Activities That Help Your Child to Develop

If you don't have some of the resources listed for an activity, remember that most public libraries offer free use of books, magazines, videos, computers and other services. Other things that you might need for these activities are not expensive.

Age levels for the activities are about from five to ten years old.

Keep in mind, however, that children don't always learn the same things at the same rate. You are the best judge of what your child may be ready to try. As a parent, you can help your child want to learn in a way no one else can. That desire to learn is a key to your child's later success.

Enjoyment is important!

Let's Read

Reading is the single most important way for your child to develop the knowledge needed to become successful in school.

What You Need

Children's books that your child can read. Books of riddles, tongue twisters and silly rhymes.

What to Do

Read with your child. Take turns, with you reading one page or paragraph and your child reading the next. You might also read the parts of different characters in a story.

Be enthusiastic about reading. Read the story with expression. Make it more interesting by talking as the characters would talk, making sound effects and using facial expressions and gestures. Encourage your child to do the same.

Help your child to read new words by having him use what he knows about letters and the sounds they make to sound out the words.

If he is unsure of the meaning of a word, help him to use the surrounding words or sentences to figure it out. If this doesn't help, just tell him what the word means and keep reading.

Buy a children's dictionary-if possible, one that has pictures next to the words. Then start the "let's look it up" habit.
When reading is a regular part of family life, parents and families send their children a message that it is important,
enjoyable and a great way to learn.

Author! Author!

Reading and writing support each other. The more your child does of each, the better he will be at both.

What You Need

Pencils, crayons or markers. Writing paper. Cardboard or heavy paper. Construction paper. Safety scissors. Yarn or ribbon.

What to Do

Write with your child. Talk with him about your writing so that he begins to understand that writing means something and has many uses.

Hang a family message board in the kitchen. Offer to write notes there for your child. Be sure that he finds notes left there for him.

Help your child write notes or e-mails to relatives and friends to thank them for gifts or to share his thoughts. Encourage the relatives and friends to answer your child.

As your child gets older, he can begin to write you longer stories. Ask questions that will help him organize the stories. Answer questions about spelling.

Help your child to turn his writing into books. Paste his drawings and writings on pieces of construction paper. For each book, have him make a cover out of heavier paper or cardboard, then add special art, a title and his name as author. Punch holes in the pages and cover and bind the book together with yarn or ribbon.

Writing helps children to organize their thoughts and gives them an important way to communicate with others.

Listen!

Listening to and giving directions helps your child to sharpen listening and speaking skills.

What You Need

Any small object, such as a ball or a photograph. Objects that can make noise, such as keys, water glasses, spoons and decks of cards.

What to Do

Hide a small object. Give your child directions to find it such as, "Take five steps straight ahead. Turn right. Keep the lamp to your left. Bend down and look to the right." Next, have your child hide the object and give you directions to find it.

Have your child close his eyes. Use something to make a sound, such as rattling your keys, tapping a spoon against a glass or riffling a deck of cards). Ask your child to guess what's making the sound.

Clap your hands to tap out a rhythm. Have your child listen and then clap that same rhythm back to you. Make the rhythms harder as he catches on.

Take a walk with your child. Find a place to sit for a few minutes and both close your eyes for 30 seconds or so. Tell each other what you hear: a baby crying, an airplane, a bird singing, cars on the street, leaves rustling.

Take a walk with your child. This time, take turns telling each other what to do: cross the street, turn left, look down.
For success in school, children need to learn to listen carefully, to see and hear details and to follow and give clear directions.

It's a Match

Sorting and classifying helps your child to pay attention to details and recognize how things are alike and different.

What You Need

Dishes, flatware, glasses. Laundry.

What to Do

As you empty the dishwasher or wash and dry dishes, ask your child to make stacks of dishes that are the same size, to put glasses that are the same size together and to sort forks, knives and spoons.

As you empty the clothes dryer, ask your child to match pairs of socks or to put all white things together, all blue things and so forth.

