Ten Hallmarks of Children Who Succeed in SchoolChildren Who Succeed in School By Craig T. Ramey, Ph.D. and Sharon L. Ramey, Ph.D. Editor’s note: We are extremely grateful to Sharon

August 2004Vol. 9, No. 3

Ten Hallmarks ofChildren Who Succeedin SchoolBy Craig T. Ramey, Ph.D. and Sharon L. Ramey, Ph.D.

Editor’s note:We are extremely grateful to Sharon and Craig Ramey for giving us permission to reprintfour chapters from their book, Going To School. This newsletter is the second of a four partseries. Going to School and its companion book, Right From Birth, are available in the A+store on CDL’s website at www.cdl.org.

he past decade has seen realresearch breakthroughs inunderstanding how childrenadjust during the early years ofschool. Researchers now take

into account how complicated children’slives are and how many forces shapesuccess in school, includingintergenerational education, familyvalues, peer culture, the media,expectations for children’s success, teacher effectiveness, parental involvement inchildren’s learning, and children’s own natural competencies and motivation to dowell.

The results of these new studies are more accurate. They also are far more useful toparents, showing concrete ways in which they can promote their children’s well-being.

Current research indicates that no one factor accounts for children’s success in school andlearning - not even a high level of intelligence. On the contrary, many factors foster success,including a child’s cumulative supports and experiences, and the influence of parents, family, andschool. Further, even children who succeed in school go through ups and downs, includinghow much they like school, how hard they try, and how well they perform. The newCe

nter

for

Dev

elop

men

t &

Lea

rnin

g

The Newsletter for the Center for Development and Learning ©

Ten Hallmarks cont’d. on page 2.

findings can help every parent, whether their child needs major assistance or ahelping hand to weather a bump in the road.

Research also shows the profound and lasting impact of the family on achild’s success in school. Families affect success as much as schools or teachers.Nearly every hallmark of children who do well in school is completely underparental control or heavily affected by what parents do.

During the past 25 years, our research and that of others consistently showsome characteristics common tochildren who succeed. Recentstudies have given these findingsmore weight and a clearer focus.Each hallmark shows up repeatedlyin studies on different types ofchildren in different parts of thecountry. They are not limited tocut-and-dried differences inchildren’s intelligence ortemperament when they startschool. Rather, they are dynamicprocesses that can be positively influenced by parents.

Editor’s note:We have included in this newsletter The Ten Hallmarks on a separatepage that we encourage you to put on your refrigerator door as aconstant reminder of what you can do to help your child succeed inschool.

1. They are eager to learn. 2. They ask lots of questions, and they ask for help. 3. They work hard and know that their effort matters. 4. They have well-developed social and emotional skills. 5. They are good at assessing their skills.6. Their parents are role models for learning. 7. Their parents promote learning by “natural” teaching at home. 8. Their family routines support doing well in school. 9. Their parents are effective at setting and maintaining limits.

10. Their schools have high expectations for student achievement, supportteacher development, and communicate frequently with parents about their children.

Parents should be encouraged by these hallmarks and the findings thatthere are many different paths to success.

•Many children, especially boys, have been “late bloomers.” •Other children, often girls, have shied away from some difficult subjects,

such as math and science, because the teachers and childrenunderestimated their capabilities and/or the importance of learning thesesubjects.

2

The Newsletter for the Centerfor Development and Learning©


To improve the life chances of allchildren, especially those at highrisk, by increasing school success.

To help all children learn to higherlevels and apply their knowledgetoward good ends.

Activate and achieve sweepingsystemic change in the way childrenare taught.

All children are born with an innatedesire to learn, all children can learnto higher levels, and all childrendeserve equal opportunities to a solideducation.

The very special uniqueness of everychild will be identified, respected,honored, and celebrated.

Only an informed public can makeinformed decisions that lead to clearand focused action that will ensure asolid and equitable education for allchildren. When you have finishedreading this newsletter, please shareit with a teacher, a parent, anotherprofessional who works withchildren, or a community/businessleader.

CDL’s Mission

CDL’s Goal

CDL’s Objective

CDL’s Vision

CDL’s Core Belief

Call To Action

Contact CDL for more information about ourprograms and/or how you can help Contactinformation: 208 South Tyler St., Covington,LA 70433; (985) 893-7777 (main); (504)897-2211 (New Orleans); Email: [email protected] is published quarterly by theCenter for Development and Learning(CDL). TM and © All rights reserved.Articles may be photocopied for educationalpurposes with permission and with thefollowing credit:“Reprinted with permission from the Centerfor Development and Learning, date/author”.

Alice Thomas, editor; Debbi Smith, designerVisit our website.: www.cdl.org

Ten Hallmarks cont’d. from page 1.

THE TEN HALLMARKS OF CHILDRENWHO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL

3


• Some other children seem to lack realpassion for school, neither failing norsoaring during the early years. Yet later inlife, something or someone brings outtheir skills, builds their motivation, andenables them to flourish.

The following explains why and how eachhallmark works, and how each can be shapedin a strong and lasting way by parents.

1. They Are Eager to Learn.These children are curious. They love to

explore and typically have been encouraged to learn right from birth. By thetime they enter school, they usually know a lot because learning has been somuch fun. For them, learning is associated with many positive emotional andsocial experiences - neither boring accelerated learning programs norrepetition with materials that are not challenging.

Such children typically have many interests, and some can becomepassionately (or stubbornly) interested in one or a few things that they really“get into” for some period. Rarely have these children been criticized in theirefforts to learn. Neither have theirparents structured all their learningexperiences for them.

Parents seldom need to stimulate avery young child’s interest in learningnew facts, new words, new ideas, andnew ways to do things. The challenge isto keep from dampening thisremarkable and vital quality. Someparents inadvertently become overlyprotective or cautious. They may worrythat their child’s curiosity will lead toharm or may be interpreted by others asimpolite - “too nosy” or “too forward.” Other parents may routinely ignore ordiscount their child’s interest in the world. They may even provide harshtreatment in response to a child’s desire to do something new or spend moretime learning or exploring.

