Helping Your Child Succeed in School
with activities for children
aged 5 through 11
Foreword
This is the question we parents are always trying to
answer. It's good that children ask questions: that's the best
way to learn. All children have two wonderful resources for
learning--imagination and curiosity. As a parent, you can
awaken your children to the joy of learning by encouraging
their imagination and curiosity.
Helping Your Child Succeed in School is one in a series of
books on different education topics intended to help you make
the most of your child's natural curiosity. Teaching and
learning are not mysteries that can only happen in school. They
also happen when parents and children do simple things
together.
For instance, you and your child can: sort the socks on
laundry day--sorting is a major function in math and science;
cook a meal together--cooking involves not only math and
science but good health as well; tell and read each other
stories--storytelling is the basis for reading and writing (and
a story about the past is also history); or play a game of
hopscotch together--playing physical games will help your child
learn to count and start on a road to lifelong fitness.
By doing things together, you will show that learning is
fun and important. You will be encouraging your child to study,
learn, and stay in school.
All of the books in this series tie in with the National
Education Goals set by the President and the Governors. The
goals state that, by the year 2000: every child will start
school ready to learn; at least 90 percent of all students will
graduate from high school; each American student will leave the
4th, 8th, and 12th grades demonstrating competence in core
subjects; U.S. students will be first in the world in math and
science achievement; every American adult will be literate,
will have the skills necessary to compete in a global economy,
and will be able to exercise the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship; and American schools will be liberated from drugs
and violence so they can focus on learning.
This book is a way for you to help meet these goals. It
will give you a short run-down on facts, but the biggest part
of the book is made up of simple, fun activities for you and
your child to do together. Your child may even beg you to do
them. At the end of the book is a list of resources, so you can
continue the fun.
As U.S. Education Secretary Lamar Alexander has said:
The first teachers are the parents, both by example and
conversation. But don't think of it as teaching. Think of
it as fun.
So, let's get started. I invite you to find an activity in
this book and try it.
Diane Ravitch
Assistant Secretary and Counselor to the Secretary
Contents
Introduction
The Basics
Where Our Children Learn
What Our Children Learn From Us
How Our Children Learn From Us
What Messages To Send
Activities
Can You Top This?
Listen Up
Time Marches On
Now You See It, Now You Don't
Start to Finish
I'm OK, We're OK
Where Did I Put That?
My Place
Well Done!
How Time Flies
Homework Made Easy(!)
Divide It Up
Help Wanted
How Can I Help?
TV Time
Parents and the Schools
Notes
Acknowledgments
Introduction
What is the earliest memory you have of being in school?
Excitement?
Fear?
Wonder?
Rejection?
Joy?
How do you feel about your years in school? If you have
happy memories, chances are you can help your children be
excited about learning and have good memories, too. If you
disliked school, it's harder, but you can do lots of things to
help make school a better experience for your children than it
was for you.
The good news is that every child in every family has the
power to succeed in school and in life, and every parent,
grandparent, and caregiver can help.
But how do we help our children succeed? How do we give
them the power? The most important thing we can do is be
involved with our children's education even before they are in
school, then stay involved once they are in school.
This book is about what we can do in our own homes, right
now, that will help our children go to school wanting to learn.
It includes:
* Basic information on what we know about success in school;
* Activities for children ages 5-11 to help them acquire the
skills to succeed;
* Questions and answers about when to talk to the teacher
and how to handle parent-teacher conferences.
Success in school takes hard work, planning, a few basic
skills, and the will to want to succeed. How do we pass these
ideas on to our children?
What we know about success in school is a combination of
common sense mixed with new ideas about learning.
We do know the following:
1. Where our children learn is important. We can find
inexpensive and easy things to do at home--where our
children first start learning--that will make them want to
learn. We can also strengthen our ties with the community
and the schools, where learning continues.
2. What our children learn from us is important. What we say
and do can build their maturity and self-confidence.
3. How our children learn from us is important. All of us
teach our children every day, whether we realize it or
not. We can make sure we show them a variety of ways to
learn.
Now, how do we take these facts and turn them into ways to
help our children do well in school?
The Basics
Where Our Children Learn
At Home
It's no surprise to anyone that children need time with
their parents. And even though most parents are extremely busy,
whether they work outside of the home or not, they do find time
to spend with their children. But they want that time to count
in helping prepare their children for the world they will find
outside the home.
What counts most is what we say and do at home, not how
rich or poor we are or how many years of school we have
finished. When children can count on getting attention at home,
they have a greater sense of security and self-worth. This will
help them do better not only in school, but also when they grow
up.
If you think about it, school, while very important, does
not really take up very much time. In the United States, the
school year averages 180 days; in other industrialized nations,
the school year can extend up to 240 days, and students are
often in school more hours per day. So, the hours and days a
child is not in school are important for learning, too.
Communicating. This is probably the most important
activity we can do in our home, and it doesn't cost anything.
Ask questions, listen for answers. These are no-cost,
high-value things to do.
Think of conversation as being like a tennis game with
talk, instead of a ball, bouncing back and forth. Communication
can happen any time, any place--in the car, on a bus, at
mealtime, at bedtime.
When our children enter and continue school with good
habits of communication, they are in a position to succeed--to
learn all that has to be learned, and to become confident
students.
Starting early. Here are some things you can do when your
children are young:
* Let them see you read, and read to them and with them.
Visit the library. If they are old enough, make sure they
have their own card. Keep books, magazines, and newspapers
around the house.
* Keep pencils and paper, crayons, and washable markers
handy for notes, grocery lists, and schoolwork. Writing
takes practice, and it starts at home.
* Teach children to do things for themselves rather than do
the work for them. Patience when children are young pays
off later.
* Help children, when needed, to break a job down into small
pieces, then do the job one step at a time. This works for
everything--getting dressed, a job around the house, or a
big homework assignment.
* Develop, with your child, a reasonable, consistent
schedule of jobs around the house. List them on a
calendar, day by day.
* Every home needs consistent rules children can depend on.
Put a plan into action, and follow through.
* Give each child an easy-to-reach place in which to put
things away.
* Set limits on TV viewing so that everyone can get work
done with less background noise.
* Watch TV with your children and talk about what you see.
Handling homework. These are the messages to get across to
your children about homework:
* Education is important. Homework has to be done. Let
children know that this is what you value.
* Try to have a special place where each child can study.
* Help your children plan how to do all the things they need
to do--study, work around the house, play, etc.
* Let your children know that you have confidence in them.
Remind them of specific successes they have had in the
past perhaps in swimming, soccer, cooking, or in doing a
difficult homework assignment.
* Don't expect or demand perfection. When children ask you
to look at what they've done--from skating a figure 8 to a
math assignment--show interest and praise them when
they've done something well. If you have criticisms or
suggestions, make them in a helpful way.
The time we spend exchanging ideas at home with our
children is vitally important in setting the tone, the
attitudes, and the behaviors that make the difference in
school.
In the Community
In many parts of our nation, the ties among neighbors have
been weakened. For the sake of our children, they need to be
rebuilt, and you can help. Be sure to introduce your children
to your neighbors. You might even try a "child watch" program
where adults who are home during the day keep an eye out for
children when they walk to and from school and stand at bus
stops.
Some schools are helping families connect with the
community by, for example, becoming centers for social services
as well as for education. Getting to know your child's school
can help you, in a very real way, get to know a major part of
your community. It can also help you build a network of wider
community support for your family.
At School
Parents can become involved with the schools in several
different ways, by working with children at home, volunteering,
sharing information, and helping to make policy. We need to
remember that what works in one community (or for one family)
may not necessarily work in another.
It may no longer be possible for parents to volunteer as
often for school activities. However, working with children at
home and sharing information with the school are two things all
parents can do.
The section after the activities, "Parents and the
Schools," has some suggestions on how to get the most out of
talking to your child's teacher. Many teachers say they rarely
receive information from parents about problems at home. Many
parents say they don't know what the school expects of their
child. Sharing information is essential, and both teachers and
parents are responsible for making it happen.
With our help, our children can become confident students,
able to handle the challenges of school. This means:
* Talking with our children about the value of hard work and
about the importance of education;
* Talking about what's happening in school;
* Reading report cards and messages that come from school;
* Going to school and meeting with teachers;
* Taking part in school events when you can; and
* Finding out about resources in the community.
What Our Children Learn From Us
Sometimes we think that all our children need to know to
be ready to start school are the ABCs and how to count. The
reality is that most children can learn these things pretty
fast once they get to school. What they do need--and what you
can give--is the message that education is valuable: through
education, people can shape their own future.
So, talk about learning, share the fun and excitement of
new skills. Show your children that you are always learning,
too. Read aloud, play games, and talk about events around the
block and around the world.
