HELP AT LAST

MONTHLY ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILY

INVOLVEMENT IN LEARNING

RMC Research Corporation Denver, CO (303) 825-3636 (800) 922-3636

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

This material is based upon research and work supported by the STAR Center (Support for Texas Academic Renewal) under Cooperative Agreement

S283A50031-98

Developed by Anita Foxworth and Nancy Pokorny of RMC Research Corporation Research Corporation, Denver, CO. Special thanks go to Shelley

Billig also of RMC Research Corporation, Denver, CO for her invaluable assistance in producing this guide.

June 1999

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction.................................................................................................................. 2 Create a good environment for study – Teacher tips ......................................... 3 Monthly parent learning tips #1 .............................................................................. 4 Help your child be a better reader – Teacher tips ............................................. 5 Monthly parent learning tips #2.............................................................................. 6 Make homework count – Teacher tips .................................................................... 7 Monthly parent learning tips #3.............................................................................. 8 Use the holidays to promote literacy – Teacher tips ......................................... 9 Monthly parent learning tips #4............................................................................ 10 Visit your child’s classroom – Teacher tips ..........................................................11 Monthly parent learning tips #5............................................................................ 12 Recognize early warning signs of school failure – Teacher tips ..................... 13 Monthly parent learning tips #6............................................................................ 14 Build a library at home – Teacher tips ................................................................. 15 Monthly parent learning tips #7............................................................................ 16 Use community resources to support literacy – Teacher tips ........................ 17 Monthly parent learning tips #8............................................................................ 18 Monitor out of school time – Teacher tips .......................................................... 19 Monthly parent learning tips #9............................................................................20 Continue learning through the summer – Teacher tips..................................... 21 Monthly parent learning tips #10..........................................................................22 Bibliography.................................................................................................................23

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INTRODUCTION Parents and families are the first and most important teachers. If families teach a love of learning, it can make all the difference in the world to our children.

Richard W. Riley U.S. Secretary of Education

DEAR TEACHERS: Researchers over the past 30 years have documented the link between parental involvement and increased academic achievement. Henderson and Berla (1997, p. 33) state that:

“The evidence is now beyond dispute. When schools work together with families to support learning, children tend to succeed, not just in school, but throughout life. In fact, the most accurate predictor of a student’s achievement is not income or social status, but the extent to which that student’s family is able to:

1. Create a home environment that encourages learning; 2. Express high (but not unrealistic) expectations for their children’s achievement and future careers; and 3. Become involved in their children’s education at school and in the community.”

Families and teachers need to work together to help children succeed in school and in life. Research has shown that all families have the ability to contribute to their child’s learning and that it is important to acknowledge and find ways to build on the strengths of families (Epstein, 1997). In this guide we provide strategies for you to use in strengthening the home-school connection. We show you how to increase family involvement in children’s learning through the use of activities designed to support the development of literacy. We present a different parent involvement topic for each month, beginning in September. Following the Tips for Teachers section, there is a master sheet to duplicate and send home to parents. We designed the topics to be appropriately sequenced to coincide with school holidays and other activities.

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CREATE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDY

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

“A school-like family recognizes that each child is also a student. Families reinforce the importance of school, homework, and activities that build student skills and feelings of success.” (Epstein, 1995)

Educators continually look for ways to bring schools and families closer together. We do this by trying to create more family-like schools-- smaller places where children feel comfortable and cared for, places that feel more like home. In turn, we need to encourage parents to look for ways to create a more school-like culture in their homes. In doing so, schools will begin to feel more like home and homes will begin to feel more like schools—bringing the two closer together to form a seamless bond. This month’s topic gives parents tips on ways to make the home more school-like, helping to ensure their children’s success. Ways to create an environment conducive to study, choosing when to turn off the television, modeling good reading habits, and building a home library are all discussed in this month’s parent handout.

Communicate clearly to parents the need for establishing a quiet, consistent place to study.

Invite students to bring in photos or pictures of themselves working in their study place at home.

