Learning Partners
A Guide to Educational Activities for Families
U.S Department of Education Richard W. Riley Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement Ramon C. Cortines Acting Assistant
Secretary
Media and Information Services Cynthia Hearn Dorfman Director
May 1997
Some of the Learning Partners factsheets that appear in the booklet are
also available in Spanish. To order, write the National Library of
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208-5721; or call
NLE at 1-800-424-1616.
Other materials from the Family Involvement Partnership for Learning-for
families, schools, employers, and community groups-can be obtained by
calling the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-USA-LEARN. This
includes information on the AMERICA READS CHALLENGE and the summer
component READ "WRITE" NOW. The AMERICA READS CHALLENGE is the
President's initiative to ensure that all children can read well and
independently by the end of the third grade. As part of that
initiative, the READ "WRITE" NOW program is designed to provide summer
reading opportunities for all children with the help of community
volunteers.
Also check the U.S. Department of Education's Web site:
http://www.ed.gov
Many other federal publications on learning activities for children are
available through the Consumer Information Catalog. For a free Catalog,
write the Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, Colorado 81009. Or visit
their Web site at: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov
Designed by Phil Carr with cover by Kim Silverman; edited by Linda
Darby; project coordinated by Kathy Perkinson, of OERI's Media and
Information Services Staff. With grateful acknowledgments to staff of
OERI who contributed to content development: Oliver Moles, Beth Fine,
Clara Lawson-Holmes, and Carol Cameron Lyons; and to parent volunteers
at the Samuel E. Wheatley Enterprise School, Washington, DC, who
reviewed the material for content and design.
Dear Learning Partner:
We know from education research that children from families who are
involved in and supportive of their education tend to perform well in
school.
To help spark family involvement, the U.S. Department of Education's
Office of Educational Research and Improvement has consolidated its
Learning Partners series into one booklet called Learning Partners: A
Guide to Educational Activities for Families. It is designed primarily
for families with preschool and elementary school-age children, although
some of the material is useful for older children.
The Learning Partners series covers a lot of topics: reading, math,
science, geography, history, writing, responsible behavior, and many
more. For each topic, there are activities that you can do with your
children to reinforce learning. Most are simple, everyday activities.
For instance, you and your children may want to:
* read aloud together-there is no more effective way to encourage
children to love books and reading than by reading aloud to them;
* sort the socks on laundry day-sorting is a major function in math; or
* discuss how you think the clock works, why birds build nests, how
electricity helps us-science is everywhere and it's important to share
the knowledge we have.
We hope your family has fun doing the activities and develops many more
of its own. We've heard from a number of schools across the country
saying that they pass out Learning Partners sheets at "Family Night,"
reprint them in newsletters, and send them home with children. As you
know, by doing things together, you can show your children that learning
is fun and important.
Ramon C. Cortines
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational
Research and Improvement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Read!
When parents help their children learn to read, they open the door to a
big, exciting world. As a parent, you can begin an endless learning
chain like this: You read to your children, they develop a love of
stories and poems, they want to read on their own, they practice
reading, and finally, they read for their own information or pleasure.
When children become readers, their world is forever wider and richer.
Here are some things you can do:
* Read aloud to your child: books, newspaper and magazine articles,
the back of the cereal box, labels on cans, or directions.
* Read poems aloud together to learn about rhythm and repeated
sounds in language.
* Point to the words on the page when you read. Move your finger
from left to right.
* Listen to your child read homework or favorite stories to you
every day.
* Go to the library together and check out books. Be sure to ask the
librarian for good books or to help you find what you need.
* Have books, magazines, and papers around the house, and let your
child see that you like to read, too.
* Encourage older children to read to younger children.
* Help experienced readers talk and write about what they read.
Reading Activities
Over and Over Again
for young children
1. Pick a story or poem that repeats phrases. "Assign" your child a
phrase to repeat each time you read a new part of the story.
2. Read a short portion of the story or poem, then stop and let your
child repeat the phrase.
3. Encourage your child to act out the story.
For example, with the story of the "Three Little Pigs:"
Wolf (parent): Little pig, little pig,
Let me come in.
Little Pig (child): Not by the hair on my
chinny-chin-chin!
Wolf (parent): Then I'll huff and I'll
puff, and I'll blow
your house in!
Make Sense of Sounds
for beginning readers
1. Look for poems or tongue twisters that repeat sounds and letters.
2. Point out these sounds and letters, and explain that they often make
the same sound whenever you see them with other letters on the page.
For example:
There once was a fat cat named Matt.
And a black cat who had a big bat.
The rat put a tack
When the cat turned his back
On the mat where the black cat sat.
A big blue barrel of big blue blueberries.
Does this shop sell socks with spots?
Read Together
for more advanced readers
1. Ask your child to read to you.
2. Take turns. You read a paragraph and your child can read the next
one, or take turns reading full pages one after the other. Keep in
mind that your child may be concentrating on how to read, and your
reading helps to keep the story alive.
3. If your child has trouble reading words, you can help in several
ways:
* have your child skip over the word, read the rest of the sentence,
and ask what word would make sense in the story;
* have your child use what is known about letters and the sounds
they make to "sound out" the word; or
* supply the word and keep reading: enjoyment is the main goal.
Resources: Information was taken from Helping Your Child Learn to
Read and material from the Literacy Council of Alaska. For more
information, please contact the National Library of Education, 555 New
Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone 1-800-424- 1616.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
Learning Partners
Let's Do Math!
Math is a very important part of life. We use math to set an alarm
clock, buy groceries, keep score or time at a game, wallpaper a room, or
wrap a present. We all need math in the world of computers and
electronic communication. It is important to encourage children to think
of themselves as mathematicians who can reason and solve problems.
Here are some things you can do:
* Show your children that you like numbers. Play number games and
think of math problems as puzzles to be solved.
