- What do I do if my child doesn't want to read?
- How can I help my child improve in writing?
- How can I help my child get organized?
- What do I do if I don't understand my child's homework?
- What is an open-ended question and how can I help my child answer one?
- How can I help my child learn their basic math facts?
What do I do if my child doesn't want to read?
Find a time that is a quiet time of the day to encourage your child to read.
Setting a timer will show them how fast time really goes when they get
started. Start with a small amount of time and gradually increase the time.
This way he/she can ease into their new habit. Some children will transition
to independent reading if you begin by taking turns reading. First you read a
page, then they will read a page. Before you know it, they will forget it's
your turn and will keep reading until you stop them!
Some children love to read to younger siblings or even a teddy bear if mom and
dad can't sit with them.
Stick with it and the habit will come!
How can I help my child improve in writing?
Finding a journal that the child can write in,in a nonthreatening way, can
ease a child into writing for pleasure; to get down the great thoughts that
he/she might want to share. Going back to read these in a month will show a
child how much they have improved as a writer in a short time! Finding a fun
pen or pencil to write with also is a great idea!
How can I help my child get organized?
Organizing your child means more than just having their homework packed up
for the next day. Establishing routines is the beginning of teaching your
child how to organize their time which will help reduce the stress of
scrambling to get things done and then not taking the time to put things in
their place or leaving them behind. If your child can organize when and where
they do their homework and then when and where they pack up for the next
school day, there will be less chance that they won't have what they need when
they get to school. Using a family calendar for each day helps many busy
families plan where they will find the time to do homework after school.
Teaching your child how to organize their time after school will be a valuable
life skill that will help them succeed once they join the workforce!
What do I do if I don't understand my child's homework?
This is a common occurrence for many parents. First you should ask your child
to think what their teacher told them to do. If they are still unable to
explain it to you, check their website for examples or a more detailed
description. If both you and your child are still confused, ask your child
to do it the best they can and then write a note to your child's teacher that
they were unsure of the directions and would you explain the directions to
your child so that they may complete it the next day. It does not help your
child to say that you do not get it since you were not at school to learn what
to do. Your best course of action is to inform your child's teacher
that they are unsure what to do.
What is an open-ended question and how can I help my child answer one?
An open-ended question is one that involves your child's opinion. Your child is
given many open-ended questions to respond to throughout their day, especially
after reading any text, both non-fiction or fiction. An open-ended question
can't be answered with a simple "yes/no" response. Instead, your child will
have to find evidence in the text to support their answer. Again, these
questions require your student to support their answer with evidence from the
text or experience. Now that students are in 3rd grade, we expect them to always respond in
a paragraph format. We have introduced the acronym "RATS" to help them
remember all the components of a good open-ended response.
R= Restate the question
A= Answer the question with your opinion
T= Tell examples from the text- use 2 or 3 examples, your life, and /or the world
S= Sum up your answer for the reader
For example:
Question: In the story, Where the Wild Things Are" What is one way to describe the
main character of the story?
Answer: In the story, Where the Wild Things Are, the main character Maxx is a
angry little boy. I think he is angry because he is sent to bed without any
supper and pouts as he goes to his room. He also seems angry when he shouts to
his mom that he is running away. I remember when I got punished once and I felt
so mad that I wanted to run away from home too. When he gets to the island he
is mad there too. He is mean to the animals even though he is their king.
As you can see, Maxx is a very angry boy for most of the
the story, Where the Wild Things Are.
How can I help my child learn their basic math facts?
There are many times throughout the morning or evening when you can get your child to practice their math facts.
A few times might be: during commercial breaks- take out their fact family triangles and look over a few,
while eating breakfast- take that time to look over their fact triangles or if possible, have an older sibling,
mom or dad, or other family member ask them, during car rides to and from evening activities- while driving,
rattle off those facts and see how many you can do before you get to your destination, and don't forget getting
to school in the morning; whether walking or driving to school, you can practice facts quickly
while you go .
If it is a light night of homework and you have a few minutes, go on the computer to one of my suggested math sites and there are
plenty of sites to do drill and practice with your child.
Have fun and practice daily until your child can say their facts as quickly as they spell their name.
