The following booklets that will help you help your child do well in school are available from the Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, Colo. 81009. Send your name, address, item number and appropriate fee.
"Help Your Child Do Better in School" (item 450X, 50 cents) advises you to participate in your child's education. Follow their progress by discussing teachers' comments and corrections on assignments and be sure to reward their successes.Reinforcing a positive "I can do it" attitude is important because encouragement fuels a desire to excel.
"Help Your Child Become a Good Reader" (item 449X, 50 cents) suggests that you read to your children often and talk about experiences and ideas. Ask kids thought-provoking questions and have them listen to audio recordings of stories with follow-along books. Even watching television adaptions of books can challenge your children to read more about what they hear and see.
"Help Your Child Learn to Write Well" (item 453X, 50 cents) suggests that you give your kids a special place to write and enough time to put their ideas into words. Children respond well to practical writing tasks, such as letters to pen pals or lists of things to do. Keeping a journal is a good way for children to exercise their imaginations and to express feelings that are difficult to verbalize.
"Help Your Child Learn Math" (item 452X, 50 cents) suggests that you quiz your kids on comparisons and estimations. Ask them which pet is smaller or whose hair is longer. Let them count anything they can get their hands on - cookies, socks, pennies. Then create a word problem by asking how many of those pennies it would take to buy a candy bar.
"Help Your Child Learn Science," (item 611X, free) shows you how to use household objects and everyday events to teach your kids about animal life, the laws of physics, and chemical reactions. In the back of the booklet there are suggestions on activities to do when you visit places like the zoo, museums and farms.
"Helping Your Child Learn Geography" (item 454X, 50 cents) is filled with activities to help you and your kids explore the many aspects of geography including climate, regions, different cultures and neighborhoods. The booklet includes a small outline map of the United States ready to be colored and labeled with state names and city locations.
"Help Your Child Improve in Test-Taking" (item 451X, 50 cents) urges you to help your child get rid of test-taking anxieties by having them study over days or weeks for a test rather than cramming for it the night before. Remind them to read directions first and to skip over questions they don't know. Once they've answered questions they know they can ponder over the ones they don't. Review the test afterward so the child understands his mistakes.