Being able to identify how things are alike and different and to place objects and ideas into categories are important
school skills that are used in almost every subject area.

How Much Does It Weigh?

Build your child's interest in math and science by helping him to observe, estimate and weigh objects at home.

What You Need

Bathroom scale. Objects to weigh, such bags of sugar, flour, potatoes or onions; boxes of cereal and cookies; shoes of different sizes. Paper and pencil.

What to Do

Show your child two objects such as a five-pound bag of sugar and a ten-pound bag of potatoes and ask him to guess which weighs the most. Show him how to use a scale to weigh the objects. Have him record the weights.

Next show him several objects and ask him to guess how much each weighs. Have him write his estimates, then weigh the objects.

If you choose, have your child estimate his own weight, as well as that of other family members and use the scale to check his guesses.

Using simple bathroom and kitchen scales at home prepares children for using equipment in school to weigh and
measure.

Start to Finish

Organization has to be learned. Help your child learn to plan, begin and finish a job.

What You Need

Pencil and paper. Items used to do a job around the house, such as watering plants or setting the table.

What to Do

Together with your child, select a job he usually does around the house, such as watering the plants. Ask him to make a chart like the one below, then write down or tell you the "Plan," "Do," and "Finish" steps needed to do his job well. Look over these steps together and talk about possible changes.

Plan. Do. Finish.

Get supplies: 1. watering can 2. paper towels.

1. fill can
2. water plants
3. wipe up spills
4. pick off dead leaves

1. throw away used towels and dead leaves
2. put away can

List the "Plan," "Do," and "Finish" steps of one or two jobs that you do around the house. Ask your child to help you think of ways that you can improve each step.

When you give your child a new task, help him to plan the steps so that he can do the job well and have a sense of accomplishment.

Students who can plan a task are usually more successful and can do it in a shorter amount of time.

Where Did I Put That?

Older children also need help getting organized. Creating a special place for school items will help make mornings smoother for both your child and you.

What You Need

Cardboard box. Crayons or markers.

What to Do

Find a sturdy cardboard box or carton large enough to hold notebooks and other school things. Let your child decorate it with pictures, words or artwork and her name. Agree with the child about where to put the box. You might suggest a spot near the front door or the place where she does homework.

Let your child know that her school things should go in the box as soon as she comes home from school. All homework and anything else she needs for school the next day also should go into it.

Let your child make a rainy day box and put it in a different place (or make it a different color). Have her fill it with "treasures"-games, books, photographs, souvenirs and keepsakes. Invite other members of the family to put surprises in the box from time to time (no snakes or frogs, please!).

Show your appreciation when your child keeps things in order. Keeping all school items in one place helps teach children how much easier life can be when they are organized and plan ahead.

My Place

Children tend to argue over the same space (even in a big room). By having an area of the floor marked off, each child has a place that feels like his own.

What You Need

Space-even a tiny area will do. Small table. Chair. Lamp. Small floor covering.

What to Do

Find a quiet study area away from the TV and radio for each child (even those not old enough to have homework yet).

Put a rug or a section cut from an old blanket or sheet on a small area of the floor. Use this to mark off each child's private study space. Put the table and chair on the floor covering. This space does not have to be in the same place all the time. If the table is lightweight, the floor covering can be put down any place it is out of the way (such as near the kitchen if a child needs help as you are fixing dinner). It can also be put away when it is not being used.

If the study space will always be in the same place, let the child try out different arrangements of the furniture to see what works best. Make sure she arranges the lamp so that the study area is well lit.

Have her label items with her name. Having a special place at home helps children to focus on what they are studying.

Help your child learn about money.

What You Need

Dice. Pennies, nickels, dimes.

What to Do

This is a good game to play with the family. Have each player roll the dice and say the number. Then give the player that number of pennies.

When a player gets five pennies, replace the pennies with a nickel. When he gets ten pennies, replace them with a dime.

