For trainings at your site ~ Contact Dori Elin, Training Coordinator
at 301-424-6969
Tips for Teachers and Parents
Take Time to Connect with your Child
Connect by talking with your child
Take time to have conversations with your child. Giving orders like “Put on your coat, Tie your shoes, Flush the toilet," are NOT conversations. Listen, respond to your child’s thought. Listen for your child’s unique body language. Listen and respond to feelings as well as words.
You can transform daily errands into learning experiences. A trip to the grocery store or Home Depot can turn into a treasure hunt. Have clear expectations so your child knows that he/she is helping to find a specific item like milk with the blue top. Your child will become an active participant in the adventure while getting special attention from you. It may take you a few more minutes, but the result will be an enriching experience. Why be a stressed parent dragging a hurried child? Choose to have fun while building vocabulary, math awareness skills and deepening a your relationship.
Connect by reading with and to your child
It is never too early to read with your child!
WHEN:
- Set aside a regular time every day to share books with your child. Try to read at least 15 minutes a day. Stop if your child gets restless. If your child has a short attention span, read several times a day.
- Take advantage of "waiting" times. Always have a book handy to share while in line at the store, bank, or in traffic.
HOW TO READ ALOUD:
- Snuggle up comfortably in a quiet cozy place away from distractions of TV.
- Have your child select books that you and your child like. Reread your child's favorites. They learn from repetition.
- Talk about the story with your child. Ask your child questions. Have your child predict. "What do you think is going to happen next? What would happen if...?
- If your child is a beginning reader, read alternative pages with your child.
- Be dramatic! Read with expression. Run your fingers under the words.
- Reading can be interactive. Have your child complete rhyming words or repetitive phrases. Make up an extended story from the pictures.
WHY READ TO YOUR CHILD?
- Reading nurtures the brain and improves a child's listening comprehension skills.
- Even when your child is reading to themselves on their own, reading aloud entertains, inspires, informs and deepens your connection as a parent.
- Visit the library often for ideas of books to read together. Make visiting the library a regular family habit. Your child will become a lifelong reader.