Information collected by the Superintendent Parent Advisory Group
WAYS TO LEAD THE LEARNING IN YOUR HOME
LITERACY
- Have a family reading time where everyone reads their own book at the same time.
- Have older children read to the parents/family. Help them put excitement and drama into it.
- Spend time practicing spelling words in the car.
- Make cards for holidays and birthdays and have kids write Thank You notes.
- Write letters to apologize for wrong doings in neighborhood.
- Try to help them navigate their resources on the web by suggesting ideas of where to look.
- Have siblings get on line and read to sister and brother about topics of interest.
- Children can read and follow recipes when cooking with the family.
- Draw charts for the correct way to do laundry.
- Use the internet to assist with spelling and looking up words.
- Read aloud to support learning (even for high school children)
- Set aside time before bed for reading as part of the routine
- Talk about characters, plot, and make predictions about what might happen next.
MATH
- When going clothes shopping: give children a budget, let them pick items, add up what they’ve got and make choices about what they can and can’t purchase.
- Having chores and earning allowance allows children to make decisions on purchases and their value (example—buying used items)
- Let children help with carpentry projects around the house. Have them take measurements and determine area and perimeter.
- Have children help build a fence.
- Talk about fractions and measurement when cooking.
- Build with blocks/Lincoln logs
- Read prices at the grocery store
- Let children keep track of their bank accounts
- In the car, talk about miles to school, use scenery to incorporate math (city blocks)
- Teach children how to following a recipe, doubling the ingredients, start at home to the grocery store (how much do you need?)
- Baseball is a great way to teach statistics and percentages.
- Board games teach a variety of math strategies such as counting dice, and money, adding and subtracting, and problem solving strategies.
HOMEWORK/STUDYING
- Have a set routine for doing homework. Follow a homework planner and make sure homework is done before TV time or playing.
- Create a calm environment area that is conductive to studying.
- Provide opportunities for study groups with peers.
- Designate a quiet homework space that is free from TV.
- Encourage children to do their work independently to build confidence.
- Make yourself available to help with homework
- Have children show you when homework is completed and review daily homework summary sheet
- Prioritize assignments based on the individual student
- Offer positive encouragement to complete homework
CREATING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
- Have a set bed time and routine that allows for enough sleep.
- Ask specific questions about their favorite classes, least favorite and why. Same for movies- discuss characters, plot.
- Provide additional resources such as internet, or library
- Establish a line of communication to and from school.
- Have Saturday morning/dinnertime talks.
- Have older sibling hold a nightly class to teach younger brother or sister what older sibling learned during the day.
- Get children their own personal library card and create an area for a personal library in their bedroom or study area.
- Model behavior that you want to see at home (routines, reading, goal setting, being prepared, etc.)
- Limit TV, video and or computer time.
- Check grades on-line with children
- Show that education is valued and is a priority.
- Contact child’s teacher when there are questions.
- Provide consistent, daily, positive involvement and interactions with clear expectations.
- Spend time talking while going to and from school.
- Ask “How did you learn today” instead of “What did you learn today?”
- Check backpacks for important information
- Eat dinner as a family “great time to learn and know what’s going on with the kids”-fosters good communication
- Ask open ended questions beginning with “how” and “why”
- Talk about what you’re thinking when children are around. Problem solve out loud so children can hear your thinking.
- Find something the child is interested in and turn it into a learning game.
- Take a break between school and homework time
- Leave newspapers, magazines and library books out in the house to model real life connections to reading
- Read School and classroom newsletters to find out what is going on at school
- Sign student’s reading log nightly
- Find out about activities and information that build background knowledge on what they are learning (museum, internet, etc.)
- Lead by example
- Get involved with school and district. Build relationships with teachers, principals and administrators.
- Talk about feelings, contacts, respect for authority
- Discuss history, religion, politics, news, and current events (why and how they affect us)
- Music-song lyrics in the radio in the car
- Maintain constant and consistent communication between separated households as to progress
- Encourage imaginative play