While these tips were specifically
designed for math, most of them apply to all subject areas.
- Provide a regular study place.
If possible, have the following materials readily
available:
- Many children need assistance in
organizing and maintaining a notebook. Help them develop
a system for organizing and maintaining a notebook and
notes.
- Help your children develop a system
for writing down assignments, as well as keeping track
of progress. Some schools provide student planners or
assignment sheets, but that does not mean children use
them consistently. Check to make sure that they are
being used consistently and appropriately.
- Help your children develop a system
for taking meaningful notes. Frequently, note taking is
taught during class, so it may just be a matter of
seeing if your children are taking and using notes.
If these skills are not taught in class, give your child
some suggestions about what works for you when you have
to learn something new or keep track of important
information.
- Encourage your children to identify
study buddies or another math student they can call to
work with on assignments, get clarification, find out
about makeup work, etc. Some parents have established
study teams and times, so that students have planned
opportunities to study together after school.
- Encourage and expect children to
get work done on time, to stay caught up, to get help in
a timely manner, and to correct errors in work, even if
the corrections do not count as a grade.
You may want to help children go over incorrect or
incomplete work and talk about how the work could be
improved.
- It is expected that middle school
students know the basic addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division facts as well as whole
number computation. If your children are not proficient
with these skills, help them master the needed skills.
Flash cards, timed skill sheets, internet games, even
calling out facts for your child to recall while driving
to the store will keep skills sharp or build skills in
areas of need. Remember, the teacher is not the
only person your child will learn from.
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