FutureSoBrite

Regardless of their age, people care a lot about grammar. 
In a Harris Poll for Dictionary.com, 59 percent of respondents said improper grammar is their biggest annoyance when it comes to the English language. Millennials, the 18- to 34-year-old generation that grew up using AutoCorrect and acronyms like BRB, are no exception. 
They're surprising sticklers about proper grammar use, with 74 percent of them getting ticked off if they see errors on social media, according to the poll. 
"What I've seen over 20 years, regardless of students' backgrounds and competencies, is that they are eager to be correct," Emory University administrator Helen Julien said.
Julien, director of the school's Domain of One's Own Initiative, which allows students to administer their own websites, says millennials are expert "codeswitchers" who can seamlessly transition from "textspeak" to academic writing.
That might be a surprise to those who blame the downfall of proper English on the rise of texting and the Internet.

However, Mark Bauerlein, an Emory professor who wrote "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30)," says millennials should step away from their computer screens to improve their "terrible" grammar.
"Their stylistic tics are nonsensical fluff: 'Like ... Like ... Like ...,' sentences punctuated with 'N Stuff,' mindless clichés such as 'Omigod!' and 'Awesome.' In their writing, they aren't much better. Let's be clear about every standardized test score and every survey of teachers and employers: the writing of students and younger workers is a mess," Bauerlein said in an email.

Malinda Snow, associate professor of English at Georgia State, says the millennial generation has its share of grammar nerds. However, while teaching, she's noticed that some millennials have been misinformed about grammar.
"I do find that many students have acquired a good deal of misinformation from well-meaning instructors who give advice like 'never begin a sentence with "because." ' Students are alert to advice received, but they aren't always able to sift that advice and recognize the best," she said.
Millennial and Georgia State University student Jennifer Harris values proper grammar but thinks this skill needs to be strengthened among some in her generation. She says some people's lack of grammar knowledge is due to how school curricula are structured. 
"The last time I remember learning about grammar, like actual grammar, was in middle school. And then I went to high school, and it was just all about reading stuff like 'The Great Gatsby' and 'Lord of the Flies,' " Harris said. "They didn't care how you wrote, like sentence structure. It was all about interpreting the works."
Jamear Jackson, a Georgia State junior, also thinks grammar has been "lost in the sauce" among millennials. 
"We learn it in elementary, middle school, and then after then, it's straight interpretation," Jackson said. "If (the school system) stressed the importance of proper grammar even on social media, it would be better."
Dobranski recommends that millennials who want to improve their grammar do so by reading a variety of works, books and articles.
"The more great writing a person reads, the more sensitive she will become to how words work. And millennials have to pay attention," he said. "Multitasking often means that a person is not working with the requisite care and precision, two essential things for effective reading and writing."

This post is an excerpt from an article published on CNN.

"Time for you to do your homework." These seven words have the power to turn a child's mood from bright to dark in an instant. Like a light switch.

​Homework will probably never be something that your children look forward to, but there are some things that we can do as parents to at least make nightly homework a little less stressful. And at the same time provide us with an excellent opportunity to take a more proactive and collaborative role in our children's education. Some of these may seem obvious, but in the heat of a difficult homework night, can be easily forgotten!

1.Give them a choice
Have your child choose the time to do his/her homework. This time frame might change a little daily. When they choose to do it, they will do a better job than if they were forced to do it.
 
2.Have some fun first
Make sure your child has some physical activity/free play time/creativity time before they sit down to do homework. Have them play with friends, jump on the trampoline, play soccer in the backyard, create book covers for their fantasy comic book they create, etc. In other words, let them blow off some steam on their terms.
 
3.Location, location, location
The location of your child’s homework spot should be close to where you are. If he is tucked in a corner away from you, he’ll be less inclined to ask for help which could lead to frustration, low productivity and inevitably more arguments.
 
4.Work together
Helping your child with homework will make him/her look forward to homework time more than you think. This will lead to a stronger bond and appreciation between you and your child.
 
5.Fuel the mind
Having a snack before or during homework always help tired minds.
 
6.Prioritize
Teach your child to prioritize their homework. The easier stuff should be finished first, so more patience and effort can be reserved for the harder homework.
 
7.Encourage
Don’t throw threats out for not doing homework. Or hold back things like game playing or watching TV.  A threat is effective, if at all, only temporarily. The use of time, organizational skills, and self-control you will teach your child will stay with them all their lives.
 
8.Stay positive
If your child is not willing to sit and do homework, you yelling at them will never work. Even if you get them to sit down to do homework with yelling, the work will suffer and the lesson will not be learned. Try not to be too frustrated (I know...easier said than done).
 
9.Organize
If your child has a hard time remembering what homework is assigned for each class, have her/him keep a daily school journal and jot down every homework assignment after each class. Some schools already require this, but some rely on the kids to remember. Having a school journal keeps every requirement in check and all assignments organized.
 
10.Reward
Lastly, if your child has been through a lot of schoolwork during, and after school, make sure you reward them with your encouraging words.
And sometimes a little ice cream won’t hurt either!

Please let us know in the comments section if you have any homework techniques to share. They will definitely be appreciated!
 

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