The first player to reach the set amount-25 or 50 cents, for example-wins. Children can be confused by money. Some might think that the larger a coin is the more valuable it is-so a penny or nickel would be more valuable than a dime.
Playing counting games at home can be valuable in helping children deal with numbers and math concepts in school.

Reading on the Go

Show your child that reading has value in everyday life.

What You Need

Map of your areas. Bus, subway and/or train schedules for your area.

What to Do

Help your child use a map to mark a route to a special place, such as his school, the football stadium, the mall or his grandmother's house. Help him to figure out the distance to the place.

Next, give him a bus, subway or train schedule and have him find departure and arrival times and the rates. Have him figure out how long the trip takes and how much it costs.
Children need to learn that reading is not just something they do in school-it is important in all parts of their lives.

My Time Line

You can help your child use events in her own life to gain both a sense of time and to understand the order in which things happen.

What You Need

Shelf paper. Yardstick. Pencils, makers or crayons.

What to Do

Place a long piece of shelf paper on the floor. Have your child use a yardstick to draw a line that is three feet long.

Talk with your child about important dates in her life-the day she was born; her first day of kindergarten, of first grade; the day her best friend moved in next door; and so forth. Tell her to write the dates on the line. Invite her to add dates that are important for the whole family-the day her baby brother was born, the day her favorite aunt got married-and the dates of any important historical events.

Display the finished time line and ask your child to tell other family members and friends what it shows.

Making and reading time lines helps children to learn about the flow of history and to develop an understanding of
cause and effect.

Can You Top This?

Learning to take turns helps your child build spoken language skills as well as learn to work with others.

What to Do

With your child, make up a story for the two of you to tell together, taking turns saying one sentence at a time.

- Begin by deciding on a topic, such as pirates.
- Say the first sentence: "Once upon a time a pirate lived in . . ."
- Continue taking turns with your child making up and telling parts of the story until you decide to end it-maybe after eight or ten sentences.

Take turns beginning and finishing a story. Ask other family members and friends to join in. Working with others, listening to what they say and making good contributions are all valuable in helping children to complete school projects.

Now You See It, Now You Don't

Doing simple science experiments at home can prepare your child to learn important science concepts-and the need to be patient.

What You Need

2 ice cube trays. Clock. Small bowls. Paper and pencil. Water and other liquids, such as fruit juices.

What to Do

Give your child a pencil and paper and tell her that she is going to be a scientist and take notes about what she observes in some experiments.

Together with your child, fill one ice cube tray to the top with water. Fill the other tray only half full. Put both trays in the freezer. Have your child record the time.

Tell her to watch the clock and check every 30 minutes or so to see if the water in each tray has frozen (if not, wait until it has frozen).

- Ask your child to write down how long it took the water in each tray to freeze.
- Ask her which amount of water froze faster? Invite her to explain why she thinks this happened.

Have your child take one ice cube from each tray and put them in separate bowls to melt. Ask her to write down which cube melts faster-the larger one or the smaller one.

Put one ice cube in a window and another in the refrigerator (not the freezer) and have your child write down how long they each take to melt.

Freeze samples of liquids such as different kinds of fruit juices. Have your child compare their freezing times to that of water.

Careful observation and note taking are valuable school skills.

Time Flies

"I don't have time to do that!" Sound familiar? Planning time is one of the most useful things that your child can learn. Knowing how long something will take can save time and prevent temper tantrums.

What You Need

Paper and pencil. Clock. Calendar.

What to Do

Together with your child, write down estimates of how long it takes each of you to do certain tasks (such as getting ready for school or work in the morning; ironing a blouse; making toast). Use a clock to time at least one of these tasks. Then take turns timing each other. (Be realistic-it's not a race.)

Talk with your child what part of a job can be done ahead of time, such as deciding at bedtime what to wear to school the next day.

Talk about at least two places that you and your child go where you must be on time. What do you do to make sure you are on time? Being on time or not being on time affects other people. It is important for children to understand their responsibility for being on time-it's not just for grown-ups.