Talk about study habits frequently—with parents as well as with students. As homework, ask students to interview their parents or caregivers about how

they learned to read and/or what they enjoy reading the most. Organize a “TV Blackout Day.” Have students report what it was like at home. Ask students what their families are doing to help them study better at home.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #1 CREATE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDY

One of the best ways that parents can show their children that education is important is to create a more “school like” family. What does this mean?

Find a place for your child to study The most important ways that you can help develop good study habits is to find a good place for your child to study. It is helpful to choose a place that has good light and is quiet, with a desk or table for writing. If you don’t have the space for a desk or table just for study, a kitchen or dining room table will work just fine.

Turn off the telephone and television Many families believe that they owe their child’s success in school to turning off the television and phone for at least one hour each day. This can be done either after school or in the evening. Families who do this every day report an increase in their child’s grades and attitude about school. During this quiet time, children (and adults if possible) should either complete homework or read.

Be a good role model It is so important to be a good role model for your child. Children often copy your words and actions. Let your child see you reading—even if it’s the newspaper or a magazine. It doesn’t matter whether you read in English or in another language. It’s not easy to find the time in your busy day but even a few minutes will show your child how important reading really is. Also make sure your child sees you making grocery lists, figuring out costs of products, and paying bills. This shows them how they can use what they are learning in school in their every day life.

Talk about what you and your child have read Tell your child what you have been reading. Encourage him or her to ask you questions about your reading. Ask your child questions about their reading, as well. Have them describe the characters, the setting for the story, and ask them what they liked best about what they are reading or if there were any surprises. Ask if they would like you to read a chapter to them. Also encourage them to read to you.

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HELP YOUR CHILD BE A BETTER READER TIPS FOR TEACHERS

“All students must read independently and well by the end of the third grade.” (U.S. Department of Education, 1997)

Most parents need and want information about how to work with their children to help improve their skills. This month’s handout gives parents simple strategies for becoming involved with their child’s reading. Helpful directions and hints are given for reading aloud, paired reading, and checking for comprehension. You might want to invite parents to school for an informal lesson in each of these three strategies. Model the strategies and then allow parents to practice with each other. This will build parent confidence and provide a way for them to get acquainted with other parents of children in your classroom. Other ideas you might try include:

Encourage parents to occasionally read a book that is a little more difficult than the child is used to reading. This helps stimulate vocabulary growth and higher order thinking skills.

Let parents know what you are reading in the classroom.

Children often develop favorite authors in school, but don’t get to hear them read as often as they would like. Other books

by authors children are reading in school help extend the child’s

knowledge. Tell parents that even after children have learned to read well, they may like to have someone read to them or participate in a family reading circle. Some books that may be too hard for them

to read can be approached through reading aloud with discussion. Reinforce the importance of parents modeling good reading, writing, and

mathematics habits for their child. Make sure parents know how important it is that their child see them making grocery lists, paying bills, writing notes, and figuring out the costs of various products.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #2 HELP YOUR CHILD BE A BETTER READER

This month we will talk about some ways that you can help your child become a better reader. These are easy tips that will give you a better idea of how your child is doing in school and how well he or she is learning to read. Reading aloud

Try to set aside a regular time each day to read aloud. This should be at a time when the house is quiet and there are no disturbances.

Use plenty of expression when reading. This isn’t always easy, but it is worth the effort since children respond so well to it.

Fathers should make an extra effort to read to their children. Since most early grades teachers are women, young boys sometimes associate women and reading. Books should be as popular as baseball gloves.

If your child loses interest, don’t be angry. Ask your child to choose another book or read at another time.

Questions during reading should be encouraged. Answer them; it means your child is paying attention.

Discuss the book afterwards by asking what your child liked or didn’t like. Paired reading-reading together

Explain to your child that sometimes you will read aloud together and sometimes he or she will read alone.

Select a simple signal that your child can give when he or she wants to read alone. It can be a nudge or tap—anything that is simple and clear.