* From the time your child is very young, count everything. When you
empty a grocery bag, count the number of apples. Count the number
of stairs to your home.
* Put things into groups. When you do laundry, separate items of
clothing: all the socks in one pile, shirts in another, and pants
in another. Divide the socks by color and count the number of
each. Draw pictures and graphs of clothes in the laundry: 4 red
socks, 10 blue socks, 12 white socks.
* Tell your children that anyone can learn math. Point out numbers
in your child's life: in terms of weight (pounds and ounces),
measurements involving cooking, temperature, and time.
* Help your children do math in their heads with lots of small
numbers. Ask questions: "If I have 4 cups and I need 7, how many
more do I need?" or "If I need 12 drinks for the class, how many
packages of 3 drinks will I need?"
Math Activities
Fruit Graph
for young children
1. Empty your grocery bag onto the kitchen table or counter and have
your child group the fruits by type: apples, bananas, oranges, etc.
2. Have your child count each type of fruit.
3. Have your child make a graph with the fruit by putting it in rows on
the table:
Money Match
for beginning mathematicians
1. The object of the game is to be the first player to earn a set
amount (for example, 20 or 50 cents).
2. Each player rolls the dice and gets the number of pennies of the
number shown on the dice.
3. As each player gets 5 pennies, the pennies are replaced by a nickel,
and 10 pennies are replaced by a dime.
4. The first player to reach the set amount wins.
List It
for more advanced mathematicians
1. Give your child the grocery section of the newspaper.
2. Have your child make up a grocery list that will feed the family for
a day and cost a specific amount of budgeted money.
3. Have your child add up the prices of all the items.
4. If the total for the groceries is too great, talk about what items
could be taken away.
5. Talk about the nutritional balance of the items selected. What is
the ratio of sweets to vegetables?
Resources: Information was based on Helping Your Child Learn Math. For
more information, please contact the National Library of Education, 555
New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone 1-800-424-1616.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Do Science!
When you learn science you build on what you already know. Children need
to start learning early, at home, so that they have a firm base of
knowledge to build on when they get to school. As parents, what's
important is that we share the knowledge we have with our children.
Science is in everyday activities: cooking, washing dishes, growing
plants. So, look around the house and out the windows and see that
science is everywhere.
Here are some things you can do:
* Ask your children questions: How do you think the clock works? Why
does a bird make a nest and what is the nest made of? How does
electricity help us every day?
* Have children look at what's happening around them and have them
write down what they see.
* Have your children make predictions about the weather or how fast
a plant will grow or how high a piece of paper will fly with the
wind. Have your children then test to see if their hunches are
correct.
* Remind your child that it may take many tries before you get an
answer. Keep trying.
* Have your children start collections of shells, rocks, or bugs, so
that they can see similarities and patterns.
* Have your child look at how things are different. He or she can
look around the neighborhood to see the different animals and
plants that live and grow there.
* Help your child look at what causes things to change. What happens
when a plant doesn't have water or sunlight?
Science Activities
Bubbles
for young children
1. Mix 8 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in 1 quart of water in a
shallow pan.
2. Blow through a straw as you move it slowly across the top of the
liquid.
3. When you've made a bubble, touch it gently with a wet finger. What
happens? Touch another bubble with a dry finger. What happens?
4. Look at the bubbles. How many colors do you see? What do the colors
remind you of?
Creepy Crawlies!
for beginning scientists
1. Search for bugs: in sidewalk cracks, on lights, on animals, or on
plants.
2. Tell your child the names of the bugs you found. Did you find: ants,
spiders, fleas, moths, flies, ladybugs?
3. Ask your child how the bugs are alike or different. Explain the
difference between an insect and a spider (insects have six legs,
spiders have eight), for example.
4. Watch ants in an anthill or around some spilled food. Explain that
when an ant finds food, it runs back to the hill to "tell" the
others. As it runs, it leaves a trail that other ants in the hill
can smell. The ants find the food by smelling their way along the
trail.
Plants and Light
for more advanced scientists
1. Cut 3 paper shapes about 2 inches large. Circles and triangles work
well, but you can use other shapes, too.
2. Clip these shapes with paper clips to 3 leaves of either an indoor
or an outdoor plant, being careful not to tear the leaves.
3. Keep 1 piece of paper on the leaf for 1 day, a second on for 2 days,
and the third on for one week.
4. Watch to see what happens to the leaves. Do they change color? What
effect does the lack of light have on them? What effect does the
length of time the leaves are covered have on them?
Note: Plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide (in the air) and water
into food.
Resources: Information was based on Helping Your Child Learn Science.
For more information, please contact the National Library of Education,
555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone
1-800-424-1616.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Succeed in School!
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.
Resources: Information was based on Helping Your Child Succeed in School
; Strong Families, Strong Schools; Hard Work and Higher Expectations.
For more information, please contact the National Library of Education,
555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone
1-800-424-1616. Other materials from the Family Involvement Partnership
for Learning--for families, schools, employers, and community
groups--can also be obtained by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Do History!
When your children ask, "Where did I come from?" and "Was I always
here?" they are asking questions about history. These two questions
contain the two main meanings of "history":
1. the story of people and events and
2. the record of times past.
History helps us understand the past and how we got here.
Here are some things you can do at home.
* Share family history with your children. Share your memories, and
help your relatives and friends share family stories, too.
Encourage your children to tell their own stories.
* Read with your child about people and events that have made a
difference in the world. Help your child pick others you both find
interesting to learn more about.
* Watch television programs about topics related to the past with
your children. Get library books on the same topics. Ask the
librarian for help. Do the books and television programs agree?
* When you celebrate holidays such as the Fourth of July, Christmas,
Passover, or Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, explain to your
child what is being celebrated and why. Help your child find
stories or speeches about these holidays at the library or in a
newspaper or magazine.