Homework Made Easy

A homework chart can show your child exactly what he needs to do and when he needs to do it.

What You Need

Poster board or large sheet of sturdy paper. Marker, pen or pencil. Clock.

What to Do

Help your child to create a homework chart like the following out of a large piece of sturdy paper:

Subject
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs. Fri.
Language Arts
Social Science
Math
Science

Depending on how many subjects your child has, he may be able to put three or four weeks on each piece of paper.

Help him to attach a colored marker or pen to the chart so that it is always handy. After school each day, have your child put a check mark in each box in which there is a homework assignment. Circle the check when you have seen that the homework is completed.

Tell your child to try to figure out how long it will take him to complete each homework assignment so that he will be able to schedule his time.

Children need to know that their family members think homework is important. If they know their families care, children have a good reason to complete assignments and to turn them in on time.

Divide and Conquer

Just about anything is easier to do if it's divided into smaller pieces. As your child's assignments get longer and more complicated, she needs to acquire more organizing and planning skills.

What You Need

Homework assignments. Chores. Paper. Pencil.

What to Do

Have your child choose a big homework assignment to talk about, such as a geography project. Sit with her and help her to make a list of what she needs to complete the job. For example: Reference materials (books, maps).

Ask: Can you complete the assignment by just using your textbook? If not, do you need to go to the library? If so, can you check out books or will you have to allow time to stay there and use reference books? Can you use computer Web sites? Do you have the addresses for approved sites? Does your teacher have them?

Taking notes: Do you have a notebook? Pencils?

Finished project: Can you do this assignment on a computer? Will you need to staple the pages together? Do you need a report folder or cover? Do you need to draw pictures or make charts? Can you use computer graphics?

Help your child to decide the order in which the parts of the job need to be done. Have her number them. To help her estimate how long each part of the assignment will take, tell her to work backward from the date the assignment is due. Have her figure out how much time she'll need to complete each part. Have her write down start and finish dates next to each part.

Have her put the assignment dates on a calendar or her homework chart. Together, think about a household job, such as cleaning out a closet or mowing the yard. Help your child to divide it up into smaller parts.

Talk with your child about how you divide work at your job or at home. Learning to see assignments or big jobs in small pieces can make them less overwhelming for a child.

Help Wanted

Older children are interested in life beyond school. You can help your child to have a realistic sense of that life and what he can do to prepare for it.

What You Need

Pencil and paper. Newspaper help-wanted ads.

What to Do

Talk with your child about what he wants to be and do in the future. Ask, for example, "What job do you think you'd like to do when you get out of school? What kind of education or training do you think you'll need to get this job?"

Suggest that your child pick two adults he or she knows, such as neighbors or relatives, to talk with briefly about their jobs. Help him to think of at least three questions to ask. Have him write the questions, leaving space for the answers.

Here are some sample questions:

What is your job?
How long have you had it?
Do you like it?
Did you need to go to college to get your job?
Did you have to have any special training?
What kind of classes do I need to take in high school for a job like yours?

After the interview, talk with your child about what he learned. Next, show your child the newspaper help wanted ads. Have him find ads for three jobs that he might want to have in the future. Have him read aloud the requirements
for a job and talk with him about the skills, education and training he would need to have to do the work.

Jobs change dramatically over time and the job that your child is interested in now may not even exist in the future.
Help him to understand that it is important to be well educated and open-minded so that he can be flexible.

TV Time

Watching television can be educational for your child or just something that she does to fill the time.

What You Need

TV set. World map. Reference books (or online Web news, biography and geography sites).

What to Do

Place a world map next to the TV set. Arrange to watch TV news programs with your child. After the program have your child use the map to find world news spots. Have your child use reference books such encyclopedias or appropriate online Web sites to find out more information about a story, a country or a person in the news.
Good TV programs can spark children's curiosity and open up new worlds to them.