Clearly, parents can’t promote their children’s curiosity and interests full-time. It would be too demanding and unfair to others in the family. Butparents should ask themselves, “Do I let my child know that I valueexploration and learning? Do I encourage and allow (in a safe and responsibleway) my child to discover how things work, look, sound, smell, feel, and taste?When I restrict my child’s natural curiosity, do I provide clear reasons that arereadily understood, such as ‘That is very dirty,’ ‘That is poisonous and willmake you sick,’ or ‘That is sharp and can hurt you’? Do I give my child thefreedom to make mistakes and to figure some things out on his own?”

To encourage your child to love learning: Encourage your child to explore in a new setting. “Let’s go find out

about...” “I wonder what would happen if we...” “Let’s look over here, too.”


Marian ArrowsmithNancy Baldwin

Gerard A. Ballanco, M.D., FAAPDonna G. ContoisBetty R. DiMarco

Patrick EvansMark Files

Vaughan FitzpatrickThe Honorable John W. Greene

William H. HinesWendy W. Michell

Cynthia Hedge MorrellRobert D. Reily

Francoise B. Richardson, EmeritusJanice ScioneauxBilly Vehnekamp

Margie Villere

Herschel L. Abbott, Jr.Gordon L. Blundell, Jr., M.D.

Jack DonahueRuby Bridges Hall

Brian JakesCheryl M. Lilly

Mary Lou Ochsner

Charles Achilles, Ed.D.Robert Brooks, Ph.D.

Katharine Butler, Ph.D.G. Emerson Dickman, III, J.D.

Betty Edwards, Ed.D.Michael Fullan, Ph.D.

Edward M. Hallowell, M.D.G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D.

Bernice McCarthy, Ph.D.Howard J. Osofsky, M.D., Ph.D.

Craig T. Ramey, Ph.D.Carol Rolheiser, Ph.D.Dennis Sparks, Ph.D.

Robert Sternberg, Ph. D.Robert K. Wimpelberg, Ph. D.

Henry Winkler

Alice P. Thomas

boardof Trustees

CommunityAdvisory Council

ProfessionalAdvisory Board

HonoraryCelebrity Board

President& CEO


4


“Maybe someone can show us howto...” “Let’s see what this feelslike...”

Guide your child’s behavior ifthe setting is one where certaintypes of exploration are notappropriate (touching things ata museum or picking up delicateobjects in someone’s home;reaching out to animals ata zoo or even on the street;going up to a stranger to ask a question that is toopersonal). Rarely does this guidance require thatexploration stop. Rather, it is a matter of redirectingcuriosity in appropriate ways.

Exploring is fun, and has great lifelong survival value.Many fields of human endeavor are advanced by adults’curiosity, desire to explore, and eagerness to learn.Scientists and explorers, adventurers and inventors, greatpolitical leaders, teachers, and the best parents all love tolearn and keep on exploring.

Don’t overlook familiar settings. The everyday worldcontains surprises, too. At home or outside, be sure topoint out things that can be looked at, used, or thoughtabout differently. Notice something that previously wasunnoticed (a shadow on a wall, the shape or color ofsomething, how two things that seem different are reallyalike in some way). Ask your child to point out somethingto you, so you can learn from your child. Such reciprocity -that we can learn from each other - is a great lesson foryour child. You, too, will benefit.

As parents ourselves, we know that cherishing andprotecting this hallmark can at times be burdensome,especially when we are tired or rushed. Vigilance over aneager child can be demanding. Curiosity takes time tofollow, and children rarely like being rushed, interrupted,or thwarted repeatedly. But these years will fly by, andseldom will you regret allowing yourself to just “go withthe flow” a bit more often. Curiosity can sometimes leadto trouble, but mostly it leads to lots of learning and fun.

2. They Ask Lots of Questions, and They Ask for Help.They ask questions to help them learn more, move

ahead, and avoid confusion or mistakes. They are notafraid to ask for help or seek more information in order todo something that is important or interesting, althoughsometimes they want to do something or solve a problem“all by myself.”

Asking good questions is one of the most efficientways for a child to gain information. Knowing the when,

how, what, why, and who of questioning is askill that children should increasingly

master during the early childhood years. Asking the right question at the

right time can spare a child lengthy orboring trial-and-error efforts in

solving a problem orlearning something new.Good question-asking canalso save a child needless

embarrassment. Moreover, teachers viewchildren who ask good questions as interested, motivatedto learn, and eager to be cooperative and socially skilled.Asking the right questions is a sign of intelligence.

Research shows that some parents encourage“compliance without questioning” (old-fashioned “blindobedience”) when it comes to teachers or other figures ofauthority. Very young children who are taught never toquestion authority often interpret this to mean that theyshould not question the teacher at all. Unfortunately,teachers and children’s peers often judge these children aspassive, disinterested, or not very bright. Usually, morehighly educated parents promote questioning in theirchildren, especially encouraging them to ask for help andexplanations.

To encourage your child to ask questions and askfor help:

Respond positivelyat home to questioningand provide help whenit’s needed. Childrenwho receive answers,directions, and help athome - offered withwarmth,encouragement, anduseful specificity -naturally expect thattheir teachers also willbe good providers ofinformation. In school,however, children willneed to make someadjustments in asking questions, conforming to the rulesabout how and when to ask questions, such as raisingtheir hands, waiting their turn, and listening to questionsother children ask.

Balance is needed here, too. Your answers and helpshould encourage your child’s learning, not replace it. Don’tbe over-helpful. But don’t let frustration get out of hand.