* Get to know the history of the town or city where you live. Your
newspaper may list parades, museum and art exhibits, children's
theater, music events, history talks and walks under "things to
do." Choose some of these activities to do with your children.
History Activities
Our Heroes
for young children
(pre-K--3rd grade)
1. Children love to look at pictures. Choose a photo of a person in
your family or someone else you admire or respect.
2. Tell your child what the person did. Why do you admire this
person? Talk about the results of the person's actions.
3. With your child, search for photos from newspapers or magazines
about other people you admire. Your child might want to collect
these or put them in a scrapbook.
4. Find a story about one or more of these people at the library. Be
sure to ask the librarian to help you find what you need.
Time Capsule
for older children and the whole family
(3rd---6th grade)
1. Have children collect pictures and some examples of a few
important things from their life. Explain to them that items will
be put in a time capsule so that when people find the capsule
later, they can learn something about your children and the time
they lived in.
2. Examples might include lists of slang words, current events, and
popular movies, heroes, games, and toys. You might also include
ads of popular items cut out of magazines or newspapers,
descriptions of television shows, pictures of popular fashions,
as well as copies of poetry and speeches.
3. Have your children write and include a letter about life today to
the person who opens the time capsule.
4. Have a "show and tell" of all the items. Talk with your children
about what has been chosen and why. Is everyone satisfied?
5. Label all the items by name and add any other important
information about the item to the label.
6. Place the items in a container, seal the container, and find a
place to store it.
Architecture All Around
for older children
(4th--6th grade)
1. When you are walking in your town or city with your child, look
at the buildings.
2. Talk about ways old buildings differ from those built today and
why. Are new buildings different from what you remember when you
were a child?
3. Look up architectural terms such as Romanesque, Georgian,
Palladian, Bauhaus. What do they mean? When were they invented?
Who were they named after? Can you find examples of these styles
in your town?
Resources: Information was based on Helping Your Child Learn History.
For more information, please contact the National Library of Education,
555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone
1-800-424-1616. Other materials from the Family Involvement
Partnership for Learning--for families, schools, employers, and
community groups--can also be obtained by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Do Geography!
Geography is the study of Planet Earth. When we study geography we look
at where things are (places) and their natural surroundings (settings).
Geography covers such things as climate, plants, animals, and natural
resources (physical characteristics) that affect the Earth, as well as
how people affect it. Geographers ask and answer such questions as
"Where is something? Why is it there? How does it relate to other
things?"
Here are some geography questions you can discuss with your child:
* Where are we? Teach your child your address. Look at maps together
to see where you live and where the school is. How close or far
are you from the school?
* What makes a place special? List some things about where you live.
What is the climate like? What kinds of plants and animals live in
your part of the country?
* What impact have people had on where you live? Decide whether you
live in a city, the suburbs, a town, or the country. Are there
many wild animals where you live?
* How do things--people, goods, information--move from place to
place where you live? List all the places your food comes from. If
you looked at the whole earth, how would you divide it up to
study--by location on the map, by languages spoken, by type of
weather, or by type of plants and animals? Think of other places
in the country and the world that are like where you live.
* What does it mean to live in a global society? Make a chart of the
things that are happening in other parts of the world that affect
you.
* Where is it? When you talk with your child, use words that
indicate direction: "We are going north to New York to visit
Grandma," or "The school is three blocks west of our apartment
building."
Geography Activities
Everything in Its Place
for pre-schoolers
1. When you talk with your children, use words like "above" and
"below" to let them know where things are.
2. When picking up toys, say, "Please put your doll in the basket on
the right." or, "The frog goes on the left side of the shelf."
3. When talking about things, describe the color, size, and shape.
These words are used in geography, too.
Build a Block
for young children (K--3rd grade)
Make a three-dimensional map of your home or neighborhood using milk
cartons, small boxes, and toilet paper or paper towel rolls for
buildings. You can do it this way:
1. Draw a map of the block on a large piece of paper, a cut open
paper bag, or a piece of cardboard.
2. Cut up the milk cartons or other boxes and place them on the
block where the buildings are.
3. Use bottle tops, pieces of fabric, paper, or yarn to show other
things on your block such as fences, sidewalks, trees, cars,
trucks, or mailboxes.
What's the Weather Like?
for older children (4th-6th grade)
1. Watch the weather forecast on television or read the weather map
in the newspaper.
2. Write down the forecasts for a week or more or save the maps.
3. Look for the changes in the weather over time.
4. Compare the weather in your town to the weather in other parts of
the country.
5. How will the weather in another part of the country affect what
is happening in your area?
Resources: Information based on Helping Your Child Learn Geography;
Geography for Life: National Geography Standards, 1994; Outstanding
Practices in Geography and History Education. For more information,
please contact the National Library of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue,
NW, Washington, DC, 20208, telephone 1-800-424-1616. Other materials
from the Family Involvement Partnership for Learning--for families,
schools, employers, and community groups--can be obtained by calling
1-800-USA-LEARN.
Possible Sources of Maps: Local Chambers of Commerce,
Newspapers, Public Transportation Headquarters, & Telephone Books
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Being Responsible
We all want our children to grow up to be responsible adults. We want
them to feel, think, and act with respect for themselves and for others.
To do this, children need lots of help from parents. Learning to be
responsible includes learning to:
* show respect and compassion for others,
* practice honesty,
* show courage by standing up for what we believe,
* develop self-control out of consideration for others,
* maintain self-respect.
Here are some things you can do at home:
* Watch for the chance to teach your children responsible behavior
through everyday situations. Share your moral and religious values
with them.
* Show compassion and concern when others are suffering.
* Read stories together that teach lessons: the courage of David
standing up to Goliath, or the value of persistence from "The
Little Engine That Could."
* Talk about complicated decisions. Help children understand how the
choices they make will affect them and others.