Children tend to follow the examples set for them. When we
say one thing and do another, children watch and learn. When we
practice what we preach, children watch and learn.
The bottom line is that when we give our children the
support and information they need, and expect them to do well,
they do better in school and in life.
How Our Children Learn From Us
Children need active, even noisy, learning as well as
quiet learning such as reading. Active learning includes asking
and answering questions (and trying to get more than just "yes"
or "no" answers); solving problems; and discussing a variety of
topics.
Active learning can also take place when a child plays
sports, spends time with friends, or goes to a museum or zoo.
The active learning suggestions in the next section will help
you think of even more things for you and your children to do.
Limit TV watching. Watching TV is an example of a quiet
activity that children can learn from, but one that is a
problem in almost every home. We know that children who watch a
lot of TV learn less and get lower grades than students who
watch little TV. And in international comparisons, U.S.
students rank high in watching TV, but are near the bottom in
doing homework. The result is that U.S. students know less than
those in other countries.
Encourage active learning. What can we do? We can listen
to our children's ideas and respond to them. We can let them
jump in with questions and opinions when reading books
together. When this type of give-and-take between parent and
child happens at home, a child's participation and interest in
school increases.
What Messages To Send
Three of the important messages our children need about
success in school can be sent by:
1. Sharing our own experiences and goals with our children,
because children tend to adopt our ideals. They need to
know how we feel about making an effort, working hard, and
planning ahead.
2. Establishing realistic, consistent family rules for work
around the house so our children can develop schedules and
stable routines. Children need limits set even though they
will test these limits over and over again. Children need
to know what they can depend on--and they need to be able
to depend on the rules we make.
3. Encouraging our children to think about the future. Our
children need realistic, reasonable expectations, and they
need the satisfaction of having some of these expectations
met. They need to take part in making decisions (and to
learn that sometimes this means sacrificing fun now for
benefits later) and they need to find out what happens as
a result of decisions they have made.
Throw a stone into a pool and the circles widen and
overlap. None of us lives in isolation. The circles of home,
community, and school overlap also. For our children to learn
and thrive, they need the support and encouragement of all of
the circles in which we live. But the circle in the center is
the home and that's where it all starts.
Activities
There is no one "right" way of doing these activities.
Make changes, shorten or lengthen them to suit your child's
attention span, or think up some activities of your own. Above
all, enjoy them. And don't worry about what you might not have
done in the past. Start where you are now, with the resources
you have now.
In a box at the end of each activity is information on why
that activity is important to your child's education. The
suggested activities all build skills, attitudes, and behaviors
children need for good study habits. They are designed to help
develop personal maturity, enthusiasm for learning, and the
ability to concentrate.
But that does not mean the activities are hard to do and
won't be any fun. They are easy to do, cost little or no money,
use materials found at home, and don't take much time.
Work out your own schedule for the activities. Don't
forget to try them on vacation days or in the summer, too. If
you've only used one part of an activity, you can go back to it
and find the ideas you haven't tried. Experience indicates that
all of the activities, in whole or in part, will be useful.
Ability in schoolwork is like ability in sports: it takes
practice to gain confidence, to become motivated, and to win.
Age Levels
The activities are arranged by approximate age levels.
But, of course, you are the best judge of what your child may
be ready to try. Age levels of the activities are indicated by
a symbol at the top of each activity:
Ages 5-7
The activities for these early school years focus on
helping children get ready for schoolwork and get a head start
on the habits and behaviors important for ongoing success in
school.
Ages 7-9
These activities help children become organized and build
early study skills and work habits.
Ages 9-11
These projects for children in the upper elementary grades
continue to focus on work and study habits, with more emphasis
on making personal decisions.
Remember:
* We can all be great teachers;
* Every home is a learning place;
* We don't need a lot of time to do a lot of good; and
* Everyone's abilities and skills can be improved.
Let's Go
Pick an activity and try it with your children. You will
know they are learning when they say, "Let me try it." And
you'll know they understand when they shout: "Let me do it! Let
me! Let me."
Can You Top This?
Teamwork is important in school. In this game, children
practice taking turns and working with others. They also build
language skills.
What you'll need
Imagination
What to do
1. Make up a story, with parents and children taking turns,
one sentence at a time.
Decide on a topic. You might begin the first sentence with
"Once upon a time a pirate lived in..."
Continue taking turns making up and telling parts of the
story until you decide to end it-maybe after 8 or 10
sentences.
2. Take turns beginning and finishing a story. Ask other
family members and friends to join in.
By making up stories, children can improve their language
skills. They can also start to understand how ideas flow from
one to another, and that everyone's ideas are important.
Listen Up
This game helps teach how to listen carefully and follow
directions, two things that are important in school.
What you'll need
Any small object you can hide Objects that make noise
What to do
1. Hide a small object. Give directions to find it such as,
"Take five steps ahead. Turn right. Keep the lamp to your
left. Bend down and look to the right." Take turns doing
this.
2. All but one person close their eyes. The person with his
or her eyes open makes a sound (such as keys jangling,
hands clapping, a bell ringing, a spoon tapping against a
glass). Everyone else tries to guess what is making the
sound.
3. Clap your hands to tap out a rhythm. Have another player
listen and then clap that same rhythm back to you. Do it
different ways: slow, fast, loud, soft. Make the rhythms
harder as it gets easier to repeat them.
4. When taking a walk, or any place where you can stop for a
few minutes, sit quietly for 30 seconds with your eyes
closed, then tell each other what you heard: a baby
crying, an airplane, a bird singing.
5. Take a walk. One of you tell the other person what to
do--cross the street, turn left, look down. Take turns
following each other's directions.
Through practice, children can learn to listen carefully,
see and hear details, and follow directions.
Time Marches On
This game will help your children see the difference
between "a few seconds" and "a few minutes," and can help them
be on time in school.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
A timer of some kind (alarm clock, kitchen timer)
Clock or watch with all 12 numerals and a second hand
What to do
1. Ask your children to watch the second hand tick five
seconds. Together, count off the seconds.
2. Count off 30 seconds. How many times can your child clap
hands during this time? Take turns timing and watching
each other.
3. Make guesses about how long ordinary things take:
How long is a traffic light red or green?
How long does it take to eat dinner?
How long does it take to get ready for school?
Test your guesses with the watch or timer. How close did
you each come to the right answer?
4. Read a book aloud with your child for 3 minutes. Time
yourselves. Then move up to 5 minutes, then to 10, and so
on.
Learning that some things take longer than others will
help your child understand how long it takes to do a task and
how to plan for it. This activity will also help them increase
their attention span.
Now You See It, Now You Don't
This activity teaches children to pay close attention by
seeing how long it takes different kinds of liquids to freeze
and melt.
What you'll need
2 ice cube trays
A clock
Water
Small bowls
Paper
Pencil
Other liquids
What to do
1. Together, fill one ice cube tray to the top with water.
Fill the other tray only half full.
Put both trays in the freezer. Check the clock. In
2 hours, look to see if the water has frozen (if not,
wait until it has frozen).
How long did it take the water in each tray to freeze?
Did the smaller amount of water freeze faster than the
larger amount?
2. Take an ice cube from each of the 2 trays. Put them in
separate bowls to melt. Which cube melts faster--the
larger one or the smaller one?
3. Put one ice cube in a window and another in the
refrigerator (not freezer) and see how long they take to
melt.
4. Try to freeze samples of liquids such as fruit juices.
Compare their freezing times to that of water.
This activity can help your child understand that things
don't happen immediately. It will also introduce the concept of
change--liquid to solid to liquid again--and the idea of having
to wait to get the result you want.
Start to Finish
Organization has to be learned. This activity lets
children practice planning, beginning, and finishing a
job--important parts of completing schoolwork.
What you'll need
Pencil
Paper
Items used to do a job around the house, such as watering
plants or setting the table
What to do
1. Together, select one job your child usually does around
the house, such as watering plants.
Ask your child to write down or tell you the "Plan," "Do,"
and "Finish" steps needed to do the job well.
Look over these steps together and talk about possible
changes.
2. See what happens if one plant isn't watered when it is
supposed to be. How long does it take for the leaves to
start changing color?
3. List the "plan," "do," and "finish" steps of one or two
jobs you do around the house. Ask your child to help you
think of ways to improve these steps.
4. When your children have a new task, help them plan the
steps so they can do the job well and have a sense of
accomplishment.
Sometimes taking time to plan seems like "a waste of
time," but it has been shown that those who plan a job are
usually more successful and do it in a shorter amount of time.
Seeing the changes from not watering a plant can introduce
the idea of "cause and effect."
I'm OK, We're OK
All of us have ways in which we are special. This activity
helps children recognize and appreciate how they, and others,
are special.
