One in five children struggle with issues related to reading, math, writing, focus, and organization, yet many children with learning and attention issues do not have a diagnosis. The adults in their lives often have a hard time understanding their issues due to misconceptions and a lack of information and resources. As a result, children with learning and attention issues often face both academic and social challenges. Sometimes returning to school after a long summer break can bring out some pretty tough emotions for kids.

If you are sitting there reading this, stressed out and feeling alone, don’t be. You are definitely not alone. There are so many others who have been sitting right where you are. Understood is an organization that was created by a coalition of 15 nonprofits, and its content and tools were informed by a survey of more than 2,200 parents of children with learning and attention issues. Understood offers free daily access to experts through chats and webinars, a safe online community that encourages parents to reach out to and learn from each other and a suite of specially designed, first-of-their-kind tools that will help you prepare your child for back to school and cope with everything that comes along with it.

Understood provides parents with clear explanations about learning and attention issues. The resources they provide will give you advice on how to help your child cope with those issues when returning to school and throughout the school year. It offers practical advice for parents on everything from how to partner with their child’s teachers, Back to School preparation, and help with homework to how to cope with the anxiety that comes with back to school. Here are some of the tools that you can utilize to discover what Understood has to offer:

• Back to School Preparedness Countdown – Start the new school year off right! There’s a lot going on—and a lot to keep track of. Download this one-month planner, which has daily tips to get your child with learning and attention issues ready for going back to school.
• General School and Learning Section – Read through each section to see what we have to offer. Complete your profile and let us show you how we can help.
• How to Help a Child Cope with School Anxiety – My son is anxious about going back to school, and the closer we get to the first day back, the worse it gets. He’s been acting out and throwing tantrums, saying he refuses to go. What can I do?
• Working With Your Child’s School – Parents often don’t want to bother teachers in September and October. But talking early in the school year can set the stage for strong communication throughout the year. Here are topics that can get the dialogue going.
• How to be an Effective Advocate for Your Child – As a parent, you are your child’s best education advocate—until he’s old enough and informed enough to speak up for himself. You know your child’s strengths and challenges, and you can help identify and push for the resources your child needs to succeed. Here are some tips to help you advocate for your child at school.

Maybe you are a parent of a struggling child, or even a friend or family member who is watching the struggle from afar. Understood has resources for everyone to learn how to help these kiddos face these challenges together. The You & Your Family section helps families with practical solutions and advice for social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. This may give you more opportunity to prepare them for the coming school year, as well as engaging in fun family activities.

Children, family and education are such an important part of life. Sometimes you have to take the hard with the easy, the bad with the good. If you know someone who is struggling, be it a parent or a child; encourage them to check out Understood. They may find exactly the help and inspiration that they need!

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The journey to college can be a complicated road that is difficult to travel without a reliable road map as your guide. For some, that map is an awesome guidance counselor, a caring teacher, or a parent who has traveled this road before. As a homeschool family, we had some support and guidance from our umbrella school and our support group but getting my boys into college was my responsibility. Summer was a public school junior when she moved in with us and she did not have an awesome guidance counselor at school so, the responsibility of getting her into college was shared between myself and her friend’s mom, who works at the local college.

Thankfully, the Internet was full of information on what we should be doing to prepare my children for college and our umbrella school alerted us to testing opportunities and guided us in our curriculum choices based on our student’s chosen field of study. I am pleased to say all 3 kids have been enrolled at the State College of Florida. Aaron has 1 class left before graduating, he is also taking online courses in audio engineering through Berklee College of Music. Jordan has completed 1 year of college and his education is on hiatus while he is serving on the mission field with The 99. Summer has completed 1 semester of college and is taking this semester off due to finances being tied up in the wedding and her parents not getting the financial aid paperwork filed in time. She will go back to school in January but before she will get her personal finances in order; head to the WECU site for banking guidance and options.

Your #JourneyToCollege Starts Early

Parents and students need to take responsibility for making sure they are doing what needs to be done to get into college. This process starts before you are finished with 8th grade! Choosing your freshman year course load is an important foundation to your high school and college career. Do not rely solely on suggestions from your child’s guidance counselor or school. A wonderful guide map to help you on this journey is the KapMap by Kaplan Kaplan Test Prep. This free downloadable guide outlines steps you need to take beginning in 9th grade to make your college application stand out above the rest.

