Ways To Help Your Child At Home
Ways To Help Your Child At Home
- Set aside a special "reading time." Read to and with your child daily.
- Play games with your child.
- Help your child get a library card from the public library. Go to the library as often as possible.
- Have a quite place where your child can do homework.
- Help your child with his/her homework.
- Subscribe to a children's magazine.
- Read the Mini Page out of the Washington Post .
- Have books available for your child to read in the car or while they have spare time.
- Look up words in the dictionary with your child.
- Practice counting change with your child.
- Practice telling time with your child.
- Help your child take responsibility for his/her schoolwork, homework, and supplies.
- Practice writing at home. (Grocery lists, To Do lists, letters to family and friends...)
Help Your Child Become A Reader
- Read aloud to your child as often as possible. Remember that children of all ages love to hear books read aloud. Keep reading to your child even after he/she learns to read.
- Talk about what you read. Language and thinking skills develop when children talk.
- Have your child read aloud to you. Keep it fun and enjoyable.
- Get a library card for your child. Make visiting the library a special weekly event.
- Make sure your child owns some books. Encourage relatives to give books as gifts.
- Let your child see you reading a variety of printed materials: newspapers, magazines, books, forms, recipes, etc. Parents are the most important role models.
- Provide opportunities to write. Allow your child to make grocery lists, send thank you letters, write notes to friends and relatives, and even keep a journal.
- Monitor television viewing. Set time limits and make good decisions about which programs are suitable for viewing. Watch television together and discuss program content.
- Become involved with your child's school. If you show an interest, your child will know the home-school connection is important and will appreciate your support.
- Listen to your child. Your attention will build your child's self-esteem while he/she develops oral language confidence.
- Subscribing to any of the following children's magazines will encourage reading at home:
- Sesame Street magazine (ages 2-5)
- Your Big Backyard (ages 3-8)
- Ranger Rick (ages 4-9)
- Zoobooks (ages 4-12)
- Sports Illustrated for Kids (ages 8-13)
- National Geographic World (ages 8-13)
- Penny Power (ages 8-14)
- 3-2-1 Contact (ages 8-14)