Begin by reading together. Match your reading speed to that of your child. When your child wants to read alone, he or she gives you the signal. You then

stop reading. When your child needs help, give the correct pronunciation. Then begin reading

together until your child signals you that he or she wants to read alone again. Continue for 5 to 15 minutes.

Reading comprehension This is a simple idea that can be done anytime, anywhere—even riding in the car or walking down the street. Ask your child what he or she has been reading or working on at school. Don’t take “Nothing” for an answer. You might have to ask more questions in order for your child to begin talking. If possible avoid yes or no questions. Do this frequently—every day if possible.

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MAKE HOMEWORK COUNT

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

“Homework is an opportunity for students to learn and for parents to be involved in their child’s education. A parent’s interest can spark enthusiasm in a child and help teach the most important lesson of all...that learning can be fun and is well worth the effort.” (U.S. Department of Education, 1995)

Explain very clearly to parents the reasons for homework: Review and practice of previous learning; Preparation for the next day’s classes; An opportunity to learn to use resources (i.e. libraries

or reference materials); and Fostering a deeper understanding of subjects not fully

covered in the time available.

Let parents know that they should expect their children to have and to complete homework.

Ask parents to establish clear rules with their children about where, when, and

how homework is to be done each night.

Consider developing interactive homework activities that require students to talk to someone at home about something interesting that they are learning in class.

Be sure that homework is a review of what has been learned and not an

introduction to new content.

Provide feedback on the child’s performance on the homework.

Develop some guidelines to give to parents on how they can help their child with homework.

Plan and implement workshops for parents on literacy topics such as making

home learning materials or helping their child read.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #3 MAKE HOMEWORK COUNT

Homework can help your child to learn more quickly and to remember things better. It is a way for your child to practice what he or she is learning and to prepare for the next day’s classes. Here are some hints for making sure your child gets the most out of the homework given:

Set a regular time for homework to be done.

Make sure that your child has the papers, books, and materials to do the homework.

Encourage your child to study at a desk or table rather than in a bed or easy

chair.

Let your child see you reading and writing.

Stay in touch with your child’s teacher and find out how you should be involved in your child's’ homework.

Assure that your child’s assignments are completed. If your child has no

homework day after day, talk with your child’s teacher to be sure that he or she is completing assigned work at school.

Limit the amount of time that your child spends watching TV.

Limit calls from friends, or loud noises in the background when

your child is doing homework.

Expect your child to keep notes on daily assignments. Ask him or her to tell you what he or she is doing in class and for homework.

If you are unable to help your child with difficult homework,

contact the school to see if homework assistance is available through an after-school program or a homework hotline.

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USE THE HOLIDAYS TO PROMOTE LITERACY TIPS FOR TEACHERS

Holidays represent traditions of fun, food, and festivity. Yet many teachers use the holidays as opportunities to extend academic learning. Traditionally, they weave the names of the holidays into the language arts lessons thus providing opportunities to integrate reading and writing skills. Below are additional suggestions for using holidays to promote literacy.

Use internet-based lessons to extend your teaching. These websites offer lessons linked to the holidays:

http://www.museummania.com/treasure.htm--Once there, search holidays. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndl/pedu--Search Thanksgiving holiday. http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons Click on origin of holidays.

Invite families who have countries of origin outside the United States to visit

the classroom and share holiday traditions.

Ask students to interview family members regarding the ways that they celebrate the holidays. Have the children write short stories and read them to their classmates and other children in the school.

Collect the stories and ask children to make a scrapbook that includes pictures

of the children with their stories.

Work with the children to write short plays to dramatize the holidays. Various students can read the parts and perform them.

Let your students research the origin of common holidays. Have them

write short stories about holiday origins and read them aloud to their parents or other family members.

Select poems related to the holidays. Let the children

do choral reading with the selections.

Clip holiday pictures from magazines. Have children write stories and read them.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #4 USE THE HOLIDAYS TO PROMOTE

LITERACY

The holidays are a special time of the year that lends itself well to reading, writing, and other creative activities. Here are some ideas that will not only include your child in the holiday preparations, but will also show your child that reading, writing, and math have many practical uses.