* Visit with teachers to discuss ways parents and the school can
reinforce the same lessons about good character.
* Talk with other parents and agree on acceptable behavior for
children's play and parties. Take turns supervising to show that
all the parents agree on the standards of behavior.
Responsibility Builders
Honesty, the Best Policy
for young children
1. Tell the story about the boy who cried "Wolf!" He did it so many
times to get attention that when the wolf did come, no one
believed him.
2. Ask your children if anyone had ever lied to them. How did that
make them feel?
3. When you make a promise to your children, try to keep it. It may
seem small to you, but it means a lot to them.
Helping Out
for older children
1. As children grow older, think of added ways they can help at
home.
2. Discuss the new duties with them. Avoid making the duties seem
like a punishment. Instead, you might say they require more
ability which your child now has.
3. New tasks should stretch a child's abilities and make him or her
feel satisfied with doing good work. Praise a job well done,
especially a new challenge.
Getting to Know Others
for children of all ages
1. Set a good example. Act with respect toward others. Always make
clear that prejudice is wrong and that all of us are equal, no
matter what our color, gender, or background is.
2. Show an interest in learning about and from others--neighbors and
relatives, and from books about our own and other civilizations.
3. Encourage your child to learn about many different lands and
people, to learn another language, and to read stories about
children from all over the world. Show your child how you try to
see things from others point of view.
4. Listen carefully when your child wants to tell you things they
have discovered about history, geography, religions, art, and
ways of life.
Resources: Information was taken from Helping Your Child Learn
Responsible Behavior. For more information, please contact the
National Library of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20208, telephone 1-800-424- 1616. Other materials from the Family
Involvement Partnership for Learning--for families, schools,
employers, and community groups--can also be obtained by calling
1-800-USA-LEARN.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Use the Library!
Most public libraries offer a wide variety of children's books and
magazines, with many in Spanish and other languages. In addition to
printed materials, libraries often lend audiotapes and videocassettes of
childrens' books and movies, and more libraries are making computers
available to the public. Many libraries also sponsor special programs,
including children's story hours, summer reading programs, and homework
help. If your child has special needs, be sure to ask about services
the library offers for the blind, the deaf, and those who are gifted or
need remedial help. Many libraries have specially trained librarians for
children. Feel free to ask them for help.
Here are some things you can do to introduce your child to the library:
* Include children--even toddlers--in trips to the library, and go
often.
* As soon as you can, help your child get a library card.
* Borrow recordings of children's stories and songs, cassette tapes,
compact discs, videotapes, even puppets and educational toys.
* Find out if your library has computers and how your children can
use them to learn or upgrade skills.
* Encourage your children to use the library to find information for
their homework.
* Encourage your children to ask for help from you and the librarian
in finding books and materials.
* Work with the librarian to teach older children how to find things
in the library on their own.
* Teach your children how to take care of themselves in public
places, especially if they use the library alone. Stress common
sense guidelines for behavior in the library.
Library Activities
Become a Member
for young children
1. Sign up for a library card yourself, and check out books to learn
stories, songs, rhymes, and fingerplays to use at home to
stimulate and encourage your child's development.
2. Get a library card for your child as soon as possible. (Some
libraries will issue a card as soon as a child can write his or
her name.)
3. Encourage your child to check out books. This can encourage
responsibility, too.
4. Take your child to the library for special programs.
Get Into the Act
for elementary school children
1. Get your child into reading programs at the library. Many
children earn certificates or other awards for reading books
through special library programs.
2. Visit your children's school library, meet the librarian, and see
what it has to offer. Help out with any book fairs the school
sponsors. You'll learn a lot about children's literature that
way.
3. Enroll your child in computer courses the library may offer.
Reference Desk
for more advanced students
1. Encourage your children to use the library for schoolwork. Help
them determine if the library has the resources they need or if
they need to check other information sources.
2. Give your children encouragement, advice, and a ride if they need
it, but resist the temptation to take over an assignment. Let
your children be responsible for researching and writing reports.
3. Check out the special services your library offers for helping
students with school assignments, such as homework hotlines and
term paper clinics.
4. Build up your personal library by getting books for 50 cents or
$1.00 at yard sales.
Resources: Information was based on Helping Your Child Use the Library.
For more information, please contact the National Library of Education,
555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone
1-800-424-1616. Other materials from the Family Involvement Partnership
for Learning--for families, schools, employers, and community
groups--can be obtained by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Write!
One of the most important parts of knowing how to write well is to feel
comfortable doing it. The magic in writing comes from the ideas you
have. Let ideas flow, as they would if you were talking. The beauty of
the written word is that you can always go back and make changes:
rearrange the ideas, correct the spelling, add new ideas, take out ideas
that don't fit. The important thing is to think of writing as a
reflection of your thoughts.
Here are some things you can do:
* Show that you write often to make lists, take down messages, write
notes to the school, write letters to friends.
* Write to your child: put a note in a lunch bag, make a birthday
poster, send a postcard from work.
* Encourage your young children to get ready to write. They can
scribble, draw pictures, make designs with letters.
* Play writing and spelling games: have family spelling bees, do
crossword puzzles, play scrabble, play waiter or waitress.
* Explain that math problems are a form of writing. 2 + 3 = 5 is a
sentence.
* Talk about why people write. Are they giving step-by-step
instructions, telling a story according to when the events
happened, describing how something looks, or trying to convince
someone to do something?
Writing Activities
Scribble Scrabble
for young children
1. Pick some of your child's favorite animals, book or television
characters, or people he or she knows to write about.
2. Plan a story, talking about what happens to the characters.
3. Ask your child questions: "What happens after Jose finds the
magic box?" "What do you think Emily would do to get away from
the bear?"
4. Have your child write down the story in comfortable ways, using
scribbling that looks like writing, using letters and words that
he invents, filling in pictures for words.
