Hacker Valley Elementary School

Here's an easy formula for helping your child with math You can help your child learn math even if you don't remember any of the math you took in school. For a start, ask questions about your student's math work, such as "How did you arrive at that answer?" or "Look at this page of problems. Do you see a pattern?" Then make an effort to involve your child often in practical math at home, such as measuring. Making sure your child has a study routine that includes daily math practice will also add up to better math skills. https://tpitip.com/?12cJ18889

Build skills and closeness with a bedtime reading ritual When your child was younger, you may have read aloud every night at bedtime. But now that your child can read, should you keep up the habit? You bet. Research shows that, in addition to building literacy skills, the sound of reading aloud can help soothe kids. Make daily bedtime reading with your child a relaxing time together. You'll be building cozy memories and reading skills for a lifetime. https://tpitip.com/?12cH18889

Trade unwanted items for more time with your child Children feel more connected and loved when their parents spend time with them. This stability helps them do better in school. One way to find more time for your child is to get rid of unneeded items at home. The less stuff you have, the less time you spend using, maintaining or looking for it. Store commonly used items in easy-to-reach places. For example, teach your child to keep items for school in a box by the door. https://tpitip.com/?12cG18889

Make learning responsibility enjoyable for your child Kids learn best when learning is fun. That applies to learning responsibility, too. So assign your child some regular chores that are not too long or burdensome. Then make them more fun by doing them together and singing songs or playing music while you work. You can even make chores part of a game: See who can pick up their toys the fastest, or how much you and your child can get done in a set time. https://tpitip.com/?12cF18889

Support your child when trauma strikes When children are dealing with a traumatic event in their lives, it can affect their emotions, health and schoolwork. Whether it is a death, a family problem or even worries about events in the news, be alert for signs of distress in your child. Calmly explain the situation as best you can. Help your child put feelings into words, then say that you will cope with things together. Offer a sense of control by providing chances for your child to make small decisions about things like meals or clothes. https://tpitip.com/?12cD18889

Cooking makes math and reading tasty fun Cooking with you helps your child practice valuable skills such as reading, following directions and planning ahead. Have your child read each step in a recipe aloud. Then ask questions like, "Which do I put in first, milk or flour?" You can also challenge your student to do the math of doubling a recipe, or look up cooking terms in the dictionary ("What does mince mean?"). Working with you can also make your child feel useful and needed. https://tpitip.com/?12cC18889

Give your child room to grow As children grow into adolescents, their craving for independence grows, too. This can lead to conflict with the adults around them. To keep it to a minimum, allow your child appropriate independence and assertiveness. But continue to set limits and explain why they are important. The safe, loving and respectful home environment you provide gives your child a strong foundation for success. https://tpitip.com/?12cB18889

Strengthen spelling skills with a study routine If your child struggles with spelling, don't worry. Most people can learn to be better spellers. To build your child's skills, go over the spelling words together at the beginning of each week. Then, set aside some time each day for your child to review and study them. Spend most of the time on the words your child hasn't mastered yet. To boost recall, have your student write down each word as well as saying the letters aloud. https://tpitip.com/?12cA18889

Encourage your child to pick up a pen with fun writing activities Encourage your child to write with activities that make writing fun. You might make a family cookbook and let your child name the recipes and write stories about times your family ate a particular dish. Or encourage your student to keep a journal of funny ideas, jokes and events. You can suggest making a photo album together and have your child write the captions. Or each of you write down and share your dreams for your child's future. https://tpitip.com/?12bb18889

Teach values and behavior by example Children learn by imitating. So be the kind of person you want your child to become. When you set goals for yourself and are conscientious about your work, your child learns that it is important to do these things. When you help your child with schoolwork even though you are tired, you show that education is a priority. Your small actions, repeated over and over, have the greatest impact on your child. https://tpitip.com/?12ba18889

Listen to negative feelings, but don't encourage them Some children seem to have been born with a negative outlook. You may not be able to change your child's personality, but you can make coping easier. First, accept the person your child is, outlook and all. But don't pay so much more attention to negativity than other feelings that your child learns to use it to get attention. Instead, listen to complaints so your child feels heard, then change the subject to something your student feels positive about. https://tpitip.com/?12bZ18889

Create a schoolwork routine that works for your child Some children have more trouble concentrating than others. That can make working on assignments at home challenging. Establishing a study routine will make it easier for your child to get down to work. Turn off the TV and other distractions, and encourage your child to make daily to-do lists. Together, break big tasks down into smaller chunks. Then let your child take a five-minute break after every 20 minutes of working. https://tpitip.com/?12bY18889

Offer honest answers to your child’s hard questions Discussing tough issues with your child is part of parenting. But how do you get your child to open up about worries or challenges? Say that you will always answer your child's questions. Then when you do, be truthful, but don't feel you have to provide every detail. If you don't know an answer, you might say, "What a good question. Let's find out together." And if you can't answer right away, say something like, "I want to answer that. Let's talk about it after dinner." Then follow through. https://tpitip.com/?12bX18889

Use your child’s report card to plan for the future A poor report card means your child might not be gaining important skills needed for future learning. Instead of getting upset, take steps to turn things around. Ask your child, "Why do you think you got this grade? What do you think you could do to improve?" Explain that you expect your student to work hard, and that includes asking for help if things are confusing. Talk to the teacher, too. Ask what you, your child and the teacher can do to overcome challenges. Together, make a plan for improvement. https://tpitip.com/?12bW18889

When you love learning, your child will, too Nagging kids to study doesn't usually inspire a love of learning. But one of the best ways to motivate your child is to be a learner yourself. Show your child that you enjoy reading. Check out new books for yourself as well as your child at the library. Watch educational TV programs. Attend school functions. Tackle new projects. Demonstrate curiosity, then talk about your new ideas or discoveries with your child. https://tpitip.com/?12bV18889

Protect and teach by setting limits You'd never let your child play with fire or jump off a bridge. Setting limits is one of a parent's most important jobs. Limits also help children develop the self-discipline needed to focus and follow directions in school. When setting a rule or limit, talk to your child about it. Explain why it is important. Ask for your child's cooperation. Together, set consequences for breaking it. Once you've established the limit, enforce it every time. https://tpitip.com/?12bU18889

Build your child's reading skills five ways Children need to build several skills to master reading. Here are five to practice with your child: 1. Sound recognition: Help your child separate words into their sound parts. 2. Understanding that letters represent sounds: Point to letters and say their sounds. 3. Vocabulary building: Use and repeat new words often. 4. Using comprehension strategies: Ask your child to retell the story. 5. Reading quickly and correctly: Read together often! https://tpitip.com/?12bT18889

An organized workspace helps keep study time productive A study space doesn't have to be spotless, but your child should keep it organized. That way, study time can be spent on schoolwork instead of looking for things. Encourage your student to use colored folders to keep returned schoolwork (a different color for each subject makes finding things easy before a test). Once a week, add some organizing time to your child's schedule to tidy up and put things where they go. https://tpitip.com/?12bS18889

Practice thinking skills your child can use for problem-solving "It's not that I'm so smart," said Albert Einstein. "It's just that I stay with problems longer." To develop thinking skills your child can use to solve problems, provide practice sorting objects or events into categories. Encourage your student to make lists and charts of things, such as reasons for doing one thing rather than another. Promote observation by playing "What's Wrong Here?" (Set the table using clothespins instead of forks, for example.) https://tpitip.com/?12bR18889

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