Saving For Children's Education

One of the most common financial goals that couples have is to save money for their children's education, whether that be at a private school or a tertiary institution. Saving for this purpose is no different than saving for any other goal in life, yet there is a common misperception that funds need to be set aside separately or even in the child's name for this purpose. That can lead to a lower rate of investment return in some cases.

If you are going to save for your children's education, then you're probably looking at saving tens of thousands of dollars and it will take a number of years to get to that target.

That means starting when the child is young - in fact, probably at the preschool age. Anybody with preschoolers most probably has a mortgage. With mortgage interest rates being so high, the best place to put your money is into your mortgage to keep the interest payments down. If, for example, you are paying say 7.0% interest on your mortgage you would need to earn at least 7.0% after tax on an investment to make it worthwhile investing and not paying your mortgage. So pay off your debt as fast as you can, and then remortgage later if your still really want to help your kids. If you have grandchildren that you wish to provide for, the situation may be a little different. You probably won't have a mortgage and you may wish to make funds available that are clearly earmarked for your grandchildren and clearly specified to be used only for education costs. A good way of achieving these objectives is to set up an education trust. This can be done through a solicitor or trustee company. There will be a fee involved to establish and maintain the trust, but there will be safeguards in place to ensure that the funds are used for the purpose you intend. An education trust can be particularly useful in certain situations, for example, where there is a relationship breakdown between parents and a parent or grandparent wishes to make funds available without the risk of the money being used for a different purpose. An education trust can also be used where funds might be at risk of a possible future claim by business creditors.

Fun Kids Online Games and Learning for Children

Art Education for Children With Learning Disabilities

There are a large number of students who have difficulty learning material using traditional teaching methods. Learning disabilities vary from mild forms such as attention deficit disorder to more severe disabilities like autism and mental retardation. Incorporating art into the curriculum of students with learning disabilities can be a useful tool. Students with disabilities are not students who are incapable of learning but instead are students who may need material presented to them using alternative methods. Methods that incorporate art can be very successful for these children.

Many students with disabilities are separated from regular students for either part of all of the school day. These students spend a great deal of time focusing on remedial skills and learning new skills to help them catch up with the rest of the class. For students with learning disabilities the knowledge that they are not able to function at the same level as other students can be very discouraging. Introducing these students to art classes can offer them the opportunity to do something creative where success is not measured by the same standards as in regular academics. The feeling of succeeding at something can provide these students with self-worth and confidence that can carry over into other areas of study. Allowing children to be involved with art related activities also encourages creativity, problem solving skills, motor skills and other skills that are useful in all areas of academics like math, science and language.

Art lessons can be combined with traditional lessons and used as a teaching tool for these students. Children that have difficulty with verbal expression will often have more success by expressing themselves through art. Practicing expression through art may translate to better overall communication skills. Teaching math and science lessons that are hands on art based lessons also tend to hold a student's interest more than traditional lecture lessons. Sometimes just holding a student's attention is half the battle especially for students with attention deficit disorder. Activities that encourage drawing and painting can help students learn about shapes, contrast and spatial relationships. Teachers can implement lessons that use these art activities to teach basic math skills like geometry and various other math techniques. Another interesting way to teach history involves having students create plays that focus on historical events. This method can help students internalize the material as oppose to just memorizing facts from a textbook.

How to Ensure A Good Education for Your Deaf Child

Having a child with disabilities isn't easy. If you're the parent of a deaf child, then you know this as well as anyone. Whether it's a physical, mental, emotional or psychological disability, the fact is that the world isn't really built for people who are different, so chances are you've already ruled out the notion of keeping your child in the public school system and you're looking at deaf school options or possibly home schooling.

Home Schooling for Deaf Children

There are a lot of arguments for and against home schooling for deaf children. The fact is that your child may well wind up learning more through staying home and being taught by people he or she loves and trusts than by going to a special school to learn. The downside is that this can have an adverse effect on a child's developing social skills. By simply staying home, within their comfort zone, they may not learn how to deal with others until their early adulthood.

On the other hand, you may well be able to find a home schooling community for hearing impaired children, but i you don't live in a big city, this may be much easier said than done.

Deaf School Options

At a school for the hearing impaired, children may have some difficulty adjusting, at first, to being surrounded by new people. However, over time, the benefits do seem to outweigh this. A child who goes to a school for the deaf will, first and foremost, realize that perhaps they're not so different after all. By being surrounded by those who understand hearing impairment and those who suffer from hearing impairment themselves, a deaf child may feel much more comfortable and be much more willing to simply learn and stay focused in a more comfortable environment than that which public schooling provides.