Investigative Reporting
for more advanced writers
1. Have your child gather information by interviewing someone in
your family or your neighborhood.
2. Together, choose questions for the interview. Did the person live
during a particularly exciting time in history? Did he or she
accomplish a major achievement? What does the person do for a
living?
3. Look at examples of written interviews in magazines. Using this
format, have your child write down the responses from the
interview.
4. Have your child edit the interview to cut out ideas that are
repeated, to remove halting phrases such as "uh," or "you know",
or to put the information in order by topic (sometimes when
people talk, they jump back and forth from topic to topic).
Read What You Write
for writers of any age
1. Reading and writing go hand in hand. Have your child read school
assignments aloud.
2. Explain that when you read, you should listen to how the writing
sounds by asking yourself
* Does the writing sound the way people talk?
* Is it smooth or choppy?
* Are there any words or ideas missing?
* How could the writing be made more interesting? By adding
descriptions, using examples, going into more detail with
explanations?
3. Encourage your child to read with expression, emphasizing the
words in the sentences that are most important to your child.
4. Encourage other children who might be listening to ask questions
about the writing.
Resources: Resources: Information was taken from research by the
National Center for the Study of Writing and Literacy and the Helping
Your Child series of books for parents. For more information, please
contact the National Library of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20208, telephone 1-800-424-1616.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Be Healthy!
Good health comes from good habits and wise choices. To enjoy good
health now and in the future, youngsters must learn how to exercise,
control stress, be clean, and reduce the risk of disease. They must get
into the habit of eating nutritious foods, having plenty of sleep, and
understanding how physical and emotional health are related. Children
also need to know what to do in an emergency and when to say "no." When
children are healthy they will probably do well in school.
Following good health practices will help children be ready to learn:
* Pick nutritious foods and limit sugary snacks and fatty foods,
particularly before meals. Set a good example by eating healthy
foods, too.
* Have your child start the day by eating a healthy breakfast at
home or at school.
* Check on the food programs at your school and ask for improvement
if you think it is needed.
* Teach your child how to stop the spread of germs by keeping clean
and washing hands before meals.
* Make sure your child is vaccinated against disease at the right
age. Keep a chart of the shots your child has already had.
* Encourage your child to exercise: jogging, walking, jumping rope,
bicycling, roller-skating, dancing, swimming.
* Teach your child how to handle stress through exercise, getting
enough sleep, discussing problems, and breaking jobs down into
small parts.
* Teach your child how to protect him/herself by saying "no",
walking away from fights, or talking about dangerous situations.
Healthy Activities
Brushhh
for young children
2--5 years old
1. When it is time for your children to brush their teeth, sing a
silly song together about tooth brushing. For example:
This is the way we brush our teeth,
Brush our teeth,
Brush our teeth.
This is the way we brush our teeth,
So early in the morning!
2. Make sound effects: "ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM or VROOM, VROOM, VROOM,"
while you watch them brush.
3. Have your children give their teeth names, and use these names
when you talk about them."Now don't forget Cutters, Doggies, and
Chompers!"
To Share or Not to Share
for children pre-school--2nd grade
Help your child understand that there are some personal things that we
don't share because they can spread germs and disease.
1. Have your child collect pictures of a toothbrush, cup, comb,
hairbrush, and spoon.
2. Ask your child to paste the pictures on a large piece of paper.
3. With a crayon, pencil, or marker, have your child put an X or \
through each picture.
4. Title the poster, "Things I Do Not Share."
5. Have your child collect pictures of things that it is safe to
share with others.
6. Use these pictures to make a poster with the title, "Things I Can
Share."
Food Pyramid
for children of all ages
It is important that children eat healthy foods. Some of the foods are:
1. Milk Group - cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt
2. Vegetable Group - broccoli, lettuce, spinach, carrots
3. Meat Group - pork, steak, beef, beans
4. Fruit Group - apples, oranges, tangerines, cantelopes
5. Bread Group - rolls, cereal, crackers, pasta
Sticks & Stones Snacks
for school-aged children to make
for everyone to eat
Each day, your child should eat foods from the 5 major food groups:
bread, vegetable, fruit, milk, and meat. This snack covers "breads" and
fruit.
1. Mix 4 cups of low sugar cereal (Kix, Cheerios, Chex), 2 cups of
pretzels, and 2 cups of raisins in a mixing bowl.
2. Eat as a between meal snack.
Resources: Information was based on Helping Your Child Be Healthy and
Fit and from the ERIC Digest. For more information, please contact the
National Library of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20208, telephone 1-800-424-1616. Other materials from the Family
Involvement Partnership for Learning --for families, schools,
employers, and community groups--can be obtained by calling
1-800-USA-LEARN
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Use TV!
Television can be a very powerful learning tool. It is being used more
and more in the classroom to inform students and stimulate discussion.
Teachers often assign students to watch an educational television show
as homework. Television can be used to add to what is being studied at
school. As a parent, you can also use television to teach ideas and
values that are important to you.
Here are some things you can do at home:
* Limit television viewing time. Remember that when children watch
television it takes them away from other things such as homework,
sports, and fun with friends and family.
* Monitor what your children watch. Encourage your children to
choose programs that make them think, teach lessons, are free of
violence and sex, and show characters who have values similar to
yours.
* Watch television with your children. Ask questions: Why do you
think that person did what he did? Would you have done the same
thing?
* Suggest programs to watch that relate to what your child is
studying.
* Have reference materials near the television so you can find
additional information. Have your child look up new words in the
dictionary. Look at an atlas to find places on the map.
* Use TV commercials to have a "mental" snack. Review what you have
just watched and predict what will happen.
* Turn off the TV if you see things you don't like. Explain to your
child why: "That program is scaring me. People don't act like
that in real life. I don't like what those people are doing,
because. . . "
TV Activities
Spin Off!
for young children (K--2nd grade)
Plan a project using TV. Try some of these ideas that spin off a TV
program and teach geography.