5



Questioning to AidReading ComprehensionThe organizing and learning potential of

questioning are further shown by Dr. Ann Brown ofthe University of California at Berkeley, a scientistwho works with children who have difficulty withreading comprehension.

Although these children often can read the wordscorrectly, they may have difficulty extracting themeaning, the sequence of events, or the larger themefrom a story or essay. Studies show that thesechildren can be taught to use questions to aid theirunderstanding. For example, when they read, they askthemselves questions every few paragraphs, such as,“What is the most important thing happening? Whodid it? What came before and after? Are there anywords I do not understand?” Such strategicquestioning helps the child monitor understanding ofnew material. Children then selectively seekinformation or guidance as needed from adults.

We know that asking lots of questions improves achild’s memory, probably because the child is activelyengaged. When children want to know something, andthen receive an answer, they are far more likely toremember the answer than if they hear the informationpassively. Good teachers usually letchildren ask lots of questions becausethey understand the importance of thechild’s initiative in the learning process.Older children can even learn to askthemselves questions silently when ateacher is presenting new materials.Very often, the flow of the teacher’spresentation will quickly answer thechild’s question. This process enhancesthe child’s learning.

Although asking lots of questions isa hallmark of children who do well inschool, there are exceptions. Sometimesa child will be shy in a new situation,such as at the beginning of a year with anew teacher, or when a stranger comesinto the classroom. At other times, achild may feel like trying to get ananswer without help. There is no reasonto be concerned about these situations as long as thechild is generally willing to seek help when needed.

3. They Work Hard and Know ThatTheir Effort Matters.Children who succeed in school believe success

depends on their own work and skill - not on luck orsomeone else’s actions.

At first, almost all childrentry to do their best. If they areadequately stimulated andchallenged, this will mean somehard work on their part.Unfortunately, some childrencome to believe that doing wellin school is not under theircontrol. These children ascribeproblems in the classroom toothers or to bad luck.Researchers call this the “locusof control,” and their findingscan help you and your child.

Locus of control represents a continuum along whichindividuals perceive that they have a greater or lessereffect on what happens in their lives. Research showsthat children who have been encouraged to work hardand have been helped by adults to succeed in the task athand know their efforts count because they have seen theresults time and again. Children who don’t get thisencouragement don’t learn the importance of hard work

and sustained attention. Research also shows that children

who have had lots of cause-and-effectlearning experiences in their preschoolyears are more likely to believe thattheir own efforts make a big difference.Cause-and-effect learning teacheschildren that their actions producepredictable results, from the toddler’sexperience of a jack-in-the-box thatpops up when the handle is cranked, tostacking a tower of blocks so they donot fall down, to turning a page in abook to see new pictures and continuethe story.

In contrast, children who have hadfar fewer of these learning opportunitiesare more likely to think that doing wellin the classroom is influenced by howmuch the teacher likes them, how lucky

they are, or whether they are having a good day. Thesechildren do not link their own behavior andconcentrated effort to how much they learn and how well



6


they do. In turn, these children don’t do as well inschool.

To encourage your child to work hard and knowthat effort matters:

Notice and praise your child for extra effort.Reinforce good behavior when your child takes extratime to do a task well or really concentrates. The abilityto sustain interest and activity on a focused task is one ofthe most important general skills that teachers wantchildren to have.

There are many opportunities at home for parents toallow children to practice this. Cake batters need to bestirred a lot (maybe a few hundred strokes or threeminutes with an electric mixer) in order to rise properly.Children’s ability to draw something (a house, a person,an animal, an airplane) often gets better after practicingmore than once. Learning patience for some things thatcannot be rushed (waiting for a painting to dry, listeningto the middle of a story before you can know the end) ispart of this as well.

Followingtwo-, three-, andfour-stepinstructions isanother great “athome” activitythat will helpyour child atschool. It buildsa child’s powerto follow a

sequence which requires paying attention andremembering. Such practice can be done with buildingstructures, gathering things for an activity, or just as agame unto itself. (Get the object, put it above/below,inside/outside, or in front of/behind. Then say or dosomething, such as clap your hands, turn around, orrepeat a word.)

A note of caution: your child does not have to workhard at everything. Some things will come morenaturally, and sometimes children will be tired or lessmotivated to work hard. So encourage your child, butdon’t overdo it. Also, sometimes children will say thatsomething is easy when it isn’t. There’s no reason toworry as long as there are no adverse consequences.

Sometimes children refrain from doing their best forfear that they will not succeed. Be gentle in encouragingyour child. Use humor to teach that everyone fails attimes, and that the point is to keep trying. We know that“The Little Engine that Could” story is told to children in

many cultures and in many languages for a reason. Thelittle engine was able to do the nearly impossible becauseit was convinced that sustained effort would win the day.

As your child gets older, you will want to start toteach that simply trying the same thing over and overagain is rarely an effective strategy in itself. You will alsohelp your child judge which tasks are possible and whicharen’t. This is closely related to Hallmark No. 5 thatchildren have good appraisal of their own skills, includingtheir strengths and weaknesses.

Provide many types of cause-and-effect learningexperiences. This need not involve expensive toys. Playsimple card games that require the use of strategy (like“Go Fish”). Put together puzzles. Household chores andsimple activities are great, too. Conduct simple scienceexperiments at home (there are lots of books and kits tohelp with this). Remember that learning social cause-and-effect relationships counts, too. Be generallyconsistent in your parenting. The most powerful cause-and-effect learning occurs within the context of socialrelationships as your child learns which behaviors causewhat type of reaction from you and others.

4. They Have Well-DevelopedSocial and Emotional Skills.These are essential to learning and to getting along

well with people, especially teachers and classmates.Children who do well in school also get along well withothers. They usually like their teachers and many of theirclassmates, and these feelings are reciprocated. Qualitiessuch as consideration, sharing, being cooperative, waitingone’s turn, following classroom rules (most of the time,anyway), and being able to have fun all count a lot in theearly years.