What you'll need
Pen or pencil
Paper
What to do
1. Together, think of and write down at least 2 things you
like about yourselves (for example, I have a good sense of
humor; I try to be fair).
Write down 2 things you like about the others playing this
game.
Now, take turns talking about what others say they like
about you.
2. Write down 2 things you would like to improve. When will
you start? How long do you think it will take?
3. Think of some jobs around the house that both of you will
feel proud of, like fixing special food for the family,
teaching the family a new game, or fixing something that's
broken.
4. Try to set a time every day, even a few minutes, when you
can talk about things that happened that day.
Find times to listen to each other and to chat. A ride to
the grocery store or a wait at the dentist's office can be
a good time.
Self-confidence can make a difference in how much success
a person has, both at school and later in life.
Talking about what happened during the day lets children
work out problems early instead of having them pile up and
become overwhelming.
Where Did I Put That?
Children need help getting organized. A special place for
school items helps make mornings smoother for parents and
children.
What you'll need
Cardboard box
Crayons or markers
What to do
1. Find a sturdy cardboard box or carton large enough to hold
notebooks and other school things. Let your child decorate
it with pictures, words, or art work, and his or her name.
Each child in the family can have a separate box.
Together, find a place to put the box. A spot near the
front door or the place where your child does homework
would be good.
School things should go in the box as soon as your child
comes home from school. Later, all homework and anything
else needed for school the next day should go into it.
In the winter, hats and mittens can also go in the box
when they are dry.
2. Let your child make a rainy day box and put it in a
different place (or make it a different color). Fill it
with "treasures"--games, books, a new pencil. Invite other
members of the family to put surprises in the box (no
snakes or flogs, please).
Keeping all school items in one place helps teach children
how much easier life can be when we are organized and plan
ahead.
Show your appreciation when your child keeps things in
order.
My Place
This activity gives each child a separate place to study
or play.
What you'll need
Space--even a tiny area will do
A small but steady table
1 chair
1 lamp
Small floor covering
What to do
1. Together, find a quiet study area away from the TV and
radio for each child (even those not old enough to have
homework yet).
2. Cut down an old blanket, rug, or sheet to put on a small
area of the floor. Use this to mark off each child's
private space. Put the table and chair on the floor
covering.
This space does not have to be in the same place all the
time. If the table is light weight, the floor cover can be
put down any place it is out of the way (such as near the
kitchen if a child needs help while dinner is being
fixed). It can also be put away when it is not being used.
3. If the study space will always be in the same place, try
out different arrangements of the furniture to see what
works best. Arrange the lamp so the study area is well
lit.
4. Together, label items with the child's name.
Watch for improvement and show pleasure when quality of
work improves.
Children tend to argue over the same space (even in a big
room). By having an area of the floor marked off, each child
has a place that feels like his or her own. A special place
also helps children focus on what they are studying.
Well Done!
Children need the experience of doing chores. The
following are ideas to help children be more responsible and
realize the importance of people doing what they say they will
do.
What you'll need
Helping hands
What to do
1. Talk about what happens when people do the things they are
responsible for (water the plants or feed pets, for
example).
Think about what would happen if people did not do these
things--if the bus driver stayed home, or the movie
projectionist didn't show up for work. Together, think of
more examples.
2. Decide together on jobs for each family member to do.
Should people be able to do only the things they like?
Talk together about this.
3. Turn a household task into a game. Decide together how
long it will take to do the job. Time yourselves against
the clock.
Listening to the radio or a record while you do the job
makes it more fun. This helps the work get done faster,
too.
Children need to learn early how others are affected when
chores-are not done. Talk about why it is necessary to do
things we don't want to do, and why we should not expect others
to do our work.
This activity also gives children an early lesson in how
to make good decisions.
How Time Flies
"I don't have time to do all I need time to do." Sound
familiar? Planning our time is one of the most useful things we
can learn. Knowing how long something will take can save time
and tempers.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Clock
Calendar
What to do
1. Together, write down your estimates of how long it takes
to do certain tasks (such as getting ready for school or
work in the morning; fixing a meal).
Use a clock to time at least one of these tasks. Then take
turns timing each other. (But be realistic--it's not
necessarily a race.)
2. See what part of a job can be done ahead of time, such as
deciding at bedtime what to wear the next day.
3. Talk about at least 2 places you and your children go
where you must be on time. What do you do to make sure you
are on time?
4. Put a monthly calendar with large spaces where everyone
can see it. Each member of the family can use a different
colored marker to list appointments and social activities.
Being on time, or not being on time, affects other people.
It is important for children to understand their responsibility
for being on time--it's not just for grown-ups.
Homework Made Easy(!)
Homework without nagging is much to be desired. Have your
child try a homework chart.
What you'll need
Paper
Marker, pen, or pencil
Clock
What to do
1. Have (or help) your child do the following: Create a
homework chart out of a sturdy, large-sized piece of
paper.
Attach a colored marker or pen so that it is always handy.
Each day after school, put a check mark in each box in
which there is a homework assignment.Circle the check when
the homework is completed.
2. Make a new chart for each week. Depending on how many
subjects you have, you may be able to put 3 or 4 weeks on
each piece of paper.
3. Try to figure out how long it will take to complete
homework assignments so you know when you need to start
working.
A homework chart can show exactly what needs to be done
when, and gives a feeling of accomplishment when an assignment
is crossed off.
Talk to your child about homework. Does your child need or
want more time or help? Does your child want to devote more
time to learning about a certain subject?
Divide It Up
Just about anything is easier to do if it's divided into
smaller pieces. As assignments get longer and more complicated,
more organizing and planning skills are needed.
What you'll need
Homework assignments
Jobs in and around the house
Paper
Pencil
What to do
1. Choose a big assignment to talk about, such as a geography
project. Decide together, and have your child write down,
what he or she needs to complete the job. For example:
Reference materials (books, maps)
Can you complete the assignment just using your textbook?
If not, do you need to go to the library?. If so, can you
check out books, or will you have to allow time to stay
there and use reference books?
Notes
Do you have a notebook? Pencils? Will you need note cards?
Illustrations
If you need pictures, where will you get them?
Finished project
Will it be a stapled report? A poster? A folded brochure?
What will you need to complete the job?
2. Decide the order in which the parts of the job need to be
done. Number the steps.
Try to estimate how long each step will take. Work
backwards from the date the paper is due in order to see
when each part needs to be started. Put start and finish
dates next to these steps, then put the assignment on a
calendar or homework chart.
3. Together, think about a household job, such as gardening
or cleaning. Divide it up into smaller parts.
4. Talk about how adults divide work on their jobs or at
home.
This trick of dividing big jobs into small pieces helps
make all jobs easier and can save a lot of wear and tear on
everyone when it's time to hand in a school assignment.
Help Wanted
Older students are interested in life beyond school. You
can help them have a realistic sense of what's out there.
What you'll need
Pen or pencil
Paper
Newspaper "help wanted" ads
Friends and neighbors
What to do
1. Talk with your child: "What job do you think you would
like to do when you get out of school? What training do
you think you will need to get this job?"
2. Suggest that your child pick two adults he or she knows,
such as neighbors or relatives, to interview briefly about
their jobs.
Help your child think of at least 3 questions to write
down, leaving space for the answers. Sample questions:
What is your job? How long have you held it? What kind of
special training did you need?
Have your child do the interviews. (You may want to help
him or her get started.)
After the interview, talk about what your child learned.
Now your child will be more comfortable doing the next
step.
3. Read a page of the newspaper help wanted ads together.
Have your child find ads for three jobs that he or she
might want in the future. Talk together about the training
needed for each job: Can some of it be learned on the job?
How much schooling is necessary?.
4. Have your child find people who already have these jobs
and interview them.
Remember that there will be many new kinds of jobs in the
future. What children--and adults, too-need to do is be
flexible and keep on learning.
How Can I Get Help?
We need to think about more than our own interests and ask
"How can I help others?"
What you'll need
Newspaper and magazine articles
What to do
1. Together, find newspaper articles about people who get
involved. Look for ways to help other people that involve
your child's interests.
2. What are some everyday good deeds? Ask your children to
think back and remember a time when they helped another
person. Think big and think small.
3. Discuss community food drives and volunteer tutoring
programs. Suggest that your children check with a local
religious group, community or recreation center, school,
or library.
4. Explore the possibility of joining a young people's group
that does community service.
5. Ask your children to name at least two things they could
do today or tomorrow to help others. What will it take?
Encourage your children to make a commitment.
Taking part in community activity can not only help
others, but can also help your child make new friends and learn
new skills.
TV Time
Decide how you are going to use TV. Watching television
can be educational or something we do in our spare time.