Let your child help prepare favorite holiday foods by reading and following the recipes.

Let your child create homemade holiday greeting cards and mail them to friends

and family members.

View TV specials or check out videos of holiday stories. Talk with your child about the characters and moral messages in the stories.

Take your child to holiday events sponsored by your city or town. Make it an

educational experience by asking children to recall or describe what they saw.

Get holiday stories on audio tapes from the library. Listen to them with your child at home or in the car. Ask the children questions about the sequence of events. Let them predict how they think the story will end.

Buy blank cassette tapes. Have your child make up a story for the holidays or

retell one that he or she has heard. Record these on the tapes and mail them to friends and relatives.

When doing holiday shopping, let your child help figure out the cost of items,

how much you spent altogether, and how much items on sale will cost.

Let your child help write holiday cards and letters.

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VISIT YOUR CHILD’S CLASSROOM TIPS FOR TEACHERS

One of the best ways to make sure that families are involved in their child’s learning is for adult family members to observe in the classroom. Classroom visits or observations can be an enjoyable and instructive experience for both parents and teachers by following a few simple procedures.

Appoint a daily or weekly “greeter” for your classroom. When a parent or other family member comes to the door, have the greeter meet them and escort them to a seat at the back or side of the classroom.

Give the family member a book or other materials that accompany the lesson.

Have all lesson objectives for the day posted. This not only lets the family

member(s) know what is happening in the classroom, but also focuses students more effectively on the work.

After the parent is seated, establish eye contact and acknowledge their

presence with a nod and a smile. This can be done without interrupting the flow of the lesson.

After the lesson has concluded, spend a moment

or more, if possible, with the parent to explain the lesson and to answer any questions. An added bonus is to explain how the lesson fits in with the expectations or standards being taught. Show the parent any related work their child has generated.

Accompany the parent to the door, thank

them for their visit, and invite them back at a future time—or any time, if that is appropriate.

If you are pre-arranging classroom visits and know that some parents are

reticent to come to school, schedule the visits so that two or three parents will observe during the same time block. Let the parents know that they will be scheduled at the same time as others.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #5

VISIT YOUR CHILD’S CLASSROOM

Children love to have their parent(s) visit them at school. It makes them feel important and increases their self-confidence. Also, it lets them know that you, as a parent, value education and are interested in what they are learning at school. This is a chance for you to become better able to help in your child’s learning. Here are some tips that will make your classroom visit be most successful.

Unless you have been invited to visit the classroom at a particular time and date, contact the teacher to ask when your visit would be most convenient. If you want to observe a certain subject, such as reading, let the teacher know so that he or she can tell you when that subject is being taught.

Take along some paper and a pen or pencil so you can take notes or write down

any questions you have for the teacher.

Try to arrive before the class begins so that you can better understand what the teacher and students will be doing that day.

If at all possible, leave small children at home or arrange for a neighbor or

another family member to watch them.

Wait until the end of the class period to ask the teacher questions so that the flow of the lesson won’t be interrupted.

Be sure to ask how you can help your child at home with the lesson or other

class work, if appropriate.

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RECOGNIZE EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF SCHOOL FAILURE

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

The ability to read and write fluently is an essential element of success in school and in life. According to the National Literacy Act of 1991, “the pattern of poor literacy skills is similar to the pattern of poverty in the United States. Those who cannot read and those who are not economically self-sufficient are largely the same population.” Here are some guidelines for teachers to use in recognizing whether a child is at risk for school failure.

Become aware of the developmental milestones for reading and writing. A web- based document provides checklists of indicators for progress in several of the grades. Go to http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/arc-pubs.html. Click on Checkpoints for Progress-Teachers and Learning Partners.

Realize that some children may acquire the developmental milestones early but

others may need more support to achieve them. Most children should have attained the milestones by the end of each developmental period.

