| Do your children excel in school? Have they | | | | appropriate for their age. |
| mastered the skills of their grades? Should | | | | |
| they skip a level? If a child is | | | | Helping a child to advance academically is a |
| out-performing other children, should they go | | | | good thing, if it is done appropriately. If |
| forward in their schooling faster? These | | | | you have a first grader who consistently |
| questions may be hard for a parent to answer. | | | | earns good marks in subtraction you may be |
| | | | tempted to move on to multiplication. A |
| However, according to child development | | | | better choice is to expand their knowledge |
| experts, the answer is usually no. Too often | | | | within the realm of subtraction. Numbers do |
| parents are so flattered by their child's | | | | not mean anything until they are applied to |
| advanced skill level that they want to move | | | | real life, situations, and problems. Advance |
| them through school faster. This idea plays | | | | the thinking within subtraction. This helps |
| more toward the parent's sense of "raising | | | | children not only increase their mathematical |
| their child right" than interest in the | | | | skills, but reach a deeper level of |
| child's well-being in the long term. | | | | understanding. Multiple-step problems, word |
| Unfortunately, quicker is not always better. | | | | problems, and puzzles challenge different |
| A child may advance intellectually, but will | | | | parts of the brain and increase |
| remain on the same social level as his/her | | | | comprehension. These exercises provokes |
| same-aged peers. Allowing them to stay in | | | | deeper thought, and requires children to |
| their grade will increase the opportunity to | | | | think in steps, expanding their understanding |
| develop friendships and gain communication | | | | of what subtraction is. Because they will |
| skills that will benefit them throughout | | | | develop life skills they will be more useful |
| their life. Children understand, communicate, | | | | as contributing adults to society. They can |
| and interact differently at each stage of | | | | do more than just spit out numbers and facts, |
| development. Only with time can children | | | | they can apply it. This is a powerful skill. |
| polish those skills. Children also develop | | | | |
| different interests as they age. There is a | | | | There are many puzzles that will challenge |
| difference between children in 1st grade and | | | | the advanced child. One example is Sudoku. |
| second, although it might not be evident at | | | | There are many levels in the game and all |
| first glance. Social interests also change as | | | | ages can play. Other puzzles include: |
| children improve physical skill. Fourth | | | | riddles, anagrams, doublets, picture puzzles, |
| graders want to play with children who are at | | | | chess problems, math puzzles, and logic |
| their same level of competency in games and | | | | puzzles. Is one puzzle better than another? |
| activities. If a child moves through school | | | | No. Puzzles should be geared toward the |
| quickly, they might struggle to develop | | | | interest of the child. Tastes, skills and |
| friendships. Social interactions play a large | | | | interests form at a remarkably early age. Use |
| part in a child's self-esteem and | | | | your child's interests to enlarge and expand |
| development. For these reasons it is in a | | | | their thinking. By cultivating interests and |
| child's best interest to stay at their grade | | | | introducing puzzles your child will be |
| level and instead be challenged with content | | | | successful academically and socially. |