S
December 2019
Vol. 31, No. 4
®

Clovis Unified School District

Don’t forget to celebrate your child’s achievements

he did it! She raised her math                       time she wakes up, she’ll see an grade this quarter. Or she finally                   image of herself as an achiever.
finished reading that book series.                   2. Plan a special surprise. On one side There is no better motivation                        of a piece of paper, write down a
for a child than setting a goal and	goal your child wants to achieve. reaching it. But sometimes, a major	On the other side, write down a accomplishment also calls for a	small reward—such as having a celebration. So when your child	friend over for a sleepover.
sets and reaches a challenging goal,	Roll up the paper, put it into try one of these fun ideas:                                    a balloon, and then blow up the 1. Take a picture of your child show-                balloon. Tell your child that when
ing off her report card. Or, get a	she reaches her goal, you’ll pop snapshot of her holding up the book	the balloon together and she’ll series she’s just finished. You could	find out what she’s earned! even ask your child to draw a picture        3. Host a victory family dinner to of her accomplishment.	celebrate your child’s success.
Frame the picture and put it by	Set a “fancy” table and serve your

your child’s bed. That way, every	child’s favorite foods.

Get more out of conversations with your child

Are you tired of asking your child questions about school and getting little response?
Then try this strategy:

Instead of asking your child lots of questions when he gets home from school, tell him a few things about your day first. For example: “I’ve had such a busy day. I had a meeting with my boss in the morning. I took Grandma to her doctor’s appointment this afternoon. Then we stopped by the store to pick up groceries. It was good to get home.”
After you’ve finished, ask your child to tell you a little bit about his day. Prompt him with open-ended questions if necessary: “What was the best part of your day?” “Tell me about what you learned today.”
You can also use this strategy to start discussions about school-work. If your child brings home
a picture from school, look at it and make some observations about what you see. Comment
on the colors. Say what you like about it. Tell what it reminds you of, etc. Then ask your child,
“What does it mean to you?”

Copyright © 2019, The Parent Institute®	www.parent-institute.com       Practical ideas for parents to help their children

Copyright © 2019, The Parent Institute®

Promote skills that will prepare your child for middle school

Long before your child	• Take notes. If she doesn’t have

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Are you helping your child read fluently?

enters middle school, her teachers will start preparing her for its challenges. To support
this effort at home, encourage your

child to:

the opportunity to practice this skill at school, she can try it at home while reading. Help her identify key words and information. Then have her summarize essential
points.

Studies consistently show that students who read aloud with fluency are most likely to have a strong understanding
of what they’ve read. Your child reads

• Manage her time. Show her how to use short periods of time in productive ways. She could study flash cards on the way to practice. Or, she could review a few math problems in the car.
• Get organized. Have her use

a planner to keep track of school assignments. Help her find ways to organize school papers and recommend she clean out her
backpack once a week.

• Plan ahead. Show her how to make a study schedule, and help her stick to it. Encourage your child to divide up study time into short tasks.

“The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.”

—Elbert Hubbard

fluently if he reads aloud smoothly, accurately and with expression.
Answer yes or no to the questions below to find out if you are helping your child develop this valuable reading skill:
___1. Do you set aside time for your child to read to you in addition to the time you spend reading to him?
___2. Do you let your child pick what to read? Even if you think it’s too easy, nothing succeeds like success.
___3. Do you try not to interrupt

when your child reads a word

Use simple strategies to develop your child’s responsibility

Young children are	• Help your child figure out where still learning how to                        to store his things when he’s not be responsible students.                 using them.
So they sometimes forget	• Set a good example. Have a their books, their home-                designated spot for your keys
work and even their lunches.	and wallet. Check your calendar

incorrectly?

___4. Do you offer help if your child asks how to pronounce a word, and then encourage him to keep reading? ___5. Do you discuss a book after your child is finished reading?
How well are you doing?

If most of your answers are yes, you’re helping your child develop fluency.
For each no answer, try that idea.

