Newsletter November 2010
november 23, 2010
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We strive to bring you the most helpful and up to date information every month, and this month's newsletter is no exception.
You can scroll down through the articles below, or you can click on a headline you like to go directly to that article.

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This Month's Headlines:

Homework Help: Guidance is Key
Making the Most of Tutoring
Lifelong Literacy
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Homework Help: Guidance is Key

As the school year marches along, students may begin to have a heavier homework
load, including larger projects or reports. It’s great for parents to be supportive and
involved in their child’s homework, but the key is to find the right balance of help and
encouragement. We know that parents have to resist the urge to do too much for their
child, or the child misses out on valuable lessons the homework is supposed to teach
them.

So how can you help effectively? The U.S. Department of Education provides parents
with a few tips for successful homework guidance.

First and foremost, get organized. This seems simple, but it’s a crucial and great
beginning step to helping your child work through his or her homework more efficiently.
Having a calendar, schedule or planner to keep track of all assignments is an easy, cheap
way to stay focused and on track, especially for older students who are juggling multiple
demanding courses. Encourage your child to write down all assignments, and soon it will
become second nature to them. Folders, binders and backpacks also help your child keep
everything organized in one place.

Developing good study habits is also key to becoming a successful student. This takes
time and practice, so be patient as your child learns what works best for him or her. Not
all students work and learn in the same way. Still, a basic tenet for good study habits is
time management, something you can help your child with. If he or she has a big report
due, discuss all the steps needed to have it done on time, from selecting a topic, doing
research, focusing the thesis, outlining, writing and editing. The same goes for tests—
encourage your child to review a little each night so he or she avoids cramming the night
before. Practice tests are a great tool and an easy way for you to get involved in a helpful
way.

Another simple way to get involved is to review assignments with your child. An easy
place to start is whether or not he or she understands what the instructions are asking
for. If there’s any uncertainty at the start, it’s easy to imagine how it can slow down the
process or lead to unnecessary work or unfulfilled requirements. If your child is having a
hard time, reread the instructions with him or her checking for unknown words or unclear
directions. If you are unsure too, try to contact the teacher or another classmate. Also
make sure your child has everything he or she needs to complete the assignment—some
projects require special tools like rulers, graphing calculators, maps, or books. The library
may also be a valuable resource depending on the assignment. Finally, review the answer
to check for thorough understanding. If it’s math homework, ask your child to explain
how she or he arrived at the answer. With writing assignments, ask for a summary of
what he or she wrote in the final report.

Lastly, keep an eye out for frustration. Some assignments may be difficult or time
consuming, but if you feel your child is struggling more than normal the extra help of a
tutor can be a huge bonus.

Remember to give praise; everyone loves being told when there’s a job well done. The
same goes on the other end of the spectrum—learn how to give constructive criticism.
Sometimes this is all in the way you say something, so be careful of your wording. “This
assignment looks like a mess!” is far more discouraging than saying something like, “It
might be easier for your teacher to understand if you use neat handwriting.”

Source: “How to Help with Homework: Provide Guidance.” 2ed.gov.

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Making the Most of Tutoring

Many parents have seen firsthand the enormous effect a tutor can have for a struggling
student. The relationship between a tutor and student is a nourishing one, whether your
child is learning to read, preparing for middle school, or getting ready for SATs.

Tutors can’t be with your student all the time, but you can take steps to maximize the
benefits of working with one, leading to better foundations and lasting habits for your
student.

There are a few things you can do before the tutor arrives to help create an effective
session.

• Get a calendar to keep track of assignments and due dates. Try color-coding to
  help your child easily see what’s due and when. For example, you can use different colors
  for short- and long-term assignments, tests, projects, and reports.
• Find the best spot for tutoring sessions to take place. This is pretty simple—just a
  quiet and comfortable spot away from distractions and interruptions.
• Find the best tutoring time for your child. This can vary—some students do best
  right after school, while others are better studying after dinner. Work with your tutor to
  find the best time for your child when he or she is the most focused. It’s also a good idea
  to put some water or juice on the table so your child doesn’t have to interrupt to get up for
  a drink. Same goes for food—give your child a snack before tutoring, so a grumbling
  stomach doesn’t keep them from paying attention.
• Help your child identify trouble areas and the subjects he or she needs to review
  with the tutor. Examples are great—if you have a copy of math test and can show that
  your child struggles with fractions your tutor knows to start focusing there.