What you'll need
TV set
TV schedule
Pen or pencil
What to do
1. Decide together how much TV your family will watch. Read
the TV schedule. Have each family member decide what he or
she would like to watch. Put initials next to everyone's
choices.
Decide what you will watch each day or week. Circle your
choices. If 2 people want to watch different programs at
the same time, try to compromise: take turns.
Your child's teacher may assign a TV program as homework:
make allowances if this happens.
2. Try to find time to watch TV with your child. Be sure they
understand what's real and what isn't.
3. Have board games, books, or projects handy so children can
do other things when TV time is used up.
4. If your children watch too much TV, try cutting down a
little at a time. Avoid leaving a TV set on all day.
Parents and the Schools
Q: When should I talk with my child's teacher?
Early and often. Contact the teacher at the beginning of
the year or as soon as you can. Get acquainted and show your
interest.
Let teachers know what they need to know about your child.
If your child has special needs, make these known right from
the beginning.
If you notice a big change in your child's behavior or
attitude, contact the teacher immediately.
The teacher should tell you before the end of a grading
period if your child is having trouble; keeping parents
informed is an important function of the school.
Remember, parents and teachers work together to help
children want to learn and to help them gain self-confidence
and self-discipline.
Q: How do I get the most out of parent-teacher conferences?
Be prepared to listen as well as to talk. It helps to
write out questions before you leave home. Also jot down what
you want to tell the teacher. Be prepared to take notes during
the conference and ask for an explanation if you don't
understand something.
In conferences, the teacher should offer specific details
about your child's work and progress. If your child has
already received some grades, ask what went into them. Ask how
your child is being evaluated.
Discuss your child's talents, skills, hobbies, study
habits, and any special sensitivities such as concern about
weight or speech difficulties.
Tell the teacher if you think your child needs special
help. Tell the teacher about any special family situation, such
as a new baby, an illness, or a recent or upcoming move. It is
important to tell the teacher about things in your children's
lives that might affect their ability to learn.
Ask about specific ways to help your child at home. Try to
have an open mind.
At home, think about what the teacher has said and then
follow up. If the teacher has told you your child needs to
improve in certain areas, check back in a few weeks to see how
things are going.
Parents and teachers are partners in helping children.
Q: What if I don't have time to volunteer as much as I would
like?
Even if you can't volunteer to do work at the school
building, you can help your child learn when you are at home.
The key question is, "What can every parent do at home, easily
and in a few minutes a day, to reinforce and extend what the
school is doing?" This is the involvement every family can and
must provide.
The schools also need to take steps so parents feel good
about what they're doing at home and know they are helping.
What we as parents need to care about is involving
ourselves in our children's education outside of school.
Remember, you can encourage your child to work hard. You
can give your child the power to succeed in school.
Notes
This book is based on studies; on materials developed and
copyrighted by the Home and School Institute (HSI), MegaSkills
Education Center, 1201 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC
20036; and on the MegaSkills book and program.
Text Notes
The Basics
The following are among the studies that provide
documentation for the text material in this publication.
Up-to-date research on the family's role in education is not
easy to find in popularly accessible libraries, even in
bookstores. Selected below are some of the more easily found
sources.
For those interested in more information on these and
other studies in the field, it can be helpful to check with
university and other school libraries as well as with the
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the
U.S. Department of Education.
Where Our Children Learn
Benjamin Bloom, (1981). All Our Children Learning. New York:
McGraw Hill.
Reginald Clark, (1983). Family Life and School Achievement.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Alan Ginsburg and Sandra Hanson, (1988). Gaining Ground: Values
and High School Success. Washington., D.C.: U.S. Department of
Education.
Dorothy Rich, (1985). The Forgotten Factor in School Success:
The Family. Washington, D.C.: Home and School Institute.
S.G. Timmer et al., (1984). "How Children Use Time" in Time,
Goods, and Well Being. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social
Research. University of Michigan.
James Coleman, (1991). Parental Involvement in Education.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
James Comer, (1988). "Educating Poor, Minority Children."
Scientific American, 259:42-48.
Ann Henderson, Editor, (1987). The Evidence Continues to Grow:
Parent Involvement Improves Student Achievement. Columbia, Md.:
National Committee for Citizens in Education.
Lynn Balster Liontos, (1992). At Risk Families and Schools:
Becoming Partners. Eugene, Ore.: University of Oregon, ERIC
Clearinghouse on Educational Management.
National Commission on Children, (1992). Beyond Rhetoric: A New
American Agenda for Children and Families. Washington, D.C.
What Our Children Learn From Us
Joyce Epstein, Editor, (1991). "Parent Involvement" (Special
Section). KAPPAN 72.
Educational Testing Service, (1989). Crossroads in American
Education. Princeton, N.J.: National Assessment of Educational
Progress.
Robert Hess et al., (1987). "Cultural Variations in
Socialization for School Achievement." Journal of Applied
Developmental Psychology 8.
A.M. Pallas et al., (1987). "Children Who Do Exceptionally Well
in First Grade." Sociology of Education 60.
Dorothy Rich, (1988, 1992). MegaSkills In School and In Life:
The Best Girl You Can Give Your Child. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin.
Herbert J. Walberg, (1984). "Families as Partners in
Educational Productivity." KAPPAN 65.
How Our Children Learn From Us
Educational Testing Service, (1989). A World of Differences: An
International Assessment of Mathematics and Science. Princeton,
N.J.: National Assessment of Educational Progress.
L. M. Laosa, (1980). "Maternal Teaching Strategies in Chicano
and Anglo-American Families: The Influence of Culture and
Education on Maternal Behavior." Child Development 51.
Harold Stevenson and James Stigler, (1992). The Learning Gap.
New York: Summit Books.
U.S. Department of Education, (1986). What Works: Research
About Teaching and Learning.
"Activities" Notes
All of the activities in this section have been adapted
from the following copyrighted home learning activity programs
of The Home and School Institute (HSI), MegaSkills Education
Center.
Learning is Homegrown, developed for First Tennessee Bank.
MegaSkills Workshop Program, HSI National Training Initiative.
Project ADD (Alexandria's Dynamic Duo), developed for
Alexandria City, Va. Public Schools.
Project PACT (Parents and Children Together), developed for
Arlington County, Va. Public Schools.
Parents and the Schools
All of the material in this section has been adapted from
The Parents Q and A Library, a copyrighted program developed by
The Home and School Institute under a grant from The Work in
America Institute.
Acknowledgments
The following people were kind enough to review this book:
Dale Boatright and Lyn Klosowski, American Federation of
Teachers; Joyce L. Epstein, Center on Families, Communities,
Schools, and Children's Learning; Susan Hlesciak Hall, National
Committee for Citizens in Education; Patricia Henry, President,
and Catherine Belter, National PTA; Oliver C. Moles, Office of
Research, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U. S.
Department of Education; Paula Moser, Consumer Information
Center; Catherine Peterson, Capitol Hill Day School.
Special thanks to Leo and Diane Dillon for their advice on
how to work with illustrators.
Dorothy Rich, Ed.D., is the founder and president of the
Home and School Institute in Washington, D.C. She has been
designing programs for families and teachers since 1964, and is
the author of MegaSkills In School and In Life: The Best Gift
You Can Give Your Child. Ms. Rich is a recognized expert on
family learning and literacy. She developed the MegaSkills
Workshops for parents now sponsored by school systems and
businesses in 40 states, and the Classroom Management Through
MegaSkills training program for teachers. She also designed
"New Partnerships for Student Achievement" under a grant from
the MacArthur Foundation; has served on the National Assessment
Governing Board; has testified before the U.S. Senate and the
National Governors' Association; and consults with state and
local school systems and business groups nationally and
internationally.
Betty MacDonald has studied at the Art Students League and
The Chinese Institute in New York, and at Columbia University.
She has won numerous awards and is in Who's Who in American
Art. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States
and the world in such places as Italy, Brazil, the former
Soviet Union, Kenya, Niger, and Botswana. Ms. MacDonald's art
is in the permanent collections of several museums including
the National Museum of American History (Smithsonian
Institution), the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the
Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; and the Museum of
Modern Art, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has taught many
courses for the Smithsonian Institution.
What We Can Do
To Help Our Children Learn:
Listen to them and pay attention to their problems. Read with
them.
Tell family stories.
Limit theft television watching.
Have books and other reading materials in the house.
Look up words in the dictionary with them.
Encourage them to use an encyclopedia.
Share favorite poems and songs with them.
Take them to the library--get them their own library cards.
Take them to museums and historical sites, when possible.
Discuss the daily news with them.
Go exploring with them and learn about plants, animals, and
geography.
Find a quiet place for them to study Review their homework.
