BELLINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON
How to Help Your Child at Home
p When it’s time to study, eliminate common distractions.
Turn off television and music, encourage younger children to play quietly; and
provide an uncluttered study area.
p Encourage the habit of studying. Set aside a regular time
and encourage children to stick to it! If there is no homework, use that time
to review or read ahead.
p Plan for study breaks. Age will determine how long a
child can study. Use a kitchen timer or alarm clock to signal breaks and plan a
nutritious snack as an incentive.
p Provide a place to study. A proper study space should
have a good light, a table or desk, and adequate supplies of study materials,
like paper, pencils, eraser, and reference materials.
p Help your child test himself. At the end of your child’s
study time, take a few minutes to review what she learned. Ask questions to
reinforce what was studied. You might learn something new too!
p Teach children to be organized. Have a child start a
collection—rocks, stamps, baseball cards, bottle caps, labels, marbles, leaves
or bugs. Arrange them in order, in a box, by category, by color, or
alphabetically.
p Help children develop a sense of responsibility. Have
your child plan a family party or holiday celebration. Kids can help decide on
the guests, phone or send invitations, plan the food, get the house ready,
greet and introduce the guests, and clean up. They’ll be very proud of how they
can help.
p Encourage children to get close to nature. Give a child a
garden plot in the yard, or a window box or planter. Be sure they have
responsibility for planting the seeds and caring for the plants.
p Help children learn about history. Visit historical
sites. Check out library books or videos to learn more about the places you
plan to visit. Share your personal experiences during historical events.
p Show children how math is used every day. Have your child
review the cash register receipts. Kids can check them for accuracy while
you’re unloading groceries. Adding the prices up each week will keep their math
skills sharp.
p Be a good listener. Listen to a child read, not so you
can correct him, but to share in the activity. You will help develop your
child’s oral language and reading abilities by asking questions, relating
experiences, and discussing what they read
p Read aloud to children and provide books for browsing. A
child will learn about the pleasure of reading from hearing you read aloud. A
young child will also notice other things, like books are read from front to
back and pages are turned from right to left.
p Have a variety of reading materials available. If
children can’t find something to
read, they won’t be able to
read. Have both hardback and paperback books, magazines, and newspapers
available. If your child has a collection of books, and a special place in which
to keep them, the atmosphere will be better for reading.
p Take children to the library. Reading is a life-long
habit first developed during childhood. Libraries are there for you and your
child to use. The children’s librarian can always suggest good books. The
library often offers special activities too.
p Show children how to select a good book. A quick look at
the inside of a book can help a child decide if it’s interesting and whether
it’s too easy or too difficult. If they select books which are too difficult,
you can help them find another one.
Return to Bellingham Schools Home Page
Prepared by the School Information Office
For additional information contact Lavelle Freudenberg, Director