The Oxford English Dictionary’s most recent revision was published on March 24 with 19,000 new entries, among which were the initialisms OMG, LOL, IMHO, BFF, and more. Most people probably associate these initialisms as a form of digital communication for a younger generation in the last 10-20 years, says the OED. But research found that the first use of OMG in the written language was in a personal letter written in 1917.

With the increased amount of devices and number of children using them at younger ages has come the issue of students bringing text language in the classroom. Younger generations of students are being raised on the fast and efficient use of initialisms and abbreviations to relay messages that arrive and get responded to as fast as speech. Some teachers deal with this “problem” by banning the use of initialisms in their classroom while others invite initialisms in their lessons to teach about the difference between formal and informal writing, audiences, and appropriateness of a message.

Share the inclusion of initialisms in the OED with your class to inspire a discussion on elements that influence the English language. Get the discussion going with the following questions:

• What is the definition of a “word”?
• Do you think initialisms should be included in the dictionary?
• How does popular culture influence the future?
• Do you predict these initialisms will be around for the next 10, 20, 30 years?

Do you allow the use of initialisms or other forms of “textlish” in your classroom? Why or why not? Share your experience with the English language and a new generation in the comment box below.

(Resources: New Initialisms in the OED [http://www.oed.com/public/latest/latest-update/#new])

“At a time when pressures on educators to improve students’ academic achievement seem to have reached a boiling point, one program category, social and emotional learning, has produced academic gains that equal the results of many programs focused exclusively on academics,” writes Dr. Joseph Durlak, lead author of the recent study, “The Impact of Enhancing Students – Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions.”

Researchers and psychologists recently released the results of their multi-year study on the outcomes of 213 social and emotional learning programs involving 20,034 students from all walks of life. Social and emotional skills were defined by a process in which students gain skills to:

• recognize and manage emotions
• set and achieve positive goals
• appreciate the perspectives of others
• establish and maintain positive relationships
• make responsible decisions
• handle interpersonal situations effectively

When comparing students who were involved in a school-based social and emotional learning program to those who were not, researchers found significant improvement in those who were involved in a program. Students improved:

1. Achievement test scores and school grades, including an 11-percentile-point gain in academic achievement
2. Social and emotional skills
3. Positive social and classroom behavior
4. Conduct problems such as classroom misbehavior and aggression
5. Attitudes about themselves, others, and school
6. Emotional distress such as stress and depression

Another noted benefit was that students who were involved in a social and emotional learning program had equal gains in their academic achievement as those who were involved in an academically focused program.

LifeBound books and curricula arm students from fifth-grade through college with social and emotional skills to help them succeed in the classroom and their career. We believe successful students and citizens need to think critically and creatively, earn and give respect, communicate clearly, live ethically, be self-aware, listen, motivate, and manage. LifeBound books that are specific to gaining social and emotional skills include:

• CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING FOR TEENAGERS
• PEOPLE SMARTS FOR TEENAGERS
• LEADERSHIP FOR TEENAGERS

To find out more about LifeBound Academic Coaches Training, programs in your district, books, and curricula, click here. You can also call our toll-free number 1-877-737-8510.

- To read the full article, “Study: Promoting Students’ Personal and Social Development Boosts Academic Outcomes,” click here.

Financial literacy programs are becoming mandatory in many districts as more young people fall into financial traps in high school and college, credit card jargon gets harder to decipher, and debt becomes an American trait. If students aren’t involved in a program through their school or their community, organizations like Young Americans are creating awareness and providing tools on their website to get students and their parents involved in becoming financially literate for their family’s future. Don’t think your child wants to know more? According to a 2006 back-to-school survey by Capitol One, it might not be as difficult as you think to get your child or students excited to learn more about their finances.

• 49% of teens are eager to learn more about money management, but only 14% have taken a class on the topic and 35% would like to learn from their parents. When asked about the topics they’d most like to learn about, teens express interest in checking accounts, budgeting, investing, saving, and financing for large purchases.
• 79% of parents see themselves as positive money role models for their kids, yet only a small percentage are taking advantage of day-to-day learning opportunities to arm their teens with practical money skills.
• Only 43% of parents have discussed the importance of needs versus wants, compared to 64% who did so last year, and a surprising 42% of parents have not taken any steps whatsoever to discuss financial basics.
  • Capital One’s Annual Back to School Survey Finds Teens Eager to Learn about Money, But Parents Continue to Overlook Important Learning Opportunities http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=70667&p=irol-newsArticle2&ID=882661&highlight

It’s never too late to get students involved in their financial future. According to Young Americans, you can get children as young as one and as old as twenty-one to open a savings account, teach teens to apply for a loan or a credit card, or get 2nd – 8th graders involved in a financial summer camp, to name a few. The consequences of not preparing youth with financial skills are largely evident in college students and American families.

• The average 21-year-old will spend more that 2.2 million in their lifetime (share-save-spend.com).
• 45% of college students are in credit card debt, the average credit card debt being more than $3,000 (Jump$tart Coalition).
• The number of 18-24-year-olds declaring bankruptcy has increased 96% in 10 years (CARE).
• 50.8% of college-age adults agree with this statement: “I have experienced repeated, unsuccessful attempts to control, cut back or stop excessive money use” (MyVesta).

Understanding finances is still complicating to many adults. If you don’t feel qualified to give financial advice to your child or student, use this as an opportunity to take a financial class, pick up a financial planning book, research on the internet and get involved in your own financial future and security.