How to Help My Child

HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD AT HOME?

10 Tips to Help your Child with Writing:
1.     Read from a variety of sources. Reading and writing are linked success in one supports success in the other. Read stories, articles, ads, instructions, etc. to your child and then talk about what you have read.
2.    Be a writing role model. Let your child see you writing when possible letters, work assignments, letters to the editor, email. Help your child to understand about writing for different purposes like short stories, poems, letters, etc. Make sure they see all different types of materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, comic books and illustrated novels.
3.    Get children to write on their own. Capturing the day's events on paper or creating a story or poem is a great way for children to develop their own writing style. Let them write about their interests it doesn't matter what the subject is.
4.    Encourage your child to write down ideas. A journal or diary is a simple way for kids to keep track of their thoughts or feelings. They can write about things that happened at school, on TV, news stories, pictures, sports, and activities. Journals can be purchased at the dollar store in a variety of sizes with different covers.
5.    Keep writing sessions short. When your child has a writing assignment, help to schedule brief periods of writing rather than trying to write it in one go. Help create an outline before putting pen to paper.
6.    Cyberspace writing. Encourage your children to write emails to or instant-message with family and friends. If they have their own email address, write emails to each other.
7.    Computers can be a writer's best friend. Though we all feel that kids may spend too much time on the computer, there are some great games that help kids develop their writing skills by allowing them to create their own stories, books, and practice typing skills.
8.    Encourage your child to talk it out. Writing mistakes can often be easily caught by reading stories out loud.
9.    Listen and talk to your children. Help your child talk about what, where, when, how and why as they are preparing to write about something. If your child seems stuck, ask what the problem is and talk about it.
10.  Play games and do puzzles with your child. Games such as Junior Scrabble®, word finders or crossword puzzles that involve creating and using words are a great way to develop word vocabulary. Keep a dictionary handy.
10 Tips to Help your Child with Reading:
1.     Keep reading with your child. Kids are never too old to be read toor let your kids read to you. Read a variety of material magazines, newspapers, books, poems and comic books.
2.    Public libraries today are worlds to explore so try and go regularly. Your library has great resources books, computer games, DVDs, CDs, magazines, newspapers and Internet access. There are also terrific in-house programs such as reading circles for little ones and homework clubs for older children.
3.    Read some of the same books as your child. There are many books that are loved by people of all ages. Ask your librarian or child's teacher for suggestions. You can share your thoughts and ideas, and have great conversations about the characters, stories or topics.
4.    Ask your children what they're reading. Ask what it's about and what is most enjoyable about the book. Ask your child to describe it to you.
5.    Tap into interests and hobbies. Kids are more likely to read about what they find really interesting, like sports or crafts. Don't worry if it's a comic book, magazine or an illustrated novel, just remember all reading is good.
6.    Find books that relate to TV shows. Let's face it, TV and video games are part of life now and our kids benefit when we help them learn how to think about these messages too. You can use this to your advantageintroduce them to books or magazines that relate to their favourite shows, movies or games.
7.    Encourage your older kids to read to younger kids. The older child will practice reading out loud and the younger child will enjoy being read to.
8.    Play games together. Trivia games and board games such as Junior Trivial Pursuit® or Junior Scrabble® can be a fun way to learn about words and reading.
9.    Computers can be reading zones too! Though we all feel that kids may spend too much time on the computer, there are some great games that help kids with reading and allow them to create their own stories and books. Look for "parent approved" on the box in stores and in the library.
10.  Give praise. The best motivation comes from your positive feedback. Whenever your child finishes a reading or writing assignment, ask about what was read and praise your child's   effort.


10 Tips to Help your Child with Math:
1.     Be positive about math!
2.    Let your child know that everyone can learn math.
3.    Let your child know that you think math is important and fun.
4.    Point out the ways in which different family members use math in their jobs and at home. Include your child in everyday activities that involve math: making purchases, measuring ingredients, counting out plates and utensils for dinner. When doing math with your child, use household objects such as measuring cups and containers of various shapes and sizes.
5.    Be positive about your own math abilities.
6.    Encourage your child to be persistent if a problem seems difficult. Treat errors as opportunities to help your child learn something new.
7.    Praise your child when he or she makes an effort.
8.    Play games and do puzzles with your child that involve math.
9.    Do math problems with your child for fun.
10.  Encourage your child to give explanations. When your child is trying to solve a problem, ask what he or she is thinking.  If your child seems puzzled, ask him or her to tell you what doesn’t make sense.





HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD IN FRENCH?

