Children Learn What They Live Dorthy Law Nolte, Ph. D.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy. If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient. If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence. If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate. If children live with fairness, they learn justice. If children live with security, they learn faith. If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves. If children live with acceptance, and friendship, they learn to find love in the world.
Helping Your Child Be Successful in School
Make learning a priority.
Be generous with praise. Observe your child carefully and comment on the things that are done well. When you see an area that needs improvement, find a positive way to talk about it.
Encourage "Personal Best." Help your child by encouraging him or her to do their best at school and at home. Remember "personal best" does not mean "perfect," and "learning" is not the same as high grades. Children, like adults, need the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them.
Show interest in school work. Read agenda and talk about school each day. Look over classwork. Read with your child or have your child read aloud to you. Encourage your child to discuss new ideas and opinions. Show appreciation for good efforts
Set-up a time and area for work to be done at home. Set-up an area for homework away from noise and distractions. Try to schedule a set time to read for 20 minutes each night.
Support 100% attendance Some kinds of absences are unavoidable, but taking students out of school unnecessarily is disruptive for learning.
Help your child set goals. Help your child set a few appropriate goals and regularly discuss strategies and progress towards those goals.
Get involved. Attend school activities such as open houses, parent/ teacher interviews, fun fair, school musical , performances, volunteer for school trips and attend PTA meetings. When your children see you involved, they will also see education as a high priority.
How can I help my child with reading?
Read to, or with your child every day.
Ask "why" questions about the stories you read. "Why do you think the character acted like that?"
Talk about the books your child has read at school.
Take your child to the local library.
Buy books as presents to commemorate special occasions.
Talk about the things you read--newspapers, magazines, books ect.
Browse together in book stores.
Talk about the books that you are reading together. Compare characters in the story with real people.
Accept your child's efforts with praise, concentrate on all of the things that he/she does right, NOT on the few errors.
Play board games with your child and have them practice reading the instructions aloud.
Play Scrabble or another word game like Boggle.
Share letters and postcards from friends with the whole family.
Encourage your child to keep a diary or journal when you go on holidays. This is particularly valuable if you are travelling and your child is missing school