1. Watch a program that takes place in another country, for example,
"Shalome Sesame" (Israel), "Madeline" (France), "Are You Being
Served?" (England), and "Carmen Sandiego" (the world).
2. Find the country on a map.
3. Read a story from the country.
4. Cook food from the country.
TV Math
for beginning students (1st--2nd grade)
Explain math using television.
1. Ask your child how hou find a channel (channels are numbered).
How would you punch in channel 32 on the remote control? Use this
opportunity to explain the tens and ones columns in numbers.
2. Have your child look for numbers on television, in titles of
programs or in commercials, for example.
3. Help your child develop an understanding of how long a period of
time is by comparing it to the length of television shows (1/2
hour, 1 hour, 2 hours).
4. Do simple math problems based on time. If you watch a two-hour
mini- series for 3 nights, how many hours in all would you watch
TV? If there are 6 commercials and each is 30 seconds, how many
minutes of commercials will you watch in all?
Get the Scoop
for more advanced students (3rd--6th grade)
Help your child understand that television is just one way to get
information and that there are different ways to present the same
information . This will help your child become a critical TV watcher and
reader.
1. Watch the television news together.
2. Pick a news item to discuss.
3. Watch the same story on different channels. Talk about how
different channels handle the story.
4. Find an article in the newspaper on the same topic and compare it
to the television version. Is the newspaper story longer or
shorter? Why?
Resources: Ideas for this "Learning Partner" were taken fromStrong
Families, Strong Schools, "TV Viewing and Parental Guidance," and the
Helping Your Child series of books for parents. For more information,
please contact the National Library of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue,
NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone 1-800-424-1616. Other materials
from the Family Involvement Partnership for Learning--for families,
schools, employers, and community groups--can be obtained by calling
1-800-USA-LEARN.
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Do Art!
The visual arts (drawing, painting, printmaking, photography) enrich our
lives and help children express their emotions. For preschoolers, doing
artwork helps them get ready to read and write by developing visual and
motor skills. Doing artwork gives older children the opportunity to get
away from a desk and use different learning styles to explore beyond
words and numbers.
Here are some things you can do at home:
* Keep simple art supplies around the house: scrap paper for
drawing, old boxes to cut up for a cardboard "canvas" when using
thicker paints or making posters, or pieces of cloth to do pasted
up designs or patchwork. Limit pictures to 2 or 3 colors to save
materials and to teach children about mixing colors and the
different intensities of color (light and dark).
* Let your child express himself. A picture doesn't have to look
like something you can recognize.
* Have your child talk about the picture to describe what it is
supposed to be. This helps develop language skills.
* Encourage your child to make patterns of repeated colors and
shapes. This helps develop an understanding of math.
* Have your child practice different techniques: drawing with lines,
shaping figures and designs with blocks of color, using contrasts
of light against dark.
* Have your child make connections between artwork and other
subjects. Look at, and talk about, book illustrations when you are
reading together.
* Check art books out of the library and look at famous paintings.
Talk about what is in the picture and how the artist painted it,
(did he use thick paint with bold strokes or did she use light
colors with dots of paint?).
* Display your child's art in your home.
Art Activities
Fingerpainting
for young children (pre-K--1st grade)
1. Use fingerpaint or make your own by mixing soap flakes in a bowl
with a small amount of water. Beat the mixture with a fork and
add powdered tempera paint or food coloring.
2. Spread out newspapers or a large piece of plastic on a table or
on the floor.
3. Tape a big piece of paper on top.
4. Cover your child's clothes with a large old shirt or apron.
5. Have your child put the paint on the paper with her fingers.
6. Let your child express himself. Some children will use large,
wide strokes, others will focus on small spaces.
Found Art
for beginning artists (K--5th grade)
Some artists create art from old junk, things they have found on the
beach or even at dumps.
1. Go on a treasure hunt outside to find things that could be used
in a collage, a picture where shapes and colors are pasted on a
piece of paper or cardboard: sticks and leaves, flowers to be
pressed, feathers, berries to be crushed to use as paint,
pebbles, shells, pieces of blunt-edged metal.
2. Go on a treasure hunt inside to find other things such as scraps
of paper, buttons, pieces of cloth, ribbon.
3. Look for some heavy cardboard or wood to use as a backing.
4. Have your child lay out the materials in a design on the backing.
Have your child move things around until the design is what she
wants.
5. Using a heavy duty glue, have your child glue the items on the
backing.
Post It!
for more advanced artists (3rd--6th grade)
1. Make a list of family safety tips. They might include: wash your
hands before meals, walk don't run, always buckle your seat belt,
wear your bicycle helmet, sit in your seat on the school bus,
make sure the water isn't too hot when you get in the shower.
2. Design a poster with one or more tips on it.
3. Think about what will catch a person's eye. Decide what lettering
to use (type style), what colors to use, what pictures you want
to have (graphics and illustrations), where you will put the
lettering and pictures (lay-out) on the page.
4. Do a draft of the poster by drawing sketches and experimenting
with lettering. Cut the sketches and letters out and move them
around on a piece of paper to get the effect you want.
5. Draw, paint, or paste-up the final poster.
Resources: Information for this "Learning Partner" was taken from
"Helping Your Child Get Ready for School" and Outstanding Practices in
the Arts. For more information, please contact the National Library of
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone
1-800-424-1616. Other materials from the Family Involvement Partnership
for Learning--for families, schools, employers, and community
groups--can be obtained by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and
Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student
Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment
National Institute on the Education of
At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Get Ready for School!
The road to success in school begins early. Good health, loving
relationships, parental guidance and praise, and many opportunities to
learn, all help children do well later in life. As a parent, you are
the most important person in your child's life. Throughout the early
learning years, you can do many simple things to help your children
grow, develop, and have fun learning.
