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- What is the best way to help my child with his/her homework?
- How can I encourage my child to read?
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What is the best way to help my child with his/her homework?
Keep in mind that homework can take a variety of forms. Sometimes
your child might be reading, studying for tests, collecting science
materials to bring to class, or doing written exercises. In my class, if an
assignment is not completed in class during the allotted time (for any
reason), it automatically becomes homework. Therefore, these papers
are graded as classwork and so you need to be very careful about the
kind of help you give.
Good Ideas:
1. Check your child's assignment pad to see if there is a paper to match
each listed assignment.
2. If you do not think a paper is neat or done to the best of your child's
ability, ask him/her to redo it.
3. Check your child's spelling.
4. If your child has written a story/essay, read it aloud to your child to
help him/her hear mistakes so the story can be edited and revised.
5. Help your child study for tests and review math facts.
6. If you have a reluctant reader, model good reading strategies and
demonstrate your love for reading.
7. If you see that your child is not starting a long-term project in a timely
fashion, help him/her structure the available time.
Bad Ideas:
1. Do not do your child's homework for him/her. (Yes...this really
happens!)
2. Do not prompt your child to the point that the thought process, depth
of content , wording, and organization of ideas are actually yours.
3. Listen to what your child tells you about instructions given in class.
Read any direction sheets carefully. Do not decide to change what the
teacher has directed the children to do. If you have a question, jot a note
to the teacher and ask for clarification.
4. Do not make yourself responsible for your child's homwork.
Sometimes children become dependent on their parents' help. If you do
not have time to spend helping your child for some reason, it suddenly
becomes your fault that homework hasn't been completed. I base this
tip on the fact that students have actually told me they couldn't do their
work because mom or dad was too busy!
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How can I encourage my child to read?
It always helps to identify your child's interests. Once you've done that,
look for materials that are age-appropriate and written at the child's reading
level. Reading doesn't just mean reading books. Some children prefer to read
articles or short stories. There are great magazines written for children such
as Ranger Rick and Sports Illustrated for Kids. Children really love getting
their own magazines in the mail and that in itself acts as a reading
incentive. Reading instructions in order to build a model or following the
steps in a recipe are great ways to show that reading is a very practical
skill. Modeling good reading habits is also important for you to do.
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