On top of academics and extra curriculars you also need to make sure social media is kept in check. According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2013 College Admissions Survey:

• 29% of college admissions officers surveyed say they have Googled and applicant to learn more about them.
• 31% of college admissions officers surveyed say they have visited an applicant’s social media pages to learn more about them.
• 30% of college admissions officers surveyed say they have found something online about an applicant that has negatively impacted their college application.

These numbers are increasing each year. As parents we need to be monitoring our kid’s online activities for both their safety and their future education.

If you have a student in 9th grade or above I highly recommend that you download the KapMap and review it with your student. Make a note in your calendar on the 1st of every month to check the map and see what tasks should be done that month to prepare your child for college. There are 1-2 things each month and they will keep you and your student on the right track to college admissions.

The post Start your #JourneyToCollege with Kaplan appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Local kids invited to “fuel up” with a balanced meal before the big exam on Monday, April 11. For the second consecutive year, more than 800 McDonald’s restaurants across the state of Florida will provide a free breakfast to students on the first day of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Local students in grades 3 through 11 will receive a complimentary Egg McMuffin®, Apple Dippers and a low-fat milk or orange juice at any participating McDonald’s location on Monday, April 11 between 6 and 9am.*

“Whether students eat at home, at their school or at McDonald’s, it’s important to have a well-balanced breakfast every morning” said Cindy Goody, PhD, the Senior Director of Nutrition for McDonald’s USA. Dr. Goody, a registered and licensed dietitian, says a wholesome breakfast that includes food groups like fruit, whole grains and low-fat milk or lean protein helps children meet daily nutritional needs, while providing much-needed energy to start the day.

As local business leaders and parents themselves, McDonald’s 120 Florida franchise owners are committed to contributing to the well-being of children in their communities. In 2010, more than 190,000 students across the state – including over 40,000 in the greater Tampa Bay area alone – enjoyed a free McDonald’s breakfast prior to taking the FCAT on March 9.

If parents are unable to bring their children to McDonald’s, many local schools also serve free breakfast throughout the week of testing. For more information, parents are encouraged to check with their local school districts.

*Disclaimer: This breakfast offer is available in-store at participating McDonald’s restaurants in Florida on Monday, April 11 only. Valid while supplies last. No substitutions or group redemptions are permitted. Students under the age of 15 must be present and accompanied by a parent to redeem the offer.

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This blog has changed and grown and morphed as I have grown and changed and more change is coming. I like change, usually. Change often means growth and new opportunities. During the next month you will see some changes around here. My header is getting an update to include the new name of this blog “MomMaven’s News, Views and Reviews” I think it better encompasses what this site has become. More about reviews, giveaways, family entertainment and I need a place to share my views on things going on in the world so that will have a home here too. I’ll also be changing the look of this blog, it needs a makeover

My travel posts, except for personal travel are moving to my new site TheMomMavenTravels.com. This site is still in its infancy but I would truly appreciate you stopping by and checking it out. Right now it mostly covers Florida travel info but I am working on branching out across the US and hopefully around the world.

I have also just purchased another domain, which I’m not going to share with you quite yet. I get lots of good pitches about products and services that aren’t a great fit for my family personally so I don’t cover them. I know that not all families have 2 teenage boys so I am adding a site that will include more items for families with kids of all ages. My hope is to expand it and bring on a few additional writers-in the future and cover all aspects of life with kids.

I am excited about what the future holds and I’m glad you’re with me on this journey!

The post My 900th Blog Post-What’s Next appeared first on The Mom Maven.

The recently-released study indicated that within an experimental group of children exposed to the Between the Lions curriculum, students’ letter sound scores, one of the more sophisticated and challenging early literacy skills, improved by nearly 300 percent.

“Ten years ago, Between the Lions was brought to life by producers armed with the goal of addressing the growing problems with reading literacy,” said Executive Producer Judy Stoia. “Nothing could be more rewarding than entering our 10th anniversary season with research results that underscore our educational mission and prove that Between theLions continues to make an impact by successfully teaching key literacy skills to preschoolers.”

On screen this season, the lovable lions–Theo, Cleo, Lionel, and Leona–experience new adventures both in and out of the library, where they’ll learn all about art and creativity, transportation, animal homes and pets!  In the all-animated premiere episode, “Three More Little Pigs & The Ants and the Grasshopper,” Lionel, Leona, and the Wolf each try their hand at writing a sequel to The Three Little Pigs, and Leona finds a way to combine work and play.  And, in the episode “City Mouse and Country Mouse & The Happy Hocky Family Moves to the Country!” famed comedian and television personality Rachel Dratch lends her voice to the narration of a tale about two mice living in two very different worlds.

