Importance of School
Show your child you think school is important
Taking time to set expectations and goals with your child clearly communicates your interest in helping her to do her best. Build on that by showing your enthusiasm for education in a variety of ways. Here’s how:
· Maintain a relationship with your child’s teacher. Keep in touch throughout the year. Share information about how your child is doing. Ask the teacher for suggestions on how to best support your child’s learning.
· Attend school events in person or online to show your child that school is a priority for you. If your schedule and resources allow, consider volunteering at home and participating in school activities.
· Maintain a suitable environment for schoolwork. Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to study. Keep it stocked with the supplies she needs. Look over homework and give suggestions.
· Keep up with assignments. Doing schoolwork is your child’s responsibility, but you should be aware of what she is studying as well as the status of homework assignments, tests and class projects.
· Stay positive about school and schoolwork. Your attitude rubs off on your child. Whenever possible, mention that the latest science unit sounds interesting. Say a good word about your child’s teacher, too. “I really like the way Mr. Thomas always gives you a study guide before your tests. I know it helps you to feel more prepared.”
Toothpick Math
A box of toothpicks is all you need to teach your child some valuable math skills—reasoning, number sense and even basic geometry. Toothpick math is also a fun way to make time go faster while waiting at an appointment.
Here are some fun ways to put a box of toothpicks to use:
· Last one wins. This is a great game for two people. Lay out 12 toothpicks. Taking turns, players may remove one or two toothpicks. The player who takes the last toothpick wins. (Try to leave three toothpicks on the table to guarantee a win on your next turn.)
· Can you copy this? Using five toothpicks, create a design. Let your child look at it for only three seconds. Then cover it up and see if your child can recreate it from memory.
· Tricky triangles. Give your child seven toothpicks. How many triangles can he create?
