Encourage Academic Growth
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- Provide a quiet place at home for studying. Have a dictionary and other reference materials available.
- Expect your student to do their best work on homework and school assignments. "It's OK," often isn't good enough.
- Review your student's daily schoolwork and homework assignments. Ask them questions and praise their efforts. This allows you to keep in touch with what they are studying and lets you know when they are having difficulty.
- Encourage your student to write. Help them write thank you notes to relatives, shopping lists, schedules of activities, and stories.
- Watch TV programs together. Help your student recognize the difference between what is "real" and what is "fantasy" or "pretend".
- Play games with your student. Ask them to read the rules to you and to explain it in their own words.
- Encourage your student to play with paper, pencils, crayons, chalk, markers, and paints. These activities develop coordination and creativity.
- To emphasize important math concepts, use such everyday activities as keeping a growth chart or counting knives and forks when setting the table.
- Set an example by reading at home. Your student should see you reading books, magazines and newspapers. Read aloud frequently to your young student.
- Continue to emphasize schoolwork as a priority for older students. Jobs, sports, clubs, and other activities should not be allowed to interfere with learning.