Another benefit is that you're likely to meet other parents of deaf children through the school, other parents who know how difficult it can be and who understand that behind the disability is a unique individual. At a school for the deaf, and within the surrounding community, your child isn't a "deaf kid", but a person who may be exceptionally intelligent or creative, who may be athletic or have a great sense of humor. In being around other deaf people and those who see your child as a person, not as a disability, your child may really bloom as an individual and learn to take pride in who he or she is.

Sex Education For Kids

With society advancing, children are becoming sexually active at earlier ages. What kids should know about sex starts with the parents. There are many parents who are afraid of that famous "birds and the bees" talk. Sex is not something that should be taken lightly. There are lots of consequences if your child doesn't know the proper things about sex. Whether raise a nice Christian household, kids are going to have sex in today's world. Some things to what kids should know about sex are: 

1. Condom use- There is different ways to approach this topic. By introducing the condom to your child, they will know what they are and how to use them properly. For children practicing sex, if the condom is too hard to put on correctly, they will not use one at all. This will put your kid in very bad danger.     

2. Diseases- Teach your kid all about the different diseases that come from sex. Herpes, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and the worst of all AIDS are just a few things to what your child can catch if they are not practicing safe sex with their partner. As children get older, they become smarter on the ways of safe sex, but it is challenging to keep an eye on your children at all times.    

3. Pregnancies- This is a big thing amongst teenagers who do not think it a good idea to practice safe sex. Pregnancies are a steady rise with children just because many parents would rather have the school teach their children of sex only to have the child skip the class. With the increase of hormones and testosterones amongst teenagers, it is no wonder why the temptation of sex arises. Keeping the children safe from pregnancies is the best we could do as parents for our children.    

For parents, it is hard when you have to talk to your kids about sex. There are many things kids should know about sex to help them protect themselves from the dangers. As parents it is your duty to protect your children in all forms of harm. When you teach your child of the proper uses of sex and when the best time to have it, then your children will respect your decisions. Be a part of your children's lives and you will know when the right time to sit down with them and give them the talk that they have needed for a while. Keep your children safe.

Importance of Holistic Education for Children

No one can really argue with the fact that formal education is one of the most essential factors of human lives, which is essential for fostering human values and dream careers. At the same time, it does have its limitations, and that could hamper the development of growing children.

Most of the systems in the schools are designed in a manner which is fundamentally aimed at transforming the children into citizens, who would naturally flow with the wave of professional responsibilities. This could forestall the talents and passions in children from being identified or pursued.

The wholeness of children development in the schools goes unexplored, primarily due to the increasing numbers of students in the classroom, and also due to the overwhelming syllabus that has to be completed within that given academic timeframes. The situation minimizes the possibilities of finding multiple intelligences in children.

Besides their normal syllabus, it is also very essential for the children to learn more about themselves, and about how to build relationships in their lives.

Both attitude and aptitude in children has to go hand in hand, in order to contribute towards their success as they go on to become great personalities. Additionally, they will also need to develop a lot of resiliency and will power to face difficult situations in their lives.

Apart from talents and education, the children might require extra attention on their emotional developments as well. This will also help them in developing proactive social behaviors.

The world has changed a great deal with the advancements in technology, and the children these days are blessed with access to a lot of information when compared to the past. The media is able to reach the children directly now more than ever before.

This could also create a lot of confusions in the little minds, as information overload can also be too overwhelming for the children. The parents cannot overlook the fact that the exposure to abundant media and information could also cause negative influences on their little ones.

The institution of formal education in schools is very important, but holistic education of children will help them to cope up better with their lives. There are just too many things to consider for proper upbringing of children, in order to help them pursue their individual passions. They will need a lot of guidance in helping them identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Music Education For Children

Studies have shown that music and music training provide a wealth of educational benefits to children. Early exposure to music has been proven to help develop areas of the brain responsible for language and reasoning skills. Music education also increases the spatial and temporal reasoning necessary for advanced mathematics. Children who study music typically score better on standardized testing as well.

Music education not only provides children with a terrific healthy outlet for self-expression, it enhances creativity and boosts self-esteem. There are a number of ways for parents to help their child receive quality education in music, starting as young as birth. The most important thing is to expose your child to a variety of music, including several different genres, not just classical or kid's music.