1.     Make vocabulary flash cards and play some games with your child.
2.     Encourage your child to teach you, or a sibling, what they have been learning.
3.     Encourage your child to attend French club (day/time to be announced).  They can come for extra help, play French games, read French books, and listen to French CD's, and make some French crafts.
4.     Ask your child to watch one French television program or read a French book each week.
5.     The public library offers books with tape or CD.  Sign a few out and have your child follow along with the book and listening to how words are pronounced.
6.     Talk about the benefits of learning a language and encourage your child to do their best.


Bring French into Your Home
o    Including some French in you everyday home life early on will show your child how much you value learning a second language. Parents can learn French too - it can be fun and enriching for the whole family! Activities need not be expensive or elaborate. Just use your imagination and you will be able to add to the list below in no time.

o    Use labels from can and food packages to make a collage or collect them in a scrapbook. They won’t realize they are learning vocabulary, spelling, and sorting.

o    Play I Spy in French. Prepare for the game by printing on cards the French names for objects in a particular room of the house. Don’t know the name of an object? Let your child know it’s OK not to know something. Make a point of finding out the word you didn’t know from an older sibling, a teacher, a visual dictionary or an English/French dictionary.

o    Have your child label as many objects in your house as possible. In making the labels don’t forget to include the article “le” or “la” so that your child can learn if the noun is masculine or feminine.

o    On a long car ride play “Guess the sentence” Your child will say a word, sentence or phrase in French while the parents try to guess what is said. You will soon discover you can figure out the meaning even if you don’t know every word.

o    Introduce older students to board and computer games in French. Scrabble, Monopoly, and Clue are some of the many board games available.

o    Music can be a marvelous motivator. Play a French tape or CD. Listening to songs and singing along develop both aural and oral skills. Repetition gives children the opportunity to pronounce sounds that do not exist in the English language. Music also provides a window into French culture.

o    Family sing-a-longs can be great fun while driving or sitting by the fireplace or campfire.

o    Check out local French television and radio listings.

o    Many videos are available including the ever popular Disney collection

o    Check out a French library book

o    Subscribe to a French newspaper or magazine.

o    Hire a French-speaking baby sitter.

o    Check your local directory for Francophone clubs including sports clubs. They often have planned activities and entertainers which may be of interest to your child.

o    Travel to a French speaking destination.

o    French summer camp is a wonderful way to have fun in the sun while practicing language skills



How to help your French Immersion student with Reading
The more fluent a student is in his/her own language, the easier it is to learn another. Read aloud to your child every day. Read books in your own language if English is your second language. Do not worry if you do not speak French; you can instill a love of literature in your child regardless of the language in which you read. By fostering enthusiasm, and motivating your child to seek out books independently, you are laying the ground work for positive attitudes that are essential to life long learning in French or in English. It is important that your child’s first language be as rich as possible; you have the ability to provide that enrichment at home. Besides reading to your child often, let them see you reading and using books frequently. You can help your child’s reading development by:

o    reading books with repetitive words and phrases.

o    finding stories and poems about everyday experiences which are easily related to their own lives and can be easily discussed.

o    reading materials that are just plain fun, like riddles, silly rhymes etc.

o    encouraging active participation in reading by asking for their opinion, talking about the pictures, predicting what may happen next, are the events in the story true or factual (fiction or non-fiction), have the student retell the story to another person, draw a picture of their favorite part of the story.

o    finding stories on audio tape. Have an older sibling tape a story which can be listened to over and over again.

o    playing word games. For example, find rhyming words.

o    don’t stop reading to or with your child once they can read. It’s a great way to spend some time together!

o    if you have concerns about your child’s reading development discuss your concerns with their teacher.


A Quick Mini lesson on pronunciation
Trying to help your child in their reading or pronunciation of French words?  Here is a quick lesson:

o    while there are significant differences between the sounds of the vowels in the two languages, the consonants are essentially the same


o    an s at the end of a word to indicate the plural is silent
 
o    qu sounds like k (not like kw as in quick)
 
o    th is pronounced t
 
o    ch is pronounced like the English sh
 
o    i is pronounced like the long English e (bee)
 
o    y sounds like yes event at the end of a word
 
o    ou in French always sounds like group (not out)
 
o    oy and oi sound like the wa in water
 
o    au and eau have the long o sound (so)
 
o    ez has the long a sound (way)
 
o    accents change the sounds of vowels; e sounds much like the short English e (deck) while é sounds has the long a sound (hay)
 
o    stress falls on the last sounded syllable (ami sounds like am-ee)
 
o    when a word begins with a vowel (or a silent h), it is usually joined with the last consonant of the preceding word- it will sound as though your child is reading one word instead of two.

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