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Working Together for School Success CONNECTION
Check your work
A well-rounded reader
Observation game
Let your child look at the tray for 5 seconds. While she closes her eyes, Talk about stories
Swimming safety
Act out poems
self?” or “What would this story be like if it took place in the future?” Tip: Encour- can help your child visualize what it’s age her to ask you questions, too. Think- about. Help her find a book of children’s ing about what to ask will help her reflect poetry at the library. At home, pick one to act out together. For “I Found a Four- Learn from nonfiction
Leaf Clover” (Jack Prelutsky), she could put a four-leaf clover in her pocket, drop a dozen plastic eggs, and look for keys. Tip: Let her illustrate poems—drawing Worth quoting
facts they discover along with titles of “Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.” Josh Billings Recycling: Making a difference
JUST FOR FUN
Get your youngster in the recycling habit with these tips. He’ll learn the importance of doing his ● Have him make a list of recyclables (bottles, cans, newspaper). He can hang it near the trash can as a ● Make conservation fun by letting him step on boxes to flatten them or “shoot baskets” by tossing cans into the recycling bin.
● Explain that recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a com-puter for 3 hours, and recycling a glass bottle saves enough to light a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours. Then, ask your child to count items in the recycling bin and cal-culate how much energy your family will save.♥ 2013 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated Home & School CONNECTION®
Meals with character
Thoughtfulness. Encourage
Family meals are full of opportunities to teach your youngster good character traits. Consider wonder if anyone else wants more chicken, too. Why don’t Politeness. The dinner table is an ideal place
to work on manners, such as saying “please” and “thank you.” You can also teach your child to wait until all family members are seated before he starts eating and to stay at the table until everyone is finished. And have him practice passing food. For example, remind him not to reach across others, and if someone asks for a dish, he should pass it before serving himself.
Helpfulness. Let your child take part in preparing, serving,
or cleaning up the meal. He could make a salad, set the table,
or put dishes in the dishwasher, for example. Ask him why
he thinks it’s a good idea for everyone to help out (work is
shared, your family can spend more time together).♥ count or working on multiplication, she can practice math skills with these two Becoming bilingual
Q: I grew up speaking Spanish, but
now I speak mostly English at home. How can I help my daughter speak Spanish more fluently? A: As you know, there are many benefits to
growing up bilingual. Your daughter will be
1. Hit a tennis ball back and forth, and
able to talk to more people in our increasingly diverse society. Also, knowing a sec- ond language will open the door to more jobs for her in the future.
Try having Spanish-only nights on a regular basis. You could carry on Spanish If you have an older child, pitch a base- conversations, play Scrabble in Spanish, or watch a Spanish-language movie. Or you ball to her. She can keep track and, after might speak only Spanish at certain times, such as in the car or when you are with 10 pitches, tell you the fraction she hit. Example: If she hit 4, that’s 4– Finally, ask a librarian to help you find Spanish picture books and novels. Reading 2. Take turns making up math word
them and following along in the book together is a good way for your daughter to problems for each other to solve. Try to learn written as well as spoken Spanish.♥ think of problems that can have more than one correct answer. For instance, “There were 5 total goals in the soccer game. What could the score have been?” How to handle shyness
go to a friend’s house, we might let him You might say, “A basketball player got two 3-pointers, four 2-pointers, and four score?” (2 x 3 = 6, 4 x 2 = 8, and 4 x 1 O U R P U R P O S E
To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement, 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 2013 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Source: http://westupto.org/files/2013/04/april-home-school.pdf