More About Tips For Success

The difference between success and failure can be significant if you don't pay attention to some very important but simple factors. It is important above all to use good judgment when making decisions about how, when, where and how often to engage in Time2Learn with your child. The following tips are presented here to offer some insight and guidance to help you make the best decisions as you implement and administer the materials in the Academic Program.

Make it fun. Nothing is greater than the exuberance of youth and now is the time to build a learning ethic based on fun. Not only is there nothing wrong with your child having fun while engaged in learning, it is considered a significant factor in the overall success of the Time2Learn curriculum (and any learning program focused on children for that matter.) Play games, be silly (but under control), laugh, make fun, and do it all in the context of the materials, and you will help your children see learning and education as a time of happiness and delight as it should be.

Let your child dictate the pace. All children develop, learn and progress at a different pace, and this is something that you must be sensitive to. Going through the weekly courses and lessons too rapidly or too slowly (based on your preference) will not be effective. It is important to try to strike a balance because your child's progress will be greatest when you are successful at giving them the proper amount of exposure without boring them or forcing them when they're not interested.

Your child will usually give you signals that they have "had enough" of a lesson or course and that is your indication to move on. You should also beware of moving too rapidly and not giving your child a legitimate chance to fully absorb the materials and information presented. On the other hand, signs of boredom or disinterest may be their way of communicating their innate preferences to you.

It is a fact that children have strengths and weaknesses with regard to the specific subject matter that they are working on. You will usually observe those strengths and weaknesses showing up in the form of preferences (for certain materials) on the part of your child while they are engaged in the Academic Program. Every child has preferences, and they will naturally use their persuasive skills to influence you to give them what they want.

For example, some children pay close attention to the math materials while others may turn away in a demonstration of their displeasure with them. Many children crave science and nature while others prefer the arts and music lessons and books. What should you do? If you have created a comfortable setting and have set a routine that is timed to coincide with your child's "on" time, then the best thing to do is to focus on those subjects that they prefer to see (especially as you begin to use Time2Learn.)

This is not to say that you should ignore subjects that your child finds uninteresting. If we only learned what we liked when we were growing up and getting educated, what a strange and different world it would be (filled with many narrowly focused and specific-minded people.) One major advantage of the Academic Program is the broad diversity of the subjects and information presented, giving your child a unique opportunity to gain exposure to all of it - if you manage it wisely.

Be creative with the lessons and materials. Take note of the lessons, books and exercises that your child particularly likes and wants to see over and over again and use them as "treats or rewards" for seeing other (less desirable) materials. The secret is to make it fun and have them pay attention to all of the materials. There are numerous ways to make the learning experience fun and the key concept to remember is that you must be the one to make it happen. Start slowly, experimenting with different games and exercises that you make up, and as you progress, both you and your child will get very good at thoroughly enjoying the time together in this unique and remarkable learning and development experience.

Establish a comfortable setting (interruption free). This is an area that you can control completely and is essential to the success of your program. One of the biggest challenges you face may be to establish a fast (connection speed) Internet connection in a setting that is comfortable. Try to resist using your home office environment as your long-term solution for the comfortable setting. This may be tougher than you think because in many cases the home office is a "quick and easy" place to run Time2Learn because that's where the Internet connection has already been set up. There are some ways around this "connection" issue that are discussed further in the System Set Up and Requirements section of Time2Learn.

If you must use your home office, make it as comfortable and inviting for your child as possible. Many home offices are "out of bounds" for children and it may be necessary to make some changes to create the necessary comfortable setting. Only you can decide what constitutes a comfortable setting, and our last word on this is that using an uncomfortable setting probably won't work very well in the long term.

Set a schedule and stick to it. Make a schedule, get into a good routine and stick with it as much as possible. This will give you the best opportunity to control all the various success factors to ensure that your child achieves the best possible result. If you try to do the program with your child in a "haphazard" fashion you will mostly get the same result. If on the other hand, you set a scheduled time for each session, you will soon find that your child will develop a mental clock that prepares them for the experience. That is exactly what you want.

The other advantage to setting a structured schedule is that you will be able to plan the sessions necessary to fully complete the weekly course. Repetition is important in the application of the Academic Program materials and a pre-planned schedule ensures that you have set aside enough time to thoroughly apply the materials in each course.

