Parents often ask us what they can do at home to help their child and support the work we are doing in the classroom. The simple answer is to PRACTICE READING, MATH, and INDEPENDENCE SKILLS with your child!
To practice literacy skills, here are a few tips for things to do at home with your child:
Before Reading:
- Look at the front cover and see if your child can make predictions about what the book will be about by looking at the cover picture and title.
- Talk to your child about who the author is.
- Make sure to tell your child who the illustrator is (if different from the author)
During Reading:
- Ask questions like “Why do you think that happened?” “What do you think will happen next?” “Does this remind you of any other book?” “How do you think the character is feeling?”
- Make your child an active participant in the reading of the story
After Reading:
- Ask your child to re-tell the story in his/her own words.
- Ask your child if he/she liked the story and why or why not?
- Ask your child what they learned from the story.
All it takes is 15-20 minutes a day and the benefits are endless. Happy reading!
To practice math skills, here are a few tips for things to do at home with your child:
- Look for groups of numbers (ex. 5 grapes, 3 cookies)
- Practice counting up to 100 by both 1’s and 10’s (start small at first and build up)
- Have your child show you numbers in the environment (on books, license plates)
- Build with blocks and find shapes in the environment
- Have your child explain their thinking (How did you put 4 cups on the table?)
The more math they see the better their thinking and reasoning skills develop. Happy Math!
We teach a lot of independence skills here at school. To help grow your child’s independence, begin to allow them to do more at home. Some examples would be putting on their coats and zippering, turning sleeves right side out, and putting on boots and sneakers. Please also check your child’s home/school folder everyday that it is sent home to see the work they are doing in the classroom and also if there is information from their teacher on how better to help them at home. Plus the Peabody School uses email a lot to communicate with families. Make sure your child’s teacher has your email address and remember to check your email everyday.
By allowing your child to do more things independently, you will be surprised how quickly their confidence will grow and that helps out tremendously in the classroom.
Thank you,
Marybeth Callahan, Jessica O’Sullivan, Susan Locke, and Leslie Williams-Dunn