The child who gets off to a good start in school has a much better chance of success throughout the years.

Caring today can help your child tomorrow.

The attention and interest we show children now creates the confidence they'll need for a successful future. For instance, we can help children get more out of school by making a connection between what they do at home and what they do at school.

• Ask your children to talk about their school day. If it's important to you, it becomes important to them.
• Make watching TV a special event; too many children spend too many hours just staring at "the tube".
• Help your children develop good study habits. Make certain homework become an important part of their daily routine.
• Give them space at home to work quietly and to display the things they do in school.
• Resist the temptation to compare your child with other children-including brothers and sisters.
• Praise them when things go well at school. Praise, when it's been earned, is a great confidence builder.

Healthy children are ready to learn.

• Make sure your children get the rest they need. Otherwise, they'll be too tired to learn, too tired to try.
• Be certain your children receive a nutritionally balanced diet.
• Make meals a family affair.
• Make sure your children brush their teeth; it saves their teeth and your money.
• Send them to school in clean clothes. The better they feel about themselves, the better they'll feel about their work.
• Be sure they get the immunization shots they need and regular check-ups, too. A simple shot or check-up may avoid illness-or missed school.

Children are always learning.

Children can learn in many places and in many ways. While school is a major source of their education, the things they learn at home are equally important to their development. As a parent, you have a chance to make a big difference in how well your children learn.

Learning at home can be fun for the whole family.

• Encourage children to do projects at home with you or with other children. They'll learn to cooperate and improve their social skills.
• Select safe, educational toys and activities that fit their level of development.
• Play games-especially those that have educational value, like number games, guessing games, and word games.

Family trips and vacations are exciting ways to learn.

Visit interesting places like museums, zoos, libraries, historical sites, parks-and discuss them with your children...it is fun! See new things like the ocean, mountains, cities, farms, theater-anything that's different from what they see in school or at home. Making your own maps can heighten interest in social studies.

You can help your children's school do a better job if you:

• Attend parent-teacher conferences.
• Communicate often with the teacher.
• Know what your child is studying.
• See that your child attends school regularly.

Your caring makes a teacher's caring mean so much more. Caring is more than a matter of love and dedication. Your children's teachers have plenty of both. But teacher's caring alone is not enough. Your children should know you care, too.

Be involved, interested, and concerned. Then and only then can your children get the most out of the caring their teachers give them. School staff and parents...the more we work together, the more we'll help our children.