| How
to Help Your Child at Home
- 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.
- 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.
-
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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
-
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
-
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.
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