Show your child that
learning is important. Provide a quiet place in your home
for reading, writing, and studying. Make sure that place is always
available to your child. Your child should read and/or do some
homework five nights per week.
Help your child continue to
develop as a reader and a writer. Provide a variety of
books, magazines and writing materials, for your child to
use.
Continue to read to your
child and have him/her read toyou. This remains
important as our children get older. Ask questions about what was
read. Discuss the material. In the intermediate grades,
critical thinking is a focus throughout the curriculum. You
can help your child strengthen these skills by asking questions
which include who, what , why , where, how, why not,
etc.
Read and discuss
non-fiction material as well as fiction. Reading
non-fiction teaches children that books are a source of
information and will help them become skilled technical
readers.
Develop vocabulary by
playing word games with your child. "Scrabble", "Boggle" and
"Wheel of Fortune" are three good choices.
Have your child read to
locate information. Have him follow the directions in the TV
or VCR operating manual., read recipes, etc. This is technical
reading.
Let your child catch YOU
reading regularly! Research tells us that children read more
and read a variety of materials when they see their parents and
older siblings reading. Make sure you read for information and
pleasure!
Continue to use family
outings as learning opportunities. Trips to the grocery store,
mall, parks, vacations, excursions on buses, planes, trains, all
provide material for discussion. Sixth graders are old enough to
enjoy and recall significant details from trips to museums, The
Pacific Science Center, aquariums, etc. Continue to ask your child
questions about their experiences. Listen to their responses and
let them know their opinions are important. Discussing their
thoughts with you lets your child practice oral communication
skills.
Encourage hobbies such
as crafts and model-building. These require following directions -
another technical reading skill.
Help with math skills
by playing games which involve adding, subtracting, multiplying
and dividing and fractions. Uno and Yahtzee are always popular.
Cooking is a great way to teach measurement, proportions,
fractions, more/less, and many other math concepts we all use in
our daily lives.
Continue to give your child
choices of activities, chores, foods, etc. "Would you rather make
the salad or empty the dishwasher?" "Would you like to read or
practice piano right now?" "Would you rather mow the lawn or weed
the garden? "Remember, you have homework. You can choose to play
with Carrie now and study after dinner, or reverse it. Just let me
know your plans." Sixth graders need to make
decisions which give them a feeling of having some control
over their lives. Alternatives such as those above teach
independence andresponsibility while you
ultimately remain in charge.
As you child becomes more
social and independent, remind him/her of respect, rights, and
responsibility. Always stress the importance of treating
others with kindness, respect and acceptance of
diversity.
Limit and monitor TV
watching!
Volunteer at
school!
Remember that YOU are
your child’s first teacher. The impact of your words
and actions are the most important!