Highlight education at home! Be your child’s parent-teacher
Do you feel guilty about being a working parent? Do you feel you are not participating in your child’s education due to work overload? Are you wondering how you can support your child’s education?
Here I will be able to give you tips on how to interact with your child’s education, while not having to participate in all activities that go on in school. Working can pose a huge challenge when you have school- age and teenage children.
Below are some examples of how you can help your child outside of school. More information can be found at http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/article/823-parents-are-teachers-too.
Math
- At the grocery store, explain how fruits and vegetables are sold by weight, and have your child weigh the items you select. Ask your child to guesstimate how much the items will weigh before putting them on the scale. Then have your child estimate how many items she would need to add or remove for the items to weigh one pound.
Reading
- Turn off the TV and read a book with your child, with each of you acting out the role of a character in the book. Record your performance so you can listen to it together or share it with other family members.
- If your child has completed his homework and wants to watch a favorite program, use that time to reinforce reading skills. Turn on the closed captioning so your child can read along as he watches and listens to the program.
Writing
- Have a mock spelling bee with a short list of words. To make the spelling bee challenging, include a timer.
Science
- You can never go wrong with baking soda, vinegar, borax, seeds, dirt, water, and more. There are several items that may be in your kitchen. Try surfing the web for science ideas. You’ll be astounded at what you’ll find!
In addition to reinforcing academic skills, many families allow their children to help with tasks around the house like creating the grocery list, balancing a checkbook, and configuring a budget. These small things in life at a young age will not only help your child in their academics, but in life as well.
Of course being a parent-teacher is not easy. Parents will develop healthy relationships with their children as well as strengthen their futures.