If you have concerns about a student’s progress, share your concerns with the

student’s family. Discuss the developmental milestones with them in a conference. You can access the materials for families from the above website. Click on Checkpoints for Progress-Families and Caregivers.

Develop a checklist so family members can provide additional support for

developing skills in reading and writing. This checklist should include activities that families can do to with their child.

Consult with the school’s reading specialist. Ask for information on

instructional strategies to address the student’s needs. Implement the strategies for a specific time and note how the

student responds to them.

If the student fails to attain the milestones after intervention consider referring him or her to the school’s student study team. This team will determine if specialized instructional support is necessary.

Frequently monitor the student’s progress and

communicate this to the family.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #6

RECOGNIZE EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF SCHOOL FAILURE How will you know if your child is making good progress in reading and writing? What are some early signs that will tell you that your child is having trouble in school? Here are some hints to help you recognize these problems:

Watch for the following signs: • Your child doesn’t want to go to school in the morning. • Your child squints or has trouble seeing books close up or objects far away. • Your child doesn’t want to do his or her homework. • Your child is skipping school. • Your child is not bringing home notes from school. • Your child is becoming a behavior problem at school. • Your child is bringing home poor grades.

If you notice any of the above warning signs, what should you do?

Call the school. Ask your child’s teacher how well he or she is progressing in acquiring the basic reading and writing skills.

Ask the teacher what you can do to help your child learn these skills.

Ask that the school nurse test your child’s eyes and ears to make sure that

vision or hearing is not causing a problem.

Make an appointment to visit your child’s classroom to observe.

Ask the teacher to mail home important notes or arrange to pick up your child’s notes at school once a week.

Ask the teacher for frequent progress reports on your child.

Have the school attendance office call you immediately if your child is marked

absent.

Continue to stress the importance of education and support the school in any comments you make to your child.

Offer to help your child with homework—but don’t do all the work

yourself.

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BUILD A LIBRARY AT HOME

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

A great way for parents and families to communicate their commitment to literacy is to begin to build a library of reading materials at home. Here are some ideas that will help parents get a good start in their efforts to build a home library.

Hold a book swap or used book sale in your classroom or at the school.

Ask the community to donate old books. Provide signs and large boxes to local businesses and retail stores so patrons can donate the books they no longer need.

Have a school book fair. There are many companies that will provide

appropriate books and the necessary logistics to support your book fair. You can choose whether or not you want to make a profit from this endeavor or give the books away. You can purchase more books for your school with any profits.

Give books to children as prizes for good behavior, perfect attendance, or

outstanding academic performance.

Take your students to the school library frequently. Make sure you use the library or media center as an incentive rather than a punishment. Encourage students to take the books home to read and discuss them with their families.

When the school discards books,

arrange for families to have the opportunity to acquire these books before they are sent to the recycling company.

Above all, frequently urge families

to continue their efforts to build a home library. Praise is a powerful motivator.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #7 BUILD A LIBRARY AT HOME

One of the best ways to help create a more school-like family is to build a library of books and magazines

at home. This month we’ll give you some ideas for good, but inexpensive ways to help your at-home library grow faster.

Schools often hold book fairs. These book fairs are a great, inexpensive way to add books to your library at home. The books are not only reasonably priced, but are age appropriate for your child. The teacher will be able to help you make your selections.

There are many other places to buy inexpensive books for your child. Second

hand and antique stores usually have an excellent selection of children’s books for sale. Garage sales are also good places to look for children’s books.

Ask your local health or legal professionals for their outdated magazines.

Gift certificates for books and other reading material are a wonderful way to

build your library at home. Encourage those that purchase gifts for your family to either buy books or give gift certificates to local bookstores. When it’s your turn to buy gifts, think about giving reading material to others.

One way to get new reading material is to trade books with friends, neighbors,

or relatives.

Don’t forget the local library. Visit the library often with your child to exchange books, to attend book talks or other library events, or just to curl up and read. Make sure your child is allowed to help choose the books.

