Homework Tips
* Set aside a time every evening at the same place to do your homework. Fill out your homework planner carefully every evening.
* Do not forget the due dates! Have a drawer or a shoe box filled with school supplies such as pencils, paper, crayons, a ruler, calculator, scissors, and dictionary so you do not have to search for supplies.
* Practicing reading aloud to an adult, practicing fluency and voice inflection. Or, practice reading aloud to the stuffed animals or the family pet.
* Find a favorite spot to read at home (couch, pillow, tree house, laying on trampoline) and ask family not to disturb
* Study the same things in different ways and places
Help your child learn about new words or content in a variety of ways. Talk about new vocabulary words several times over the course of the week, in different settings. This will help enrich your child's understanding of the word.
* Mix up the study time.
If your child prefers to do a little math, a little reading, a little word study and then back to math, that's okay! Mixing up the practice time may leave a greater impression on your learner.
* Space out the learning
If your child has a big test coming up next week, help her study a little bit each day rather than cramming it in the night before. An hour or so every other day, spacing out the learning, is a better way to really learn the material.
* Show your child that you think homework is important
Ask your child about her homework each day, and check to see that it is completed. Tell your child that you are proud of the work she is doing.
* Help your child without doing the homework
It's important to answer questions if you can — but remember that homework is supposed to help children learn and that doing your child's homework does not help in the long run.
* Talk with your child's teacher
Find out what the teacher's homework rules are. If your child has a problem completing or understanding homework, call or e-mail the teacher to talk about the issue.
* Do not forget the due dates! Have a drawer or a shoe box filled with school supplies such as pencils, paper, crayons, a ruler, calculator, scissors, and dictionary so you do not have to search for supplies.
* Practicing reading aloud to an adult, practicing fluency and voice inflection. Or, practice reading aloud to the stuffed animals or the family pet.
* Find a favorite spot to read at home (couch, pillow, tree house, laying on trampoline) and ask family not to disturb
* Study the same things in different ways and places
Help your child learn about new words or content in a variety of ways. Talk about new vocabulary words several times over the course of the week, in different settings. This will help enrich your child's understanding of the word.
* Mix up the study time.
If your child prefers to do a little math, a little reading, a little word study and then back to math, that's okay! Mixing up the practice time may leave a greater impression on your learner.
* Space out the learning
If your child has a big test coming up next week, help her study a little bit each day rather than cramming it in the night before. An hour or so every other day, spacing out the learning, is a better way to really learn the material.
* Show your child that you think homework is important
Ask your child about her homework each day, and check to see that it is completed. Tell your child that you are proud of the work she is doing.
* Help your child without doing the homework
It's important to answer questions if you can — but remember that homework is supposed to help children learn and that doing your child's homework does not help in the long run.
* Talk with your child's teacher
Find out what the teacher's homework rules are. If your child has a problem completing or understanding homework, call or e-mail the teacher to talk about the issue.
Test-taking Strategies
1.Read the question carefully.
2.Think about what you are supposed to do before you do it.
3.Look at answer choices carefully.
4.If you are absolutely sure an answer choice is correct, mark it and move on to the
next question. You need not look at the rest of the answer choices.
5.Eliminate answer choices you know are wrong.
6.Try each answer choice in the blank for cloze-type items.
7.Take your best guess when un-sure of the answer.
8.Skip difficult items and return to them later.
9.Be sure you mark the correct space for the answer group that corresponds to the
question you are working on.
10.Answer all of the questions.
2.Think about what you are supposed to do before you do it.
3.Look at answer choices carefully.
4.If you are absolutely sure an answer choice is correct, mark it and move on to the
next question. You need not look at the rest of the answer choices.
5.Eliminate answer choices you know are wrong.
6.Try each answer choice in the blank for cloze-type items.
7.Take your best guess when un-sure of the answer.
8.Skip difficult items and return to them later.
9.Be sure you mark the correct space for the answer group that corresponds to the
question you are working on.
10.Answer all of the questions.
Test-taking Mistakes
1. Spending too much time on dif-ficult items.
2. Misreading a question.
3. Filling in the wrong answer space.
4. Misreading answer choices.
5. Performing the wrong mathe-matics operation.
6. Misreading key words such as not or opposite.
7. Making a copying error when re-writing a horizontal math problem in vertical format.
8. Making a copying error when transferring a mathematics answer from scratch paper to
the answer sheet.
9. Reading a passage before the questions in comprehension items.
10. Failing to attempt to answer all the items.
2. Misreading a question.
3. Filling in the wrong answer space.
4. Misreading answer choices.
5. Performing the wrong mathe-matics operation.
6. Misreading key words such as not or opposite.
7. Making a copying error when re-writing a horizontal math problem in vertical format.
8. Making a copying error when transferring a mathematics answer from scratch paper to
the answer sheet.
9. Reading a passage before the questions in comprehension items.
10. Failing to attempt to answer all the items.
Reading Tips
One of the most important activities you can do with your children to prepare them for success in school is to read with them. Reading aloud to your kids stimulates their minds, strengthens their imaginations, and improves language skills. Daily independent reading is essential for growing your child’s reading skills as well.
Make reading time special. Turn off distractions like the TV.
Make time to read every day. Reading fits into almost any routine.
Schedule visits to the library (and get them library cards in their own names).
Create a space that encourages reading. Make a "book nook" in your home especially for the kids.
Take time to look at the book’s pictures if they have them. Talk about them. Ask chil-dren what they think is happening or what the characters are feeling.
Stop at interesting points in the story. Ask questions such as "What do you think will happen next?"
Help children relate the story to their own experiences. Ask "Have you ever felt that way?"
Select and read a variety of books to children. Include poetry and stories about other cultures, lifestyles, and countries.
Use books to help you discuss important events in children’s lives—welcoming a new baby, starting daycare, moving to a new home, etc.
Continue to read to children after they have learned to read. This will expose them to language, ideas, and adventures beyond their own reading skills.
Give books as presents. This tells children that books are special.
Let children see you read. Point out how reading helps you do important things like following a recipe or looking up a phone number.
Encourage children to make their own books.
Make reading time special. Turn off distractions like the TV.
Make time to read every day. Reading fits into almost any routine.
Schedule visits to the library (and get them library cards in their own names).
Create a space that encourages reading. Make a "book nook" in your home especially for the kids.
Take time to look at the book’s pictures if they have them. Talk about them. Ask chil-dren what they think is happening or what the characters are feeling.
Stop at interesting points in the story. Ask questions such as "What do you think will happen next?"
Help children relate the story to their own experiences. Ask "Have you ever felt that way?"
Select and read a variety of books to children. Include poetry and stories about other cultures, lifestyles, and countries.
Use books to help you discuss important events in children’s lives—welcoming a new baby, starting daycare, moving to a new home, etc.
Continue to read to children after they have learned to read. This will expose them to language, ideas, and adventures beyond their own reading skills.
Give books as presents. This tells children that books are special.
Let children see you read. Point out how reading helps you do important things like following a recipe or looking up a phone number.
Encourage children to make their own books.