Exceptional Eagles News
Leesburg Elementary
~EmpoweringStudentstoBecomeTomorrow's Leaders~
ESE Parent NightNovember 16, 2016, 6 p.m.
Leesburg Elementary Media Center
Guest Speaker: Glendia Cloutier, Parent
Education Program Specialist
TOPIC: How to work with/help your child at home
Dinner will be provided by Title One.
Babysitting will be available
FDLRS/CARD Tip of the Month— Help with Homework
Homework is a struggle for many families. Some of the difficulties children experience include completing homework in a timely manner, putting forth best effort, getting materials to and from school, and juggling afterschool activities. Parents often become frustrated with what appears to be their children’s inability to complete homework independently and many battles ensue. Here are some suggestions that may help ease the homework hassles:
1. Start off with homework that you know your child can do easily before moving on to the more challenging assignments.
2. If your child is really struggling with the topic, give your child a break before he or she shuts down completely. For example, “Joey, you are really having a hard time with this one. How about we have a snack and then look at it together?”
3. Try approaching that topic in a different manner. For example, if your child is struggling with fractions, order pizza that night. Ask questions such as, “There are eight slices and dad just ate one slice. What fraction of the pizza did he eat? What fraction of the pizza remains?”
4. If your child is struggling because a reading assignment is too long or challenging, take turns reading it.
5. Homework should not bea task that takes hours to complete. Talk with your child’s teacher regarding homework expectations and the amount oftime itshould take for your child to complete his or her homework. Let your child’s teacher know where your child is struggling and how long homework is taking.
Preparing for an IEP Meeting
1.Know who will be attending the IEP meeting. Many parents,especially in their first IEP, will feel blindsided or intimidatedif they walk into a room full of people, many of whom they donot know.
2.Know your rights. The school will issue a copy of your ProceduralSafeguards, but if you have any questions, be sure to ask.
3. Keep well-organized records. Keep everything related to yourchild with special needs, including past IEP’s, test results, medicationhistory, diagnosis, evaluation reports, daily behaviorsheets, agendas, all communications from the teacher (s) andother school personnel.
4.Review your child’s records and identify any patterns of behavior. If a dip in behavior occurs, detailedrecords allow a parent to demonstrate that the behavior is short term.
5.Know your child’s strengths. Be able to identify your child’s strengths, as well as their social skills,such as those regarding conversation and other important social development such as handling disappointment,conflict, and changes in their schedule or environment.
6.Write down the concerns you want to discuss during the IEP before the meeting. Once you are in themeeting, you may forget what you want to discuss or get side tracked.
7. Write down your goals for your child before the IEP. Identify where your child stands, what goals youwould like to see your child meet academically and socially, and what you want out of the IEP meeting. Identify short term goals and long term goals.
8.Bring a support person with you to the meeting if needed. Your support person will help level theplaying field, make sure you do not become too stressed, make you take a break if needed, and help ensureyou get what you want out of the meeting.
9.Do not assume the meeting is adversarial. Schools and teachers are there to help identify ways to helpchildren reach their academic and social potential.
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