Here are some things you can do:
* Encourage your child to want to learn and go to school.
* Read aloud to your child daily. This gives your child a chance to
learn about language, enjoy the sound of your voice, and be close
to you.
* Set high standards for your children and encourage them to try new
things.
* Listen to your child. This is the best way to learn what's on his
mind, what he knows and doesn't know, and how he thinks and
learns.
* Provide nutritious foods, safe places to play, regular medical
care, and a regular sleep schedule for your child.
* Teach your child to get along with others, to share, and to take
turns.
* Set a good example for your children. They will imitate what you
do.
* Teach your child to feel good about herself and that she can
succeed.
* Set limits for your child. This is a sign of love which your child
appreciates, even if he or she may argue against them.
* Be generous with your praise. Always compliment your children for
their efforts.
School Readiness Activities
Music Makers
for young children
1. Sing a lullaby to calm your child.
2. Let your child bang a spoon on pots, pans, or plastic bowls;
shake a large rattle or plastic container filled with beans,
buttons, or other noisy items; and blow through empty toilet
paper or paper towel rolls.
3. Have your children take part in nursery rhymes. They can copy
your hand movements, clap, or hum along.
4. Encourage your child to sway and dance to music.
5. Encourage your child to sing. Pick a simple melody such as "Mary
Had a Little Lamb."
Scribble, Cut, and Paste
for children entering school
1. Scribbling, cutting, and pasting helps to develop motor skills,
which will help children learn to write.
2. Scribble: Give your child different kinds of paper and writing
materials to scribble with. Provide crayons, markers, or chalk
that can be washed off.
3. Cut and Paste: Help your child learn how to use blunt nosed
scissors. Practice with your child and cut out different shapes
from paper or pictures from magazines and newspapers. Paste these
and other items, such as scraps of cloth, yarn, string, or cotton
balls, to paper. You can make paste with flour and water or by
using leftover egg white.
Getting Along
for children of any age
1. Let your children know that you are glad to be their parent. Give
them personal attention and encouragement. Do fun things
together.
2. Set a good example. Say "please and thank you." Have your child
help you make cookies to welcome a new neighbor.
3. Help your child find ways to solve conflicts with siblings and
friends. Teach your child that it's mean to gang up on one
person.
4. Show your children you love them through hugs, kisses, an arm
over the shoulder, or a pat on the back.
5. Teach your child to include brothers and sisters in neighborhood
games.
6. Teach your child to look out for brothers, sisters, and other
family members.
Resources: Information was based on Helping Your Child Get Ready for
School and Yes You Can Help Your Child Succeed in Elementary School book
series for parents, Minnetonka Public Schools, Excelsior, MN. For more
information, please contact the National Library of Education, 555 New
Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208, telephone 1-800-424-1616. Other
materials from the Family Involvement Partnership for Learning--for
families, schools, employers, and community groups--can also be obtained
by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Get To School Safely!
We all know that what children do in school is very important. But,
getting to school is also important. Some children are lucky enough to
live near the school, but others have to walk long distances, ride the
school bus, or take public transportation. How can you help your child
be safe on the way to school?
Here are some things you can do.
* If your child rides the bus or subway, tell your child to sit
quietly in the seat. Children should follow the directions of the
driver.
* Whether your child takes the school bus or a public bus, he or she
should never play by the curb. At the subway, children should
stand away from the platform edge.
* If your children walk to school, make sure they are with friends.
They should walk on the main sidewalks and not take shortcuts
through woods or empty lots.
* Teach your children how to cross the street. Make sure they know
to follow the directions of the crossing guard or safety patrol.
* How ever they travel to school, teach your children not to talk
to strangers.
* Give your children a whistle to blow if they are in danger. A
whistle will attract attention and may ward off a crime.
* Make sure your child uses the seat belt if you drive to school,
even if it's nearby. Remember that most accidents occur within 10
miles of home.
* If your child bikes to school, make sure he or she wears a helmet.
Bikers should also wear bright, light colored clothing, and, when
it is getting dark, they should wear markers that reflect light.
* If your child fears other people he or she may meet on the way to
school, help plan other routes for your child to take to school or
talk with the school principal about this.
Safety Activities
Criss-Cross
for young children
Help your child practice crossing the street. Teach your child to
1. Cross at the corner;
2. Look left, right, and left again before crossing;
3. Watch in particular for turning cars;
4. Stay in the crosswalks;
5. If there is a traffic light, cross only when the facing light is
green or when the walk sign is on; and
6. Always follow the directions of the crossing guard or safety
patrol.
Role Playing
for older children
Although it may be hard for you, talk frankly with your children and
teach them some common tricks of child molesters. You might want to play
out these situations with your child. What do you do if:
1. Someone asks for directions and wants you to get into a car?
2. Someone asks for help in looking for a lost pet and leads you
into an isolated area?
3. Someone asks to take your picture for a TV ad and invites you
into their house or apartment?
Stay in Touch
for adults
1. Always call the school if your child will be absent. Make sure
the school knows how to contact you if your child does not show
up. Valuable time in looking for a lost child can be saved if
there is quick contact between the school and a parent.
2. Tell your child how to contact you in a hurry. Give him your work
phone number. Explain that she should leave detailed messages if
there is an emergency. Teach your child how to call collect.
Teach your child when and how to call 911.
3. Arrange for other parents to take your children in an emergency
or if you are going to be late.
Resources: Information was based on "How to Keep your Child in One
Piece, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Helping Your Child Be
Healthy and Fit. For more information, please contact the National
Library of Education, 555New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208,
telephone 1-800-424-1616. Other materials from the Family Involvement
Partnership for Learning--for families, schools, employers, and
community groups--can also be obtained by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Sharon P. Robinson
Assistant Secretary
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and
Assessment
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learning Partners
Let's Do Homework!