When children have severe school adjustmentproblems, there is almost always difficulty in both theacademic and social arenas. Of course, even welldeveloped social skills in a five- or six-year-old are farfrom the adult version of “ideal.” Good teachers andparents definitely know this!

Many teachers have a well-defined set ofconsequences for certain transgressions - ones thatchildren can describe and usually seek to avoid. Thesecan include time-outs and procedures, such as receiving ayellow or red light, losing special privileges in theclassroom, or not getting stickers or a colorful stamp on acard. These techniques are more useful with youngerchildren, who require external and tangible evidence ofconsequences, than they are with older children, whohave a more developed internal sense of right and wrong.



The harsher, old-fashioned ways of discipliningstudents for transgressions, such as placing a child in acorner with a dunce hat, verbally berating a child, orphysically striking a child, are now recognized as highlyineffective and even counterproductive. These techniquesmay have scared other children, perhaps preventingfurther transgressions, but they also served to disengagesome children, and to lead all too many students to seeteachers as mean-spirited and unforgiving, rather than ascaring adults committed to children’s true learning.

To encourage your child’s social and emotionaldevelopment:

Provide positive, responsive, and consistentparenting. This is the best way, for parents to promotegood social an emotional skills. Start early. Model goodsocial behavior and positive emotional coping. It’s hard toteach your child anger management and self-controlwhen you lose your temper and let your emotionsdominate over reasonable actions. For encouragementand advice as you fine-tune your parenting skills, keepseeking expert advice and talk with other parents(including your own).

Explain good behavior. It’s important to talk withyour child about school rules, what pleases (as well asirritates) teachers, and how to get along with otherchildren. As your child grows, there will be obviousadvances in the ability to understand social rules, thefeelings of others, and the consequences of socialtransgressions. You can guide this process wonderfully.

However, be prepared for the inevitable. Almost allchildren will have their share of spats, outbursts,disappointments, frustrations, and fears related to things

happening atschool. Therewill be notesfrom yourchild’s teacher(or otherschoolpersonnel)telling youabout these atone time oranother. As

one world-class first-grade teacher once told us, “Youwouldn’t want to have a child who never gets a red light.Such a child would not be normal or very much fun!”View these ups and downs in the social realm of schoolfor what they are - first-rate teaching and learningopportunities.

Basic Social and Emotional Skills

For first graders: •Showing helpfulness toward peers when they ask

for help. • Agreeing to take turns with another child. •Listening quietly to the teacher when instructions

are given or a story is read. •Being able to work alone on a task (assigned or

self-initiated) without distracting others. •Waiting to be called on to ask or answer questions

in a group situation.•Being able to control one’s emotions (most of the

time) when frustrated or treated unfairly byothers.

•By age six or seven, being adept in findingconstructive ways to show negative emotions, eventhough it is unlikely that children can or shouldentirely hide them.

•Expecting clear and timely consequences, bothpositive and negative, that are linked to their socialbehavior.

For third graders: •Knowing a lot about the value of “being a good

person” and “doing what is right,” for more thanjust immediate, tangible rewards or avoidance ofpunishment.

•Offering help to a peer or teacher, even when it isnot requested.

•Suggesting ways to solve a social conflict or tosettle a disagreement, even when not instructed todo so.

•Expressing spontaneous empathy and concernwhen someone else is hurt, rejected, disappointed,or confused.

•Being able to show joy when someone else wins orsucceeds.

•Expressing a desire to do something thoughtful,and sometimes doing this independently or atconsiderable expense to themselves (giving upmoney saved from their allowance, staying home tomake or do something for someone rather thangoing out to play).

•Being interested in reading biographies about thelives of other people, which often conveyimportant lessons about the social-emotional sideof life.

7



5. They Are Good at AssessingTheir Skills.Children who succeed in school generally do not

vastly over- or underestimate their academic abilities.This ability to accurately appraise [one’s own] skills andlevel of understanding is essential to the learning process.

The ability to evaluate one’s own skills and level ofunderstanding with reasonable accuracy will be valuable inmany situations beyond the classroom. This serves as thebasis for strong, positive self-esteem, the type that isgrounded in a child’s actual accomplishments, rather thanthe type based on wishful thinking, or derived fromempty compliments that imply “you’re great” no matterhow well you really do.

Thearea ofself-appraisalhastypicallybeenstudied bymeasuringchildren’sself-esteem.The

results show that children who do poorly in school do notnecessarily have low self-esteem. To the contrary, manychildren who perform below grade level actually thinkthey are just as capable as others. Conversely, childrenwith proven high academic achievement may ratethemselves as only moderate or moderately high. Perhapsthese children have set very high standards forthemselves.

This research indicates that the young children whooverestimate their skills and successes usually do so forthree reasons. First, the child may be unable to correctlyassess his or her own performance. Second, the child maybe trying to deny, disguise, or compensate for a sense offailure. Third, the child’s self-esteem may not be closelyconnected to actual behavior in the school setting.Research has not yet adequately resolved whichexplanation or combination of factors is at work here.

Parents and educators don’t always agree on the roleof competition in school and in life. Some people believethat individuals thrive under competitive conditions, andthis can bring out the best in a person. Others viewcompetition as unduly stressful or distracting, taking awaysome of the intrinsic motivation to achieve. Yet others

value cooperation and a selflessness that may seem atodds with individual competitiveness.

Unfortunately, researchers have not yet looked atchildren’s competitiveness and cooperation over a longperiod of time, and they have not related childhoodcompetition and cooperation to adult levels ofachievement and personal life satisfaction. Perhaps abalance of competitive and cooperative skills, as well asindividual goal-setting, will best prepare your child forthe future.

Without question, there are ample opportunities touse cooperative and competitive skills in constructiveways in the classroom, just as there are times when anexcess of one or the other will be inappropriate orineffective.

