1.  READ, READ, READ:  I cannot stress this enough.  Make time (even 15-20 minutes)  a night to read as a family.  "The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." --Dr. Seuss

     -Read to them (newspaper articles, recipe directions, signs, menus, grocery ads, and books (of course).

     -Read together (read a book out loud together, take turns reading words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages).

     -Have them read (to you, a sibling, a stuffed animal, a pet, an imaginary friend, into a recorder, or to a pet).

     -Take time to check for understanding (have your child retell you the paragraph, page, or story in their own words, take turns asking questions, discuss pictures, make predictions).  It is sometimes helpful to tell your child to "visualize"  or make a movie in their mind as they are reading.  This is a great strategy for a student to use for understanding and remembering the story.

2.  TALK, TALK, TALK:  Talking will certainly help increase your child's language skills.  Talk, ask questions, sing songs, expand your vocabulary, have them try and expand their vocabulary, describe things, try and ask questions which require more than a one word answer (instead of asking, "How was School?"  try asking, "What were three good things that happened at school today?", "What was it that made them good?",  "Can you explain to me how you did this?"  

3.  TIME, TIME, TIME:  Time is a precious thing. Spending meaningful, individual time with your child can help with their overall development.  Believe it or not, even doing household tasks can be a good time to spend with each other.  Talking and teaching how to sort laundry, washing the car, having them help you cook, or making a grocery list together are some easy ways that you can involve your child individually.  Play games, build things, create things, introduce them to things you did as a child, or have a backyard camp out. Creating rituals such as "Game Night" or "Kid Cook Night" can also be a way of developing an ongoing special time with your child.  My own adult children still talk and laugh about "Kid Cook Night" as my son would always choose to make macaroni and hot dogs on his night which was not a favorite of the others.

4.  LIMIT SCREEN TIME:  It's amazing how much technology has advanced since my first year of teaching in 1992.  It is very common to see children (and adults) using cell phones and tablets on a daily basis.  While these forms of technology can be beneficial, there can be negative effects of prolonged use.  The links below can be used to help create a media plan that is specific to your family.

Create a Family Media Plan (English)

Create a Family Media Plan (Spanish)

If you would like other specific ideas or things to do at home with your child based on his/her individual educational needs, please ask and I'd be more than happy to provide other ideas, activities, or materials to help.