Parents often ask what they can do to help their children at home. Here are some suggestions on how you can support your child’s learning.
- Let your child know how much you love and value him/her.
- Provide opportunities for your child to see you reading, both for enjoyment and for information.
- Read to your child every day. Children love to hear their favorite stories over and over again. Get a library card and go to the library weekly. Discuss the books after you have read them.
- Encourage your child to ask questions. Answer them in language your child can understand.
- Talk with your child about daily activities, trips, and special events that happen in your child’s life.
- Display your child’s school work in a prominent place.
- Take your child as many places as possible – shopping, to the zoo, the airport, local parks, etc.
- Provide learning materials for your child such as books, paints, scissors, paper, crayons, and pencils.
- Encourage your child to wash, dress, and take care of his/her personal needs.
- Teach your child their birthdate, address and phone number.
- Supervise closely what your child watches on television. Violent and/or sexually explicit films (including the daily “soap operas”) are inappropriate for young children.
- Limit the time your child watches television.
- Provide rules that are fair, reasonable, and easy for your child to understand.
- Teach your child the letters in their first and last names and how to write them.
- Help your child learn their colors.
- Sing songs and say nursery rhymes.
- Play games (card games and board games as well as outside games)
- Count objects together.
