Learning Partners
To succeed in school, parents need to be involved in their children's learning.
It's important to be involved early, and it's important to stay involved. Learning the
skills for success takes place at home as well as at school. Here are some of the things
that parents can do at home and at school.
At Home
Ask questions about things your children are learning and doing, and encourage
them to give you lengthy answers.
Keep books, magazines, and newspapers available. Use them yourself to show you
value learning, too.
Have paper, pencils, crayons, and washable markers handy. This encourages children
to practice writing.
Watch TV with your children, and talk with them about the things you like and
don't like about the shows. Be sure to limit viewing time.
Have a special place for studying that is quiet and free of distractions.
Expect your children to succeed in school. Encourage them with praise for hard
work and a job well done.
At School
Share information with teachers so that both you and they know what is happening
in school and at home.
Tell teachers what they need to know about your child. Make special needs known
immediately.
Work as a partner with the teacher to help your child want to learn, gain
self-confidence, and succeed in school.
Activities for Success
What Do You Hear?
for young children (K-2nd grade)
Listening is a skill that young children need to succeed in school.
1. Make up a story. You make up one sentence, and then your child makes up one
sentence. Repeat until you're ready to end it.
2. With a group, all but one person close their eyes. The person with eyes open
makes a sound (with keys, paper, a spoon tapping a glass) that everyone else tries to
guess.
3. Clap your hands to tap out a rhythm. Have your child listen and then clap that
same rhythm back to you.
Where Did I Put That?
for beginning students (2nd-4th grade)
Being organized will help a child control his or her learning activities. This
will increase your child's self-confidence.
1. Turn a cardboard box (big enough for notebooks) into a special school box to
hold all school things when your child comes home. The box would keep homework, books,
supplies, hats, gloves, and other things needed for the next school day.
2. Have your child decorate the box with pictures, words, or artwork and his or
her name to make it his own. Each child in the family can have a separate box.
A Daily Family Routine
for more advanced students (4th-6th grade)
The goal is to encourage children to be self-reliant while having structure and
rules. Family members can provide the structure and work together to set the rules.
1. Assign chores and household tasks.
2. Encourage good health habits (proper rest and exercise, nutrition, and regular
meal schedules).
3. Eat meals together.
4. Have a firm bedtime.
How Much Time Will It Take?
Before your child starts a project, plan out how long it will take to do each
step.
1. Choose a big assignment to talk about, such as a research project. Write down
the steps needed to complete the job.
2. Work backwards from when the project is due. Estimate how long each step will
take and decide when that step must be started to meet the deadline. Put start and finish
dates next to these steps.
3. Arrange the steps of the assignment on a calendar or homework chart.
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