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Tips for Raising a Successful Student
by Maya Cohen, http://school.familyeducation.com/
Encourage educational habits
Numerous factors contribute to a child's success in school, but research groups such as the Harvard Family Research Project agree that parental involvement and influence weigh heavily among them. Knowing how to wield your influence is very important, because you don't want to put too much pressure on your child or overemphasize the importance of grades. The key is to make learning an enjoyable activity rather than a chore.
Develop educational habits outside of school
It's important to remember that learning is not something that happens exclusively within the walls of schools. Educational experiences can arise anywhere, and can be fun and informal. Remember that children learn everywhere. Heather Weiss, director of the Harvard Family Research Project, says, "Parents provide a strong influence and help children make choices on how to spend out-of-school time." Think about productive and beneficial ways your child can spend his time, and develop habits within your household that provide intellectual stimulation. Integrate some of these healthy habits into your regular routine:
- Make reading an integral part of your home life. Read aloud to your children or set aside quiet time each day in which your family can sit together and read silently. Instead of flipping on the television, turn to books during downtime.
- Use your daily time with your children wisely. When you are in the car or walking to the school bus, talk to your kids about what they are learning in school, or prompt a conversation about a topic that they find interesting and intriguing.
- Know what interests your children, and encourage them to explore those subjects. According to Weiss, "You should know what your child likes, and orient him toward the activities he enjoys, so that as he progresses his interests will build."
- Provide a quiet and comfortable learning environment for your children. The discord of raising kids, preparing meals, tending to scrapes, and cleaning spills can make any home environment pretty chaotic. Try to find some space where your children can do homework, read, study, or think in comfort and without distraction. If this is impossible, then become a regular at your local library or community center, and teach your children to use community spaces to be productive.
- Keep a positive attitude about school. Never refer to school as a drag, or make it seem like attending class is a chore. Keep your kids excited about learning, and eager to share their daily discoveries.
- Encourage your children to register for educational extracurricular programs. "Parental encouragement makes a huge difference in whether children go to [educational] out-of-school-time programs," says Weiss. Find out if your school or community offers an after-school activity that would interest your child.
Tips for packing a healthy school lunch
By Sally Robinson, M.D. and Keith Bly, M.D.
Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics sent pediatricians some information about school lunches. While shopping in any grocery store, you will have noticed many neatly compartmentalized prepackaged foods designed to make packing a child’s lunch fast and easy. With the threat of childhood obesity, these convenience products could help contribute to obesity.
It’s important to make sure your children are getting nutritious lunches instead of refined and processed foods like chips, cookies and roll ups. Processed foods keep well, but the process of making them stable strips the nutrients away, and all that remains are sugars and artificial flavors. Read more here ...
Backpacks, Back to School, Back Pain
Just how heavy should that backpack be when your child goes back to school? A recent study from The Pennsylvania State University says the load limit should be 10 percent of body mass. For all you math majors, that’s 10 pounds for a 100-pound child. Beyond that, your child’s, backpack could be packing a whopping dose of back, neck, and shoulder pain.
According to The American Occupational Therapy Association, more than 79 million children in the United States carry backpacks to school. The Association’s statistics say that approximately 55 percent of students carry a backpack that is heavier than the recommended guidelines of 15 percent of total body weight. But the findings of this new study would place the percentage much higher.
Read more here ...
September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
From the American Cancer Society website-
What is childhood cancer?
About 10,700 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2010. Because of major treatment advances, 80% of these children will survive 5 years or more. This is a huge increase from before the 1970s, when the 5-year survival rate was less than 50%.
Despite its rarity and the major advances in treatment and supportive care, cancer is still the leading cause of death from disease in children younger than 15 years old. About 1,340 children are expected to die from cancer in 2010.
The types of cancers that occur in children vary greatly from those seen in adults. The most common cancers of children are
- Leukemia
- Brain and other nervous system tumors
- Kidney cancer
- Lymphoma (lymph tissue cancers)
- Soft tissue sarcoma
- Eye cancer
- Bone cancer
In contrast, skin, prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers are the most common in adults. The stage of growth and development is another important difference between adults and children. The immaturity of children's organ systems often has important effects on treatment.
| Have you met our new Hematology and Oncology physicians? |
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Barkat Hooda, M.D.
Dr. Hooda received his medical degree from the Aga Khan University School of Medicine in Karachi in 1991. He completed his residency training in Pediatrics at Shands Hospital in Gainesville/University of Florida in 1996. He went on to complete his fellowship in Pediatric Hematology Oncology from Brown University in 1999.
He joined UTMB in July 2010 as Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics. Dr. Hooda is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology Oncology and is a member of American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology. He enjoys teaching and believes in high quality patient care. His research interests include leukemias, solid tumors and supportive care.
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Akila Muthukumar, M.D.
Dr. Akila Muthukumar specializes in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. She received her medical degree from Coimbatore Medical College in Coimbatore, India in 1990. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center at New York, in 2007. She went on to complete a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology in 2010 at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, MI.
She joined UTMB in July 2010 as a an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Muthukumar is interested in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors in children and other common hematolgic disorders in children. |
Have you heard about Rainbow Connection... 
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The Rainbow Connection is a summer camp program for children with cancer or blood disorders and their brothers and sisters. Each year, 85 or more children from ages 6 to 15 enjoy a fun-filled week of camp. You can watch the Rainbow Connection video to see and hear campers and counselors describing their experience at camp.
By day, campers at The Rainbow Connection delight in fishing, swimming, canoeing, archery, horseback riding or arts and crafts activities. In the evenings, they may participate in an all-camp dance, a talent show, campfires and an awards presentation that celebrates their week of achievement.
At camp, no one has to focus on being "different" or "sick". Everyone gets a chance to learn new skills and meet new friends. The memories and friendships formed at The Rainbow Connection last a lifetime.
The volunteer staff is made up of employees and students from The University of Texas Medical Branch and the surrounding community. Staff members must be at least 21 years of age and all applicants are carefully interviewed by the director prior to selection. This volunteer staff is augmented by the activity counselors from Camp for All. The camper-to-counselor ratio is approximately 6:1.
A physician and a nurse are available at camp 24 hours a day. Arrangements are made with a local pediatrician's office for any needed blood work or for emergencies. Since the emphasis at camp is on wellness, the camp clinic takes a low profile. Whenever possible, chemotherapy is postponed until after camp, or is given at a time when it will not interfere with the camper's favorite activities.
For more information, please visit the Rainbow Connection website. http://www.rccamp.org/ |
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UTMB Pediatric Specialty Center at Bay Colony will be opening November 1, 2010!
2785 Gulf Freeway South, Suite 220, League City, TX 77573
Located above the current UTMB Dermatology Clinic.
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