It is good for kids to read for information, to read for pleasure, and to read for fun! Make sure you have all types of reading materials around the house. You need newspapers, magazines, tourist guides and anything else that gives information. Kids should have books, comic books, collections of short stories, and any kind of book they want to read. Also, let kids have joke books, funny story collections, gross facts books, or anything else that they will read. Reading is the main concern not appreciating some great author. Let the kids read what they want (within reason) and make sure you have plenty of different types of reading materials in the house.

You as a parent may or may not have time to read a novel or big non-fiction book. However, there is plenty of reading that you can do and probably already do. Let your kid see you reading. Read the newspaper, read magazines, read manuals, material for work, or anything that you need to read in front of your children. Make sure they see you reading so that they do not think it is only for kids in school. Everybody can learn by reading.

If your kids have homework they should have a set time or amount of time to do it. If they “don’t have any homework, make sure they fill that time with reading. Let them read whatever they would like but if they are done with homework, have them spend the rest of the time reading something.

You do not have to have a family spelling bee but there are all kinds of word games and spelling games that you can find for your family. There are all kinds of affordable games like Scrabble, Boggle, and other games where you have to spell words or know vocabulary. Find time to find the games that your kids like and can play and learn while playing.

Read “The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve. Read the pre-amble to the Constitution on July 4th. Read the Gettysburg Address on the anniversary of that speech. As a family read the texts that may pertain to your faith or holidays. Show that reading is not only for learning but for reflecting. Reading can inspire, encourage, and inform.

This sounds like a horrible idea but many families can make it happen. Have the younger one read to the older one and let the older child just listen, not teach. If they work well together, then perhaps the older one can help correct words or how they sound. Have the older child read to the younger child as part of their homework or as part of their time together. Both kids will learn from reading out loud, and they might even do it without killing each other!

Many book stores want you to pick up books and read them. They understand that you may not have to buy them. Be careful with the books but spend time in the store looking for good books, reading passages, and looking at what types of books are interesting to each of your children. Share your interests with your child and let them see what you would like to read. You do not have to buy books but maybe every once in a while you buy one to take home.

If you are not interested in spending lots of money on books then go to the library! They have all kinds of books and they do not cost you anything if you return them on time. Local libraries have books, magazines, audio books (great for traveling), and other resources you and your kids will love. Get signed up and wear out your library card.

After you find audiobooks at the library, try a few out. You may need shorter stories or perhaps your family would like to listen to great books like The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, or other great books with fantastic stories and wonderful imagery. Give a few books a test drive to see what best fits your family. You might enjoy the trip next time!

Many kids have plenty of toys. Perhaps instead of giving them the next toy to break you could buy them books. Books have a greater value to their future, they tend to be more cherished later on, and they are harder to tear up! A kid probably wants more than only books but a few books for birthdays and holidays would be a great investment into your child’s learning.

Every child ought to have basic responsibilities. It can be as easy as emptying the bathroom trash to taking all of the household trash to the curb. Even very young children can pick up the toys after playing or help put up groceries. As children grow give them more trust and responsibility.

Just because children are “busy” on devices or watching TV does not mean they cannot get up to get something for you or help with a quick task. Sometimes it is easier to do it yourself but children will never learn to help in productive ways if you do not take the time to involve them. They can unload dishwashers and dryers, they can replace toilet paper, or set the table at a moment’s notice.

Kids at different ages can handle different responsibilities. What is difficult is to raise a kid that learns to keep a room clean and THEN they become teenagers and seem to forget everything. Choose your battles but fight on. Expect a certain level of tidiness and communicate those (without nagging) on a regular basis.

Your children need to learn to take care of their things. Kids can learn not to leave things in the yard, not to throw toys off of the balcony, and to not put the tablet in the toilet. Teach your child how to care whatever belongs to them and how to take pride in caring for their own things.

It does not teach responsibility if you tell your children to do chores while you sit around. It just teaches them to look forward to enslaving their own children! Make them a part of your work and do the work that is needed around your house. Children will remember your modeling long after they forget what you told them. Pass down your methods of cleaning and care for your household and family.

It is not punishment to help a parent or sibling. Make sure your children understand that responsible people look out for those around them. Teach them to open doors for folks. Teach them to allow others to go first.  Show them how to respect both family members and strangers. Explain that sometimes we do things not as much for us but to help others that may come along after us.

Do not treat the act of being responsible as a chore. Tell your children that you expect them to grow up to be a responsible adult and communicate what that looks like with words and actions.

Children should know that they are doing well but they should not get paid to do so. Praise is a good motivator but it should not be necessary to get your children to act appropriately. There is nothing wrong with an allowance but do not use it to bargain to have children do what should be expected as a part of the family.

It is hard for children to put things “up” if there is no “up. Make sure that your house is organized in such a way that being responsible is part of the family structure. By using routines and a place for things to be then children can more readily learn to handle responsibilities. If your things are cared for then they will know how to do it as well.

If toys are left in the yard they get taken, chewed up, or wet. Do not always save your child from the consequences of their actions or inactions. If they are expected to put dirty clothes in the hamper then only wash the clothes in the hamper. Sooner or later they will run out of clean clothes and learn to put ALL of their clothes where they belong. Children should also learn to wash their own clothes prior to being a teenager. If children are always being “rescued” then they will not learn or be motivated to learn to be responsible.

Get the phone number of each campus, the email of each principal, and class schedules for each child. 

Get the the names, phone numbers (if available), and emails of each child’s teacher(s). Note the conference periods of each teacher and when each child has lunch. 

Put it on your phone,  in your wallet, and on the fridge at home. THEN USE THEM to communicate with the school in positive ways instead of waiting for possible problems.

