Six Tips to Keep Your Child Safe Online

Six Tips to Keep Your Child Safe Online Six Tips to Keep Your Child Safe Online Cyberbullyingonline predatorsidentity theft. For many parents, the World Wide Web is a source of fear and anxiety. Yet, in todays Information Ageand with children who are digital nativesavoidance of digital technologies, social media and cyberspace in general simply isnt possible or practical. Heres the good news: the Internet offers many advantages to students of all ages. It is easier than ever to research any topic or interest, share information, and make connections with people around the world. While the benefits of having so much information at ones fingertips are many, there are risks and dangers as well, especially for children. Here are six tips to keep your child safe online and help him or her learn to use the Internet safely and appropriately: Tip #1: Set limits. Establish house rules about online time. Perhaps you allow 20 minutes immediately after school while your child unwinds from the day and has a snack. Keep a screen-free house once homework time begins and try to maintain a consistent schedule for homework, dinner and bedtime. If your child has a mobile phone, set rules about when the phone gets turned off each night. Tip #2: Keep the computer in a visible location. Its easier to monitor the amount of time your child spends on the computer and the type of content that he or she views if you have it in the kitchen or family room and not his or her bedroom. Tip #3: Be aware of what your child does online. Just as your parents wanted to know where you went and who you spent time with when you were growing up, you should know who your child interacts with online and what types of websites and tools he or she visits and uses. Make it a rule that your child only chat with, instant message, email or talk on Facebook with friends that he or she knows in person. Tip #4: Use safety settings. Set up parental controls on any computers, tablets or other devices in your home. These controls can help you limit Internet access, messaging, email and other online communication capability as well as the time your child spends on the computer. You also can personalize individual settings for children of different ages. In addition, you can buy Internet filter software such as McAfee Safe Eyes or Net Nanny. Tip #5 Talk about privacy. Your child needs to understand from an early age that some people on the Internet might pretend to be people who they are not. Talk about the importance of interacting online only with people he or she knows in real life, and never with strangers. Stress to your child that he or she should never share personal information such as his or her full name, address, phone number or password information with anyone online, no matter who they claim to be. Tip #6: Talk about social media etiquette. Children need to understand what constitutes bullying online: harassment, repeated cruelty or rumor spreading via Facebook or other social media outlets, for example. The rules for treating others with respect and kindness are the same online. If your child ever becomes the target of a bully online via threats or harassment, he or she needs to know that there are ways to remove him or herself from the situation, such as blocking the person and reporting such incidents to a school official. Perhaps the most important way to mitigate the risks of going online is to communicate frequently with your child. Talk about the risks of giving out information online, spending too much time online and visiting unsafe websites. Make your child aware of the instantaneous nature of spreading information in an era of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Discuss how social media impacts how he or she feels about friendships and him or herself. As with all aspects of parenting, keeping your child safe online requires maintaining an open and honest dialogue.

Tips From an Irvine Math Tutor Focus on Math Over Summer

Tips From an Irvine Math Tutor Focus on Math Over Summer 5 Reasons to Focus on Math Over Summer Break Irvine Math Tutoring Summer is in full swing and kids are enjoying outdoor activities and summer camp. Focusing on numbers is probably one of the last things on younger students’ minds right now, but there are lots of great reasons for students to focus on math over the summer break. Kids dont need to spend every single day working on facts and figures, but a little bit of review can make their academic lives a lot easier once school starts up again in the fall. Whether a student is in 2nd grade or preparing to take college entrance exams, math is something best learned one concept at a time and with plenty of concentration our private Irvine math tutors are here to help you get ahead on your studies.. 1.   General review Some students are great at math but forget basic formulas and building blocks over the summer. Doing just a little bit of review here and there can help younger students remember everything they learned in the previous year so they can be successful in the fall. Some teachers have a luxury of doing review the first month of school, but others are required to delve right into new concepts, which can be frustrating for students who dont remember the formulas they memorized last spring. 2. Concentrate on a challenging topic Math is one of the core subjects, and something students will utilize in many future careers, but its also one of the most difficult subjects. Often, students will understand math in general but will get tripped up over one or two different topics within their math courses. This leaves kids at a disadvantage because they become frustrated and dont develop the skills they need to move on to the next concept. Students can work with a one-on-one tutor over the summer to help them master difficult concepts, so they feel confident and positive about math and can be successful throughout the year (READ: 5 Signs You Need a Math Tutor in College). 3. College prep The SAT and ACT exams are pretty demanding when it comes to math competency. Students will need to know how to calculate a ton of different formulas, choose the best answer, and differentiate between different concepts. To make it even, harder students will be doing all of this while the clock ticks towards the end of the test. One of the best ways to make college prep level math easier is to work on it over the summer when students have enough time to concentrate on just one or two subjects. This will not only make life easier in the fall, but it will also give students an opportunity to reach their college dreams. 4. STEM STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. Students who have a chance to work on math over the summer also perform better in classes that utilize STEM skills. There are so many college and career opportunities in STEM, but students will need to understand math at an advanced level to be successful in this broader range of topics. 5. Personal-finance One of the best things students can do before they go off to college is learning how to manage their own money. Although they wont need advanced math skills while still a college student, they should know the basics of personal finance. Students need to know the cause-and-effect of taking out student loans, managing their credit, and balancing a budget without the benefit of a full-time salary. Students who know even the basics of money management will have a lot easier time on campus because they wont be worrying about how to pay tuition or buy groceries, allowing them to focus 100% of their energy towards their education and future career. From pre-algebra to statistics, our private Irvine math tutors are here to help you get ahead this summer. Call us today to learn more. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.