It’s tempting to keep track of your child’s things for him. But this won’t help him in the long run. His success in school depends on his ability to take responsibility for himself and his belongings.
Here are ways to help him become more responsible:
• Write down what you expect your

child to do. Post lists of his respon-

to prepare for the next day.

• Show your child how to keep track of activities and assignments on his own weekly calendar.
• Let your child experience the consequences of forgetting. Don’t bring his homework to school if he forgets it.
• Let your child experience the

consequences of losing an item.

®

Practical Ideas for Parents to Help Their Children. ISSN: 1523-1275

For subscription information call or write: The Parent Institute, 1-800-756-5525,
P.O. Box 7474, Fairfax Station, VA 22039-7474. Fax: 1-800-216-3667.
Or visit: www.parent-institute.com.

sibilities, weekly chores, and items he needs for school.
• Ask your child to check off tasks when he completes them. He can put a question mark next to a task
if he needs your help.

If he can’t find his library book, expect him to pay the fine.
• Praise your child when he demonstrates responsibility and does what he’s supposed
to do.

Published monthly September through May. Copyright © 2019, The Parent Institute, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc., an independent, private agency. Equal opportunity employer.

Publisher: Doris McLaughlin. Publisher Emeritus: John H. Wherry, Ed.D.
Editor: Rebecca Hasty Miyares.

2 • Elementary • Parentsmake the difference! • December 2019	X02594459

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Encourage your elementary schooler to become a leader

Copyright © 2019, The Parent Institute®

Q: My daughter has no patience. If she wants something, she wants
it immediately. Her teacher says

Some children seem to be born leaders. They have the self-confidence, helpfulness and friendli-ness that make other
people want to work with them.

But all children, whether they are born leaders or not, have the ability to become leaders. Here are some ways you can help your child develop leadership skills:
• Look at leaders in the news. Whether you’re watching a story about a winning football team or a community effort to build a park, help your child see that someone was the leader of that group. Talk about what makes people good leaders.
• Be a leader yourself. When you take a leadership role—whether it’s at school, in business or in your
community—tell your child about

what you’re doing and why. “I’m volunteering to help your school raise money so they can purchase more classroom computers.”
• Teach your child to see things from other people’s points of view. Good leaders aren’t bossy. They make people want to work together.
• Find leadership opportunities. Children can learn leadership skills in houses of worship, clubs, Scouts, athletic teams and many other organizations. Family meetings
are another good way to develop “home-grown” leadership. Let children take turns chairing the meetings and managing family projects.
• Don’t push. Pressuring a child beyond his abilities will destroy self-esteem, not build it. If your child seems stressed or unhappy,
it’s time to lighten up.

her impatience is becoming a problem at school. What can I do to fix this?

A: In this era of on-demand entertainment and instant com-munication, it can be challenging for kids to learn to wait. However, patience is a vital ingredient for school success.
Here’s how to help your child develop more patience:
• Explain that everyone has to learn to wait, and that you’re going to help her with this skill.
• Be empathetic. Let your child know you understand how hard it can be to wait for something.
• Give her opportunities to be patient. When she asks for something, say, “In a minute.” If you’re on the phone, develop
a hand signal that means,

Everyone wins when parents volunteer and get involved!

“When I’m finished.”

• Help your child save money

for something she wants instead

of buying it right away.

Have you ever thought about volunteering at school? Now is the perfect time to give it a try. Here are six reasons
to get involved:

1. Your child will benefit. Even if you’re not in her classroom, your child will know you’re at
school. She’ll feel important and she’ll know you think learning is important, too.
2. You’ll get to know teachers and other school staff. That makes it easier to ask for help when your child needs it.
3. You’ll get to know other parents. They can be valuable resources
and provide advice when needed.