To encourage your child’s self-assessment abilities: Have an ongoing dialogue about your child’s self-

appraisal. This is one of the most effective strategies forhelping children know how much they know or whetherthey are realistic judges of their own classroom behaviorand achievements. This technique of self-monitoringallows a child to stop at the right times to try to find outmore, or to clear up things that are confusing. Forexample, a child who is taught how to think about what ishappening while he is learning new things will be able to:

•ask himself questions, in the same way a teacher orparent might, to see if he understands

•rehearse or practice new things he has learned, evenwithout prompting from an adult

•give himself a “grade” on his mastery of a new skill orhis grasp of a new idea to see whether he needs towork on it and improve

•ask the teacher (or you) questions that make it clearwhat is confusing to him or what he wants to checkso that the adult will become a more effective andresponsive participant in the learning process.

Praise your child for specific behavior and specificachievements. This is an invaluable way to help yourchild acquire a realistic and positive sense of self. For themost part, base your praise on your child’s progresscompared to an earlier period, rather than makingcomparisons with other children.

Explain that differences among children are normal.Sometimes comparisons with other children may beappropriate and constructive. In the classroom, children seeproof of such differences every day in the work placed on thewall, in who can answer what types of questions, and in theteacher’s praise and guidance. They also see differences innon-academic settings, including during gym and recess

8




9

times. Talking about differences, and how great it is that theworld is filled with people who are good at doing differentkinds of things, is reassuring to a child.

Talk with your child about the fact thatthere are differences among children inhow well they do things. Tell your child,“Most children are really good at somethings and not as good at other things. This istrue for grownups, too.” This allows your child tobegin to see his own behavior in relation to that ofothers without feeling superior or inferior.

Such comparisons need not contribute tounhealthy competition, but can helpchildren assess their own skills. Differencesare not limited, of course, to academicachievement, since children differ just asmuch in their physical growth andappearance, musical and artistic talents,athletic skills, leadership abilities, andfriendship skills. Talk about your ownfeelings, especially when you were the sameage, about being good in some areas and not so good inothers.

6. Their Parents Are Role Modelsfor Learning.Success is said to breed success. When it comes to

parents and children, this often is true. Why? Is it just acase of good genes? We think this is only part of theanswer. To a great extent, children do learn from whatthey experiencedirectly. Learning tolearn begins at home.

Children whosucceed in school haveparents who areactively engaged inreading, acquiring newskills, and taking onnew challenges. Ifchildren see theirparents eagerly andactively learning,reading daily, talkingabout wanting to learnmore about sometopics, and evenmaking mistakes and benefiting from these, then childrenare more likely to feel comfortable in taking on newchallenges themselves. Learning is a way of life - not justsomething that happens in a classroom.

Interestingly, many well-informed parents are the leastreluctant to say, “I don’t know,” or “I was wrong” and then

go find the correct answer to a child’s question.They also are willing to admit that they, too,make mistakes. How could it be otherwise in

the process of learning (and parenting)? Remember, that for children under the age

of eight, two of the most important ways oflearning are through observation andimitation. Your child is likely to learn a lotabout learning if you set an example.

How to set a good learning example: Learn together. Interestingly, parents

often are stimulated to learn more aboutsome things because of the questions theirchildren ask, the interests and talents theirchildren show, and what their children arelearning at school. This leads to a type of“family learning,” in which parents andchildren are engaged in discovery together.

When parents get interested in a newsubject, start a new hobby, or discover a

new fact, they can share this with their child.Children can become mini-experts in a remarkable rangeof topics - some useful, some just fun. This can lead toamusing examples of very young children who can discussdetails of a sport, the real estate or stock markets, cookingand dining, clothing, politics, or the history of aparticular place in the world long before they reallyunderstand what they are saying.

Thomas Alva Edison: ARole Model for Lifelong

LearningThomas A. Edison’s life was a tribute to a

passionate love of learning, exploration, and discovery.His insights into his own success are refreshing andinformative. When asked about the secret of hisremarkable successes, he often offered these twoobservations: “Genius is one percent inspiration andninety-nine percent perspiration” and “There is nosubstitute for hard work.”

Even as a boy he is reputed to have loved toexperiment and learn things on his own. He waspersistent in both discovery and invention, fortunatelyfor all of us who rely on the electric light bulb,recording devices, and a host of other discoveries hemade. As he doggedly pursued one quest, he receivedadmonishment not to feel like a failure. His widelyquoted response was: “Why, I have not failed. I’ve justfound 10,000 ways that won’t work” - a greatapproach for children and adults alike.




10


7. Their Parents Promote Learningby “Natural” Teaching at Home.These parents communicate often with the school,

and they arrange extra learning opportunities when theirchildren have special interests or need extra help. This isthe best kind of parent involvement in a child’s learning,and such involvement is central to a child’s success inschool.

Such involvement begins at home. Parents are, afterall, their children’s first teachers. The best teaching byparents often occurs in the course of everyday activities.For an infant, this includes talking during care takingactivities, naming foods when eating, pointing tosomething interesting to look at or touch, and listeningto sounds in unexpected places. For a toddler, learningextends to interactive sessions with books andstorytelling, singing songs, and playing simple turn-takinggames. By the time your child is preparing to go toschool, moreschool-likelearning oftenhas begun,includingcounting,naming theletters of thealphabet,recognizingshapes and colors, and being able to tell ways things aresimilar or different.

Research literature strongly endorses the value ofchildren having early successes in learning. As a childacquires new skills and knowledge, she is more preparedto go on to the next stage of learning in that same area.This leads a child to become more expert. This has manyinherent rewards for a child who already is eager to learn.Further, the more early success a child has, the morelikely she will be to tackle increasingly difficult tasks.

In contrast, children who have many early failures arelikely to be wary of new learning situations and may seemless interested in trying to learn something challenging.This is true for all children, even those who are capableand highly intelligent. As a parent-teacher, you can helpto ensure that your child’s learning experiences have ahigh ratio of successes to failures by your support andparticipation.