Learn better when they get enough rest and when they have a calm start to their day. Not only do groggy kids make for a difficult morning, it hinders their learning and positive behavior. 
Even though there are times when kids need to be up past their bedtime, the more you stick to it, the better the kids do in the morning and in the classroom. 
 

Ninety nine percent of the kids will tell you that they do not have homework when asked. Then right before bed they suddenly “remember”. If a child knows that every evening they are expected to work on homework at a set time then they are more likely to remember and get it done. If a child truly does not have homework, have them read during the same time frame. By setting the habit and keeping the child from having other options, they are more likely to either get their homework completed or improve on their reading. 

Even though many families are busy it is important to find a time to just check in with the kids. Kids are more likely to be stressed in the classroom, more likely to have anxiety, and more likely to become targets of a bully if they do not have someone they can talk to regularly. 
Check in at dinner, on the ride home, or before bed time. Just ask one or two basic questions about their day. They will inform you about what you need to know and they will know they have someone that is listening. 

You do not have to have them over for dinner (even though that may not be a bad idea) but you need allies and partners in educating your kids. Other parents may know more about the night’s homework, the upcoming field trip, or the recent incidents at school. Make connections, let people know you want to partner in helping your kids learn and get their contact information. 

Scheduling a teacher conference early in the school year can get your relationship off to a good start. Your child spends a substantial amount of time with their teachers. Get to know them. by meeting early in the year you can improve communication, build trust, and cut down on any possible tension later in the school year. The kids also learn that it is harder to pull something over on either one of you when you communicate about your kid instead of through them.

Your child does not need their own home office but having a spot where they can work comfortably will go a long way in helping them be successful. It can be at the dinner table (during the set homework time) or a dedicated space in the house or their bedroom. Ask them how they like to work, let them help set it up, and if they get their homework done then let them keep that set up. 

Kids and parents can get very stressed if every morning is spent looking for everything they need to get to school. Set up a list of all the things they need each day (lunch, backpack, homework, books, etc) or you can even use a box or small laundry basket that has everything in it BEFORE they go to bed. By having a spot where everything goes, the morning goes smoother and kids are better prepared to learn (and you are more prepared to keep the kids around!)
 

School is the work of students but they are growing, learning, and hopefully becoming a better person. Ask them about the good stuff going on at school and in their life. Enjoy their performances, find ways to have fun while learning, keep positive about school and your kid will be happier and will have a much brighter future as a student and lifelong learner. Just because it is work does not mean it has to be hard all of the time.

The best way to help your child succeed in school is to expect them to do the work. Homework can be difficult and if you have it every day it can be hard to stay motivated to complete it. However it is your job as a parent to expect your child todo the work and learn the material. Research has shown that expecting them to complete the work is as important as helping them with it.  

Almost every child has told their parents that they do not have homework when they really do. Kids get tired and tired of the routine but the routine is important. It is not that kids are telling lies all of the time (but it happens) but they do forget or they do get distracted. By setting a time for homework the kids will get in the routine of completing it. If they tell you that they do not have homework then expect them to read for the appropriate time frame for their age.If they have to read or do homework at the same time each night, if they have homework they will learn to do it since they have to dedicate time to it anyways. If they truly do not have homework, then they become better students by spending that time reading. 

Almost every student has told the teacher that they could not complete the homework because they did not have paper or pencils at home. Sometimes they don’t. It is your job to make sure they have what they need todo their work. At the back to school sale buy supplies for school AND home. Buy pencils, pens, notebook paper, and other basic supplies that will help your child have what they need to get the work done at HOME. 

Some kids need a desk or a table. Some kids like to lay in the floor or sit on the bed. No matter how the kids work, they need a place todo it. Listening to music can be helpful but watching TV is typically too distracting. Provide a place in the house where the child can go and be comfortable and they can focus on their work. Make sure the work is being done if they work on it in those spaces. If it is not working try another place in the house. 

What some kids think is “done” is not always done. Check to make sure your child’s homework assignments are actually complete. Make sure that they have taken the time to write neatly, follow the directions, and do what is required of them. It does not good for the child to attempt the homework if they do not complete it or if they do not follow directions.  

If the child is doing homework and you are spending time helping them have what they need to do it then it ought to count for something. Not all homework gets graded but check your student’s grade regularly to determine if what you are both doing is working.  

Most teachers can tell you that completing the work is not the biggest problem. Many kids do the work and many parents check it but it does not always make it into the grading stack. Have a place for completed homework togo before the child leaves for school. It can be a folder, a special place in the notebook or backpack but it needs to be consistent so that the work being done always counts. It cannot be graded if it does not get turned in. Most children who miss assignments do not miss them because it wasn’t done but because it never made it to the teacher. 

Today’s students are working at a high academic level. It is understandable if you do not understand how teachers are teaching or students are learning. Teachers are professional and have the training todo their job. Ask them to help yo understand how they are teaching and what they expect from the homework. Also understand that every teacher is different and so talk to each one about their expectations. They are their to  help and they want your child to be successful. They will be glad you asked. 

You can find anything on Google but that is not always the best way to look for certain information. Have a dictionary on hand for your children. Have other websites for math and science formulas available. If the teacher allows it make sure you have a calculator. Kids need supplies but they also need these books and resources (like a periodic table for older kids) around to access information without going online. Check thrift stores and garage sales for reference books. Some may be outdated but most have information that does not change. (except for Pluto no longer being a planet!)

Your kids should be doing their homework because it is what they are supposed todo.However, if they are doing the work give them a reward. It can be as simple as a treat for turning in all of their homework. If they hand in their homework all of the time perhaps reward them for good grades on their homework. If they struggle to either do the homework or get it turned in, reward them when they are consistent for a week or two. We all need an incentive sometimes.