As the summer days start to wind down, retailers everywhere stock their shelves with every school supply imaginable. Schools distribute lists and parents fill up their carts with crayons, pencils, cute pencil boxes, and new backpacks. I want to share with you some things that never make these lists, but these are things that teachers really want as we all prepare to head back to school.
Read With Your Child
Every year, parents always ask me what they can do to help their children. The most important thing you can do, and something that takes just a few minutes each day, is to read to your child. Point out the words as you go, talk about the pictures, make predictions, and use silly voices. Reading can open the door to so many worlds. This simple activity can introduce 1.4 million words by kindergarten alone!
Talk With Your Child
I get it. At the end of the day there is so much to do. Homework, housework, meals to cook, outfits to prep. I’m just as guilty as anyone else for handing my daughter her tablet some days just to have 5 minutes of quiet from the chaos of life. My daughter loves to talk, and doesn’t stop from the second she wakes up until her eyes shut at night. And I love it. I love that even at two she tells me about her day. I ask her about daycare and get to hear all about the toys she played with. The things she deems important.
I hope by doing this now, I’ll be able to have a teen who knows she can come to me with anything. Talking with your child, no matter how silly the conversation can be, can help build communication skills and even help with emotional regulation.
Help Them With Homework
I’ll say it – the new common core math can be a pain! Sometimes the worksheets and assignments can make you cringe (sorry to the non-artistic parents out there like myself). Some afternoons making your child sit to do their homework can be a battle you don’t feel like fighting. But I promise spending the time to help them with their homework will help us both out in the long run! This one simple task helps us to have some authority when the expectations we set are followed through and helps us to know what they’re learning about. We promise to email you pointers to help get it done!
Please Don’t Talk Poorly About Us Around Your Child
Education is a current hot topic everywhere for many different reasons. We understand the frustration that comes with that. Just know we are trying our best every day to help make this year successful. We just ask you not to talk poorly about us around your child(ren). Sometimes children hear their parents when we don’t think they can, and then they think it is okay to speak that way too. Only they may not talk badly about just us. They may point and laugh at the child who doesn’t know the answer to the math problem or call them names. All of this can make learning impossible some days. At the end of the day, please reach out and talk to us if you are feeling frustrated or find an issue so we can work together to figure out a solution.
Be Involved
I don’t mean volunteering once a week. I don’t even mean volunteering at all, although we’d love it if you have the time! All any teacher wants, is for their students to go home and have a parent ask them all about their day. Heck, we will even settle for their folder to be cleaned out once a week! We just ask that you talk about school and ask about their friends and favorite activities. Try to read the notes we send home and the newsletters or communication notebooks are important in giving you a front-row seat in our classrooms. Make sure to come to parent nights and conferences. If you can’t, ask for a day or time that works for you! We want to be a team and help your child become the best they can be.
Lysol wipes, pre-sharpened pencils, Crayola everything, and Inkjoy pens may top our wishlist on paper (trust me, parents, your teachers will LOVE you for sending those in), but the above list is really what we hope for each year. I hope you all have an amazing school year, and make it the best one yet!