Just as important, parents need to make sure thattheir children are exposed to more and more challengingand complex activities, so that they neither lose interestand grow bored nor are stunted in their development. J.

McVicker Hunt ofthe University ofIllinois, a prominenttheorist in humanintelligence, wroteeloquently about thisas “the problem ofthe match.” That is,the match must beright between thechild’s level ofunderstanding orthinking about theworld and thelearningopportunitiespresented to thechild.

How to promote natural teaching at home: Bring school subjects into home life. When your

child is in school, you can reinforce and expand schoolbased learning by bringing it into your home life. Helpyour child to recognize different coins and know theirvalue. Pin up word labels or practice new songs or poems.Write something together, like a story about what yourchild is studying in class. Talk about the seasons, holidays,nature, and feelings.

Parents often will be asked by teachers to help athome in specific ways. Even when you aren’t, make it aregular routine to incorporate school topics into everydaylife. Just be sure that your role as “parent-teacher” doesnot undermine spontaneity, flexibility, and just havingfun “hanging out” together. Not every moment has to bea learning moment!

Spend time withother families withchildren the sameage as yours. Youwill see how otherparents teach, andyou may get newideas for your ownfamily. Parents whoincorporate teaching

in the natural flow of events seem to do things likecategorize, label, define words, offer synonyms andantonyms, tell stories that make points come alive, askchildren questions that are fun to answer, and askquestions themselves (“I wonder how far away the moonis?” “What really makes leaves fall in autumn?” “Why do




11

dogs wag their tails so much?” “Whydoes sodium bicarbonate fizz?”).

Parent-teachers often seem likemagicians to their children, because theycan demonstrate things that seemphenomenal. Pour a cup of water intotwo different size glasses and see howdifferent it looks! Take water andtransform it into ice (and vice versa).Take a cup of water and boil it away(almost)!

For parents who are not skilled inhome science experiments, craftsprojects, or in writing books, there aredozens of books and kits that make iteasy to do some pretty impressive things.Any parent can quickly learn to create amini-volcano that overflows or make inkthat becomes invisible. Building with blocks, assemblinga rocket, putting together puzzles (from easy ones to themore complex jigsaw and three-dimensional ones), alsoare natural teaching opportunities. Assemble your ownbook by hand or on the computer. Do some origami.Each activity will lead to great learning.

Communicate with your child’s school. The best wayto do this is to stay in touch with your child’s teachers.This can include in-person conversations, written notes,attending parent events, and reading the newsletters senthome by teachers. In the coming years, we anticipatethat technology will continue to revolutionize our dailyforms of communication. Teachers and principals insome schools already are using e-mail messages, bulletinboards, and web pages as a means of communicating withparents. This is just the beginning.

Encourage extracurricular activities. These can bevaluable assets in yourchild’s overalleducation. The hoursafter school and thelong summer weeksfor those in atraditional school-year program also arevitally important tochildren’s overall rateof learning anddevelopment.Research shows thatchildren who do notparticipate inorganized programs or

activities during these hours do notcontinue to extend their school-basedlearning as much as those childrenwhose parents help to arrange for theextra learning experiences.

Your child might take lessons(music, dance, science, drama),participate in sports, attend communityschool programs (such as tumbling,foreign languages and art classes forchildren) and enroll in religiouseducation. Playgroups can provide awonderful way to enrich a child’s earlyschool program. Look into creative waysthat you and other parents can rotateresponsibility in planning what thegroup does.

At summer camp (day camps areincreasingly available for very young children) your childmay learn to swim, take arts and crafts classes, learn thewords, and tunes to lots of new songs, and go on fieldtrips. In the process, there is a lot of teaching andlearning, all in a very enjoyable setting. Children whoattend show the clear benefits of participating in high-quality summer programs, even when there isn’t anexplicit educational curriculum or focus.

Once again, however, don’t overdo. Avoid over-programming your child or yourself. You both need“down” time and relaxation. You also need time whencreative ideas and free-flowing thoughts can occur.

Playgrounds forLearning and Friendships

We know a group of parents whose childrenattended the same preschool who decided to createtheir own Saturday Morning Playgroup. The parentshave continued this for five years, and plan to keepon going as long as they can. Children and parentsalike have benefited immensely. Parents take turnsplanning an activity (about once every seven weeks)and are responsible for getting the details to everyoneelse. Although the children are now in first andsecond grade, scattered across different elementaryschools, the special friendships among children andparents have been sustained. They go to lots ofdifferent places, have tried a remarkable number ofnew activities, have learned an enormous amount overthe years, and enjoyed every minute of it.



8. Their Family Routines SupportDoing Well in School.Families with good, workable routines also have

children whose school performance is better. Familyroutines do not refer just to daily happenings, but extendto patterns of visiting with the extended family,socializing with friends, and recreation. Fortunately, manycultural and personal preferences can come into play insetting up good family routines.

Family routines matter a lot to young children. Theyprovide children with order and a certain amount ofpredictability. Good routines also are grounded inchildren’s developmental needs and balanced with thoseof the entire family. Remember that routines are generalpatterns of behavior and need not be rigid. For example,when establishing and maintaining family routines, thinkof the seasons of the year - how nice it is to takeadvantage of an unpredictably early spring or perfectsnowfall or long autumn - as well as the hours of eachday.

Young children clearly benefit from sufficient regularsleep - usually at least 10 hours each night. Bedtimeroutines and a regular time for getting ready for sleep areparticularly helpful for young children. These can becoordinated with the daily necessities of tooth-brushing,bathing, and reading a book together, along with time forhugging, reflecting on the day, and having specialthoughts or prayers before closing one’s eyes. As in allother areas of development, there are individualdifferences. Some children do quite well with less sleep,and a few may need more.