Meet with their teachers.
with activities for children
aged 5 through 11
Foreword
This is the question we parents are always trying to
answer. It's good that children ask questions: that's the best
way to learn. All children have two wonderful resources for
learning--imagination and curiosity. As a parent, you can
awaken your children to the joy of learning by encouraging
their imagination and curiosity.
Helping Your Child Succeed in School is one in a series of
books on different education topics intended to help you make
the most of your child's natural curiosity. Teaching and
learning are not mysteries that can only happen in school. They
also happen when parents and children do simple things
together.
For instance, you and your child can: sort the socks on
laundry day--sorting is a major function in math and science;
cook a meal together--cooking involves not only math and
science but good health as well; tell and read each other
stories--storytelling is the basis for reading and writing (and
a story about the past is also history); or play a game of
hopscotch together--playing physical games will help your child
learn to count and start on a road to lifelong fitness.
By doing things together, you will show that learning is
fun and important. You will be encouraging your child to study,
learn, and stay in school.
All of the books in this series tie in with the National
Education Goals set by the President and the Governors. The
goals state that, by the year 2000: every child will start
school ready to learn; at least 90 percent of all students will
graduate from high school; each American student will leave the
4th, 8th, and 12th grades demonstrating competence in core
subjects; U.S. students will be first in the world in math and
science achievement; every American adult will be literate,
will have the skills necessary to compete in a global economy,
and will be able to exercise the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship; and American schools will be liberated from drugs
and violence so they can focus on learning.
This book is a way for you to help meet these goals. It
will give you a short run-down on facts, but the biggest part
of the book is made up of simple, fun activities for you and
your child to do together. Your child may even beg you to do
them. At the end of the book is a list of resources, so you can
continue the fun.
As U.S. Education Secretary Lamar Alexander has said:
The first teachers are the parents, both by example and
conversation. But don't think of it as teaching. Think of
it as fun.
So, let's get started. I invite you to find an activity in
this book and try it.
Diane Ravitch
Assistant Secretary and Counselor to the Secretary
Contents
Introduction
The Basics
Where Our Children Learn
What Our Children Learn From Us
How Our Children Learn From Us
What Messages To Send
Activities
Can You Top This?
Listen Up
Time Marches On
Now You See It, Now You Don't
Start to Finish
I'm OK, We're OK
Where Did I Put That?
My Place
Well Done!
How Time Flies
Homework Made Easy(!)
Divide It Up
Help Wanted
How Can I Help?
TV Time
Parents and the Schools
Notes
Acknowledgments
Introduction
What is the earliest memory you have of being in school?
Excitement?
Fear?
Wonder?
Rejection?
Joy?
How do you feel about your years in school? If you have
happy memories, chances are you can help your children be
excited about learning and have good memories, too. If you
disliked school, it's harder, but you can do lots of things to
help make school a better experience for your children than it
was for you.
The good news is that every child in every family has the
power to succeed in school and in life, and every parent,
grandparent, and caregiver can help.
But how do we help our children succeed? How do we give
them the power? The most important thing we can do is be
involved with our children's education even before they are in
school, then stay involved once they are in school.
This book is about what we can do in our own homes, right
now, that will help our children go to school wanting to learn.
It includes:
* Basic information on what we know about success in school;
* Activities for children ages 5-11 to help them acquire the
skills to succeed;
* Questions and answers about when to talk to the teacher
and how to handle parent-teacher conferences.
Success in school takes hard work, planning, a few basic
skills, and the will to want to succeed. How do we pass these
ideas on to our children?
What we know about success in school is a combination of
common sense mixed with new ideas about learning.
We do know the following:
1. Where our children learn is important. We can find
inexpensive and easy things to do at home--where our
children first start learning--that will make them want to
learn. We can also strengthen our ties with the community
and the schools, where learning continues.
2. What our children learn from us is important. What we say
and do can build their maturity and self-confidence.
3. How our children learn from us is important. All of us
teach our children every day, whether we realize it or
not. We can make sure we show them a variety of ways to
learn.
Now, how do we take these facts and turn them into ways to
help our children do well in school?
The Basics
Where Our Children Learn
At Home
It's no surprise to anyone that children need time with
their parents. And even though most parents are extremely busy,
whether they work outside of the home or not, they do find time
to spend with their children. But they want that time to count
in helping prepare their children for the world they will find
outside the home.
What counts most is what we say and do at home, not how
rich or poor we are or how many years of school we have
finished. When children can count on getting attention at home,
they have a greater sense of security and self-worth. This will
help them do better not only in school, but also when they grow
up.
If you think about it, school, while very important, does
not really take up very much time. In the United States, the
school year averages 180 days; in other industrialized nations,
the school year can extend up to 240 days, and students are
often in school more hours per day. So, the hours and days a
child is not in school are important for learning, too.
Communicating. This is probably the most important
activity we can do in our home, and it doesn't cost anything.
Ask questions, listen for answers. These are no-cost,
high-value things to do.
Think of conversation as being like a tennis game with
talk, instead of a ball, bouncing back and forth. Communication
can happen any time, any place--in the car, on a bus, at
mealtime, at bedtime.
When our children enter and continue school with good
habits of communication, they are in a position to succeed--to
learn all that has to be learned, and to become confident
students.
Starting early. Here are some things you can do when your
children are young:
* Let them see you read, and read to them and with them.
Visit the library. If they are old enough, make sure they
have their own card. Keep books, magazines, and newspapers
around the house.
* Keep pencils and paper, crayons, and washable markers
handy for notes, grocery lists, and schoolwork. Writing
takes practice, and it starts at home.
* Teach children to do things for themselves rather than do
the work for them. Patience when children are young pays
off later.
* Help children, when needed, to break a job down into small
pieces, then do the job one step at a time. This works for
everything--getting dressed, a job around the house, or a
big homework assignment.
* Develop, with your child, a reasonable, consistent
schedule of jobs around the house. List them on a
calendar, day by day.
* Every home needs consistent rules children can depend on.
Put a plan into action, and follow through.
* Give each child an easy-to-reach place in which to put
things away.
* Set limits on TV viewing so that everyone can get work
done with less background noise.
* Watch TV with your children and talk about what you see.
Handling homework. These are the messages to get across to
your children about homework:
* Education is important. Homework has to be done. Let
children know that this is what you value.
* Try to have a special place where each child can study.
* Help your children plan how to do all the things they need
to do--study, work around the house, play, etc.
* Let your children know that you have confidence in them.
Remind them of specific successes they have had in the
past perhaps in swimming, soccer, cooking, or in doing a
difficult homework assignment.
* Don't expect or demand perfection. When children ask you
to look at what they've done--from skating a figure 8 to a
math assignment--show interest and praise them when
they've done something well. If you have criticisms or
suggestions, make them in a helpful way.
The time we spend exchanging ideas at home with our
children is vitally important in setting the tone, the
attitudes, and the behaviors that make the difference in
school.
In the Community
In many parts of our nation, the ties among neighbors have
been weakened. For the sake of our children, they need to be
rebuilt, and you can help. Be sure to introduce your children
to your neighbors. You might even try a "child watch" program
where adults who are home during the day keep an eye out for
children when they walk to and from school and stand at bus
stops.
Some schools are helping families connect with the
community by, for example, becoming centers for social services
as well as for education. Getting to know your child's school
can help you, in a very real way, get to know a major part of
your community. It can also help you build a network of wider
community support for your family.
At School
Parents can become involved with the schools in several
different ways, by working with children at home, volunteering,
sharing information, and helping to make policy. We need to
remember that what works in one community (or for one family)
may not necessarily work in another.
It may no longer be possible for parents to volunteer as
often for school activities. However, working with children at
home and sharing information with the school are two things all
parents can do.
The section after the activities, "Parents and the
Schools," has some suggestions on how to get the most out of
talking to your child's teacher. Many teachers say they rarely
receive information from parents about problems at home. Many
parents say they don't know what the school expects of their
child. Sharing information is essential, and both teachers and
parents are responsible for making it happen.
With our help, our children can become confident students,
able to handle the challenges of school. This means:
* Talking with our children about the value of hard work and
about the importance of education;
* Talking about what's happening in school;
* Reading report cards and messages that come from school;
* Going to school and meeting with teachers;
* Taking part in school events when you can; and
* Finding out about resources in the community.
What Our Children Learn From Us
Sometimes we think that all our children need to know to
be ready to start school are the ABCs and how to count. The
reality is that most children can learn these things pretty
fast once they get to school. What they do need--and what you
can give--is the message that education is valuable: through
education, people can shape their own future.
So, talk about learning, share the fun and excitement of
new skills. Show your children that you are always learning,
too. Read aloud, play games, and talk about events around the
block and around the world.