Homework can help students learn and can help parents be involved in
their children's education. When parents show an interest in their
child's schoolwork, they teach an important lesson--that learning is fun
and worth the effort.
Children who do more homework, on average, do better in school. And, as
children move up through the grades, homework becomes even more
important to school success.
* Teachers assign homework for many reasons. It can help children
* practice what they have learned in school;
* get ready for the next day's class;
* use resources, such as libraries and encyclopedias; and learn
things they don't have time to learn in school.
Homework can also help children learn good habits and attitudes. It can
teach children to work by themselves and encourage discipline and
responsibility.
Four Things You Can Do To Help Your Child With Homework
Show You Think Education and Homework Are Important. Children are
more eager to do homework if they know their parents care that it
gets done.
Set a regular time for homework. The best time is one that
works for your child and your family.
Pick a place to study that is fairly quiet and has lots of
light. A desk is nice. But the kitchen table or a corner of
the living room can work just fine.
Help your child concentrate by turning off the TV and saying no
to telephone calls during homework time. If you live in a small
or noisy household, have all family members take part in a quiet
activity during homework time. You may need to take a noisy
toddler outside to play or into another room.
Collect papers, books, pencils, and other things your child
needs. Tell the teacher or school counselor or principal if you
need help getting your child these things.
Set a good example by reading and writing yourself. Your child
learns what things are important by watching what you do.
Encourage educational activities. Go on walks in the
neighborhood, trips to the zoo, and encourage chores that teach
responsibility.
Read with your young child. This activity stimulates interest
in reading and language and lays the foundation for your child's
becoming a lifelong reader.
Take your child to the library and encourage him to check out
materials needed for homework. Talk about school and learning
activities. Attend school activities, such as parent-teacher
meetings and sports events.
Check on Your Child's Work. How closely you watch over homework will
depend on the age of your child, how independent she is, and how
well she does in school.
Ask what the teacher expects. At the start of the school year,
find out what kinds of assignments will be given and how the
teacher wants you involved. Some teachers only want you to make
sure the assignment is completed. Others want parents to go
over the homework and point out mistakes.
Check to see that assignments are started and finished on time.
If you aren't home when the homework is finished, look it over
when you get home.
Monitor TV viewing and other activities. In most homes, more
homework gets done when TV time is limited. See that things
like choir or basketball don't take too much time. If homework
isn't getting done, your child may need to drop an activity.
Provide Guidance. The basic rule in helping with homework is,
"Don't do the assignment yourself. It's not your homework--it's
your child's." Here are some things you can do to give guidance:
Figure out how your child learns best. Knowing this makes it
easier for you to help your child. For example, if your child
learns things best when he can see them, draw a picture or a
chart to help with some assignments. But if your child learns
best when he can handle things, an apple cut four ways can help
him learn fractions. If you've never thought about this
learning style, observe your child. Check with the teacher if
you aren't sure.
Encourage good study habits. See that your child schedules
enough time for assignments and makes his own practice tests at
home before a test. When a big research report is coming up,
encourage him to use the library.
Talk about assignments and ask questions. This helps your child
think through an assignment and break it into small, workable
parts. For example, ask if she understands the assignment,
whether she needs help with the work, and if her answer makes
sense to her.
Give praise. People of all ages like to be told when they have done
a good job. And give helpful criticism when your child hasn't done
his best work so that he can improve.
Talk With Someone at School If Problems Come Up. If homework
problems do arise, everyone needs to work together to resolve them-
-the school, teachers, parents, and students.
Call or meet with the teacher. For example, get in touch with the
teacher if your child refuses to do assignments, or if you or your child
can't understand the instructions, or if you can't help your child get
organized to do the assignments.
Believe that the school and the teacher want to help you and your child.
Work together to fix or lessen the homework problem. Different problems
require different solutions. For example:
* Does your child have a hard time finishing assignments on time?
Perhaps he has poor study skills and needs help getting organized.
* Is the homework too hard? Maybe your child has fallen behind and
needs special help from a teacher or a tutor.
* Is she bored with the homework? Perhaps it's too easy and your
child needs extra assignments that give more challenge. Or
perhaps she would be more interested if another way could be found
for her to learn the same material. Remember that not all
homework can be expected to interest your child. Most teachers,
however, want to give homework that children enjoy and can finish
successfully, and they welcome comments from parents.
Check with the teacher and with your child to make sure the plan is
working.
A Checklist for Helping Your Child With Homework
Make Sure Your Child Has
* A quiet place to work with good light.
* A regular time each day for doing homework.
* Basic supplies, such as paper, pencils, pens, markers, and ruler.
Questions To Ask Your Child
* What's your assignment today?
* Is the assignment clear? (If not, suggest calling the school's
homework hotline or a classmate.)
* When is it due?
* Do you need special resources (e.g., a trip to the library or
access to a computer)?
* Do you need special supplies (e.g., graph paper or posterboard)?
* Have you started today's assignment? Finished it?
* Is it a longterm assignment (e.g., a term paper or science
project)?
* For a major project, would it help to write out the steps or make
a schedule?
* Would a practice test be useful?
Other Ways To Help
* Look over your child's homework, but don't do the work!
* Meet the teachers early in the year and find out about homework
policy.
* Review teacher comments on homework that has been returned and
discuss with your child.
* Observe your child's style of learning and try to understand how
he works best (e.g., by using visual aids or by reading some
material aloud).
* Contact the teacher if there's a homework problem you can't
resolve.
* Congratulate your child on a job well done.
Resources: This information was taken from Helping Your Child with
Homework, one of a number of publications for parents published by the
U.S. Department of Education. To find out what's available and how to
order, request a freeConsumer Information Catalog from the Consumer
Information Catalog Pueblo, Colorado 81009.
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
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