What are the reasons why children are slow at doing their homework?

Parents Zone

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Source:Dr Hui Lung Kit

Whether for children or parents, doing homework is the biggest problem. Even during the summer break, many parents find it a headache. Parents often fight with their children, which worsens their relationship. In fact, there are three main reasons for slow homework.

First, excessive activity. At home, children frequently run around, climb up and down, and run from the bathroom to the kitchen, then to their room. They never stop, like a motorcycle moving around. Imagine how painful it is to make them do their homework. If you give them a table and chair, they will never sit still. When they finally settle down, they keep fidgeting and moving their bodies, like they have ants in their pants.

To start doing homework, they pick up the pen and say they need to go to the bathroom, then say they need to pee, poop, or that they are hungry and need to eat something. They always have an excuse to leave the chair. It usually takes them 1 to 2 hours to settle down to do homework, which is called excessive activity. Children who are excessively active will definitely do their homework slowly, not because they are slow, but because they need more time to settle down.

For older children, like middle school students or upper elementary school students, they may not necessarily run around, but they often shake their legs, constantly shaking to the point where the whole table is moving. For example, they may spin their pen around and around. Don’t underestimate this leg shaking, pen spinning, and body moving actions; they are actually symptoms of hyperactivity. 

Secondly, they have weak concentration. Children with insufficient concentration may be able to sit down, but they stare at you like a cloud, daydreaming, completely unaware of what they are doing. They hold a pencil and look at their homework, but they are just looking at it and can never absorb the first question. So they may be able to sit down, but they will always stay on the first question, constantly distracted by phone calls or doorbells, and they can never focus. 

Some parents have complained to us that if it is a hyperactive child, they will need to walk around in the first hour, and children with poor concentration will be daydreaming for the first hour, and it will take until the second hour before they can continue, and they will do it very slowly.

Thirdly, weak reading and writing ability. You may have heard of reading and writing disorders, which are more severe cases. However, some children do not have reading and writing disorders, but their reading and writing abilities are weak. This includes Chinese, English, and mathematics, including reading and writing. It seems difficult for them to read and spell, and they can never seem to remember simple words. Writing is always reversed; left and right are reversed, just like in a mirror, and some even turn things upside down. 

These types of children can sit still and will do so when asked. They can also concentrate well. But what happens? They will sit and do their homework, but they will sweat profusely while doing so. However, after completing their work, every question is wrong, and they cannot remember or understand anything. This may be due to reading and writing problems, which can slow down their homework.

I just mentioned three reasons, which one is it exactly? Of course, some children may have all three, but if parents can pay attention, they shouldn’t just blame the child. When he is working slowly, first pay attention to which of the three reasons the child belongs to. If you know which reason he belongs to, then we can prescribe the right treatment and get twice the result with half the effort.

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Information for new student

A. Applicant Entry Requirements:
1.Must be born on or before 31 December 2020.
2.Must be Hong Kong residents with right of abode or valid permission to remain in Hong Kong.

B. Application Form Distribution Period:
From 5 September 2022 (Monday) onwards

C. Collection of Application Forms (No quota)
Obtain the application form at the kindergarten in person
Mondays-Fridays 9:00a.m.-11:00a.m. 1:30p.m.-4:30 p.m-Saturdays 9:30a.m. -12noon
Sundays and public holidays-closed
Or
Download the application form from the school website (Click here)

D. Submission of Application Forms (No quota)
Application will be accepted from 5 September 2022 (Monday)
All application forms should be submitted in person with the following documents and information:
1.Completed “Admission Application Form”
2.Original and a copy of child’s birth certificate or residence approval documents from the Director of Immigration Department (the original copy is used for verification).
3.Original and a copy of child’s Vaccination Card/Record
4.2 passport-size photos
(one will be pasted on the application form, the other one will be pasted on the interview certificate.)
5.2 stamped envelopes ($2 for local with the name of the child and correspondence address
6.Application fee: HK$40 (not refundable).

* Each child can apply for one time only
* Application will not be accepted if the required documents and info are not submitted.

E. Interview arrangement
1.Interview dates: 12 November 2022 (Saturday)
2.Parents should bring the interview certificate to attend the interview with the applicant.
3.Individual interviews will be arranged for all applicants and parents should accompany the applicant for the interview.
4.Please contact us at 2276 0024 if interpretation/ translation service is required.

F. Admission Criteria
1. Interview performance of the applicant
2.  Enrollment in a nearby school
3. The applicant’s sibling(s) currently studying in this kindergarten;
4. The applicant’s sibling(s) / parent(s)  graduated in the kindergarten will be given priority consideration.
5. The applicant from families in need will be given priority consideration when applying for whole day classes.

G. Announcement of Admission Results:
We will inform parents of the K1 admission results on or before
16 December 2022 (Friday) by post.

H. Registration Arrangements:
1.Centralized Registration Dates
Date: 5 January 2023(Thursday) to 7 January 2021(Saturday)
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1: 30p.m. to 4:30p.m. (Thursday to Friday) OR 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. (Saturday)
2.Successful applicants:
Based on “Admission Arrangements for K1 Places in Kindergartens for the 2023/24 School Year” from EDB, parents are required to submit the original copy of the “2023/24″ Registration Certificate”/Admission Pass” to the kindergarten on registration day in order to complete the registration process. For application of “Registration Certificate”/ “Admission Pass”, please feel free to visit “Kindergarten Education” from the EDB official website: http://www.edb.gov.hk

3.The registration fee for 2023/24 K1 place is HK$970(Half-day classes) or HK$1570(Whole-day classes) . If the child concerned studies in the kindergarten, the registration fee paid will be refunded in September. Should parents decide to change school after registration, please notify the kindergarten in writing. The kindergarten will return the “RC”/”AP” but the registration fee will not be refunded. Upon parents obtaining the “RC”/”AP” the kindergarten will no longer keep the school place for the child.
4. Applicants on the waiting list:
Parents will be informed by post. Parents will be notified when there is vacancy.