Know when your child is "on." Every child goes through daily "ups and downs;" periods when they're alert and active, and periods when they're very tired or mentally lethargic. It is common to see a child develop predictable patterns over time that you should be aware of and try to capitalize on or avoid when scheduling your sessions.

It goes without saying that your child will respond most favorably to the program when they are "up." Set your schedule accordingly, taking into account this important factor. There will be times when, in spite of your best planning and scheduling efforts, you have a tired, sleepy or unresponsive child on your hands. The best idea at that point is to give them their "down" time and either skip the session or reschedule it at a more favorable time. Keep in mind that there is extra time built in to each term of enrollment to allow for sick time, vacations and "off days" so that you and your child have ample time to complete the term on time.

Be prepared and committed. Time2Learn has done everything possible to make the preparation as easy as possible for you. Instead of spending time in identifying, ordering, buying, creating and organizing materials for your child's program, they're now ready-to-go, anytime, day or night. There is really little preparation required to administer the lessons and materials on a day-to-day basis other than printing out exercises and worksheets (and pre-loading if your equipment requires it) whenever you need them.

The curriculum is fully organized and arranged in a pre-established and diverse offering of lessons, books and exercises, making preparation on your part for this area minor, if any. Therefore, to "be prepared" as we describe it is for you to use your time to ensure that:

• your schedule is in place
• a comfortable setting is available
• your equipment is adequate and in good working order
• you have printed all the necessary materials that you may want to work on
• you have pre-loaded the weekly course (only necessary with slower Internet connections)
• you are ready to have fun doing the program with your child

"Commitment" on your part is extremely important. It's a key factor in making sure that you're always prepared, but it is also the most fundamental element of success when your child is actually taking the courses and lessons. Your child wants you to be involved with them. They want you to help make it fun, to add excitement, to make it a happy time and to create an enjoyable experience that will reinforce how wonderful it is to learn and grow. If you can help accomplish this, then your child will achieve remarkable results and the effect will be ever lasting.

There are numerous materials that can be printed to allow you to do additional exercises with your child. Be creative as you follow the curriculum and try to recognize even more opportunities to problem solve and do home projects within a subject area. Further discussion about a subject, reading a new book about a recent subject presented, and even field trips to local museums, art galleries or concerts will continue to enhance your child's overall learning result, their sense of achievement and the thrill of discovery.

Rewards and praise are "magic potions" for success. There is so much talk about how much we spoil our children today by giving them too much. Well, we suggest that if you really want to give your child something that they will treasure more than any material object, toy or game, give them your praise and reward them for accomplishments and achievement in the Academic Program. Children want and need praise and rewards (attention), but when it comes from you, the parent or teacher, it has the most meaning.

We highly recommend using praise and rewards as a key motivator for your child in everything you do and especially when using Time2Learn. It is important to establish the "love of learning" in your child early on and to constantly reinforce it because it will continue to provide an important foundation for success in school and throughout life. It is up to you to make it happen. Giving praise and rewards can help make it so much easier.

Invest in a good quality system. Consider the system investment an investment in your child's future. A good quality system can have a remarkably positive impact on the effectiveness of Time2Learn lessons and materials for your child. We have gotten the most out of the advantages of the Internet and can now offer you all the benefits it offers, including making Time2Learn's materials available to you and your child anytime, day or night. It is vitally important for you to take full advantage of what Time2Learn has created by investing in the latest and best system you can afford.

The type of Internet connection you obtain is one of the most, if not the most important item to invest in. Cable modem or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) high speed Internet connection services are available in many areas and make a remarkable difference in the convenience of using Time2Learn.

Other considerations include:

• Powerful PC - The size or your computer's main memory is important and if you can up grade it, all the better. A minimum of 64 megabytes RAM is recommended.
• Sound Card & Speakers - This is much more than a luxury. Your system must have a good sound capability to take advantage of the narration of the lessons.
• Large Monitor - the bigger the viewing area, the better.
• Color Printer - You will find that the printed materials are more appealing in color.

In particular, having a color printer is considered a luxury because a black and white printer gets the job done very nicely. Color printing is nice but not necessary…but it is nice.

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