Parent Information

How Can I Help My Child?

 
 

Many things that you do at home on a daily basis will help your children the most. The activities described below benefit all children.

  1. Set aside a special reading time. Tell your child you look forward to and enjoy your reading time together. Try reading chapter books with older children.
  2. Let your child see you reading. Read the newspaper, magazines, and books in front of your child.
  3. Listen to your child. Oral language experiences strengthen children's reading.
  4. Talk with your child.
  5. Make time to play with and enjoy your child - regardless of his or her age.
  6. Begin to solve problems with your child, not for him or her.
  7. Invite your child to complete household chores and projects with you. Discuss how and why you do certain things, and explain all the details to your child.
  8. Encourage your child to write letters to relatives and friends.
  9. Praise your child whenever possible.
  10. Supervise homework. Give your child a place to work, and check that assignments are completed.
  11. Talk with your child about school and everyday events.
  12. Encourage exercise and good nutrition.
  13. Broaden your child's horizons by taking him or her to parks, museums, libraries, zoos, historical sites, and sporting events.
  14. Tell your child that education is important, and encourage him or her to do well at school.
  15. Children will know intuitively how to behave; teach your child kindly, but firmly.
  16. Help your child get a library card from the public library. Take your child to the library as often as possible.
  17. Help your child pick out interesting books to read.
  18. Talk to your child about subjects that are interesting to him or her.
  19. Write notes to your child. Leave them to be found in special places - under pillows, in lunches, or in favourite books.
  20. Give your child a place to keep his or her own books.
  21. Encourage your child to keep a scrapbook about a subject that interests him or her (e.g., stamps, dogs, birds, trucks, hockey, photos of the family doing activities together).
  22. Limit your child's television watching. Turn on the television for a specific show and turn it off immediately after the show is over.
  23. Read and discuss your child's schoolwork together.
  24. Provide materials for creative projects (e.g., crayons, pencils, paper, paint, scissors).
  25. Help your child write down special events on a calendar and mark off each day.
  26. Help your child make a telephone directory with the names and telephone numbers of friends and relatives.
  27. Encourage your child to play outside and get plenty of fresh air.
  28. Invite your child to help you prepare dinner or bake a special treat.
  29. Subscribe to a children's magazine in your child's name.
  30. Bring books in the car for your child to read.
  31. Look up words in the dictionary with your child.
  32. Encourage your child to show his or her schoolwork to your friends and relatives.
  33. When traveling, read road signs with your child and discuss what they mean. Play roadsign games.
  34. Show your child how to use a metre stick, ruler, or tape measure to measure things around the house.
  35. Give your child a special place to keep items he or she must take to school regularly.
  36. Display your child's work around the house.
  37. Hug your child daily!