Many parents are concerned about laying a good foundation for their children that they might grow to become moral, responsible adults. In part, parents often rely on Sunday school or other types of religious education to help convey the message of morality. In raising moral children, there are a few points that bear remembering.

First, child rearing is a developmental endeavor. That implies that children progress through moral stages and understandings at a certain (variable) pace. There is little evidence that children can be hurried along the developmental journey. There is a developmental track for moral development, social development, and cognitive development. All areas of development come into play in our efforts to raise moral children. Jean Piaget, the famous developmentalist, reminds us that young children have not yet arrived at the stage of formal, symbolic thought.

Many parents will attempt to moralize with children in abstract, moral discussions-suitably “watered-down,” or so they think, to meet their kids where they are. However, if research on cognitive development is at all correct, it is unlikely that children are being “converted” to a moral or religious stance. They may say “yes” and seem to get the point, but it is unlikely that they do.

A much better approach is to work on actions involving simple reciprocity, things like sharing of toys and friends. Young children are naturally egocentric. By involving them in such simple understandings as “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,” children come to see simple morality as pragmatic, paving the way for the later stages when formal reasoning makes children receptive to more abstract appeals.

In terms of social development, Erik Erikson would no doubt point us to those natural conflicts that occur at each advancing stage of development. In the early stages when a child struggles between trust and mistrust, and shame and guilt vs. autonomy, children need reassurance. If they are subjected to constant moralizing and put-downs, they will likely adopt an outlook of inferiority. In addition, they will become increasing likely to look to an outside locus of control. The best way to raise autonomous, responsible adults is by acceptance as opposed to constant correction. Erikson’s theory predicts that someone might “get stuck” at an early stage if that stage is not successfully navigated.

Furthermore, problems may appear during the adolescent identity crisis of even later in adulthood. Lawrence Kohlberg was a theorist of moral development. His theory reminds us that young children do not see the world in such philosophical categories as moral or immoral. Here the focus is on reward and punishment. What is good is what brings a reward. They also develop a sense of parity; one hand washes the other. “If you are nice to me, I’ll be nice to you,” is one of the earliest orientations. In late childhood, children reach a stage of wanting things to be fair and law-driven. Here they are concerned about following the rules. It is not until adolescence or later that kids begin to see right and wrong in truly moral terms. From this perspective, the best we can do is “play along” with development. We must never expect young children to have a truly moral view of things. This is something they are “nurtured into.”

If caregivers follow the rule of gentle persuasion and fairness, children will naturally move into an understanding of morality. What about religious instruction? James Fowler has spoken to this at length. Combining theories of earlier theorists, he has noted that the earliest claim to faith is affiliative. Children make “professions of faith” to please their parents and feel a sense of unity with them. It is very doubtful that children really understand the notion of freely chosen conversion before early adolescence. How do we put all of this together to get some direction?

Follow the developmental curve. Meet children where they are. Do not moralize with them, and do not expect more than they are able to deliver. Keep discipline mild, and aim it towards learning such socialization skills as sharing in a polite and caring way. Do not expect little ones to be too selfless. Remember that childhood is not a race; the stages cannot be bypassed. Accept children where they are developmentally, and provide a warm nurturing environment. If we “teach from behind,” letting the child’s natural developmental stages take the lead, we will be doing the best we can to raise moral, responsible children who grow into moral, responsible adults.

Staying involved in your children’s education is one of the most important acts you can do to encourage future educational success. Most parents have high hopes for their children and wish that their children will live a happy, successful and fulfilled life. Education plays a large role in children’s success and can also create many possibilities for their future. To create that success, it is important that parents guide and help their kids at young age in order to create strong building blocks for their educational future.

Though many parents are ready and willing to help their children get a head start in their learning, they do not have the ability or understanding of how to personally teach their kids. In order to help parents to assist their children in reading, writing and arithmetic at a young age, educational programs have come into existence to create a medium for parents to teach their children by using specialized educational material. As educational programs have progressed, there is now a diverse amount of material available including books, workbooks and flashcards as well as musical instruction and computer games. The diversity in the educational material allows children to have fun while they are learning. As a parent myself, I have found that the hardest part of learning for children is keeping them focused. By having a diverse collection of educational material, kids will always feel challenged and stimulated.

Educational programs are specifically beneficial to home school parents or parents who have children struggling at school. Children who struggle with reading, writing and math at a young age will have a harder time in school in future years. Educational programs allow parents to work with their children one on one, and expose them to a different method of teaching then in their classroom. Giving that specific attention to your kids and combining it with diverse, interactive and stimulating educational material will facilitate your kid’s growth in education.

The question is: There are many educational programs out there, but which one do you choose? I have had tried many educational programs for my own children. I have found the best brand out there is Hooked on Phonics. This company had a large amount of material to choose from that you can purchase based on your kids needs. They also provide several programs designed for kids between the ages of 3 – 10 which targets reading, writing and math. They have even created educational activities for babies and toddlers!

When purchasing any educational material for Hooked on Phonics, buying online at HookedOnPhonics.com will provide you with the best price for the product. This is what I have found when buying educational material for my own children.

Do you have a child with autism, pervasive developmental disorder, or Aspergers Syndrome? Have you been searching for specific methodologies that could benefit your child’s education? This article will discuss 5 that are proven to help children with autism learn. Curricula that are used to teach children are required by law to be research based which means that they are proven to work to teach children. The problem is that many school districts are sticking to antiquated curricula and methodologies, rather than looking for research based ones.

Below is a list of 7 that you can ask for to benefit your child’s education:

1. Applied Behavioral Analysis has been researched since 1987 and is proven to help children with disabilities learn. ABA is intense 1-1 from 25-40 hours per week. Children are taught skills in a simple step by step manner such as teaching colors one at a time. ABA is extremely expensive; between $35,000 and $50,000 per year. For maximum benefit the child should start as close to age 3 as possible and continue for at least 4 years. Many states are beginning to cover autism treatment, so check and see if your state is one of them.

2. Reading should be taught using a multisensory reading instruction that is Orton-Gillingham based. Make sure that any teacher that teaches your child has received the appropriate amount of training. Also make sure that they are giving your child direct instruction, for the amount of time that the reading system prescribes. Many school districts may use a good multisensory reading program, but do not train the teachers, and do not give the child direct instruction for the prescribed amount.

A few names of multi sensory reading programs are: the Barton Reading and Spelling System, Lindamood Bell system, and the Wilson reading program.

3. Social Skills can be taught by using the SOS system (Social Skills in School) by Dunn. Also Building Social relationships by Bellim, or Social Skills interactive software. A new method for teaching children how to develop relationships is called the Relationship Development Intervention.

4. For Central Auditory Processing disorder there are several effective methods available; Fast ForWord, Earrobics, and Berard Auditory Integration Training (called Berard AIT). Also make sure that the method used is used for the correct amount of time, or progress may be minimal.

5. For children with sensory integration disorder there is a program called the Alert Program: How Does Your Engine Run? Occupational therapy is also used for children with sensory integration dysfunction (SID-which most children with autism have). If your child is receiving occupational therapy for SID, make sure that the schools OT has the correct training, to deal with sensory integration issues. Ask for proof that they are SIPT qualified, before they are allowed to work with your child.

By knowing these 5 methodologies you will be well on your way to helping your child with autism learn. The internet can be used to find more information on those methods that you feel will help your child. Good Luck!