Once the tutor leaves, there are things you can do with your child to help reinforce what
they’ve learned:

• It can be helpful for tutors to leave you with a few notes to review with your
  child after. The more students review these notes, the better, as it helps them practice their
  problem areas. You can also ask the tutor to leave a checklist of daily tasks, which you
  can use to ensure your child is on track. This helps your child stay organized and more
  inclined to eventually make their own lists.
• Find ways to review, review, review. Pick up workbooks or extra worksheets, or
  go online to find additional materials and resources to help drive lessons home. You can
  get creative here, even as simple as practicing subjects in short bursts, like practicing
  math at the checkout line or talking about science at a museum exhibit. If your child
  struggles with English, find a book that’s in an area of his or her interest. With reading,
  and any subject, the more you do it, the better you get at it.

Source: VanderMeulen, Rebecca. “How to Get the Most Out of Your Child’s Tutor.”
education.com.

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Lifelong Literacy

November kicks off National Family Literacy Month. Literacy serves as the foundation
to lifelong learning and is a very important subject that deserves attention. Reading may
seem to take a backseat in our digital age, but educators stress that it’s important to find
new and engaging ways to keep children reading.

Many children are not natural readers, but with a little effort and encouragement, you can
reinforce the vast benefits of reading. Here are a few tips, courtesy of the Parents’ Choice
Foundation, for ways you can make reading a family affair.

Vocabulary
Words are like building blocks for better reading comprehension and literacy. Help your
child hone his or her vocabulary by surrounding them with words. By hearing them,
repeating them, seeing them in print, and using words in everyday actions they become
ingrained in your child’s brain. Teach them new words, and use them in sentences to
create a more lasting impression. The richer your child’s vocabulary, the richer their
reading life can be.

Reading Time
Set a special time and place for your child to read. Even better—join them. This not only
creates a nice family bond, but also demonstrates that reading continues to be a big part
of life in adulthood. Show your child the connection between reading and the pleasure
of focused time spent exploring an interesting topic or story. Your enthusiasm can be
infectious, so if you’re excited about something you’re reading (and it’s age appropriate),
share with them.

Don’t Push
Reading isn’t always going to happen. You have to find a happy medium of encouraging
reading without nagging. If you push too hard, your child will push back and associate
reading with chores, arguments or punishments. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t provide

many opportunities for reading. Keep books around the house, bring them on trips, leave
them in the car. Reading is a great way to pass the time while waiting at the doctor or
dentist’s office, for example.

Engage Your Child
Read together and stop to discuss the story. If you make reading feel more interactive,
children start to see how enriching it can be. Ask them what they think will happen next,
or how they would feel if put in the same position of the protagonist. It’s also great to
tie stories into real life. If you’re reading about butterflies, go to the local museum to see
some on display. Show your child that even fictional stories can relate to reality.

Life Imitates Art
The tip above works the other way around too. If you see something interesting on TV or
watch a movie that piques your child’s interest, find a book that’s related to the subject.
Help your child make associations across subjects and different media forms. This is how
literacy works in life—it crosses many boundaries and creates unexpected connections.

Let Them Lead
Let your child’s natural interests influence how and what they read. If your child loves
nature, find books both non-fiction and fiction about nature. Have an active child who’s
into sports? Find an autobiography of one of their athlete heroes, or a story related to
their particular sport. Children who are particularly opposed to reading often enjoy
graphic novels—they incorporate the best of the graphic, visual world and the written
one. If your child shows interest in an area—even if it’s an area you know a lot about—
find a book about it rather than just telling them the answer. One of the best parts about
reading is the feeling of discovery and having the intricacies of life revealed to you in a
tangible form.

New Resources
Books can be expensive, so find creative ways to keep your child reading. Set up a book
swap with their friends where they each trade a book for a few weeks. Keep your eyes
out for special events at the library, museums and learning centers. Go to readings at
bookstores, frequent discount and garage sales looking for treasures. Magazines can also
be a great tool—just ensure that there’s some real material in there to devour and not just
a bunch of pictures and advertisements. Subscriptions are great too; getting each issue in
the mail can feel like a special, unexpected gift.

Source: Jemtegarrd, Kristi. “Tips for Teaching Kids to Enjoy Reading.” parents-
choice.org.
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