Reading Tips for Parents

Have your child read to you every night. Choose a quiet place, free from distractions, for your child to do his nightly reading assignments.

As your child reads, point out spelling and sound patterns such as cat, pat, hat.

When your child reads aloud to you and makes a mistake, point out the words she has missed and help her to read the word correctly. After your child has stopped to correct a word he has read, have him go back and reread the entire sentence from the beginning to make sure he understands what the sentence is saying.

Ask your child to tell you in her own words what happened in a story. To check your child's understanding of what he is reading, occasionally pause and ask your child questions about the characters and events in the story.

Ask your child why she thinks a character acted in a certain way and ask your child to support her answer with information from the story. Before getting to the end of a story, ask your child what he thinks will happen next and why.

Math Tips for Parents

Encourage your child to use a daily math assignment book. It is really important to understand the progress your child is making in math.

Check with your child daily about his homework. If you don't understand your child's math assignments, engage in frequent communication with her teacher.

If your child is experiencing problems in math, contact the teacher to learn whether he is working at grade level and what can be done at home to help improve academic progress.

Request that your child's teacher schedule after-school math tutoring sessions if your child really needs help.

Encourage the principal to use research-based peer tutoring programs for math. These tutoring programs have proven results, and students really enjoy them.

Use household chores as opportunities for reinforcing math learning such as cooking and repair activities.

Try to be aware of how your child is being taught math, and don't teach strategies and shortcuts that conflict with the approach the teacher is using.

Check in with the teacher and ask what you can do to help. Ask the teacher about online resources that you can use with your child at home.

At the beginning of the year, ask your child's teacher for a list of suggestions that will enable you to help your child with math homework.