Children tend to follow the examples set for them. When we
say one thing and do another, children watch and learn. When we
practice what we preach, children watch and learn.
The bottom line is that when we give our children the
support and information they need, and expect them to do well,
they do better in school and in life.
How Our Children Learn From Us
Children need active, even noisy, learning as well as
quiet learning such as reading. Active learning includes asking
and answering questions (and trying to get more than just "yes"
or "no" answers); solving problems; and discussing a variety of
topics.
Active learning can also take place when a child plays
sports, spends time with friends, or goes to a museum or zoo.
The active learning suggestions in the next section will help
you think of even more things for you and your children to do.
Limit TV watching. Watching TV is an example of a quiet
activity that children can learn from, but one that is a
problem in almost every home. We know that children who watch a
lot of TV learn less and get lower grades than students who
watch little TV. And in international comparisons, U.S.
students rank high in watching TV, but are near the bottom in
doing homework. The result is that U.S. students know less than
those in other countries.
Encourage active learning. What can we do? We can listen
to our children's ideas and respond to them. We can let them
jump in with questions and opinions when reading books
together. When this type of give-and-take between parent and
child happens at home, a child's participation and interest in
school increases.
What Messages To Send
Three of the important messages our children need about
success in school can be sent by:
1. Sharing our own experiences and goals with our children,
because children tend to adopt our ideals. They need to
know how we feel about making an effort, working hard, and
planning ahead.
2. Establishing realistic, consistent family rules for work
around the house so our children can develop schedules and
stable routines. Children need limits set even though they
will test these limits over and over again. Children need
to know what they can depend on--and they need to be able
to depend on the rules we make.
3. Encouraging our children to think about the future. Our
children need realistic, reasonable expectations, and they
need the satisfaction of having some of these expectations
met. They need to take part in making decisions (and to
learn that sometimes this means sacrificing fun now for
benefits later) and they need to find out what happens as
a result of decisions they have made.
Throw a stone into a pool and the circles widen and
overlap. None of us lives in isolation. The circles of home,
community, and school overlap also. For our children to learn
and thrive, they need the support and encouragement of all of
the circles in which we live. But the circle in the center is
the home and that's where it all starts.
Activities
There is no one "right" way of doing these activities.
Make changes, shorten or lengthen them to suit your child's
attention span, or think up some activities of your own. Above
all, enjoy them. And don't worry about what you might not have
done in the past. Start where you are now, with the resources
you have now.
In a box at the end of each activity is information on why
that activity is important to your child's education. The
suggested activities all build skills, attitudes, and behaviors
children need for good study habits. They are designed to help
develop personal maturity, enthusiasm for learning, and the
ability to concentrate.
But that does not mean the activities are hard to do and
won't be any fun. They are easy to do, cost little or no money,
use materials found at home, and don't take much time.
Work out your own schedule for the activities. Don't
forget to try them on vacation days or in the summer, too. If
you've only used one part of an activity, you can go back to it
and find the ideas you haven't tried. Experience indicates that
all of the activities, in whole or in part, will be useful.
Ability in schoolwork is like ability in sports: it takes
practice to gain confidence, to become motivated, and to win.
Age Levels
The activities are arranged by approximate age levels.
But, of course, you are the best judge of what your child may
be ready to try. Age levels of the activities are indicated by
a symbol at the top of each activity:
Ages 5-7
The activities for these early school years focus on
helping children get ready for schoolwork and get a head start
on the habits and behaviors important for ongoing success in
school.
Ages 7-9
These activities help children become organized and build
early study skills and work habits.
Ages 9-11
These projects for children in the upper elementary grades
continue to focus on work and study habits, with more emphasis
on making personal decisions.
Remember:
* We can all be great teachers;
* Every home is a learning place;
* We don't need a lot of time to do a lot of good; and
* Everyone's abilities and skills can be improved.
Let's Go
Pick an activity and try it with your children. You will
know they are learning when they say, "Let me try it." And
you'll know they understand when they shout: "Let me do it! Let
me! Let me."
Can You Top This?
Teamwork is important in school. In this game, children
practice taking turns and working with others. They also build
language skills.
What you'll need
Imagination
What to do
1. Make up a story, with parents and children taking turns,
one sentence at a time.
Decide on a topic. You might begin the first sentence with
"Once upon a time a pirate lived in..."
Continue taking turns making up and telling parts of the
story until you decide to end it-maybe after 8 or 10
sentences.
2. Take turns beginning and finishing a story. Ask other
family members and friends to join in.
By making up stories, children can improve their language
skills. They can also start to understand how ideas flow from
one to another, and that everyone's ideas are important.
Listen Up
This game helps teach how to listen carefully and follow
directions, two things that are important in school.
What you'll need
Any small object you can hide Objects that make noise
What to do
1. Hide a small object. Give directions to find it such as,
"Take five steps ahead. Turn right. Keep the lamp to your
left. Bend down and look to the right." Take turns doing
this.
2. All but one person close their eyes. The person with his
or her eyes open makes a sound (such as keys jangling,
hands clapping, a bell ringing, a spoon tapping against a
glass). Everyone else tries to guess what is making the
sound.
3. Clap your hands to tap out a rhythm. Have another player
listen and then clap that same rhythm back to you. Do it
different ways: slow, fast, loud, soft. Make the rhythms
harder as it gets easier to repeat them.
4. When taking a walk, or any place where you can stop for a
few minutes, sit quietly for 30 seconds with your eyes
closed, then tell each other what you heard: a baby
crying, an airplane, a bird singing.
5. Take a walk. One of you tell the other person what to
do--cross the street, turn left, look down. Take turns
following each other's directions.
Through practice, children can learn to listen carefully,
see and hear details, and follow directions.
Time Marches On
This game will help your children see the difference
between "a few seconds" and "a few minutes," and can help them
be on time in school.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
A timer of some kind (alarm clock, kitchen timer)
Clock or watch with all 12 numerals and a second hand
What to do
1. Ask your children to watch the second hand tick five
seconds. Together, count off the seconds.
2. Count off 30 seconds. How many times can your child clap
hands during this time? Take turns timing and watching
each other.
3. Make guesses about how long ordinary things take:
How long is a traffic light red or green?
How long does it take to eat dinner?
How long does it take to get ready for school?
Test your guesses with the watch or timer. How close did
you each come to the right answer?
4. Read a book aloud with your child for 3 minutes. Time
yourselves. Then move up to 5 minutes, then to 10, and so
on.
Learning that some things take longer than others will
help your child understand how long it takes to do a task and
how to plan for it. This activity will also help them increase
their attention span.
Now You See It, Now You Don't
This activity teaches children to pay close attention by
seeing how long it takes different kinds of liquids to freeze
and melt.
What you'll need
2 ice cube trays
A clock
Water
Small bowls
Paper
Pencil
Other liquids
What to do
1. Together, fill one ice cube tray to the top with water.
Fill the other tray only half full.
Put both trays in the freezer. Check the clock. In
2 hours, look to see if the water has frozen (if not,
wait until it has frozen).
How long did it take the water in each tray to freeze?
Did the smaller amount of water freeze faster than the
larger amount?
2. Take an ice cube from each of the 2 trays. Put them in
separate bowls to melt. Which cube melts faster--the
larger one or the smaller one?
3. Put one ice cube in a window and another in the
refrigerator (not freezer) and see how long they take to
melt.
4. Try to freeze samples of liquids such as fruit juices.
Compare their freezing times to that of water.
This activity can help your child understand that things
don't happen immediately. It will also introduce the concept of
change--liquid to solid to liquid again--and the idea of having
to wait to get the result you want.
Start to Finish
Organization has to be learned. This activity lets
children practice planning, beginning, and finishing a
job--important parts of completing schoolwork.
What you'll need
Pencil
Paper
Items used to do a job around the house, such as watering
plants or setting the table
What to do
1. Together, select one job your child usually does around
the house, such as watering plants.
Ask your child to write down or tell you the "Plan," "Do,"
and "Finish" steps needed to do the job well.
Look over these steps together and talk about possible
changes.
2. See what happens if one plant isn't watered when it is
supposed to be. How long does it take for the leaves to
start changing color?
3. List the "plan," "do," and "finish" steps of one or two
jobs you do around the house. Ask your child to help you
think of ways to improve these steps.
4. When your children have a new task, help them plan the
steps so they can do the job well and have a sense of
accomplishment.
Sometimes taking time to plan seems like "a waste of
time," but it has been shown that those who plan a job are
usually more successful and do it in a shorter amount of time.
Seeing the changes from not watering a plant can introduce
the idea of "cause and effect."
I'm OK, We're OK
All of us have ways in which we are special. This activity
helps children recognize and appreciate how they, and others,
are special.