Sing songs to your infant each day. Fun, repetitive songs with movements or motions are best and as your child gets older, you can encourage her to join in. By the toddler years, your little one can dance along with music. Continue to sing simple silly songs with your toddler and dance together to a variety of songs, both upbeat and slow. Toys, like the Baby Einstein Learning Sounds Piano, will allow your toddler to create her own beats and songs.

Preschool age children can begin to differentiate between tones and pitches. Play games to pick which note is higher and which is lower. Introduce your preschooler to the specific sounds made by various instruments as well. Continue to listen to many different types of music with your preschooler and discuss how various pieces make you and our child feel.

Make musical instruments with your preschooler and play them together. Shakers are easy to make out of ordinary household items. Attach two paper plates together with a hole puncher and yarn or cover the ends of a toilet paper tube with construction paper and fill either with dry beans or rice. A coffee can and lid can be used as a drum. Have fun and use your imagination to create your own family band.

You may want to start formal music education with music lessons at this age. Discuss how various instruments are played and allow your child to choose the one he would like to learn. Visit a symphony or orchestra performance to investigate the various instruments. Piano lessons are typically best for this age because your child will learn to read and play music without having to remember difficult fingering techniques.

Benefits of Music Education For Children

Do you ever wonder what advantages are achieved through learning music? Read on to discover the many benefits of music education.

Self-Esteem

Learning music is hard work, but also very rewarding, which can lead to a genuine increase in self-esteem. This can happen when a student masters the many steps along the way to becoming proficient, as well as when they have a successful recital or concert.

Increased Memory

One of the many benefits of music education is that it is a great workout for increasing memory as the student learns to recognize the different notes.

Self Expression

Music can be a creative outlet for self expression. This may take the form of learning music that mimics experienced emotions. Or it may be expressed in creating music and lyrics, which can then be presented to family and friends.

Bringing People Together

Music can be a great catalyst for uniting people in a common experience, where friends can be made, and a sense of belonging can be available.

Increased Academic Performance

When talking about the benefits of music education it is often well believed that learning music can boost academic achievement. Although the exact mechanics of this is often not understood, the belief is that learning music stimulates parts of the brain that then have a carry-over impact on all academic areas. It also provides structure and focus which may benefit other areas of learning.

Teamwork

Learning to work well with others is one of those things that when present is often overlooked, but when absent is often painfully obvious. Performing music requires the skills associated with teamwork that are valuable throughout life. In order to play an instrument successfully students need to be tuned in to what those around them are doing so that the various instruments form a cohesive unit.

Structure, Organization, and Discipline

When talking about the benefits of music education it is important to acknowledge the value that can be found in the structure, organization, and discipline that it offers. Structure and organization are important skills to be learned. They can carry a child forward in many areas of life, not just music education. When talking about discipline here we are discussing the discipline it takes for the child to set aside time each week to practice. Learning to discipline themselves can eliminate procrastination, and like structure and organization, can be valuable in all areas of life.

Computer Education For Kids

Computers have become a common and needed part of life in today's society, making computer education imperative for children. Young children will typically begin to show an interest in the home PC by their toddler years. While it is may be a good idea to begin introducing your toddler to the computer in very short sessions, most children can began to learn and understand a computer's functionality by preschool age.

Preschool age children can learn to turn the computer on by themselves and will quickly learn to operate the mouse. Simple games that teach and reinforce basic school readiness skills are great for this age. Computer education for preschool age children should be limited to short sessions of about 30 minutes a few times a week.

Many childcare facilities offer computer time as part of their weekly curriculum for preschoolers. Structured games and activities give young children an opportunity to explore the way a computer works. Games that require dragging objects across the screen are excellent for building mouse skills in beginner users. Chose age-appropriate software and websites that involve alphabet and color recognition, shapes, counting, or short stories that are read aloud. Activities that feature music are also enjoyable for a preschooler's computer time.

Kindergartners are normally still exploring the basics of computer use and will probably do best with activities that reinforce simple skills. As children become more comfortable with the computer, more complex games and activities can be introduced. Computer education for kindergartners typically consists of short sessions of no more than an hour, playing games that correlate with their classroom learning material.

By first grade, children have usually gained a good understanding of how to use a mouse and they are learning to use keyboard letters to type. Games like Typing Instructor for Kids can help young children become fast and efficient computer users. Early elementary age children are ready to move beyond simple reinforcement and skill drill activities to the many different functions of a computer.

First through third graders should use the computer as a supplement for their classroom work. A student studying about stars and planets can use the internet to search for pictures and information about constellations. An assignment about Africa can include a search for videos of African animals. Allow your child to work on his own, but stay close by to prevent access to inappropriate content and to answer any questions.

