Parent Tips for Success

Parents Guide: What you can do to help

your child become a fluent reader?

1. BE ROLE MODELS: Your kids should see you reading, working through problems, learning from the mistakes you made.

2. DON'T JUMP AHEAD: Preschool isn't high school; the emphasis should be on play. Elementary school isn't college; too much time on homework can be counterproductive.

3. KEEP ON READING: Bring on the books when they are babies and don't stop--even when they're excellent readers themselves.

4. BE INVOLVED: Know what's going on in the school and in the classroom--support it, enrich it. But don't do you kids' work for them!

5. APPLAUD THE EFFORT: Parents need to praise hard work and persistence--not just outcomes. Make praise specific; don't just offer generic esteem boosting.

6. ALLOW MISTAKES: Errors are learning opportunities and can be good practice for dealing with life's setbacks.

7. RESPECT THEIR STYLE: While educators advise a quiet homework spot without distractions, some kids work better with background noise. Let them do it their way-- unless their work suffers.

8. DON'T FORGET MORALS: A strong ethical framework, religious or otherwise, will help kids resist the ever present siren call of negative peer pressure.