Eating at regular times - often with family memberstaking the time to visit and enjoy one another -

contributes to everyone’s physical and psychological well-being. This is most important during the weekdayroutines as weekends afford more variety. Remarkably, ourresearch on families reveals that many important family

functions occur during mealtimes, and that this is a greattime for information exchange. Great dinners can be thestuff of great lifelong memories. Unfortunately, ourresearch shows far too many adults have unpleasantmemories because their parents missed the opportunity tomake mealtimes special and enjoyable events.

In some ways, it seems ironic that routines can be, infact, freedom-granting. Certainty that important thingswill be taken care of frees family members to do otherthings. The routine minimizes having to negotiate orfigure out what’s what every single day. It also can createease, harmony, and pleasure in the daily activities offamily life. Routines need not be followed strictly to beeffective. Rather, they represent the typical backbone of

managing family life.Organizing the house to

help with your child’sschoolwork and keepinginformation readily at handalso are important. To ourknowledge, however, no onehas studied this aspect offamily life over time or inadequate detail.

To set and maintain goodroutines:

Maintain home lifeschedules and routines as

much as possible. These routines should include sleeping,meals, errands, housework, television, and recreation.Don’t forget socializing with other relatives and friends,as well.

Support your child’s learning. If your child hashomework, set up a special place (or two) where he canwork with as little distraction as possible. Make sure thespace is equipped with needed supplies.

9. Their Parents Are Effective atSetting and MaintainingAppropriate Limits.There are many books on how to discipline your

child, and with good reason. When children are not well-behaved, they create problems for everyone - parents,teachers, and other children. There are, however, somevery important principles - not just opinions - about whatcomprises effective parental discipline for young children.

This is not a book about discipline, and we will onlytouch on the subject to give you an overview of what thebest research and observation on the subject show.

12




Starting in the second year of life, you can setconsistent limits and offer clear guidelines to your childabout what is acceptable and desirable behavior. Witheach passing year, the demands for appropriate behaviorincrease, but so does your child’s maturity. Although allchildren misbehave sometimes, and seem to “test thelimits” at other times, children actually prefer to be well-behaved.

Parents who are skilled in setting and maintaininglimits usually have spent time thinking, planning, andagreeing on what matters the most to them and what isappropriate to teach their child at each age. They areneither overly restrictive nor too permissive. They are notharsh in their techniques. Neither are they lax or highlyvariable. The most effective parents (that is, the oneswith the best-adjusted children) are comfortable andconfident in setting limits, but are not dictatorial oroverly strict.

Three disciplinary styles have been identified by Dr.Diana Baumrind of the University of California atBerkeley: authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive.Authoritative parents have repeatedly been shown to bethe most effective with their children. Children whoseparents use authoritative disciplinary approaches areshown to be inquisitive and exploratory, self-reliant andself-controlled, and happy and content.

Authoritative parents exert control in a supportiveand encouraging manner. They are firm in theirdiscipline, but rational, telling children the reasons whysomething must be done or not done. Authoritativeparents are warm and receptive, but they follow through

andunderstandthe value ofguiding theirchildren’sbehavior inways that areappropriatefor the child’sage.

Lesseffective are

parenting styles that are authoritarian - too rigid and toocold - and permissive - too lax and indifferent.

The word “authoritarian” means favoring completeobedience or subjection to authority, exercising completeor almost complete control over the will of another.When parents exert authoritarian discipline, theydiscount their child’s needs and individuality, and in theprocess show little or no concern for their child.Authoritarian parents typically exert control over their

children in a detached and cold manner. They also tendto be less responsive, less encouraging, and less likely toexplain why they are exerting control. Very often, theseparents treat all children in the family alike, even whenthe children’s ages, temperaments, and activities mightbetter be handled with different rules.

The authoritarian approach is not highly effective,because short-term control of the child is gained throughfear and force, and the child often feels rejected,discounted, or abused in ways that weaken, rather than

strengthen, the child-parent relationship.Children subjected toauthoritarian discipline aremore likely to becomedistrustful, withdrawn oraggressive, and discontent.The child’s behavior islikely to extend to theschool situation, especiallybecause very youngchildren see teachers asparent substitutes, andexpect their teachers tobehave like their parents.

At the other end of the spectrum, permissivediscipline fails to provide adequate guidelines and rulesfor a child. Although permissive parents may be warm,their children are much less likely to learn self-control orself-reliance, and they tend to explore less. Having littleor no experience with a positive authority figure, thesechildren are not well-prepared for the expectations thatare present in most good schools.

10. Their Schools Have HighExpectations for StudentAchievement, Support TeacherDevelopment, and CommunicateFrequently With Parents AboutTheir Children.

The literature on effective schools continues to grow.Many schools are being re-structured. They are alsoproviding continuing professional development forteachers and staff. And they are adopting improvementsin the early elementary school curriculum based on goodscientific evidence.

However, several principles have emerged about whatreally matters in producing high levels of studentachievement. Three of the most important are that theschool have high expectations for student achievement,

13




invest in teacher development, and communicate withparents.

High expectations: What do high expectations mean,and how are these shown? In effective schools,expectations are not just an externally imposed set ofgoals, nor are they unrealistic. Rather, teachers and theprincipal embrace and endorse these expectations. Most ofall, they show their expectations clearly through theirbehavior. They treat the students with respect, encouragestudents to strive for higher levels of accomplishment, andhave plans to ensure that all children succeed in learning.

For schools with established reputations forexcellence, parents might assume that educators havehigh expectations for students. Do check this out.Schools, like all other social institutions and businesses,can have their ups and downs.