Software programs that allow children to create, like an art or publishing suite designed specifically for kids, can boost creativity along with providing exposure to technology. Grade level skills can also be practiced and enhanced with math, reading, and spelling computer games. There are a number of kid-friendly websites that provide search engines, games, and interaction opportunities.

Career Education For Kids

Career education for children at an early age can prove to very beneficial. Kids can obtain career education through vocational schools or programs, or through home schooling. A number of career education institutes operate online as well.

In cases of home schooling, parents have total control over the needs of their children and have the flexibility to teach them ethical values. For subjects that parents feel uncomfortable teaching, they can hire a tutor, or the child can go to a vocational school for this purpose. Parents can also send their kids to vocational schools for professional guidance.

Career education institutes follow a specialized curriculum prepared well in advance and modified depending upon a child's specific needs and talents. They also have field trips that combine practical and acquired knowledge for a creative learning experience. The curriculum of career education for kids can incorporate topics such as religious and moral beliefs along with educational knowledge. The main reason for career education for kids is that they can reach their full potential in an environment that is exciting and creative. They can start enhancing their knowledge and skill in fields that they are interested in at an early age. In many cases, parents and teachers work with students one-on-one to bring out individual talents and develop teaching methods that work for each child.

Parents can search the Internet for lesson plans, vocational schools and other topics of interest. Career education includes skills, processes, techniques, tools, and raw materials needed for guiding young children. The goal of career education is to empower students to participate effectively globally, and become world-class workers and citizens.

Financial Education For Children's Success - 8 Unique Ways to Introduce Children to Entrepreneurship

Does talking to children about entrepreneurship at an early age make sense? Our school system is set up to lead our children into the workplace as employees, not employers. Now don't get me wrong, we as a society definitely need employees: police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, etc., but why not shine some light on entrepreneurship too?

Incorporating the principles and philosophies of success with emphasis on teamwork, community involvement, and entrepreneurship go well with all types of learners of varying ages. Children deserve the opportunity to at least hear about what entrepreneurship is, why they may want to be entrepreneurial, when they could do this and, of course, how to be an entrepreneur. We find that children are very responsive when talking about making money on their own. As early as six years of age, children are starting to realize the importance behind making your own money vs. working for someone else. Unfortunately, not enough children in the world are being introduced to this kind of lifestyle. So below you will find some great tips, in no particular order, to help introduce your child to entrepreneurship.

1. Story Time

A great way to get your child started is by sharing with them inspiring stories of kids today, who are already entrepreneurs. The internet is a great resource, making available great stories about kid entrepreneurs from around the world, what they are doing right now and how they are doing it. When sharing inspiring kid entrepreneur stories ask your children questions like: How did they do that? Why did they do it? Do you think you can do something like that? What makes you feel that way? If you get an answer like "I cant do that," then just follow up with "Well, if you could do that, how would you do it?" This usually gets an answer. Oh, and don't forget to show your kids pictures, watch video's or check out news clips of kid entrepreneur's. Its also quite effective when kids hear the stories right from another kids mouth.

2. Field Trip Fun

Contact local businesses, churches or news agencies to see if you could arrange for your kids to visit with them and get a behind the scenes look at how the particular business operates. Approach businesses that hold a high interest level for your kids. Let the places know that your interested in a behind the scenes look at their business operations for your children and their friends who are learning about entrepreneurship. I highly recommend that you bring your children's friends too, so you all can enjoy the experience together and so that your child has like minded individuals to discuss their findings with.

3. Raising Some Bucks

Have a fundraiser for a cause that is very important to your child or have them pick products they think they can sell either in the neighborhood or to local businesses. Let your kids bring in some of their friends that want to be a part of the action. Have them brainstorm ideas and narrow the list down to a few that they all agree on. Assist them in organizing the timing and the locations they conduct these "business meetings."

4. Make Planning Fun

Start planning with your kids. For the younger kids create a plan book from scratch, even some of the older kids can get into this too. Design it however they want. They can add stickers or make fancy title pages within their planner. The point here is for them to personalize it as much as they like. You can even pick up an inexpensive planner for their use. Talk to them about the importance of using the planner daily, and getting into the habit of planning for each day the night before. Explain to them how this will start to free up more time for them to do the things they want to be doing, instead of just doing the things they have to be doing as they become more focused. In addition to a planner/goal book, have children create a journal as well, writing down brief entries into a personal journal on a daily basis of things that interest or perplex them is a great way to get them started with being responsible, planning for their future, and allowing them time for natural, real world problem solving!