Tips to Help Your Child

In this section of the website you’ll find tips to help your child learn from birth and into the school years. This includes information on milestones for physical development, language and intellectual development, and social and emotional development. You’ll also find great information on toys to help your child learn as well as book suggestions.
We’ll begin with a few our of favorite tips that will help your kids love reading!

• 1.        Listen Up! Step One Good Reading - Go outside with your preschool aged child and listen for sounds in the environment.  Asking questions is the key to developing a child with deep background knowledge.  Ask them do you hear a car or a bird?  Is it close or far away? What other sounds do you hear?  Children who can differentiate sounds in nature become strong at analyzing sounds in words.  This is the first step to becoming a good reader.
• 2.      What’s in a Name?  - For a preschool child the most important letter in the alphabet is the letter that begins their first name.  Go on a letter treasure hunt.  Look for your child’s letter in books, magazines, signs and newspapers.  As your child masters their personal letter move on to other letters in the alphabet.  It’s important for children to be able to name letters quickly.
• 3.      Talk it Up - Building your child’s vocabulary is critically important to them becoming a great reader.  The easiest way to enhance your child’s vocabulary is to talk to your child often.  Engage in real conversation and pay attention to what your child says.  When you respond to them, make sure to expand on what they say utilizing new words. 
• 4.      Take a Hike - While reading to your child, remember to “Take a HIKE!”
  • H – Have a comment to share
  • I – Initiate discussion by asking questions about the story
  • K – Keep quiet until your child responds to your questions
  • E – Expand on what your child said by adding a little more detail
• 5.      Word Games - Elementary children move from reading words to reading phrases; check with your child’s teacher to see if they have a phrase list or you can use the internet to find the “Fry Phrase List”.  This technique will help your child read the most common words used in reading and writing, with more fluency or speed and enable them to understand what they are reading.
• 6.      Learn to Read, Read to Learn - As a child enters third and fourth grades, they transition from learning to read…to reading to learn.  Ask your child “What is the purpose behind what you are reading?”   If they are reading for pleasure they will read differently than if they are reading a chapter in their science book that they will be tested on.  Discuss with your child the importance of understanding the text that they are reading.
• 7.      Crack a Book-Set an Example - Be a model for your child at any age.  If a young child or a teenager sees their parent reading they will be more likely to become a strong reader themselves.  Read books, magazines, menus, mail and even the cereal boxes.
• 8.      Touching Base with Teacher -Meet with your child’s teacher regularly.  When you do, remember to ask key questions about your child’s development.  What are my child’s strong and weak areas?  What is my child’s reading level?  Is she/he where she needs to be?  If not where does she need to be and how can I assist to get her there?
• 9.      Homework Helpers - Homework is an important piece in your child’s education.  Make sure that you have created a Homework location in your home.  A quiet, well-lit place that has the materials necessary to complete their homework.  Such items include paper, resource books, computer, pens and pencils.
• 10.  Eyes Wide Open - Keep a close eye on your child for signs of frustration.  Items that come home as homework should be skills that were taught at school and the homework is intended to be “PRACTICE”.  If your child is struggling with the material, that is a good indication they did not master the skill that was taught and you may want to bring that to the attention of your child’s teacher.
• 11.  Read, Read & Read Some More - Children who actively read become better readers!  Read with your child every night.  You can read to them, they can read to you or playing “tag” is always a family favorite.  Let your child read until she/he comes to a word or a point in the story that they want you to read and then they tag you.  You begin reading from the word where they left off and then you tag them when you are ready for your child to take over reading again.  The child has to follow along or they might not know where to pick back up reading!
• 12.  Teen Choice Reward - Give teens an opportunity to select their own books.  When you and your teen are out together, browse in a bookstore or library. Go your separate ways and make your own selections.  A bookstore gift certificate is a nice way of saying to your teen, "You choose".