For example, the principal can exert a tremendousinfluence, for the students are just “smart,” and may notactively convey high expectations to those in the

classroom. Teachers inpoorer schools maybegin to believe thatnothing can be done tochange the situation.They may tend toblame the children’spoor performance onexternal factors,especially if there aremany children whocome from homes withmultiple challenges and

few resources. The good news is that there are numerous, recent

examples of how principals and teachers can make abig difference and turn a school around. Check outthe schools you are considering (or the school yourchild already attends) and see where thingsstand on expectations.

How to encourage high expectations foryour child:

Make sure your child knows that you havehigh expectations. By praising your child’ssuccesses at home - in play, exploration, puzzle-solving, learning an instrument, whatever - youconvey the important message that progress andachievement are important and that your child iscapable of both. You also open up her world andher expectations of herself.

Teacher development: Another

important factor is that your child’s schools invest inteacher development and training. Strategic investmentin the ongoing education of teachers, principals, andsuperintendents is an investment with a proven highyield. New teaching techniques, new teaching materialsand technology, and new research findings need to beconveyed in a timely manner to those on the front line.Teachers need the time to keep up-to-date and tocontinue to refine their own professional skills.

Professionaldevelopment activitiesoften have an addedbenefit of giving teachersan opportunity to bewith other teachers andto share informationabout what works ordoesn’t in theirclassrooms. We note thatprincipal andsuperintendent

professional development also is highly beneficial, andmuch more of this is needed.

How to encourage teacher development: Tell the “powers that be” in your school that you

support teacher development. Find out who the decision-makers are that affect your school’s policies regardingteacher training. If professional development isinadequate in amount, quality, or content, write, call, fax,or e-mail those who can change things. Teachers shouldnot be expected to do this all on their own time or at

their own cost.Communication with parents: An

occasional progress report is not nearlyenough communication in today’s schools tokeep you up on what’s happening at schooland with your child. This is especially true ifyour child is having difficulty in any area ofschool, academic or social. Your child’steacher can be a great help and ally ingetting your child’s school experience off

to a great start and keeping it that way.

How to ensure good communicationwith your child’s school and teachers:

Take the initiative. If your school doesn’thave regular communications - meetings andtelephone conversations with your child’steacher, written reports, parent-teacherconferences that are open to all parents - take


14



charge. Make the calls to your teacher, schedule themeetings yourself.

DO ALL “SUCCESSFUL”CHILDREN SHOW ALL OFTHE HALLMARKS?

No one study has focused on all 10 “hallmarks”simultaneously or sought to evaluate how to increase all10 to maximize children’s positive outcomes. However,numerous studies over the years lend important support tothese hallmarks as truly making a difference in the livesof young children.

Can children succeed in the absence of some of thesehallmarks? Yes, to some extent. But each hallmarkprovides obvious advantages. The more advantages achild has, the greater the likelihood of success in school.

The major point is that nearly all of the hallmarks aredetermined, or profoundly affected, by families. It isparents (and the child’s other caregivers) who shapechildren’s eagerness to learn, encourage their questionsand curiosity, teach the value of work and effort, guidesocial and emotional development, teach self-assessment,practice and promote learning, and maintain supportiveroutines and limits. This is why families have such a hugeimpact on a child’s success in school. When you activelyprovide these foundations in your child’s life, you also arepromoting success when your child goes to school.

Chapter Two from Going To School was reprinted withpermission from the authors.

Craig Ramey is a Distinguished Professor in Health Studiesand the Founding Director, along with Sharon Ramey, of theCenter on Health and Education. His research has focused onthe effects of the early experience on children’s intellectual andsocial competence. He developed and continues to lead theAbecedarian Project. He has also studied the effects of earlyintervention for premature, low birth weight children. Recently

he completed a 31-site study mandated by Congress, knownas the Head Start-Public School Early Childhood TransitionDemonstration Project. Ramey serves actively as an advisor tomany national initiatives in early childhood, including advisingthe First Lady Laura Bush on a series of parenting bookletsand President Bush and his leadership team about theimportance of early experience on brain and behavioraldevelopment. He has received many national awards,including the American Psychological Association Award forExemplary Prevention Programs, the Howard Heflin Awardfor Contributions to World Health and Education (2000), thechildren’s Advocate Award (2002) and was named to theNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s“Hall of Honor” (2003). Dr. Ramey is a member of theCDL Professional Advisory Board.

Sharon Ramey is the Susan Mayer Professor in Child andFamily Studies and the Founding Director, along with CraigRamey, of the Center on Health and Education. Her researchhas focused on the effects of the environment on behavior,including longitudinal studies of the effects of early experienceon the development of children “at risk” for mental retardationand school failure; work on the behavioral effects of prenatalexposure to alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine; studies on thedynamic changes affecting American families; research on thesocial ecology of residential and educational settings forindividuals with mental retardation; and a recent study on thetransition to school, including 8,000 former Head Startchildren and families and 3,000 other classmates and theirfamilies. Ramey has received many national awards, includingthe Howard Heflin Award for Contributions to World Healthand Education (2000), the American Association on MentalRetardation’s Distinguished Research Contributions Award(2000), and the Children’s Advocate Award (2002).

This issue of

has been sponsored byShell Oil Company

Foundation


15


The Newsletter for the Center for Development and Learning ©

August 2004

208 South Tyler StreetCovington, LA 70433

NONPROFITU.S.

POSTAGEPAID

CUSTOMMAILER

We are inthe businessof improvingchildren’slives.

Ten Hallmarks of Children Who Succeed in School Page 2

Questioning to Aid reading comprehension Page 5

Basic social and emotional skills Page 7

A Role Model For Lifelong Learning Page 9

Playgrounds For Learning and Friendships Page 11

Do All “Successful” Children Show All Hallmarks? Page 15

Ce n t e r f o r De v e l o p m e n t & Le a r n i n g

Documents

Ten Hallmarks of Children Who Succeed in SchoolChildren Who Succeed in School By Craig T. Ramey, Ph.D. and Sharon L. Ramey, Ph.D. Editor’s note: We are extremely grateful to Sharon