Most importantly, make sure your home library gets used. Set aside story times

and quiet times to read aloud. Make sure your child sees you reading, too.

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USE COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO SUPPORT LITERACY

TIPS FOR TEACHERS Most communities are rich repositories of resources. Epstein (1997) notes that within communities are human, economic, material and social resources that can support and enhance home and school activities. Getting communities involved brings a wealth of support for students as they develop their literacy skills. Here are some ideas:

Do an inventory of public institutions (community colleges, universities, libraries, museums, etc.) local businesses, service clubs, community organizations, and faith communities in your area and recruit members from these entities to serve as mentors or tutors for literacy efforts.

Encourage tutoring by senior citizens and older youth tutoring younger children.

Plan a field trip to the local library. Use the resources in the library to support

literacy efforts. Many libraries have activities like story telling, dramatization, videos, and audiocassettes on loan.

Arrange visits to a local museum. Museums provide many interactive learning

activities that can extend learning and literacy beyond the school day.

Ask local businesses to donate items that can be used as incentives to encourage children to read.

Ask city officials to support literacy efforts through activities like visiting

classrooms to read to children or having children read to them.

Help students author books to read to seniors in nursing homes or senior centers.

Recruit “local heroes” (e.g. sports and media figures) to talk with

children about the importance of reading.

Compile a list of free or low cost community resources and share these with families.

Find out about artist in residence programs that may be

available to integrate the arts into literacy efforts.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #8 USE COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO SUPPORT LITERACY

There are many ways that the community can help support your child’s learning. Here are some ideas to investigate.

Visit your local library. Find out what resources are available for you to take home and use with your child. Get a library card for yourself and one for your child so that you can take these resources home.

Visit your local museums. There are many types such as natural history, art,

zoos, and science. These museums often have wonderfully interactive activities to inspire and motivate children to learn.

Check the newspapers, listen to the radio, or watch television for

announcements about local educational events, exhibits, and community resource fairs.

If possible, attend field trips with your children. Volunteer to serve as a

chaperone for classes.

Check the newspaper for listings of television programs that provide learning opportunities.

Obtain a list of community resources that are available to support you in helping

your child to succeed in school.

Frequent businesses that support schools by contributing a portion of their profits to schools.

If you work outside the home, encourage your employer to

allow a certain number of hours a month to attend parent teacher conferences, school performances, or to volunteer at the school.

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MONITOR OUT OF SCHOOL TIME

TIPS FOR TEACHERS

Many children will have a lot of unstructured time available in the summer. Without careful guidance, children may use this time unwisely to create problematic situations for both their parents and their communities. Teachers can assist parents and communities to take preventive measures by providing information for parents to use in monitoring their children’s out of school time.

Prior to the end of school, have a parent meeting.

Talk with parents about the importance of monitoring out of school time. Stress watching and listening for messages their child might be sending by style of dress, bedroom décor, or subjects discussed with friends.

Provide parents with the Tips for Parents sheet and any other resources

available (e.g., summer learning packets, community resources, summer programs, etc.)

Give parents information on summer programs available either through the

school district or the city, parks and recreation, etc.

Share the resource on guidelines for family television viewing. This publication is available on http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests/1990/famtv90.html

Provide parents information on teaching responsible behavior. Information

is available at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Behavior/pt2.html

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #9 MONITOR OUT OF SCHOOL TIME

Monitoring out of school time is a vitally important part of parenting. It’s during the hours either before or after school when problems can result from children not having enough structured activities. Here are some suggestions for keeping your child busy and out of trouble:

Plan some meaningful activities for your child for out of school time.

Take advantage of community resources for connecting your child to learning

activities after school or during the summer (e.g., museums, libraries, etc.)

Limit TV time to no more than two hours a day. Choose television programs that make your child think or choose those that teach lessons and are free from violence and sexual situations.

Be aware of who your child’s friends are and where they live.

