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 How Parents Can Help Kids With Learning

I know this has been a difficult time for everyone. It has been a tough adjustment for the kids, the families and the teachers. It is important that we continue to work together, to support each other and do what we can to help our young learners grow.

It is important that the students our actively engaged in learning. It is important that they try to relate what they are learning in class to the outside world. It is important to ask your child questions about their learning and discuss with them different techniques and strategies.

The fewer distractions the better. I know this is easier said than done with so many learning and working from home. Offer your kids short breaks or small rewards after a period of learning with no distractions. It is very difficult for any of us to multitask. Keep that in mind when you are learning with your child.

Three Ways to Help Your Child Learn At Home

1. Ask questions. Quiz your kids on the material. Provide as few hints as possible. Guessing is okay, but you don’t want them to become totally reliant on giving up and just guessing. Question them about the reason they came up with a specific answer

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2. Discuss stumbling blocks. Have them write down or draw what they don’t understand. Continue to communicate with them and ask them questions about what is confusing.

3. Ask recall questions whenever possible. With multiple choice, matching and fill in the blank questions, students must recognize the correct response from a work bank. If these are not challenging enough for your learner, have them explain their answer in a complete sentence(s) or conversation. This will help improve their comprehension skills.

Strapped for time?  I sympathize with busy parents. When you cannot help out, remind your child to try to remove distractions, quiz themselves, and take short breaks during learning or study sessions. 

The more we—students, parents and teachers— work together, the better chance the students have to develop effective learning habits. And usually, better study habits mean more learning, better grades and more productive, happier and more motivated students.

Take care and thank you for all of your effort, dedication and support.