How Tech-Savvy is Your Child?
How About Your School?  		In this Newsletter
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Should Your Child Have a Cell Phone?
Cell phones are now being marketed to children as young as 6 years old.
  • Toy or Tool? Toy manufacturers such as Disney and Mattel are getting into the act, but some manufacturers are adding useful features, such as parental controls and tracking devices that help you find your child.
  • Don’t get burned with huge bills. Many new cell phones are Web-enabled and have access to computer games. These features can add up on your monthly bill, so choose a cell phone plan that is cost effective, and set guidelines with your child about what you are prepared to pay for.
  • Check your school’s rules. Many schools have found cell phones to be a distraction and have policies regarding use at school. Make sure you know what is allowed at your school.
Learn more about the latest in cell phones for children back to top


What rules do you have for cell phone use for your child? Send us your ideas and we will share some of them in our next Parent Advisor in October.

Share your ideas

Bright Ideas From Our Readers:
Handling Disputes About School Dress
Thanks to our many readers who shared tips on avoiding arguments about dressing for school. Many suggested limiting the choices and then letting their children choose. Others had creative ways to address the problem:
  • Don’t buy inappropriate clothing in the first place. A parent in Rhode Island says she only buys appropriate clothing and only keeps clothes suitable for the season in her child’s closet. She writes: “I always let my children dress themselves—the combinations can be quite amusing and it gives them a chance to express themselves creatively through clothes…it’s never too early to teach your children to be themselves without worrying about what other people think of them.”

    To reason with her 16-year-old daughter, one Florida parent writes: “I tell her if that tank top is suitable for you, I’ll wear one also. I say this in a nice tone and with some excitement! That’s all I have to say and the garment is back on the rack in less than a second.”
  • Plan ahead and limit the choices.  Several parents suggested choosing outfits for a week and then letting the child decide (preferably the night before) what to wear each day. Or with younger children, give them a choice between two outfits.

  • You’re the boss--don’t be afraid to make the rules. A parent of a younger child establishes two sections of the closet: school clothes and play clothes. The child can pick only from the school clothes for school.

    A parent of a teenager has strict rules about underwear and outerwear: "Underwear is 'underwear'. The minute it becomes outerwear, it becomes a problem...If I see a thong sticking out once, I will give it a good yank. If I see it twice, I will cut it off and empty her drawers of all thongs. So far three years and not one incident!"

Read the full article


More on dressing for school on GreatSchools.net: back to top

Technology in the Classroom: Fad or Foundation for Learning?
From cell phones to laptops, technology tools are becoming standard equipment in the classroom. In some classrooms, iBooks have replaced textbooks. In others, students prepare video yearbooks that can be delivered to their classmates’ cell phones. In still others, teachers ask students a question and they punch in the answers with “clickers” that look like TV remote control devices.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent getting computers into classrooms, and teachers and students around the country are using technology in new ways. That raises two important questions for parents:
  • How is technology being used to improve learning?
  • Are students developing the skills they'll need to understand and use it in the future?
Read the full article
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GreatSchools.net Grade-by-Grade
Do you have a child entering kindergarten, first, second or third grade? Sign up now to receive our new free series of newsletters. You can sign up for My Kindergartner, My First-Grader, My Second-Grader or My Third-Grader, or all four editions

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Coming in the October Parent Advisor:
Is your child ready for kindergarten?
The rise in autism rates.


September Parent Poll
Should schools have rules about what kids wear?


With our parent polls, you can quickly and easily weigh in on important issues. Our August poll asked:
What do you think about the length of summer vacation?

See what parents had to say about summer vacation

Vote in the latest poll

Parent Reviews
Now that school is back in session, it’s time to reflect about what you like about your child’s school and what needs improvement. Take a moment to submit a parent review on your school’s profile on GreatSchools.net. Thus far, we have posted more than 132,000 reviews of schools across the country and more parent reviews are posted on www.greatschools.net every day.

The more reviews we have, the more useful this feature will be, so be sure to add yours, and while you're at it, tell a friend!
SAMPLE REVIEW
"Parental Involvement: Bottom Line: You get what you put in. This school has very high parent participation. Not uncommon to have 3 parents helping any K–2nd at any given time. Field trips, double that. Atmosphere: This a very nurturing school and has a motto: 'Be a Friend' which educates kids about what a friend is and what is a bully. Our kids feel very safe. This outweighs the fact that the building looks like a 1970's hospital. The school grounds is very institutional due to past earthquake retrofitting but the teachers and volunteers have tried their best to dress up the utilitarian block of concrete with beautiful mosaics, murals, art projects, anew paint and plantings. Teachers: Teachers are strong partners in identifying our child's needs. They love the kids and want them to all succeed and will give a fair accurate evaluation of their progress. Very good art, singing for all. Chinese and Russian language programs after school."
Start here to find your school and post your review. back to top

Guidelines for posting reviews
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