doesn't want to go to their houses, he answers "I don't know." Is is normal to have a good group of friends, but be very shy about going to their houses? He has no concerns about going to school, why houses for playtime?

A: This is indeed a bit of a mystery. It sounds like the beginning of mild separation anxiety, which is not unusual in a 6-year-old. Has he ever slept away at a friend's (or even relative's) house? If so, did anything bad ever happen? If not, he might just be a sensitive kid who, one month into school, is showing a bit of "mummyitis." Fears and phobias commonly appear at this age. Has he watched or heard news reports of kidnappings or the like? Is your neighborhood safe? If these leads are negative, I wouldn't push him to go, but I would accompany him for a few times, and see if you can make him feel comfortable with the experience. If he absolutely refuses, leave it alone and try again in a few months. In the meantime, invite his friends over to your house so you can observe his interactions directly, and get a sense of how shy he really is.

Q: I have a preschooler (four years old) and he is generally well-behaved. The friend he most enjoys playing with is not, and after visits I feel like I have to de-program my son because he starts acting out too. How should I handle this or is it better to end the friendship?

A: I would speak to the parent of the friend and honestly express your concerns. Ask if that parent has noticed any behaviour problems when their child plays with other children. This may strain the friendship with the other parent, but in the long run (if they're a good friend), they will thank you for it.

In the meantime, don't let them play unsupervised. Make sure you are close by so you can intervene if necessary. If things don't change after a few weeks, I would start limiting the contact with the friend.

Q: My daughter and her friends aren't making very good life decisions right now. What is the best way to help your teen make the best choices? Do you go with the "live and learn" approach, or do you need to step in and try to take control of situations?

A: The younger the teen, the more you need to step in, because younger teens really do have poor judgement, due to lack of experience and impulsivity spurred by hormones. If they're older, however, they need to start accepting the consequences of their actions, and you shouldn't rush in to rescue them from themselves.

The bottom line is health and safety -- if you, as their parent feel that their safety is being jeopardized, then you should step in, but only after drawing it to their attention and trying to make it a "teachable moment." Convey (if you can) that you're not just trying to prove who's more powerful, but you're attempting to teach them lifelong lessons about self-care and good judgement.

Q: My oldest child is in Grade 3, and already uses foul language around her friends at school, although not at home. I was told this by another mother and I don't know what to do about it.

A: I don't know what your "culture" is at home, regarding the use of profanities. There are many reasons why a child might swear. Peer acceptance is one of them -- if it's "cool," then it may help them feel as if they belong.

To me, what's more important is how they swear -- i.e., is it being said in the heat of anger and/or in a hurtful or defiant way? If so, it needs to be curbed, and the child encouraged to express their feelings in other ways. If, however, it's simply used as a colourful adjective to tell a story, and because "everyone else is doing it," then I would basically ignore it. It will disappear on its own.

Q: My daughter began senior kindergarten this year, and she's already come home in tears because the other girls "don't want to be her friend." I am shocked this behaviour has started so young. I honestly didn't expect it until middle school. Is this unusual? What can I do? What can I help my daughter do?

A: I share your upset. Most instances of "bullying by exclusion" begin around Grade 3-4 and peak around Grade 6-7. However, we are seeing all sorts of problems starting earlier and earlier. I would call the school immediately both to inform them and to get their take on what's going on. Has this happened to other girls? Are there identifiable bullies in the class? If so, they should be dealt with by the teacher. An even better approach (so that your daughter isn't singled out as "the snitch") would be for the teacher to raise the issue of friendships and inclusion with the class as a whole.

In the meantime, ask your daughter if she has any idea why the girls might be doing this? Nothing justifies hurtful exclusion, but if your daughter lacks social skills, you may be able to help her change any behaviours that are resulting in her being singled out. And of course, tell her that you love her and you will support her in learning how to make friends.

Q: My nephew, who is 9, has been pulled out of the school his three sisters attend. My brother and his wife have decided to home-school him as he has behavioural problems in class and has been sent home on many occasions. He has seen doctors and I am uncertain to the suggestions to my family from counselling. My brother is too busy and my sister-in-law doesn't speak very good English, and I don't think he will be taught that well at home. Do you have any suggestions for this situation?