“It’s wonderful to know that in this ever-evolving television landscape, we have continued to make a difference in the world of children’s media,” said Chris Cerf, Executive Producer for Sirius Thinking, co-creator and co-producer of the series.  “After ten years, we’re so proud that Between the Lions continues to uphold the gold standard for children’s television while effectively translating its success into the classroom.”

“Endless opportunities exist to utilize the series’ proven methods to target groups of preschool through pre-kindergarten students in our communities,” added Nikki McCelleis, Deputy Executive Director for Education at Mississippi Public Broadcasting, a co-producer of the series.  “We already have plans underway to implement these programs in more classrooms across Mississippi and are eager to see the path of success grow.”

Between the Lions debuted when Jordan was starting first grade and it was a wonderful show to reinforce the reading skills I was teaching him. When I told him it was the 10th anniversary season for the show my 11th grader said “Between the Lions rocks!” What do your kids think about this show? Leave me a comment and let me know.

The post Between the Lions 10th Anniversary Season Begins September 20th appeared first on The Mom Maven.

One of the many helpful sections on their website is the Scholarships section that has tons of scholarships listed by category so that you can check them out and see if your student may be eligible to apply. I also found a great article about my rich uncle which helps match students to available loans.

EduInReview.com also has helpful articles on planning for college, campus life, choosing the right school for you…and your student. There is even a section on Greek organizations, and even how to rush a fraternity or sorority.

If you have a high school junior or senior Edu in Review may be just what you have been looking for.

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I am a music teacher so I know the power of teaching all sorts of academic subjects using music. I love this CD! Jill’s lyrics are catchy and very educational. The musical styles run the gamut from jazz, to rock, Latin and rap and everything in between. This isn’t just litle kid music that quickly becomes annoying to mom in the car. The varied musical styles and catchy lyrics make it a great CD to listen to on the way to school in the morning or when you’re running errands. My teens even enjoyed listening to this CD.

The song list for Get Me Goin’ is:
1. Healthy Is Good for Me
2. Get Me Goin’
3. Water
4. Beat of the Body
5. Slow Food
6. The Bone Rap
7. Special Glasses
8. The Fellowship
9. Superpower Vegetables
10. Energy
11. Soda Pop
You can stream the music here.
Check out Jill’s promotional video:

You can purchase your own copy or you can win one from The Mom Maven!
Mandatory 1st Entry Check out Jill’s blog and answer the poll in her sidebar. Come back here and tell me what your answer was.

Bonus Entries: Leave me a comment for each one you complete.

• Follow JillJayne and MomMaven on Twitter. (leave your Twitter handle in your comment)
• Subscribe to Jill’s YouTube page. (leave your YouTube name in your comment)
• Subscribe to my blog. (current subscribers you get an entry too)
• Follow my blog. (Current followers you get an entry too)
• Tweet This “I just entered to win Get Me Goin’ from the Rockstar Nutritionist @jilljayne and @mommaven you can enter too http://bit.ly/LvuGH” You can do this 1x per day. (leave the tweet URL in the comment)

This giveaway is open to residents of the USA and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 9/22/09 at 10:00pm. Winner has 48hours to respond. Good Luck!

The post Jump with Jill the Rockstar Nutritionist appeared first on The Mom Maven.

When a child is reading an assigned book he often is reading purely to hunt down information, find the answers to the questions on the worksheet or what they think will be on the test. Children who discuss and digest what is read, how it made them feel and what they think about the situations brought forth in the book will better retain the material and enjoy what they are reading.