What you'll need
Pen or pencil
Paper
What to do
1. Together, think of and write down at least 2 things you
like about yourselves (for example, I have a good sense of
humor; I try to be fair).
Write down 2 things you like about the others playing this
game.
Now, take turns talking about what others say they like
about you.
2. Write down 2 things you would like to improve. When will
you start? How long do you think it will take?
3. Think of some jobs around the house that both of you will
feel proud of, like fixing special food for the family,
teaching the family a new game, or fixing something that's
broken.
4. Try to set a time every day, even a few minutes, when you
can talk about things that happened that day.
Find times to listen to each other and to chat. A ride to
the grocery store or a wait at the dentist's office can be
a good time.
Self-confidence can make a difference in how much success
a person has, both at school and later in life.
Talking about what happened during the day lets children
work out problems early instead of having them pile up and
become overwhelming.
Where Did I Put That?
Children need help getting organized. A special place for
school items helps make mornings smoother for parents and
children.
What you'll need
Cardboard box
Crayons or markers
What to do
1. Find a sturdy cardboard box or carton large enough to hold
notebooks and other school things. Let your child decorate
it with pictures, words, or art work, and his or her name.
Each child in the family can have a separate box.
Together, find a place to put the box. A spot near the
front door or the place where your child does homework
would be good.
School things should go in the box as soon as your child
comes home from school. Later, all homework and anything
else needed for school the next day should go into it.
In the winter, hats and mittens can also go in the box
when they are dry.
2. Let your child make a rainy day box and put it in a
different place (or make it a different color). Fill it
with "treasures"--games, books, a new pencil. Invite other
members of the family to put surprises in the box (no
snakes or flogs, please).
Keeping all school items in one place helps teach children
how much easier life can be when we are organized and plan
ahead.
Show your appreciation when your child keeps things in
order.
My Place
This activity gives each child a separate place to study
or play.
What you'll need
Space--even a tiny area will do
A small but steady table
1 chair
1 lamp
Small floor covering
What to do
1. Together, find a quiet study area away from the TV and
radio for each child (even those not old enough to have
homework yet).
2. Cut down an old blanket, rug, or sheet to put on a small
area of the floor. Use this to mark off each child's
private space. Put the table and chair on the floor
covering.
This space does not have to be in the same place all the
time. If the table is light weight, the floor cover can be
put down any place it is out of the way (such as near the
kitchen if a child needs help while dinner is being
fixed). It can also be put away when it is not being used.
3. If the study space will always be in the same place, try
out different arrangements of the furniture to see what
works best. Arrange the lamp so the study area is well
lit.
4. Together, label items with the child's name.
Watch for improvement and show pleasure when quality of
work improves.
Children tend to argue over the same space (even in a big
room). By having an area of the floor marked off, each child
has a place that feels like his or her own. A special place
also helps children focus on what they are studying.
Well Done!
Children need the experience of doing chores. The
following are ideas to help children be more responsible and
realize the importance of people doing what they say they will
do.
What you'll need
Helping hands
What to do
1. Talk about what happens when people do the things they are
responsible for (water the plants or feed pets, for
example).
Think about what would happen if people did not do these
things--if the bus driver stayed home, or the movie
projectionist didn't show up for work. Together, think of
more examples.
2. Decide together on jobs for each family member to do.
Should people be able to do only the things they like?
Talk together about this.
3. Turn a household task into a game. Decide together how
long it will take to do the job. Time yourselves against
the clock.
Listening to the radio or a record while you do the job
makes it more fun. This helps the work get done faster,
too.
Children need to learn early how others are affected when
chores-are not done. Talk about why it is necessary to do
things we don't want to do, and why we should not expect others
to do our work.
This activity also gives children an early lesson in how
to make good decisions.
How Time Flies
"I don't have time to do all I need time to do." Sound
familiar? Planning our time is one of the most useful things we
can learn. Knowing how long something will take can save time
and tempers.
What you'll need
Paper
Pencil
Clock
Calendar
What to do
1. Together, write down your estimates of how long it takes
to do certain tasks (such as getting ready for school or
work in the morning; fixing a meal).
Use a clock to time at least one of these tasks. Then take
turns timing each other. (But be realistic--it's not
necessarily a race.)
2. See what part of a job can be done ahead of time, such as
deciding at bedtime what to wear the next day.
3. Talk about at least 2 places you and your children go
where you must be on time. What do you do to make sure you
are on time?
4. Put a monthly calendar with large spaces where everyone
can see it. Each member of the family can use a different
colored marker to list appointments and social activities.
Being on time, or not being on time, affects other people.
It is important for children to understand their responsibility
for being on time--it's not just for grown-ups.
Homework Made Easy(!)
Homework without nagging is much to be desired. Have your
child try a homework chart.
What you'll need
Paper
Marker, pen, or pencil
Clock
What to do
1. Have (or help) your child do the following: Create a
homework chart out of a sturdy, large-sized piece of
paper.
Attach a colored marker or pen so that it is always handy.
Each day after school, put a check mark in each box in
which there is a homework assignment.Circle the check when
the homework is completed.
2. Make a new chart for each week. Depending on how many
subjects you have, you may be able to put 3 or 4 weeks on
each piece of paper.
3. Try to figure out how long it will take to complete
homework assignments so you know when you need to start
working.
A homework chart can show exactly what needs to be done
when, and gives a feeling of accomplishment when an assignment
is crossed off.
Talk to your child about homework. Does your child need or
want more time or help? Does your child want to devote more
time to learning about a certain subject?
Divide It Up
Just about anything is easier to do if it's divided into
smaller pieces. As assignments get longer and more complicated,
more organizing and planning skills are needed.
What you'll need
Homework assignments
Jobs in and around the house
Paper
Pencil
What to do
1. Choose a big assignment to talk about, such as a geography
project. Decide together, and have your child write down,
what he or she needs to complete the job. For example:
Reference materials (books, maps)
Can you complete the assignment just using your textbook?
If not, do you need to go to the library?. If so, can you
check out books, or will you have to allow time to stay
there and use reference books?
Notes
Do you have a notebook? Pencils? Will you need note cards?
Illustrations
If you need pictures, where will you get them?
Finished project
Will it be a stapled report? A poster? A folded brochure?
What will you need to complete the job?
2. Decide the order in which the parts of the job need to be
done. Number the steps.
Try to estimate how long each step will take. Work
backwards from the date the paper is due in order to see
when each part needs to be started. Put start and finish
dates next to these steps, then put the assignment on a
calendar or homework chart.
3. Together, think about a household job, such as gardening
or cleaning. Divide it up into smaller parts.
4. Talk about how adults divide work on their jobs or at
home.
This trick of dividing big jobs into small pieces helps
make all jobs easier and can save a lot of wear and tear on
everyone when it's time to hand in a school assignment.
Help Wanted
Older students are interested in life beyond school. You
can help them have a realistic sense of what's out there.
What you'll need
Pen or pencil
Paper
Newspaper "help wanted" ads
Friends and neighbors
What to do
1. Talk with your child: "What job do you think you would
like to do when you get out of school? What training do
you think you will need to get this job?"
2. Suggest that your child pick two adults he or she knows,
such as neighbors or relatives, to interview briefly about
their jobs.
Help your child think of at least 3 questions to write
down, leaving space for the answers. Sample questions:
What is your job? How long have you held it? What kind of
special training did you need?
Have your child do the interviews. (You may want to help
him or her get started.)
After the interview, talk about what your child learned.
Now your child will be more comfortable doing the next
step.
3. Read a page of the newspaper help wanted ads together.
Have your child find ads for three jobs that he or she
might want in the future. Talk together about the training
needed for each job: Can some of it be learned on the job?
How much schooling is necessary?.
4. Have your child find people who already have these jobs
and interview them.
Remember that there will be many new kinds of jobs in the
future. What children--and adults, too-need to do is be
flexible and keep on learning.
How Can I Get Help?
We need to think about more than our own interests and ask
"How can I help others?"
What you'll need
Newspaper and magazine articles
What to do
1. Together, find newspaper articles about people who get
involved. Look for ways to help other people that involve
your child's interests.
2. What are some everyday good deeds? Ask your children to
think back and remember a time when they helped another
person. Think big and think small.
3. Discuss community food drives and volunteer tutoring
programs. Suggest that your children check with a local
religious group, community or recreation center, school,
or library.
4. Explore the possibility of joining a young people's group
that does community service.
5. Ask your children to name at least two things they could
do today or tomorrow to help others. What will it take?
Encourage your children to make a commitment.
Taking part in community activity can not only help
others, but can also help your child make new friends and learn
new skills.
TV Time
Decide how you are going to use TV. Watching television
can be educational or something we do in our spare time.