A: It would be helpful to know what diagnosis the doctors have given your brother and sister-in-law. For a 9-year-old to be pulled out of school is quite serious and not common. If your relatives are too busy or don't understand what's being told to them, why don't you go with them to the next meeting so you can lend support and help advocate for your nephew? In general, I would agree with you -- home schooling should be a very last resort. A child is deprived of necessary social interactions and may also miss out on the full curriculum when they are schooled at home. For a child with behavioural disturbance who can't cope in the regular school system, day treatment would be a better option -- this is a combination of school plus treatment. They will need a child psychiatrist to help refer them.

Online Q&A: Back-to-school

Thanks for asking your education-related questions. Next Tuesday's Q&A topic is peer pressure, social anxiety and making friends at school. If you have any comments or suggestions for future Q&A forums, please e-mail education editor Kristin Rushowy at krushowy@thestar.ca

This week's topic was adjusting to back to school.

Professor Janette Pelletier of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto is taking your questions on back-to-school issues. A former elementary teacher and school psychologist, her areas of expertise also include school readiness for diverse families, parental involvement in education, transition to school and family literacy.

Q: This is in regards to a story published a couple of weeks ago regarding the increase in high school dropout rates across Ontario. The government noted a direct correlation between the Grade 9 mathematics curriculum and the rising dropout rates. My question is whether this is the problem? Or whether the elimination of OAC has pushed higher math down to elementary schools and the children are not being well prepared for high school? As a former student in the Ontario public school system, I know there are excellent teachers in elementary schools however, many of them have not done more than Grade 10 math or science and are expected to teach it and stress its importance in everyday life after not having done math in 10 years. I am curious to know how much  mathematics and science training the teachers are recieving in teacher's college? I once taught in a learning centre and noticed a trend in most of the children having difficulties in both math and science, they were not able to multiply, add, subtract or divide quickly or efficiently and relied on calculators. Is the new curriculum touching on too many subjects and not stressing enough of the basics? Thanks in advance.

A: Although my own research and teaching is not in the area of mathematics, I can say that in recent years there has been a push at faculties of education to foster deeper understanding of mathematics and science among new teachers. At the secondary level, teacher candidates must have two teaching subject areas, so mathematics teachers would have training specific to teaching math. At the elementary level, teachers develop expertise in teaching pedagogy that is cross-curricular so that children's programs are holistic and integrated (for example, literacy skills can be developed through science exploration). Teacher candidates at the elementary level do also receive specific courses in teaching mathematics and science/technology. I believe this more recent push in math and science education will begin to show increased learning in students in time.

Q: Our granddaughter has just been enrolled in half-day pre-kindergarten school. Is it too early to become anxious about peer pressure?

A: Hopefully you won't need to become anxious about peer pressure at any time. However, it is understandable that parents and grandparents are concerned about their little ones beginning school, especially if it is the first out-of-home group experience the child has had. If your granddaughter has participated in some other form of preschool program such as nursery school, child care, gymboree, caregiver-child and library classes, then she will have a sense already of what it is like to be a part of a group of children her age. In that sense, these group activities are helpful for young children in making the transition to pre-kindergarten or kindergarten. Research has shown that peer relations and play are the most important aspects of kindergarten for young children - both positive and negative. The negative aspects of peer relations that children report are feeling rejected or hurt by their peers. However, "peer pressure" in the sense of peers exerting pressure on a pre-kindergarten child to engage in inappropriate behaviour is unlikely at this age. At this age, young children are more likely to "imitate" another whom they perceive to be powerful or who has been rewarded for a particular behaviour. You can ask your granddaughter to "tell you about school" so that she knows you are there to provide that secure base and so that you can understand how she is feeling about starting pre-kindergarten.

Q: I can't decide what kind of pre-school program to put my son in. He is 3 and very bright and I just don't think the things I do with him at home are stimulating enough. (I am a stay-at-home mom). Do you have any recommendations about what kind of programs works for pre-schoolers and how often he should go?

A: It sounds as though your son might enjoy an organized or semi-organized playgroup, sport or preschool and you would have an opportunity to meet other parents who are asking the same questions. You would also meet professionals who have experience planning and providing stimulating programs for young children and could give you ideas and resources about how to engage him at home.

I would suggest tapping into his interests and seeking out a program that would be motivating. For example, he may be interested in a movement program, music program, moms & tots drop-in, family literacy, nursery school or other program in the community or school. Three half days a week is plenty of time for this kind of program or combination of programs, especially since you have the benefit of staying home with him otherwise. There are places where you can get more information about these kinds of programs - such as the Ontario Early Years Centres, school boards, municipal departments of children's services, and community centres. Some programs are free for parents and children while other formal preschool programs may involve a fee. 

