by Lynn Kuske
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
No, I’m not referring to Christmas but, rather, an ad campaign from several years ago, which promoted a national office supply store. In the commercial, Dad is happily tossing school supplies into the shopping cart while his kids look on with less-than-enthusiastic expressions.
The beginning of a new school year can bring a mix of emotions for a child, including excitement, dread, anxiety, and anticipation. Visions of homework, tests, and science fair projects can create stress for your child. How can you help to make this school year a successful one?
Support at Home
Parents, you are an integral part of the school equation. Your support of your child and his or her teacher(s) is vital. Studies have shown that parents who are actively involved in their child’s education have a significant impact on academic success. Not only do these students tend to earn better grades, but there are also fewer concerns regarding behavior.
Make sure your child is at school every day if possible. Academic achievement is affected by every absence.
Though your child can make up the classwork, he or she loses out on a significant amount of learning that comes through peer interactions and exploration through class discussions.
Designate a time and a quiet place for homework. If no homework has been assigned, encourage your child to read. Ask about test schedules and begin reviewing the material together a few days before the test. Help your child learn to manage time wisely, and allow for breaks as needed.
On the way home from school, ask about your child’s day. Listen intently, and ask follow-up questions. If your child is reluctant to share, ask instead if anything happened that day that made your child smile.
Help your child become organized. Show how to break up larger, more intimidating projects into smaller chunks. Determine a location where important notes, papers, or other communication from school can be left for review. Check that all homework and necessary supplies are packed and ready to go the night before—ideally, placed close to the front door. (Make sure your child’s backpack is cleaned out regularly. There’s no telling what “treasures” you may find!)
It is inevitable that your child will find that acquiring new skills sometimes is challenging. While it may seem counterintuitive, let your child struggle with the material for a while. Children need to learn to persevere. Give them the least amount of help needed to get them “unstuck.” Talk about problem-solving strategies that can be utilized in that particular situation.
Encourage your child to ask questions in class when there is something he or she does not understand. As an elementary school teacher, I tell my students that I love questions. I work hard at breaking down the stigma that comes with asking for help. Questions tell me that students are actively analyzing what I am teaching, they are invested in and engaged in the lesson, and they are taking responsibility for their learning.
Making Sense of Math
Fluency with basic math facts is an important building block. Often there is not adequate time during the school day for fact drill; reinforcement at home is essential. Addition and subtraction can be practiced using dominoes; multiplication facts can be reinforced by playing “War” with a deck of cards. Consider introducing division facts simultaneously with multiplication as “fact families.” (Since 3×4=12, then 12 divided by 3 is 4, and 12 divided by 4 is 3.) An Internet search will reveal a number of sites that may make math fact practice fun and engaging. If you prefer board games, MUGGINS is excellent for implementing mental math strategies while reviewing multiple mathematical operations.
Use common craft items, such as toothpicks or straws with marshmallows, to create geometric figures. While on a road trip, my own children were entertained for hours with a simple package of pipe cleaners. Identify parallel and perpendicular lines; or find right, acute, and obtuse angles when out for a walk. While grocery shopping, ask your child to weigh produce. Have him or her help estimate the savings obtained through BOGOs, special offers, and coupons; and estimate the total cost of the groceries and calculate the change. Set up a budget for your child, or help them understand family finances. Start a savings account so your child can track his or her balance and the effect of interest received.
Keep a tape measure handy. Children love to measure height (including their own!) and length. Introduce the concepts of perimeter and area. Recruit help in the kitchen. Read recipes together, measure ingredients, and discover equivalent fractions. Hang a calendar in your child’s room. Make note of special days and use vocabulary such as yesterday, last week, next month. Trace the weather, phases of the moon, and seasons of the year. When traveling, enlist the help of your child. Put him or her in charge of the maps that parks and tourist destinations provide. Identify locations of interest and discuss the coordinate grid. Calculate distances and mileage together.
The Rewards of Reading
Reading every day at home has been proven to result in a significant improvement in a child’s academic success. One of the most convincing studies I have found states that reading for just 20 minutes a day translates to 3,600 minutes of reading (1,800,000 words read) per year and scores in the 90th percentile on standardized tests. A student who starts reading for 20 minutes a day starting in kindergarten will have read an equivalent of 60 school days by the end of 6th grade (Nagy & Herman, 1987).
Ask your child to share what he or she is learning as they read. Stop and make predictions about what will happen next. Change the ending of the story. Take turns reading and acting out the parts of the characters. Compare and contrast the characters and setting to other stories or to the movie based on the book.
Although your child may enjoy a particular book series or have a preference toward fiction, be sure to encourage reading from a variety of genres. When reading nonfiction, point out the importance of text features (headings, index, graphs, captions, maps, etc.) and discuss why they are embedded in the passage and how they help relate information to the reader. When reading poetry, discuss rhythm and rhyme as well as figurative language.
Visit the public library. Sign up for any reading programs that might be offered. Ask whether there are reading clubs or reading incentives at your child’s school. Ensure that your child is reading independently on their appropriate reading level. However, don’t hesitate to expose your child to text that is more difficult. You may read challenging books together, or your child may listen to the book in audio format. Ask your child to visualize what is being read by imagining the scene. Pause occasionally to check for understanding. Read a paragraph or two and have your child provide a brief summary or draw a picture of that portion of the text.
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
Finally, address any concerns or questions you may have with your child’s teacher. Teachers may be able to suggest additional resources to strengthen skills. Most important, keep the lines of communication open with the Lord through prayer. The One who fearfully and wonderfully made your child also blessed this child with unique and special gifts and abilities. Encourage your child to use those talents to the fullest, becoming a shining light for his or her Savior.
From Parents Crosslink Autumn 2017 © 2017 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.