Education Connection

WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME TO RAISE A NATURAL GENIUS

Parental involvement-your- involvement in education increases your child's chances for success in school. Studies show that children whose parents are involved in education are more motivated to do well in school. No matter how little time you have, you will find a number of things in these pages that you can do to get involved in your child's education. Involved parents do make a difference.

You can help your child make connections between school skills and real life situations. The following "kits" will provide you and your child many opportunities to continue learning at home. Put these kits together with your child. Use them for "study time" when homework is done and when your child says "there's nothing to do!" The Reading Kit

Fill a shelf with the following items:

a library card for each member of the family.
picture books for all ages.
fiction books: fables, adventures, myths, mysteries, fairy tales.
non-fiction books: biographies, autobiographies, journals, histories.
magazines: Ranger Rick, World, Cricket.
cassettes with accompanying stories.
riddle books, joke books, songbooks.
wordless books.
vocabulary/word puzzle workbooks.
spiral notebook for new words.
dictionary and thesaurus appropriate for your child's age.

What to do with the Reading Kit:

encourage older kids to read on their own.
read together with smaller children.
read slowly to build mental pictures.
build a dictionary of new words in a notebook.
let wigglers draw pictures while you read.
ask questions and talk about what you've read, using words like "why," "what if," "who," and "when."
visit the library often as a family.
let your children see you reading in your free time.

The Writing Kit For an easy, inexpensive, and effective way to promote writing at home, decorate a plastic box, shoe or shirt box with your child. Supply it with:

lined, unlined, and graph paper.
note cards: 3x5 and 5x7 sizes.
colored construction paper.
pencils, erasers and pencil sharpener.
washable markers.
crayons.
clear tape.
stapler (use to create books).
glue sticks.
scissors.
ruler with shaped cutouts.
notebooks (i.e. steno pads and spiral).
alphabet chart, print and cursive.
picture postcards — collect these!
writing paper, envelopes, and stamps.
ink pad, rubber stamps
stencils-letter, shapes, etc.

What to do with the Writing Kit:

make signs.
make grocery lists.
write thank-you notes and invitations.
write stories — fiction and non-fiction.
write letters.
create dinner menus.
write poetry.
write recipes.
write diaries.
write plays.
design maps.
make birthday cards.
create cartoons and comics.
make up jokes, rhymes, riddles.
create a neighborhood newspaper.
design mazes and puzzles.
take turns reading.

The Cooking Kit Cooking kits can open doors to learning about nutrition (food groups, food content), social studies (what culture eats this food?), science (how does it grow, when does it grow), new words (boil, knead, mince, dissolve), and math (counting, classifying, measuring). Put together in a cupboard and drawer:

utensils for measuring.
bowls (plastic, stainless) for mixing.
utensils for baking in the oven.
pots and pans for stove cooking.
utensils for paring, cutting, slicing, straining, opening, grinding, sifting, and draining.
ingredients from the store.

What to do with the Cooking Kit:

(Note: Most children will need supervision in the kitchen.)

Get food magazines from the library — find recipes you want to try.
Write a grocery list of needed ingredients.
Read the newspaper food advertisements and cut out coupons for food you need during the week. Make a grocery list.
Wash, peel, slice, and eat fruits and vegetables. Discuss how they grow, where they grow, and how they taste.
Make your chosen recipe and discuss what ingredients do in the recipe (i.e. water turns dry things into liquid, heat melts solids, soda and yeast create expansion, herb/spices enhance the flavor, etc.).
Buy seeds at the garden store and grow your own food to cook (i.e. tomatoes, beans, spinach, and lettuce).

The Inventing Kit Children love to create, so make them a kit to do just that. They can make inventions, costumes for their plays, and gifts for friends. Start with these suggestions and add more items as you discover them around the house and in the community. (Caution: Young inventors need supervision with some of these materials.) Your Inventor's Kit could include:

stapler.
hammer and nails.
screw drivers and screws.
glue and rubber cement.
water soluble paint and brushes.
hole punch.
crayons and felt tip pens.
paper clips.
brads.
ink pad.
sewing kit (for kids 10 years and older).
scissors (for kids 10 years and older, with adult supervision).
old clocks, radios, computers, door knobs, locks, engine parts to take apart (with adult supervision).
fabric (small and large lengths).
pipe cleaners.
styrofoam.
cardboard boxes, large and small.
sequins and glitter.
butcher paper and crepe paper.
egg cartons.
popsicle sticks.
wrapping paper.
string, ribbon, yarn.
carpet samples.
paper cups/plates.
milk cartons.
buttons, spools.
cans (all sizes).
wood scraps (all sizes).
What to do with the Inventing Kit:

make gifts for friends and family.
check out books from the library and make crafts from different countries.
take apart old items and put them back together.
encourage your child to avoid making weapons.
put on plays.
build trains, houses and cars.
make puppets.
make and decorate your own wrapping paper.
build a bird feeder.
paint scenery and murals.

All of these kits are just starting points for you to interact with your children in a positive and encouraging way. They will help increase creativity and imagination and lead to better problem-solving skills. They allow your child to experience different cultures and occupations and increase their creativity. As a parent this interaction will teach you about yourself and about your child.

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