If you have any enquiries about the application procedure, please feel free to call at 2276 0024 during office hour.
To get more information about the admission arrangements for nursery (K1) classes in kindergartens for the 2022/23 school year, please browse the website of Education Bureau (click here).

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Parents Zone

Wear face mask for long time during Epidemic.
How to make children learn to “look at people’s eyebrows and eyes”?

Parents Zone

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Written by: Hong Kong Speech and Swallowing Therapy Centre
Senior Speech Therapist Eunice Siu

In our daily interactions with others, we not only observe others’ behaviors, but also “explain” and “predict” others’ behaviors. Theory of mind is the ability to infer or substitute other people’s mental states, such as their thoughts, beliefs, desires, and intentions, etc., and to use this ability to explain other people’s thoughts, perceptions, and predict their behaviors. Theory of mind can be subdivided into “emotion recognition”, “beliefs” and “pretend play”.

The developmental period for children’s theory of mind is from approximately 3 to 7 years of age. However, before the age of 3, children need to master the following skills to effectively develop theory of mind skills.

1. noticing and imitating the behavior of people around them
2. recognizing the emotions of others and using words to express them (e.g., happy, sad, angry, surprised)
3. participates in pretend play
4. understands that different people have different desires and preferences
5. understands that people will act to get what they want (e.g. reach for candy)
6. understands the causes and consequences of unsympathetic emotions (e.g. if I hit my brother, my mom will be mad and then she will scold me)

Ways to improve theory of mind are:

1. Use more psychologically relevant words when talking to your child

Using psychologically related words to communicate with children can help children understand their own and others’ psychological conditions more specifically. Examples of psychologically related words are “think,” “pretend,” “know,” “believe,” “feel,” and words related to emotions. Pay attention to what your child is trying to say and then respond. For example, “Ah! You want cake”, “Don’t be afraid! You think I’m gone, but I’m still here,” and “Mommy’s mad at you for hitting your brother. Parents can also explain to their children the psychological situation of others, e.g., “Mei-mei is smiling so much when she receives a birthday present, she should be very excited.

2. Participate in role-playing games with your child

Role-playing games encourage children to put themselves in different situations and characters’ perspectives to draw inferences about their behavior. To begin, children can pretend to be common everyday characters, such as mothers, doctors, teachers, and drivers. Parents should pay attention to the fact that both the words and behaviors in the game should be substituted for the role played. This activity helps children experience a variety of emotions, thoughts and interactions in different social situations, and learn to observe, imitate, anticipate, review and adjust their thoughts and behaviors.

I hope parents can make good use of the opportunity to share and communicate more with their children in daily life, so that they can learn to “look at people’s eyebrows and eyes” (meaning read people’s faces) and become a “mind-reading detective”!

Source:
Hollin, P., Baron-Cohen, S.,& Hadwin,J.(1999). Teaching children with autism tomind-read. West Sussex, England: Wiely Press

Lowry, L.(2015).” Tuning in” to others: How young children develop theory of mind. The Hanen Centre.

Spastics Association of Hong Kong (2005). Connecting: Developing social skills in children with autism. Spastics Association of Hong Kong.

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Parents Zone Parents Zone

To love children, first to love themselves,
3 moves to teach you to maintain the best mental state

Parents Zone

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Written by :Family Dynamics Child Play Therapist
                   Marriage and Family Therapist, Ms. Lee Wai Zi

In today’s society, it is indeed not easy for parents to maintain a good state of mind and body. I have met with many parents and found that the difficulty most parents face is not that they do not understand their children’s feelings and needs, or that they do not know how their behavior affects their children, but that it is difficult to maintain a trusting and optimistic attitude towards their children when they are in a situation. Often, parents become increasingly anxious as they worry that their child’s problems will continue and worsen, and repeat ineffective ways of dealing with their child’s problems.

So, how can parents maintain the best mental state to face the stress and challenges of disciplining their children? Here are some tips for parents to consider:

1. Be more sensitive to your own stress levels
Parents are human beings, so there will be times when they are depressed or physically and emotionally exhausted. The purpose of parents being sensitive to their own mental state is to remind themselves that they need to take care of their own needs first. It is difficult for parents to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of their children when they are in a highly stressed state. Conversely, inappropriate responses may harm the child and damage the parent-child relationship.

2. Use resources effectively to relieve stress
When parents feel stressed, they should try to explore and make good use of their own internal and external resources to regulate their negative emotions. For example, find family members or friends to talk to, do things that can relax you, and find positive thoughts and beliefs to encourage you. The purpose is to give yourself a proper rest and temporary relief from stress.

3. Turn your mind around and reflect
If a parent’s stress continues and increases, professional help is needed. Sometimes, these pressures come from more than just external influences. Parents’ self-worth, worldview, and perceptions of things can affect how we parent. For example, some parents worry that they are not doing enough to fulfill their parental responsibilities and end up pushing their children to study or participate in activities, or even that they are not flexible enough to respond to their children’s needs when they are stressed and negative.

If parents are aware of and take care of their own feelings and needs, they can prevent their negative emotions from affecting the next generation.

Therefore, parents who love their children must first love themselves. Only when parents are healthy and happy can their children grow up healthy and happy.