4. The school will benefit. Whether you read to a class, help in the cafeteria or tutor students in the library, you’ll be freeing school staff to spend more time with kids who need it. And that leads to more learning.
5. Volunteering is easy. Many schools offer training to volunteers. And there are volunteer jobs that can
be done at home, at night or on weekends. So every parent can get involved.
6. Volunteering is fun. You’ll meet lots of interesting students and adults. You may learn new skills. And you’ll get a good feeling from knowing you’ve done something
worthwhile.

• Enjoy activities together that require patience, such as playing board games, putting together puzzles, baking and planting.
• Help your child develop strategies for waiting—like singing songs quietly, playing “I spy” or reading a book to pass the time.
• Be patient yourself. Stay calm when you’re stuck in traffic, for example. Say something like, “It looks like we’re going to be in the car for a while. Let’s use the time to play a game.”
With some practice, your child will learn the patience she needs to be
successful in school—and in life.

December 2019 • Elementary • Parentsmake the difference! • 3

A
responsibility, compassion or
other desirable traits. Make it a
point to say how much you admire
them and why.
caught cheating?
Teach your child to persevere
when faced with challenges
Your child has just come
home with a note from
the teacher that says
she was caught cheating.
Your first instinct may
to cheat.
Here are four common reasons
some students cheat:
1. They are afraid of what their
parents will do if they bring home
a bad grade. Make sure your
child knows that a low grade
would not be the end of your
love for her. You would be more

Copyright © 2019, The Parent Institute®	www.parent-institute.com

It Matters: Building Character
What should you Use role models to encourage do if your child is positive character traits

lthough you are the primary role model in your child’s life, you
don’t have to be the only one. Here’s how to draw upon people he knows to help instill positive character traits: • Talk about relatives, friends or
be to ground her for the rest of her life.	celebrities who show respect, Instead, experts suggest setting
aside time to talk and really listen
to your child. Ask her what happened
and find out why she felt the need	• Share your heroes with your child. Talk about people such as Anne Frank, Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln and Mother
Teresa. Discuss the traits you	can be fictional—from books or admire in them.	movies—or people he knows,
• Encourage your child to find	such as an uncle who helps build or draw pictures of people he	houses for people in need or a admires and tell you why he	grandmother who worked to put
concerned about the situation	thinks highly of them. Heroes	a child through college. than angry with her.
2. They have high expectations for their own academic achievement. Tell your child not to put too much emphasis on grades. Grades
don’t reflect a person’s worth or	If your child has a goal	to complete soon. If he wants to intelligence.	he wants to reach, such	read an entire series of books, start
3. They think cheating is no big deal.	as earning an A on a	small. Have him set a goal to read Tell your child that cheating is	project or making the	the first book. Achievement is a wrong. Cheaters rob themselves	competitive soccer team,	great motivator to keep going.
of learning the material and they             achieving it will probably take hard             • Listen for ideas. Kids often mention are unfair to honest students.                   work. And there may be times your                  goals without actually setting them.
4. They were asked to. Tell your                  child will feel like giving up. That’s                   (“I’d love to be in the talent show” child that letting someone look                why it’s important to teach him to                    or “I hope I finish my report on at her test or copy her homework             persevere, even when things are                       time.”) Together, create a step-
is wrong. A real friend would never	difficult. Here’s how:	by-step plan for success.
ask her to do that. Help her role-	• Discuss past successes. Did your	• Be a cheerleader. Say things play turning down a request to                     child save to buy something with                 like, “You are really sticking with cheat: “I’d like to help you, Jane,                   his own money? How did he do                   this. I’m very impressed!” Even but I don’t like cheating. Besides,                 it? What did success feel like?                       if your child misses the mark,
we could get into a lot of trouble.”	What did he learn?	praise his efforts. Trying hard and
Source: J. Craig, Ph.D., Parents on the Spot! What to	• Choose a fun, realistic goal. Make	learning from mistakes are major Do When Kids Put You There, Hearst Books.                              it something your child is likely	accomplishments on their own!

4 • Elementary • Parentsmake the difference! • December 2019