- What do I do if my child doesn't want to read?
- How can I help my child improve in writing?
- What does RACE stand for?
- How can I help my child get organized?
- What do I do if I don't understand my child's homework?
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What do I do if my child doesn't want to read?
Find a time that is a quiet time of the day to encourage your child to read.
Setting a timer will show them how fast time really goes when they get
started. Start with a small amount of time and gradually increase the time.
This way he/she can ease into their new habit.
Some children will transition to independent reading if you begin by taking
turns reading. First you read a page, then they will read a page. Before you
know it, they will forget it's your turn and will keep reading until you stop
them!
Some children love to read to younger siblings or even a teddy bear if mom
and
dad can't sit with them.
Stick with it and the habit will come!
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How can I help my child improve in writing?
Finding a journal that the child can write in,in a nonthreatening way, can
ease a child into writing for pleasure; to get down the great thoughts that
he/she might want to share. Going back to read these in a month will show a
child how much they have improved as a writer in a short time! Finding a
fun pen or pencil to write with also is a great idea!
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What does RACE stand for?
RACE is an acronym to help your child respond to any writing prompt or
question.
The 'R' stands for Restate the question. An example of this is... What is
your favorite ice cream? You would restate it by saying, I have a favorite
flavor of ice cream.
The 'A' stands for Answer the question. An example of this would be... One
reason vanilla is my favorite is because it is sweet and creamy tasting.
Another reason I love it is because it is white and won't stain my clothing.
The last reason it is my favorite is because my grandma loves it and I love
things that my grandma loves. Try to encourage at least 3 details from the
children.
The 'C' stands for connection. A connection can be made if the prompt is
about a passage the student read, text to self, book or world, or a
connection to your life and the question. An example of this would be...
When I was little, my grandma used to take me to Dairy Queen each Sunday in
the summer and we would have our vanilla cones on the bench together.
The 'E' stands for Ending. That means to wrap up your thoughts by reminding
the reader what the main idea was. An example of that is, Vanilla is my all
time favorite ice cream to eat.
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How can I help my child get organized?
Organizing your child means more than just having their homework packed up
for
the next day. Establishing routines is the beginning of teaching your child
how to organize their time which will help reduce the stress of scrambling to
get things done and then not taking the time to put things in their place or
leaving them behind. If your child can organize when and where they do their
homework and then when and where they pack up for the next school day, there
will be less chance that they won't have what they need when they get to
school. Using a family calendar for each day helps many busy families plan
where they will find the time to do homework after school. Teaching your
child
how to organize their time after school will be a valuable life skill that
will help them succeed once they join the workforce!
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What do I do if I don't understand my child's homework?
This is a common occurrence for many parents. First you should ask your
child
to think what their teacher told them to do. If they are still unable to
explain it to you, check their website for examples or a more detailed
description. If both you and your child are still confused, ask your child
to do it the best they can and then write a note to your child's teacher that
"They" were unsure of the directions and would you explain the directions to
your child so that they may complete it the next day. It does not help your
child to say that You do not "get it" since you were not at school to learn
what to do. Your best course of action is to inform your child's teacher
that
they are unsure what to do.