Make sure that any older siblings or other relatives who baby-sit for your

child know what is appropriate behavior and what is acceptable as far as TV viewing and listening to music on CDs or the radio.

Be aware of the types of music that your child is listening to and help them

learn to analyze the messages that they are getting.

If your child has computer access, monitor the amount of time spent on the Internet

as well as the types of sites your child visits.

Access any available community resources if your child starts to engage in anti-social behavior.

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CONTINUE LEARNING THROUGH THE SUMMER

TIPS FOR TEACHERS In the summer, many families are at a loss for productive activities to do with their children. Having little access to school and few planned activities can be a stressful time for families. School staff can assist by providing access to activities that support continued academic learning. Below are some tips for using summer learning activities to extend learning throughout the year:

Determine in which area you would like to extend learning.

Access summer home learning activities for your grade level by downloading materials from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Recipes. Activities are available for grades K-12.

Access the calendar of summer learning activities from

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Calendar. There are activities for each of the summer months.

Have a year end parent meeting to share the information.

If possible, provide translations of the materials into languages other than

English. Perhaps the school’s bilingual assistants can help.

Share information about community resources that are available to provide learning activities. Libraries, museums, and parks may offer planned summer programs for children and families.

Offer “make and take” workshops for families to make learning activities that

they can use with their children during the summer.

Prepare summer packets, specifically designed for your grade level that include:

Recommended reading lists; Suggested summer field trips; Lists of community activities; and Activities for parents to do at home from

resources like Family Math and Family Reading.

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MONTHLY PARENT LEARNING TIPS #10 CONTINUE LEARNING THROUGH THE

SUMMER

Summer is often a time when your child gets easily bored. It is difficult to find activities for him or her to do.

Sometimes local entertainment attractions don’t fit into the family budget. Here are some low cost or no cost activities that will keep your child happy and learning all summer.

Contact your child’s teacher to find out whether the school offers any type of summer program.

Ask your child’s teacher for any recommended activities that you can do at

home with your child during the summer.

Help your child obtain a library card.

Visit the local museum and park department to see what opportunities they offer for summer learning activities.

Make time to spend with your child to continue learning over the summer

months.

Visit second hand stores to find books, games, and toys that can be useful in strengthening academic concepts.

Find out whether summer activity programs are available from your church or

local community organizations like the YMCA, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, etc.

Call the tourist bureau for free copies of activities to do in your area. Specify that you want free or low cost activities.

Plant a garden with your child—then make bouquets for others with the flowers

and salads with the vegetables.

Arrange for your child to volunteer at the local senior center, childcare facility, or hospital.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Checkpoints for progress-Families and Caregivers. Retrieved April 19, 1999 from World Wide Web: http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/arc-pubs.html Checkpoints for progress-Teachers and Learning Partners. Retrieved April 19, 1999 from World Wide Web: http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/arc-pubs.html Epstein, J.L. (1997). Partnership-2000 Schools’ Manual: Improving School-Family-Community Connections. Baltimore, MD: Center on Families, Communities, Schools and Children’s Learning. Epstein, J.L. (1995). “School/Family/Community Partnerships – Caring for the Children We Share.” Phi Delta Kappan, 701. Henderson, A.T., and Berla, N. (1995). “A new generation of evidence: The family is critical to student achievement.” Washington DC: Center for Law and Education, p.1. Helping Your Child with Homework (1995). Retrieved December 3, 1998 from World Wide Web: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Homework/pt10.html Holidays. Retrieved June 11, 1999 from World Wide Web: http://www.thegateway.org/index2/holidays Holiday Celebrations. Retrieved April 20, 1999 from World Wide Web: http://www.uen.org/cgi-bin/websql/lessons/14.hts?id=1558&core=4 Museum Mania. Retrieved April 20, 1999 from World Wide Web: http://www.museummania.com/treasure.htm Summer Home Learning Recipes. Retrieved April 7, 1998 from World Wide Web: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Recipes Summer Learning Activities. Retrieved April 7, 1999 from World Wide Web: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/oarents/Calendar

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