Parents, any suggestions/ tips on how to make kids excel in basic reading, writing and arithmetics skills?

Question

As mosts parents struggle to find ways to help kids cope with keeping up with increasing schoolwork these days while finding enough time to play, pursue other hobbies, or enjoy simple pleasures of childhood, they would still like to know how to secure their children's future.

Answer 1

I'm not a parent, but I am a teacher and tutor. If you spend 1-2 hours a day twice a week and work on basic skills with your child I guarantee some growth. Repetition, repetition, repetition!

I would go to a "teacher store" and buy some basic work books. Use plastic sheet covers or transparency sheet and dry erase markers so they can use the books over and over again.

Use index cards joined with a binder ring for flash cards (vocabulary and math).

Don't let a video or game be your child's teacher. I think you can spare 2 hours a week. It'll benefit your child in two ways (quality time and educational growth).

Answer 2

Teach your child to pay attention. I've been in many classrooms. The kids that struggle are the ones that simply don't pay attention. Those that do pay attention usually are able to keep up on their learning and excel. I've heard many that would say that this child has a learning disability of some sort. In the classroom I'd observe that same child and find that the kid doesn't pay much attention, is constantly causing mischief, gets hardly any work done, and so on. No wonder this child is struggling.
I'm not saying this is the case all the time; There are those that truly have a learning disability but, from observing classrooms and kids' behaviors, the ones that struggle are the ones that don't pay attention. Plain and simple.

Answer 3

Make sure they spend at least 30 minutes each day working on these skills, even if they don't have homework. The summer is the perfect time to make progress, as they don't have other homework to do at this time. Here are some suggestions:

1. Read to them, even if they are older.
2. Have them write a story about their favorite subject.
3. Have them make flashcards for their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. Advanced math is much easier when they know the basics on sight.
4. Have them cut out magazine articles/newspaper stories that deal with their favorite subjects. Then have them write an essay on it.

When they are in school, then make sure they use that 30 minutes to work on their homework. Check it over each night to make sure they are doing it properly. If they are struggling, get them a tutor. Oftentimes there are tutors available from schools on a volunteer basis if you can't afford a paid tutor. Support them, don't overschedule them. They don't have to be on every single sports team known to mankind. Have them pick one or two activities to focus on.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Start off by talking to their teachers and establishing a good, strong relationship between home and school.

Seek opportunities to build and build on the skills that underlie academics through other activities such as music, athletics, drama, visual art.

Teach your children good values and allow them a happy, healthy childhood. Success is a total package.

Answer 5

Read with your child, read to your child, turn off the video games, go out and play (seriously, the physical activity is linked to brain development), talk about things when you go out, count things, have your child pay for his own treats and have him/her count the change. If a child is tied down with educational workbooks and studying from an early age, he/she will grow to resent it. Let kids be kids, encourage play with other kids - this teaches cooperation and problem-solving.

Even educational video games aren't very educational - i personally don't recommend them.

Answer 6

Read! Read! Read! Read to them, in front of them, have them read to you, in front of you, in the car, while waiting for dinner, and then when you have tried everything - READ!

BTW - all that you describe is possible IF you don't allow much TV or video games. Have your children OUTSIDE - my grandmother and I use to count stars, talk, we read on a quilt in the backyard. I went to her house as often as possible and I don't EVER remember having the TV on.

Answer 7

Be supportive! Encourage them! Help them! Read to your child, practice mathmatics with them, encourage them to write for fun. My parents always did these things and they helped us excel in school.

Answer 8

you should make sure that the foundations are strong, like in arithmetic, make sure they have mastered their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. algebra then would not be so hard. always make advanced studies.