Q: I would like some suggestions on how to handle the pressure of homework for children in Grade one. I really don't believe my son is ready for reading yet but there is a pressure passed down to us as parents to keep our children "on track" with the curriculum without regard for the child's individual abilities and readiness. I want to instill a love of reading not pressure my 6-year-old.

A: I am not sure whether your child is already being asked to complete reading homework in Grade 1. This seems premature given that most Grade 1 children at this time of the year are not yet reading, but rather are being read to at school and are being supported as they begin to look at books on their own. Many children still need to develop the oral language skills that underpin literacy development. However, informal literacy activities that parents can do at home with their child on an incidental basis, can provide enormous support to the child and can help little ones to become motivated to attend to print in their environments. Thus completing reading readiness worksheets would be inappropriate. However, reading books together and playing literacy games as part of regular family life would be beneficial (for example "I spy"). Thus the answer depends on what type of "reading homework" your child is being asked to do at the beginning of Grade 1.

I believe most Grade 1 teachers would welcome this incidental kind of support at home and would not wish for you and your child to complete formal reading homework per se. Some ways for you to instill a love of reading are to read with him every day and to make reading an enjoyable activity that he can count on. Talk about books and let your child have some choice about the books you read together.

Q: My son is is very unmotivated. He's been that way since elementary school but now that he's in high school (grade 11) he's really falling behind. He doesn't fail classes but does the bare minimum so his grades are ok. I wish he would try harder. His friends all do well in school, better than him, so I don't know what the problem is. I think he's going to regret it when they all go off to university and he's stuck here. Thank you.

A: Perhaps your son would benefit from a high school program that allows him to apply knowledge in a more practical way. Perhaps he does not see the point of learning formal curriculum material to prepare him for university, but rather might see the benefit of a more applied program that makes sense in relation to what he wants to do in his future. From what you have written, it seems as though he has little interest in the material, yet obviously is bright enough to make satisfactory grades despite not working very hard at it. Sometimes children get off to a slow start and are unable to be drawn off that path. This can happen for many reasons, but one may be related to expectations that children have of themselves and that others have of them. Low expectations are often maintained over time so that high achievers are rewarded and seem to accelerate faster while low achievers can be labelled as such and may live down to expectations. Without knowing your family's situation, I might suggest some guidance counselling for your son. Perhaps a new path to success could begin if his program fit his interests and made sense to him in terms of his goals. Good luck.

Q: We have twin boys in Grade 3 who have been in the same class up until now, they are now in separate classes in school. They are missing each other and already asking to be in the same class. However we have moved and the principal we now have believes twins should not be together so I guess that won't happen. What can we do to make this easier for them?

A: It seems as though your boys have grown to depend on each other for emotional security in school and now that they are separated, are having to negotiate a new and uncomfortable transition. This discomfort of being separated is likely heightened because your family has just moved. Most child development experts agree that it is important for twins and other multiples to form their individual identities and this is more difficult to do when they are in the same class. One reason is that teachers may inadvertently "unitize" them or may mistake one for the other. Even if they are not identical, it is more likely that their names would be mixed up than if they were in separate classes. Twins, particularly identical twins, can "elicit" similar responses from others around them, thus making their environments even more similar and less differentiated. If twins are in different classes, their teachers and their peers will get to know them as individuals and this will help in the boys' individual identity formation. To make it easier for them, it may be possible to arrange for time together at lunch, recess, in after-school activities and possibly in activities shared between the Grade 3 classes. It is also important to give the boys individual time at home, so that they do not feel that being together is the only way to be. They can practice being apart at home as well through different extra-curricular activities such as sports and music and different (as well as shared) friends.

Q: My 3-year-old daughter has just started Montessori, and the first week was very happy to be there. Now all of a sudden she doesn't want to go to school. She doesn't put up a huge fuss, but every morning says she'd rather stay home. I'm sure she's still adjusting but why would she be fine one week and not the next? Is this something I should ignore for now? She's only there part-time.

A: It is terrific that your three-year-old does not put up a fuss as she  begins school in this new environment. Perhaps the shifting effect of being happy then reticent about school is related to the growing realization that this has become a permanent situation rather than a visit or a little holiday. That is, she is starting to recognize that there is a pattern of going to school and that she has left the consistency of the familiar environment she was in before. It would be reasonable for you to speak to the teacher about your daughter's transition issues so that the teacher can put strategies in place to ease that transition. This could involve a "buddy" system of children, or having the parent join the class for a few minutes so the child can "show off" her classroom environment, a book that is read about starting school in a new place or other solutions that the teacher has successfully employed with previous classes. The teacher might suggest things for you to say to your child as you are getting ready to go to school, such as providing reassurance that your daughter's world hasn't changed other than beginning at this new school. The parent-school connection is so important to helping children make that transition. The more the child senses the continuity and shared understanding, the easier the transition.

