Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School ... - Sharyland ISD

www.parent-institute.comSet the stage for a successfultransition to middle schoolIf your child willgraduate fromelementary school thisyear, congratulations!The move to middleschool is exciting and rewarding—and will be easier by preparing now.At school, teachers are alreadygetting students ready for this bigtransition. At home, you should dothe same thing. After all, researchshows there’s a strong connectionbetween parent involvement andstudent success!To support your child’s progressand independence:• Learn about the middle schoolahead of time. Visit the school.Read its website regularly. Ask fora tour. The more comfortable youand your child are at the school,the easier it will be to adjust.• Build school spirit. Learn aboutthe school’s clubs, teams, classes,colors and mascot. Talk aboutIs your child being bullied?The time to take action is now!It’s hard to learn mathfacts if you’re worriedabout what’s going tohappen to you duringrecess. You can’t concentrateon reading skills if you’rethinking about the mean thingsomeone just said about you.Kids who are being bullied oftenstruggle in school. So if you suspectyour child may be a victim, here aresome tips:• Don’t wait. Although about half ofall kids are victims at one time oranother, bullying has a real impacton a child. If you suspect something,talk with your child about it.your child’s interests. What excitingthings will he learn and do inmiddle school?• Encourage important habits.Your child should stick to a dailyhomework routine and practicestaying organized. These skills willbe critical in middle school andbeyond.• Ask for advice. Research summeractivities for rising middle schoolers,such as library reading programs.Ask the school for suggestionsbefore the school year ends.• Stay informed. Attend events fornew students and families. Jointhe parent-teacher organizationand ask about volunteer opportunities.Introduce yourself to staffand other parents.• Keep communicating. Talk withyour child about his concerns andhopes. Solve problems together.When middle school begins, keepin touch with teachers, too.• Learn as much as you can. Askyour child who she sits with atlunch. Who does she play with atrecess?• Teach her how to respond. Helpher practice saying somethinglike, “That’s bullying and I wantyou to stop.” If she can, have herstick with friends. It’s harder topick on a whole group.• Contact the school. Let theteacher know what’s going on.Bullies often wait until they areaway from adults to take action.• Boost her self-esteem. Get herinvolved in activities that makeher feel good about herself.Copyright © 2013, The Parent Institute®Q: I am a single parent and I workfull-time. My fifth grader is askingfor a cell phone. I must admitI would feel better if I knew hecould reach me in a crisis. Still, achild in fifth grade seems reallyyoung for a phone. What do otherparents do?Questions & AnswersA: For those who remember thedays when a family had one phone(and it was wired to the wall),today’s cell phone culture can beunnerving. But more than onethirdof kids in elementary schoolalready have cell phones.The key is to decide whetheryour son needs a phone, whetherhe can handle the responsibility,and whether it will work for yourfamily.Ask these questions:• Why might he need a phone?Safety is a big reason manyparents want their child connected.You might want yourchild to reach you if there’s aproblem. Remember, thereare different kinds of phones—you could get one that is onlyprogrammed to call a fewnumbers, including yours.• What are the school rulesregarding cell phones? Manyschools do not allow cell phonesto be turned on during the day.They’re just too distracting forlearners. Be sure your child iswilling to follow the school rules.• What limits will you set? Howmuch can your child talk? Towhom? Is he prepared to haveyou check his phone to read histext messages? What happens ifhis minutes go over the limit fora month?—Kris Amundson,The Parent InstituteMarch 2013 • Elementary • Parents make the difference! • 3

Copyright © 2013, The Parent Institute®Strategies canimprove readingcomprehensionReading helps kids gainknowledge throughoutschool and life. Andhow your child readsmakes a big difference.Students need to persevere—evenif reading is difficult—and thinkabout what they read.Encourage your child to:• Prepare. Before reading, yourchild should scan the material.What does she think it will beabout? What does she hope tolearn from it?• Ask questions. While your childis reading, she should ask herselfquestions such as, “Do I understandthis?” “What is it about?”“What happened?”• Solve problems. If your childdoesn’t understand a word,sentence or concept, sheshouldn’t give up. Rereadinghelps. So does sounding outwords. Parents and teachers canoffer hints, too.• Summarize. After reading, yourchild can make a “map.” Writethe story’s title and surround itwith five circles. In each one, fillout the who, what, when, whereand why of the story.• Test herself. She can use reviewquestions at the end of chaptersto reinforce information. She caneven make her own practice test.• Discuss readings. Quiz eachother on facts—and shareopinions, too. “Did you like theending?” “Why or why not?”“What was your favorite part?”Source: J. Light and D. McNaughton, “Reading Comprehension,”Penn State Literacy Instruction, http://tinyurl.com/d329zrd.It Matters: ReadingResearch shows there arecertain skills children mustlearn for reading success. Teacherswork on them at school, but ithelps to practice them at home,too. They include:1. Recognizing and using sounds.Talk about how words are madeof parts. Separate them intopieces. For example, bat is madeof “bbb,” “aaa” and “ttt.”2. Understanding that lettersrepresent sounds. Look atprinted letters. Name theirsounds. Also notice pairs andgroups of letters, such as br.What sounds do the two lettersmake together?3. Knowing a lot of words. Themore words your child knows,the more he’ll recognize andcomprehend. Try to use newwords often—and repeatedly.Make sure their meaning is clear.Experts believe allkids can enjoy reading.It’s just a matter of findingthe right materials.Before your next libraryvisit, brainstorm about:• Your child’s hobbies. She mightfind an irresistible book aboutsoccer, video games or cooking.Ask the librarian for suggestions.• Types of materials. Would yourchild like a mystery? A how-tobook? A biography? Considereverything!www.parent-institute.comResearch identifies five readingskills you can teach at home4. Using comprehension strategies.This involves thinking aboutreading materials. Ask your child,“What is the story about?” “Canyou retell it in your own words?”5. Reading quickly and correctly.Learning this skill takes time! Themore experience your child haswith reading, the easier this willbecome. Simply reading togetherwill make a big difference!Source: “The Five Essential Components of Reading,” U.S.Department of Education, www2.ed.gov/parents/read/resources/readingtips/part_pg5.html.Take a trip to the library totransform a reluctant reader• Activities. See if your locallibrary hosts read-aloud times,or has reading-related computergames for kids.• Company. Kids who “don’tlike” to read often take pride inreading to others. Bring along ayounger sibling, a grandparent,or a favorite stuffed animal.• Alternatives to books. Yourchild might prefer shortermaterials, such as articles,comics or recipes. All of thesecount as reading!4 • Elementary • Parents make the difference! • March 2013