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Learning doesn't have to be a struggle—for you or your child!
- Reading Tips
- Math Tips
- Homework Tips
- Test-Taking and Test-Prep Tips
Reading tips:
Tips to improve
reading and enhance comprehension
—Teach your child the letters of the alphabet from pre-school.
—Read out loud to your child
– or have your child read out loud to you - for 15 minutes every night.
—As your child reaches kindergarten,
continue reading aloud and play rhyming games to enhance his or her awareness of phonics.
You can also help your toddler and pre-K child develop motor skills - which will make learning to write
later on much easier - by having them play with clay, paint and scissors, etc.
—For Kindergarteners and up, be sure to check their comprehension after they've finished reading.
Some children are able to "read" the words very well, but don't truly understand what they're reading.
Asking
"Why" questions is a good starting point, i.e., 'Why was the girl happy? Why was the boy embarrassed?'
—Don't be afraid to let your child "guess" about what's going on in the story.
While your child should sound out, and not simply guess at, any unknown words, don't discourage him or her
from guessing where the story's going. Let them look at the pictures and think about what's happening. That's a natural part
of reading and comprehension - and shows a healthy and active imagination.
Bottom line: Everybody loves a good story. If your child is refusing or struggling to read, visit the library,
bookstore, or Internet to find a book or story about a topic of interest to him or her. And if you can't find one, why not
make one up together? You can even print it out and have your child draw pictures to make their first published work!
Over all, the parent should teach these skills:
1. Increase child vocabulary
2. Teach him/her using
pictures
3. Do it through repetitions
4. Use phonemics: develop their reading skill through rhymes
5. Utilize imagination
and intrigue their curiosity
All this will make your child better reading performance in school.
Math tips:
Want your child to be more interested in math?
Add a little math to whatever interests your child.
Note: Before focusing on addition and subtraction, make sure your child recognizes basic numbers and has
a solid command of counting.
Tips to improve Math skill and enhance numbers operations
—Spark your child's interest and enthusiasm by using something of interest to him or her.
Count how many dolls (or bottle caps or baseball cards, etc.) your child has in his/her collection.
Count
the number of jellybeans in a bowl - then subtract the number your child eats!
Practice basic math skills using games
such as Dominos, dice and playing cards - games your child associates with fun, rather than study.
—Rhyme numbers
with words: 2+2=(four-door), 3+7=(ten-pen) etc.
—While doing chores at home - count! How many toys did he or she leave on the floor? How many things
did you forget to clean up? Be creative. Let your child make up the game. It's fun!
—At snack time, have your child evenly divide the crackers, orange slices, or other snack among siblings,
parents, etc.
—Open a joint savings account to calculate the money added to the account each month.
—Use measuring cups in your kitchen to teach your child fractions while cooking or baking.
—Take your child on a $1 shopping spree at the candy section of the grocery store! Have them count
the number of pieces and how much money they have left to spend. Have them count the change, too.
—Junk mail? Don't throw it away! Have your child make a fictitious order and add up the prices of
items in the catalog. Even credit card offers can be compared to verify, which has the most lucrative offer. Do it together!
Bottom line: Math is fun - especially when you make it a creative part of your child's day! Anything you
have around the house can help your child enhance his or her counting, addition, and subtraction skills
Homework Tips
Has homework become a daily battle?
Here are tips for getting back on track...
—Have a well-lit, organized desk for doing homework.
—As much as possible, try to stick to a set routine.
If you're child knows that homework time is from 3pm to 5pm everyday, there will be less resistance to doing
the work.
Set aside extra time for big projects and term papers, like weekends.
—Try to create a quiet environment
with few or no distractions: no television, no little brothers or sisters coming and going, etc.
Make sure the desk contains only the material being worked on - nothing else!
—Prepare all needed
material for the specific subject in advance.
—If possible, try to do the same type of task as your child: Write when they write; read while they
read.
—If your child needs help, give guidance, not answers! Always be willing to help - but wait for your
child to request it.
Being there to help shows you're interested and lets the child know that what he or she is doing is important.
—Your
homework is to always be aware of your child's assignments and due dates.
—Tackle the tough tasks first. If they're put off, they'll only get psychologically harder to do as
your child gets more tired.
—Having trouble concentrating? Take a break! It's healthy and refreshing for the brain. While breaking,
go for a walk or eat a light snack.
Be sure to decide up front how long the break will be - and stick to it.
Last, but not least: Give your
child a little pat on the back from time to time. Take him/her to the park, play ball or go to the movies, once the homework
is completed. S/he will appreciate the reward, and understand that hard work pays off.
Test-Taking and Test-Prep Tips
Here are proven ways
to help your child prepare for and successfully take their next test...
—Conversation: Talk to your child about the importance of tests. Studies have shown that younger children
are not always aware of their significance - but do better once they understand it.
Explain that tests measure a student's progress in class by grading their knowledge of the subject.
Let
them know that standardized tests are the same for all children, and measure student performance across the state or even
the entire country.
—Confidence: Prior to the test, help instill confidence. Praise your child for how hard they
have studied and worked on class assignments. Make sure your child isn't "afraid" of the test, but, rather look forward to
it as a fun challenge he/she is ready to take.
—Communication with Teacher: Always discuss your child's academic situation with the teacher. It helps
you understand and provide what your child needs.
—The right results start with the right environment: Having an effective test-prep routine is just
as important as having one for homework. Set a test-prep schedule and make sure the study environment is quiet, well-lit,
and only has material directly related to the test.
—Victory through Vocabulary: Expand your child's vocab by reading books, magazines and newspapers
that will expose them to new words. A better vocabulary builds self-confidence and better test scores in all subjects.
—Perspective: Didn't do well on a test? Not to worry! One bad test is hardly the end of the world.
Getting upset - and upsetting your child - won't change the past. Focus on future solutions.
Don't put too much emphasis on tests scores. Test scores are merely one ingredient of the final grade. Other
components are also accounted for: homework assignments, classroom participation and overall class behavior and classroom
attitude.
It may take time to improve test scores, but developing good study habits will deliver results over time - and
also give your child an invaluable edge later in life.
—Consistency, Repetition, Reinforcement: Tests will be much
less stressful for your child, if you follow a consistent homework routine.
To help reinforce what you're child is learning, make a point of using the vocabulary words, math formulas,
and other study topics in everyday tasks. The more these become second-nature, the better your child will do on tests.
—Attendance:
And finally, make sure your child attends school regularly. Attendance often has a direct impact on scholastic achievement
and overall success.
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