Q: Since it is time again for routine, I had a question about sleeping. Our two children are 6 and 8, and I am wondering how many hours of sleep do they require per night? We are trying to re-establish their sleeping patterns, and we want to make sure they are getting enough rest.

A: It is best if you ask your pediatrician about the recommended number of hours that your children sleep since sleep needs vary. Generally speaking, elementary school-age children require about 10-hours of sleep a night. A routine is important to help establish good sleeping habits, for example, regular bed time, having a bath, brushing teeth, having a story and being in a quiet room without TV. These routines may help children to relax and to avoid being over-stimulated, for example, by certain types of TV programming or computer games. One should also consider whether children are consuming caffeine during the day (for example, colas) as this can have an impact on sleeping.

Q: We get very little notification about upcomming school events. An example would be Professional Development Day for teachers (Sept 19) yesterday notification to parents sent home on Thursday (Sept 15). How do I find out about up comming events at school without hasseling the school office. I have since downloaded the school calendar from the board web site but that doesn't include meet the teacher night and other activities specfic to my daughter's school.

A: It might be a good idea for you to contact the Parent Council at your daughter's school and make a suggestion that these kinds of events could be listed, posted and also sent out to parents early in the school year. This takes some of the pressure off the office and gives the parent community an opportunity to be involved in communication with other parents.

Q: Currently i am in the eleventh grade, and want to know if you could give me some key pointers in succeeding in school, especially in the math and physics type courses. Although i haven't really started the challenging work in my physics class and have math in my next semester, i want to be well prepared prior to starting the hardwork, so when it comes i am ready. Also, does "reading" books benefit my learning and ability to understand.

A: By virtue of writing this question about how best to succeed in school, it appears that you already possess important personal and practical skills associated with success. Time management is one of the most important skills to develop - research has shown that spending at least some time every day on your work results in more success than cramming too much information into a short timeframe. Thus, set aside a time and place that is quiet and relaxing. Your state of mind during your study period can also influence how much information you are able to retain. Too much stress can decrease your ability to take in and process new information. Math and physics do involve some rote learning but using that knowledge to solve problems or create products is even more important.

Rote learning is primarily remembering facts; using knowledge helps you to understand more deeply. As for reading books, that is a very important and enjoyable activity for acquiring general knowledge and for thinking about issues that come up in the plot or in the development of characters that relate to real-life situations. Reading can provide new information, but can also enhance vocabulary and general knowledge about the world. Reading can give insight into human behaviour and can cause us to question why the author wrote a particular piece. Good readers tend to do well in school because much of school learning is dependent on literacy. Hope that helps.

Q: Our 4-year-old son refuses to go to school. He will chase my wife down the hall and in to the parking lot screaming (at the top of his lungs), and kicking. My wife has always stayed at home and she did spend some time with him in the class last week. The school is very reluctant in offering advice and help. It has been a summer of changes, new home, community and friends.

A: It sounds as though your son is experiencing some classic "transition" issues and these have been compounded by concurrent events such as the move. It is also too bad that the school is unable to provide support and advice during this important transition time. We know from research that the home-school connection prior to and during the start of school has a significant influence on how children negotiate this change. Given the lack of school administrative support, it is necessary to have open communication with the teacher about this. Surely he/she recognizes that your son is chasing your wife down the hall and that this is not acceptable (for safety reasons). There need to be supports in place to keep him in the classroom. Kindergarten teachers employ a range of strategies to help ease families into school. The use of these strategies depends to some extent on the teacher's beliefs about the best way to handle this. Some examples of strategies are: allowing the parent to stay with the child but reduce the number of minutes each day while praising the child for his growing independence; arranging for a kindergarten buddy or older child to greet the child and be his partner as school begins; having the teacher or buddy greet the child outside of the school and bring him in; allowing the child to bring an "attachment object" (such as a familiar teddy bear or blanket) to school (but kept in the coat room once school starts); setting up play activities at the beginning of the class so the children move immediately to play before they sit in a large group. Hopefully you and your child's teacher will be able to discuss this and to set up some strategies that will help your son. Good luck.