In the beginning of the book there is a list of ways you can help children love what they read. Some of them are:

• Read what you love and love what you read
• Respect your child’s taste
• Read aloud
• Encourage your child to read a book more than once

Next she explains how to read conversationally, getting the conversation started. This is the key to this entire book and a skill parents and teachers should master. Next, the meat of the book, is the story pages. There are 101 children’s books that are broken down by age group and have discussion starters you can use with your own children. My children and I have read hundreds of books together and I was surprised to find that we have only read 5-6 on this particular list of books. There is a lot of great children’s literature out there and once you master the skills taught here they can be applied to any book. If you would like to see what the story pages look like click here. The back section of the book is filled with subject conversations-ways you can prolong the conversation on topics like: Attitude, Choices, Disappointment, Fear and many more. If you want to raise children who love to read you should read Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read

I am giving away a copy of Reading Together to one lucky reader of The Mom Maven. I am making this giveaway simple, but please make sure either your e-mail, blog URL or Twitter handle is attached to your comment so I can let you know when you win!
To enter: Leave me a comment with the title of your favorite children’s book and tell me what made it special for you.
Bonus Entries:

• Tweet about this giveaway using the Tweet Meme button on the post. Leave the Tweet’s URL in your comment
• Followers and Subscribers get 1 entry each for subscribing and/or following.

This giveaway is for US residents only and will end on 9/18/09 at 9:00pm. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and I reserve all rights to delete entries that do not follow the posted rules. Winner will have 48 hours after  announcement to claim their prize Good Luck!

The post Reading Together appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Dr. Selznick calls these kids “Lego kids” because of their amazing spacial abilities. That describes Jordan, even at age 14 he loves to spend hours creating interesting things with his Legos and other building toys. Dr. Selznick suggests that there are 2 styles of Shut-Down Learners, I realized I have worked with both types. One of my homeschool co-op students is definitely a Style 1-disconnected, unmotivated and difficult, while Jordan is a Style 2-Pleasant and Terribly Insecure.

“The Shut-Down Learner” gives suggestions to parents and educators on how to help these students see their strengths and work on improving their weaknesses. I am incorporating some of the suggestions into this fall’s homeschool day.

Here are a few samples of De. Selznick’s advice:

1. Identify the “cracks in the foundation” as early as possible. Find a professional who knows the “red flags” to identify for early learning problems. So much heart-ache can be avoided if you address the skills weaknesses early.

2. If the cracks are widening, seek outside help if possible. Don’t be passive and wait for the schools to intervene. They may, but it’s often a long process. Many of the children I see are not bad enough to warrant the school’s intervention. It’s a negative snowballing effect. Use word of mouth in your community to find people who can intervene

3. Know the kind of reading problem you’re targeting.  There are essentially two types. In the first type the child has trouble decoding the words and reading fluently. This type is the largest majority of the struggling kids. In the second type, the child can read fluently, but has great trouble understanding what he/she has read. Get clear on what you are targeting!!!! Don’t scattershot your remediation.

4. Take the heat out of the interaction. For most of the struggling kids, the daily ritual of yelling about school is a constant. Households are tense. Lots of blame goes around. Pecking at your child, nagging and yelling are not working. Why continue?

5. Find the child’s true strength and help kid embrace it. The shut down learners that I know do not feel very good about themselves and they do not see their strengths. Most of these kids are very solid in the visual spatial dimension of ability. This is often not valued in school. The kids need to learn to value this trait and see it as a potential.

6. Find someone to connect and mentor your child in school. If your child is older, push the kid to have one adult in the building as child’s mentor. It should be someone that your kid can form a relationship with. Too often shut-down learners go through school not bonded to anyone. This is tragic.

7. Keep your humor. Try not to let school problems become all consuming. Go out for an ice cream sundae with your kid even if he hasn’t done his homework! School problems can be so all consuming – don’t lose touch with your kid’s good qualities.

Fortunately, the value of The Shut-Down Learner doesn’t end with advice. Dr. Selznick shows you how to apply this advice. With great sensitivity, he writes about several of the shut-down learners he has known. He shares their conversations and insights and shows how they didn’t let their learning problems and the rigidity of schools destroy their lives.

If you think your child may be a Shut-Down Learner I suggest you get the book and visit the website www.shutdownlearner.com, and get involved in helping your child succeed.

The post The Shut-Down Learner appeared first on The Mom Maven.

My camera and Vado HD batteries are charged, I’ve added texting to my cell phone so I can Tweet from the resort, I have a notebook that fits in my backpack and a few pens. I also have my sunscreen and comfy shoes. I am determined to have fun but learn everything I can so that I can come back and share with you everything Disney has to offer families.

I am so excited to be a part of a great group of mom bloggers, all of whom love Disney. It will be great to meet in person ladies whom I have tweeted with on Twitter. I will be tweeting all weekend long using the hashtag #magicalmoms. If you don’t already follow me on Twitter, now is a great time to do so, I’m @MomMaven.

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