How to help kids love school

By Beth D'Addono
Newhouse News Service

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How do you know that your kids are getting the most out of their school day?

Are they really learning? And how can you help?

Once you've covered the physical bases — providing a nutritious breakfast and lunch, as well as opportunities for exercise — you can concentrate on ways to foster a thirst for learning that will serve your children throughout their lives.

The most important thing you as a parent can do is be involved with your child's education. That includes making connections between everyday life and what they are learning in school.

Gisela Hausmann, a Wilmington, N.C., educator-author who recently developed the "Hands on Mathematics" learning method for children 3 to 6 (www.handsonmathematics.com) offers tips to improve communication, show you care and help your child succeed at learning.

Every day, ask your child what she did today. Little children will be happy to tell; older children might answer with a stereotypical "nothing." Don't ever leave it at that. This is practically the only way (other than snooping) that you can find out if and what your child learned.

If your child is reticent, say something like, "Guess what, at the office we started a new project ... (elaborate for a minute or so) ... (short pause). ... What did you do today in school?" Now your child is trapped. She has heard your accomplishments; "nothing" won't work. An ideal answer would be: "We learned about volcanoes. Did you know that there are volcanoes in the ocean? Tomorrow, we are going to research volcanoes on the Internet." Case closed, you know your child is engaged by this lesson.

Play the detective game. Every time your child tells you a story, ask: Who, what, where, when and why. These questions will increase your child's skills in writing an essay, no matter what age.

On the morning of a test, get up 20 minutes earlier and do a last practice run. Your child will feel reassured.
 
If you see that your child has difficulties with a subject, take action immediately, especially if it is something basic like reading, writing or math. Problems in these areas are like flash floods. They get worse by the minute if you wait.

Practice simple things while driving. "I see three cars plus two cars: How many cars altogether?" "I see five cars, but one is speeding away. How many are left?" Make spelling fun: "I see a thing with four wheels and one driver. The word has three letters. How do you spell it?" Doing just three math problems and three spelling words per day will get your child ahead.

With an older child, practice more difficult problems or ask questions from the curriculum, like: "How did World War II get started?" Do not look for extremely detailed answers. If your child can give a simple answer, he most likely understands the subject.

Do not fall into the trap of buying an educational product somebody else tells you is great, even though you aren't wowed by it. What works for one child may not work for another one. Chances are if you do not see the product's educational value, neither will your child.

Don't buy noisy educational toys. When you buy a toy that makes noise, ask yourself, "Will I be able to stand that sound after a bad day at work?" If the answer is no, leave the toy on the shelf.

When choosing a learning aid, aim for simplicity. Look for logical illustrations, graphics, pictures and a detailed index. If you think information is conveyed too theoretically, don't buy the product. You will be trapped later on when your child asks you a question.

Take advantage of educational freebies on the Internet and study them. There are a few excellent educational sites that send you lesson plans via e-mail, such as www.educationworld.com and www.theeducatorsnetwork.com. These sites, which are not reserved exclusively for teachers, are treasure chests of tips on how and what activities to do and where to get information. They will also be useful as homework help for older children. If your child needs special help, subscribe to a newsletter at specialchildren.about.com or www.ideallives.com.

Use waiting times wisely. While waiting for the pasta to boil, set the table with your school beginner. Talk in mathematical terms. Say, "Now let's arrange the four plates in a square/rectangle ... or the three plates in a triangle."

An older child can measure ingredients (math skills) and read the recipe (reading skills) while you are busy with something else. Since cookbooks are not typical reading, you will know immediately how well your child reads.