| Introduction | | | | and Internet-based research onpossible |
| As a parent who wants the best for your | | | | destinations, sites of interest, driving or |
| children, there areundoubtedly many things that | | | | flyingroutes, and how to dress appropriately for |
| you already do every day tohelp your children | | | | the climate ofyour destination spot. If you're |
| succeed in school. The purpose of thisarticle is to | | | | thinking of buying a new car,let your kids take |
| provide some practical ideas for you to try. | | | | part in your consumer research,comparing |
| Someof these suggestions may be new to you, | | | | different car models according to a variety |
| many will befamiliar, and some are just plain | | | | ofpertinent criteria. |
| common sense but,hopefully, they will all serve as | | | | Nurture good study habits and self-discipline. Set |
| reminders of the manysimple steps you can take | | | | aside aregular, daily study time for homework in a |
| that are too often taken forgranted or forgotten | | | | quiet, well-litroom. Be sure that your kids have a |
| about, due to the hectic pace ofeveryday living. | | | | study environment that'ssound physically, as well |
| Read to your kids, whatever their ages | | | | as conducive to mentalconcentration. A quiet |
| First of all, read to your children. We all know that | | | | room is important, but so too is goodlighting, a |
| this isimportant, but I'd like to point out that | | | | chair that provides good back support and |
| reading aloud shouldbegin in infancy. It can | | | | accessto all the materials that your children need |
| contribute to your baby's developingattention span | | | | to completeprojects. Supply them with pencils, |
| and receptive language skills. In addition, I'dlike to | | | | erasers, rulers, and soforth. |
| encourage parents to read to growing children, | | | | Encourage kids to keep their desk or other study |
| evenonce they are able to read on their own. | | | | area neatand well organized. This will prevent lots |
| Don't stop once yourkids are in elementary school | | | | of time-wastingsearches for materials and will |
| for, whatever the status oftheir reading skills, | | | | really pay off as yourchildren get older and their |
| hearing a good book read aloud is anexperience | | | | school assignments becomemore complex. Good |
| apart. | | | | organizational skills, which include thearrangement |
| Being read to allows children to focus more on | | | | of physical objects, plus the logical structuringof |
| thedescriptive passages and the action, rather | | | | the steps involved in completing any given |
| than having tostruggle with understanding every | | | | project, canlast a lifetime. |
| single word. It alsoallows them to hear great | | | | Take an interest in your kids' day-to-day school |
| children's stories that are beyondtheir current | | | | life |
| reading level, and it's a wonderful way for afamily | | | | Take an interest in your children's school projects. |
| to share a magical experience. Choose a | | | | Encourage them to show you reports they've |
| children'sbook that can also be enjoyed by you as | | | | written orpictures they've drawn. Make them see |
| an adult, and havea family reading session each | | | | that you care aboutwhat they're doing and about |
| evening or each week. Aclassic children's story, | | | | how they're doing, but don'tmake them feel like |
| such as "The Wind in the Willows,"or the Harry | | | | they're constantly being monitored orjudged. Don't |
| Potter books might be perfect for your | | | | add pressure, just give them plenty of |
| family,depending on the ages and interests of | | | | support,encouragement and praise for jobs well |
| your children. | | | | done. Provide themwith the resources they need |
| Encourage independent reading and library use | | | | (such as Internet access,library time, books and |
| Offer quality children's literature to your growing | | | | magazine articles) to do a good jobon school |
| children andencourage them to read on their own | | | | assignments, but... resist the temptation to do |
| - at their own level andat their own pace. Fiction | | | | theschool projects for them. |
| and nonfiction can both open upnew worlds of | | | | Take the same approach with everyday |
| knowledge and experience and help preparekids | | | | homework. If yourchild's having trouble with a |
| for success in school and in adult life, and don't | | | | math problem, review the rules,explain the |
| forgetthat online children's stories are an exciting | | | | procedures, and check the results, but don't |
| new resource toadd to your reading repertoire. | | | | justgive a child the answers. The learning process |
| Take your children to the local public library. Be | | | | is moreimportant than a list of correct answers |
| sure thateach member of the family has his or | | | | to hand in to theteacher. |
| her own library card. | | | | Go that extra mile |
| Help your children see the public library not just as | | | | Among the most precious gifts that you can give |
| a placeassociated with homework and drudgery, | | | | to yourchildren is your time. Put them first and |
| but rather as anexciting doorway to interesting | | | | make time for them. |
| information and adventure. | | | | Build a happy, stable home environment, full of |
| Encourage library book borrowing related to any | | | | love andsecurity, and you've already gone a long |
| specialtopic that interests your kids - from | | | | way towardshelping your children thrive and |
| astronomy to adventurestories, from fact to | | | | succeed both in school andin life. Be involved in the |
| fantasy. | | | | big and the small events that makeup their daily |
| Get your kids to participate in some of the special | | | | lives. Offer your support, |
| free extraactivities and programs that are | | | | encouragement,resources and love. Be there for |
| regularly scheduled inmany public libraries, like | | | | them, no matter how busyyour professional life is |
| storyhours, craft projects, films,and summer | | | | or whatever other commitments youhave. |
| reading clubs. Take your children tomuseums, | | | | Before you know it your children will be grown up |
| concerts, puppet shows and the like. Exposethem | | | | andwhat they'll become depends largely on you. |
| to any forms of entertainment and cultural | | | | For their sake,as well as for your own, make the |
| enrichmentthat you may be lucky enough to have | | | | most of their childhood. |
| access to. | | | | There are no pearls of wisdom here, just a |
| Develop effective research skills and good study | | | | refresher coursein things that we've all heard a |
| habits | | | | million times, but don'talways stop to take them |
| Help your kids develop research skills that will | | | | to heart. They're so important thatthey deserve |
| serve themwell, not only on school projects, but | | | | our attention, to periodically remind us of |
| later in daily life as anadult. For instance, if you're | | | | whatreally counts in life. |
| planning a family trip, let thekids conduct library | | | | |