Once again, the end of the year is coming to a close. All library books and materials need to be returned by May 13, 2008. Both Mrs. Hall and I wish everyone a happy and safe summer!! Don’t forget to read this summer!!!!
May 01, 2008
Help your child maintain focus
on schoolwork until year’s end
Some kids act like summer vacation has already started. They “forget” their homework at school.
They avoid anything difficult or challenging—and that includes just about everything!
But the school year has not yet ended. Kids need to stay focused on learning until the last day of school.
Here’s how to help your child:
• Review old homework papers, quizzes and tests. Use them to talk with your child about how much
he has learned this year. Having these papers close at hand will also be useful as he studies for
end-of-year tests!
• Shape year-end learning around some of your child’s interests. If he has one more book report due,
choose a book on a topic he loves. If he has a social studies project, try to focus on something he is
interested in learning.
• Help your child manage end-of-the- year projects. Long-range assignments can overwhelm any
child. So in addition to helping your child break the big project down into smaller steps, here’s a
great rule of thumb: Move the deadline for finishing any big project back by two days. If the
diorama is due on Friday, aim to get it finished by Wednesday. That way, he’ll have a cushion if (okay,
when) something comes up!
Source: Donna Goldberg, The Organized Student
Are you building a love for reading
“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t,” Mark Twain once said. But
far too many kids would rather spend their time doing anything but reading. Are you doing what you can to
help your child love reading? Answer yes or no to each of the questions below:
___1. Is reading a regular part of your child’s day? Do you make sure he reads at least 30 minutes a day?
___2. Does your child see you reading something (newspaper,magazine, book) nearly every day?
___3. Do you allow your child to try to read a book that may be too hard for him? If it is, do you decide to use the book for a read-aloud?
___4. Do you make regular trips to the library and encourage your child to check out all types of age-appropriate reading material?
___5. Do you plan on enrolling your child in summer reading activities at
your local library?
How well are you doing? Each yes answer means you’re doing a good job of raising a child who
loves to read. For each no answer, try that idea.
Encourage responsibility by helping your child enjoy chores
How do you get your child to want to do chores? Remember that elementary-age children love to plan and carry out their plans. So first, involve your child in brainstorming what needs to be done and when. Also:
• Be a good model. Happily do chores yourself. Acknowledge your satisfaction when you finish
a chore.
• Give your child a choice of chores. She should be able to take out the trash, vacuum, fold laundry, feed a
pet, help with yard work.
• Rotate chores each week, so no one feels “stuck” doing a chore she doesn’t like. Put chores on slips of
paper family members draw from a bowl.
• Make a game of it. Race to put things away. Or set a timer and see if your child can “beat the clock.”
• Use a chore chart. Place a star on it when chores are finished. your schedule work, you’ll also
need to schedule time for activities like reading. While you’re at it, schedule times for snacks so your
child doesn’t eat out of boredom.
• Schedule a “work time” when everyone is doing a job.
• Curb criticism. Don’t immediately say what your child did wrong. Gently ask what she might do to improve her work.
• Be encouraging. Say, “Here’s the broom so you can help! You can do it. Let’s do this together.”
• Follow chores with fun. Have a basket of index cards listing fun stuff to do after chores.
Source: Lynn Lott and Riki Intner, Chores Without Wars: Turning Dads and Kids from Reluctant Stick-in-the-Muds to Enthusiastic Team Players
Keep your child reading through summer months
Students who don’t read over the summer months lose an average of two to three months in reading skills. Those who keep reading experience gains. The more your child reads, the easier it’ll be for him. And the more he’ll want to read. So see that your child reads 30 minutes every day. Try these activities to keep reading fun:
• Read the newspaper together. Give your child the comics toread. Ask him which one’s thefunniest. Discuss sports, theweather, letters to the editor,travel destinations, etc.
• Read aloud together. You read a line or page of a book. Then your child does. Or you read the narrative.
Let your child read the dialogue—what characters say.
• Dramatize what you read. Select a simple scene from one of your child’s books. Assign character
roles. Discuss what happens first, second, next. Then act it out, adding lots of dialogue.
• Promote practical reading. Help your child read a recipe to bake cookies. Involve your child in
reading instructions to build or repair something.
• Create reading-related jobs. Ask your child to recopydamaged recipes. Your childcould also organize the familybookshelf or video collection inalphabetical order.
Source: Kathy Zahler, 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read