What you'll need
TV set
TV schedule
Pen or pencil
What to do
1. Decide together how much TV your family will watch. Read
the TV schedule. Have each family member decide what he or
she would like to watch. Put initials next to everyone's
choices.
Decide what you will watch each day or week. Circle your
choices. If 2 people want to watch different programs at
the same time, try to compromise: take turns.
Your child's teacher may assign a TV program as homework:
make allowances if this happens.
2. Try to find time to watch TV with your child. Be sure they
understand what's real and what isn't.
3. Have board games, books, or projects handy so children can
do other things when TV time is used up.
4. If your children watch too much TV, try cutting down a
little at a time. Avoid leaving a TV set on all day.
Parents and the Schools
Q: When should I talk with my child's teacher?
Early and often. Contact the teacher at the beginning of
the year or as soon as you can. Get acquainted and show your
interest.
Let teachers know what they need to know about your child.
If your child has special needs, make these known right from
the beginning.
If you notice a big change in your child's behavior or
attitude, contact the teacher immediately.
The teacher should tell you before the end of a grading
period if your child is having trouble; keeping parents
informed is an important function of the school.
Remember, parents and teachers work together to help
children want to learn and to help them gain self-confidence
and self-discipline.
Q: How do I get the most out of parent-teacher conferences?
Be prepared to listen as well as to talk. It helps to
write out questions before you leave home. Also jot down what
you want to tell the teacher. Be prepared to take notes during
the conference and ask for an explanation if you don't
understand something.
In conferences, the teacher should offer specific details
about your child's work and progress. If your child has
already received some grades, ask what went into them. Ask how
your child is being evaluated.
Discuss your child's talents, skills, hobbies, study
habits, and any special sensitivities such as concern about
weight or speech difficulties.
Tell the teacher if you think your child needs special
help. Tell the teacher about any special family situation, such
as a new baby, an illness, or a recent or upcoming move. It is
important to tell the teacher about things in your children's
lives that might affect their ability to learn.
Ask about specific ways to help your child at home. Try to
have an open mind.
At home, think about what the teacher has said and then
follow up. If the teacher has told you your child needs to
improve in certain areas, check back in a few weeks to see how
things are going.
Parents and teachers are partners in helping children.
Q: What if I don't have time to volunteer as much as I would
like?
Even if you can't volunteer to do work at the school
building, you can help your child learn when you are at home.
The key question is, "What can every parent do at home, easily
and in a few minutes a day, to reinforce and extend what the
school is doing?" This is the involvement every family can and
must provide.
The schools also need to take steps so parents feel good
about what they're doing at home and know they are helping.
What we as parents need to care about is involving
ourselves in our children's education outside of school.
Remember, you can encourage your child to work hard. You
can give your child the power to succeed in school.
Notes
This book is based on studies; on materials developed and
copyrighted by the Home and School Institute (HSI), MegaSkills
Education Center, 1201 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC
20036; and on the MegaSkills book and program.
Text Notes
The Basics
The following are among the studies that provide
documentation for the text material in this publication.
Up-to-date research on the family's role in education is not
easy to find in popularly accessible libraries, even in
bookstores. Selected below are some of the more easily found
sources.
For those interested in more information on these and
other studies in the field, it can be helpful to check with
university and other school libraries as well as with the
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the
U.S. Department of Education.
Where Our Children Learn
Benjamin Bloom, (1981). All Our Children Learning. New York:
McGraw Hill.
Reginald Clark, (1983). Family Life and School Achievement.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Alan Ginsburg and Sandra Hanson, (1988). Gaining Ground: Values
and High School Success. Washington., D.C.: U.S. Department of
Education.
Dorothy Rich, (1985). The Forgotten Factor in School Success:
The Family. Washington, D.C.: Home and School Institute.
S.G. Timmer et al., (1984). "How Children Use Time" in Time,
Goods, and Well Being. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social
Research. University of Michigan.
James Coleman, (1991). Parental Involvement in Education.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
James Comer, (1988). "Educating Poor, Minority Children."
Scientific American, 259:42-48.
Ann Henderson, Editor, (1987). The Evidence Continues to Grow:
Parent Involvement Improves Student Achievement. Columbia, Md.:
National Committee for Citizens in Education.
Lynn Balster Liontos, (1992). At Risk Families and Schools:
Becoming Partners. Eugene, Ore.: University of Oregon, ERIC
Clearinghouse on Educational Management.
National Commission on Children, (1992). Beyond Rhetoric: A New
American Agenda for Children and Families. Washington, D.C.
What Our Children Learn From Us
Joyce Epstein, Editor, (1991). "Parent Involvement" (Special
Section). KAPPAN 72.
Educational Testing Service, (1989). Crossroads in American
Education. Princeton, N.J.: National Assessment of Educational
Progress.
Robert Hess et al., (1987). "Cultural Variations in
Socialization for School Achievement." Journal of Applied
Developmental Psychology 8.
A.M. Pallas et al., (1987). "Children Who Do Exceptionally Well
in First Grade." Sociology of Education 60.
Dorothy Rich, (1988, 1992). MegaSkills In School and In Life:
The Best Girl You Can Give Your Child. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin.
Herbert J. Walberg, (1984). "Families as Partners in
Educational Productivity." KAPPAN 65.
How Our Children Learn From Us
Educational Testing Service, (1989). A World of Differences: An
International Assessment of Mathematics and Science. Princeton,
N.J.: National Assessment of Educational Progress.
L. M. Laosa, (1980). "Maternal Teaching Strategies in Chicano
and Anglo-American Families: The Influence of Culture and
Education on Maternal Behavior." Child Development 51.
Harold Stevenson and James Stigler, (1992). The Learning Gap.
New York: Summit Books.
U.S. Department of Education, (1986). What Works: Research
About Teaching and Learning.
"Activities" Notes
All of the activities in this section have been adapted
from the following copyrighted home learning activity programs
of The Home and School Institute (HSI), MegaSkills Education
Center.
Learning is Homegrown, developed for First Tennessee Bank.
MegaSkills Workshop Program, HSI National Training Initiative.
Project ADD (Alexandria's Dynamic Duo), developed for
Alexandria City, Va. Public Schools.
Project PACT (Parents and Children Together), developed for
Arlington County, Va. Public Schools.
Parents and the Schools
All of the material in this section has been adapted from
The Parents Q and A Library, a copyrighted program developed by
The Home and School Institute under a grant from The Work in
America Institute.
Acknowledgments
The following people were kind enough to review this book:
Dale Boatright and Lyn Klosowski, American Federation of
Teachers; Joyce L. Epstein, Center on Families, Communities,
Schools, and Children's Learning; Susan Hlesciak Hall, National
Committee for Citizens in Education; Patricia Henry, President,
and Catherine Belter, National PTA; Oliver C. Moles, Office of
Research, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U. S.
Department of Education; Paula Moser, Consumer Information
Center; Catherine Peterson, Capitol Hill Day School.
Special thanks to Leo and Diane Dillon for their advice on
how to work with illustrators.
Dorothy Rich, Ed.D., is the founder and president of the
Home and School Institute in Washington, D.C. She has been
designing programs for families and teachers since 1964, and is
the author of MegaSkills In School and In Life: The Best Gift
You Can Give Your Child. Ms. Rich is a recognized expert on
family learning and literacy. She developed the MegaSkills
Workshops for parents now sponsored by school systems and
businesses in 40 states, and the Classroom Management Through
MegaSkills training program for teachers. She also designed
"New Partnerships for Student Achievement" under a grant from
the MacArthur Foundation; has served on the National Assessment
Governing Board; has testified before the U.S. Senate and the
National Governors' Association; and consults with state and
local school systems and business groups nationally and
internationally.
Betty MacDonald has studied at the Art Students League and
The Chinese Institute in New York, and at Columbia University.
She has won numerous awards and is in Who's Who in American
Art. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States
and the world in such places as Italy, Brazil, the former
Soviet Union, Kenya, Niger, and Botswana. Ms. MacDonald's art
is in the permanent collections of several museums including
the National Museum of American History (Smithsonian
Institution), the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the
Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; and the Museum of
Modern Art, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has taught many
courses for the Smithsonian Institution.
What We Can Do
To Help Our Children Learn:
Listen to them and pay attention to their problems. Read with
them.
Tell family stories.
Limit theft television watching.
Have books and other reading materials in the house.
Look up words in the dictionary with them.
Encourage them to use an encyclopedia.
Share favorite poems and songs with them.
Take them to the library--get them their own library cards.
Take them to museums and historical sites, when possible.
Discuss the daily news with them.
Go exploring with them and learn about plants, animals, and
geography.
Find a quiet place for them to study Review their homework.
Meet with their teachers.
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