All parents want to provide the best education for their children. Parents who want to home school their child require support from an educational associate. An educational associate helps them create a balanced curriculum and assessment program- a complete educational plan for their child.So, how do you find the most suitable educational planner? This process requires some due diligence in which the parents closely analyze certain characteristics. Here are some characteristics that you must look for in a professional educational associate:1. Should Have Prior Experience working with Individual Students
It is essential that the educational associate you choose has some prior experience working with individuals. The experience helps them to deal with your child in a better way. They must understand that each child has his or her key strengths and weaknesses. This can help them develop a special customized educational plan for your child according to his or her learning pace and ability.2.Should Have Experience in a Specific Area
In case your child takes special education services, you must choose a consultant who has thorough knowledge of all related laws for such services. In addition, you may ask specifications about the services to gauge the consultant’s understanding of the specialty. This is important in order to provide top quality education for your child.3. Should Have Adequate Knowledge about Academic Assessments
The educational consultant should have in depth knowledge about how to prepare and conduct student academic assessments. You want to ensure that your consultant is well aware of the criteria, pertaining to the learning capacity and pace of your child. You may ask them to elucidate the entire assessment process for your own satisfaction.4. Should have some Certification in Educational Psychology
Your child may have special needs, so you need to make sure your educational assistant has adequate knowledge in that area. Educational consultants help deal with children who have special needs such as behavioral problems. The accreditation ensures that the consultant has prior experience in that specialty.5. Should have a good chemistry with the Family
An educational assistant should be able to make the child and his or her family comfortable. This is important as it makes it easier for the family to share relevant information about their child. This information can be necessary to create a customized curriculum and assessment plan. Therefore, this can enable parents and consultants to work together to maximize learning potential of the child.

Are you considering an inclusive placement for your child with autism,
or learning disabilities? Would you like to know what benefits, your
child with a disability could gain by being in an inclusive placement?
This article will discuss what inclusion is, and what positive things
your child can receive, from an inclusive placement. Remember,
inclusion is not for every child with a disability, but it is an
option.Inclusion is a type of placement that is available, for any child with
a disability. The education takes place in the regular classroom. This
could be a full time inclusive placement or a part time, whatever your
child needs to benefit from their education.3 Benefits:1. In an inclusive setting, your child will have access to the regular
education curriculum. What this means, is that your child will
hopefully receive the same educational instruction, as children
without disabilities. Parents and special education personnel, should
have high expectations for children with disabilities, and access to
the regular education curriculum may be what the child needs.2. In a inclusive setting, your child will also receive district wide
and state testing. This testing will bring about accountability for
your child, and will also help you understand if they are not
learning, and need a more intense placement. Keep copies of all
district and state wide testing, in case a dispute occurs between
yourself and school personnel.3. In an inclusive setting, your child will have a greater access to
children without disabilities, which will help them develop
appropriate social skills. Children with disabilities have the right
to be educated with children without disabilities, to the maximum
extent appropriate.Remember, that if your child is in a regular classroom, they have the
right to supplementary aids and services, that will help them benefit
from a regular education classroom. These could be anything that your
child needs; a classroom assistant, and individual assistant, shorter
assignments, shorter tests, etc. These supplementary aids and services
will help your child succeed in a regular classroom.By understanding what benefits your child can receive from an
inclusive placement, you will be better able, to make an informed
decision about placement. What is most important is what placement
your child needs in order to learn.

Kids love video games, but most such games have little or no educational value and many even glorify violence. So it’s no surprise that parents often put severe limits on the types of games their kids can play and how often and long they can play them.That’s not to say that all video games are bad. Many educational toy makers and children’s book publishers have used the popularity of video games to their advantage and created educational computer games. Kids find these fun and entertaining and adults like them because they teach kids new things and reinforce what they are learning in school.Computer Games for PreschoolersIn this the “Information Age”, it is becoming increasingly important for children to become comfortable with computers when they are young. Computer games are available for kids as young as preschool age. While your child probably won’t be able to do much typing at that age, you can help her learn how to use a mouse. And that is all that most games aimed at young children require.Preschoolers can play games that help them learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors. Some games help a child learn to match objects or develop early phonics skills. These games serve a dual purpose of educating your child about the subject at hand and getting her comfortable with the computer.Computer Games for Grade SchoolersOnce your child starts school, computer games can help her grasp concepts that she is having trouble with in school in a fun and pressure-free way. Finding educational games that feature her favorite cartoon characters will keep her interested, and she may not even realize just how much she is learning. If you find a game that allows two players to compete, you or a brother or sister could play along with her to provide some lighthearted competition.Those who are having trouble with reading or math often find computer games particularly useful. Games that introduce phonics, addition and subtraction are plentiful. The key is to find a game that will keep your child’s attention while focusing on the specific things she is having trouble with.How Much Is Too Much?Although educational computer games are good for children they should still be used in moderation. Sitting in front of a computer playing the same game for hours on end will not benefit your child. She needs to participate in physical activity and non-electronic educational activities as well.Opinions vary, but a half hour to an hour a day is a good rule of thumb for video game limits. There’s no point in pushing your child to play every day, either. If she doesn’t want to play, then requiring her to do so may cause her to dislike the game and defeat the purpose of it.Computer games are a fun way to help your child learn new things and do better in school. When used in moderation, they can supplement other teaching methods nicely. Providing appropriate games and letting your child decide when to play while setting time limits will maximize the benefits of these great educational resources.