What Can I do to Help?
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1. Let your child catch you reading. Subscribe to the paper and/or magazines and keep books by your bed and/or by the sofa or a favorite reading chair. Literacy is catching so let your child "catch you reading!"
2. Designate a "no T.V. zone" by declaring one evening a week "personal reading night." Each member of the family gets to spend time reading what they like (comic books, children's magazines, the comic section of the paper or checked out school or library books make perfect contenders!)
3. Designate another "no T.V. zone" by declaring one evening a week "game night." There are many educational games that are fun, some of which you probably already own! (Yatzee reinforces basic math concepts for middle elementary grades . Scrabble can be used to reinforce vocabulary and spelling in any age as everyone can make words at his/her own level. Cranium can be used for the creative first grader on up! It incorporates something for everyone from Pictionary to charades to Trivial Pursuit all in one box.)
4. Have a family reading time (weekly or nightly depending on your family's schedule). My favorite memories as a child were of being read to. Select a chapter book a month (the librarian can help you come up with ideas for the age of children you'll be reading to) and read a chaper a night or a week (depending on your family's schedule) out loud to the kids.
5. Keep a calendar for each child in their room or keep one family calendar. They have inexpensive wooden ones available at Walmart with magnetic attachements for things like doctor's appointments, birthdays, holidays, field trips and other special days. You can begin teaching responsiblity and organization by adding places for homework and time when other projects are due. You could also a calendar poster at Lakeshore Learning (SEC of 48th St. and Ray) and laminate it right there (under $5 total). Get an erasable white board marker and work out the monthly calendar dates with your kids each month to keep you all organized.
6. Have a weekly or monthly public library day and get a library card for your whole family! Let your child pick out books for read for his weekly reading night or a chapter book for the weekly/nightly reading time. Be sure to pick up books for yourself while you are there (modeling a love for reading). I learned to become an accomplished gardener and decorator for free through our public library. I m often in the middle of several books (my bedside table is a bookshelf just to accommodate all the books and magazines I m constantly purusing!)
7. Have your family/friends give gift certificates to book stores or places where your children can select games rather than always sending toys and/or candy. These make good gifts from you as well and continue to build up excitement for literacy.
8. Have a time set aside each week/month to write letters. My Nana loved to write letters and I have dozens from her from the time I was 7 years old throughout adulthood. You can also try to find a pen pal or two over the internet. This builds excitement and enthusiasm for writing. Be sure to sit down and help your child think of things to say and help them with spelling (start teaching dictionary usage) or showing them how to use the spell checker on the computer.
9. Don t forget the computer for learning. Many kids today don t need to be told to play computer games as this can easily take up as much or more time than T.V.! Try to get them started on some of the educational website games as well - http://pbskids.org/ www.starfall.com/ http://www.scholastic.com/play/aboutUs.htm (see my website section for more ideas).
10. Make it a habit to go over homework with your child for 10 minutes or so a day. Set them up at the kitchen table or island counter while you are cooking so you are close by to answer questions and try to have them finished before dinner. Then you ll have the evening free for reading, a game, a movie or a bath!
11. Volunteer in the classroom - we need you! You can help with students or help us with some of our administrative tasks (copying, filing, sorting, laminating, cutting things out and etc.) Check out this link on how: http://musd20.org/VolunteerProgram/Volunteer.htm