Learning to sew might just improve your child's writing

Kids' clothes always seem to need a new button or patch. Teaching children to mend their clothes encourages them to take responsibility for them. And there's another plus: Your child also develops the small muscle coordination needed for writing neatly and easily. Demonstrate a sewing task, then let your child do a repair job on a piece of clothing. With practice, your elementary schooler will build skills and strengthen writing muscles.

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about 11 hours ago, Billie Cortez
Maximize the positive effects of reading at home

Reading at home boosts academic achievement. To make it a positive experience, look for high-interest books at the library with your child and refresh your supply often. Then, read them together. If your elementary schooler struggles with reading, take turns reading sentences. Pause from time to time and ask thought-provoking questions, like "What do you think will happen next?" Your child is more likely to be interested in reading if you set an example by reading often yourself.

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1 day ago, Billie Cortez
Try a soapy solution to stop quarrels

The ability to put aside anger and cooperate with others is important for school success. If your children are squabbling, try this solution: Wash away anger by washing windows. Put one child on the inside of a ground-floor window and the other child on the outside. They must wash the same window at the same time. By the time they're done, they'll probably be too busy laughing at each other to be angry.

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2 days ago, Billie Cortez
Assign your child a chore or two

Chores teach children responsibility and the satisfaction that comes from making a meaningful contribution. Consider assigning your child one or two age-appropriate tasks. Be sure to explain each step, so your child will know exactly what you expect. Elementary schoolers can: Put away clean laundry. Wash dishes. Water plants. Help change sheets. Read to younger siblings. Help with projects around the house.

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3 days ago, Billie Cortez
Homemade clay is a recipe for creative fun

Young children love to play with clay. They can squish it and pound it and form it into fascinating shapes. To make clay at home, prepare this recipe with your child: Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar, 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and a drop of food coloring. Cook and stir over medium heat until a soft ball forms. Let cool, knead and play!

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4 days ago, Billie Cortez
🎉 New Student Registration is NOW OPEN! 🎉

Register online today at https://stlandry.edgear.net/register.

Prefer a paper application? Registration packets are available for pickup at the school office.

We cannot wait to welcome our newest Lil Red Hots to our school family! ❤️🌶️
5 days ago, Billie Cortez
registration
Discover an alphabet of details in a picture

Strong students pay attention to details. Try this with your child to help foster this skill: Find a picture with lots of detail, and put it where you can both see it. Give your child and yourself a sheet of paper, and each of you write the letters of the alphabet down the left side. The goal is to find something in the picture that begins with each letter. Who can come up with the most words in five minutes?

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5 days ago, Billie Cortez
Experiment with an egg

Try this science experiment with your child: Place a raw egg (in its shell) into a container with a lid. Pour in enough vinegar to cover the egg. Put the lid on. After two or three days, discard the vinegar. Touch the egg. Ask your child, "What do you think happened to the eggshell?" (It dissolved, leaving only the inner membrane to keep the egg together.) The rubbery egg can be gently bounced (from a low height) and squeezed.

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6 days ago, Billie Cortez
Busy families build connections in creative ways

How can busy adults maintain the close connections with their children that support school success? By getting creative. If you aren't home when your child gets home from school, call your child if possible to hear the day's news. If you're out of town, ask your child to photograph activities so you can catch up on your return. Or, keep a family log book where you all jot down thoughts, triumphs and concerns.

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7 days ago, Billie Cortez
Expose your child to real-world math

You don't have to be a math whiz to build your elementary schooler's math skills. Just involve your child in the kinds of math you can do easily at home. Have your student help when you need to measure something. Have your child estimate the distance and time to get somewhere, then check to see if the estimate was correct. Suggest that your student make graphs of the colors of cars in a parking lot. Then, do it again on another day and compare.

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8 days ago, Billie Cortez
Put your child’s senses to use to learn new words

To help your elementary schooler learn to spell new words, write each word on an index card. Then, ask your child to look at a word and spell it out loud three times. Have your child "take a mental picture" of the word and put the card away and then spell the word three times with eyes closed. Next, have your child write it with a finger in salt spread out on a cookie sheet. Finally, your child can check the spelling against the index card.

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9 days ago, Billie Cortez
A lot of learning can happen in a little time

Families these days have a lot of responsibilities to juggle. Fortunately, many learning activities can fit into small blocks of time. It doesn't take long to: Help your child locate places mentioned in the news on a map. Look up a new word in the dictionary with your child. Quiz each other on math facts. Review schoolwork or demonstrate an organization technique, like using a calendar to track commitments.

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10 days ago, Billie Cortez
Choose a nickname that's a sign of strength

Giving your child a special nickname can reinforce positive character traits. Discuss your child's greatest character strength and how it will help in life. Then, find out how to say the strength in another language, and turn it into a name. For example, a brave child might be called "El Valiente." When your child shows that strength, use the nickname. Explain what it means. If your child likes the name, it may stick.

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11 days ago, Billie Cortez
Point out the positive side of mistakes and failures

Children need to learn how to handle failure if they are to succeed. If your child is facing up to a failure and is unhappy, don't try to minimize the feelings. Instead, explain that mistakes give us information that allows us to make necessary changes and get smarter. You can also talk about what you've learned from your own failures. Above all, don't allow your child to lower personal expectations.

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12 days ago, Billie Cortez
Try a journal project with a dreamy theme

Keeping a journal gives children writing practice, helps them learn to express themselves and promotes self-exploration. To make it interesting, suggest that your elementary schooler keep a dream diary. Your child can write down (or dictate) the previous night's dreams each morning. Encourage your student to include lots of details, but don't try to interpret the dreams. Instead, ask questions like, "What does that make you think of?" and "Do you ever feel like that when you're awake?"

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13 days ago, Billie Cortez
Focus attention on following directions

Does your child seem forgetful, absent-minded or irresponsible when you give directions? An ability to focus on instructions and carry them out is important for school success. To help your child concentrate, reduce distractions when you speak. Turn off the TV. Say things like "I know it's sometimes hard to pay attention, but I need to see your eyes when I'm talking to you." Then, keep your instructions short.

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14 days ago, Billie Cortez
Play a family conversation game

Dinnertime conversations, where everyone talks and listens to one another, build your child's vocabulary, social skills and family ties. But sometimes children need help taking part in family conversations. You can make a game of it. Have each person tell a story about their day and include one thing that isn't true. Then, take turns guessing which thing it is.

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15 days ago, Billie Cortez
Summer routines help your child stay school-ready

Keeping up school success routines throughout the summer is an effective way to support your child’s academic achievement. Reading, for example, is a skill that children must practice continually or it will get rusty. Set aside 30 minutes each day for quiet reading with your child. Be sure your child's daily summer routines also include daily exercise and household responsibilities.

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16 days ago, Billie Cortez
Send your child on a number hunt

To help your young child recognize numbers and some of the ways people use them, have a number hunt. Choose a number, such as 12. Write it on a piece of paper. Now challenge your elementary schooler to find that number somewhere in your home. Your child might find it on the clock or on a can in your cupboard. Talk about what it represents in that context. Then it's your child's turn to write down a number and send you on a number hunt.

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17 days ago, Billie Cortez
Sharpen skills with a creative writing game

Writers are careful observers. Here's a fun way to help your child build both observation and writing skills. Bring some pencils and paper on a family walk. Set a time limit, then challenge family members to write down words for things they see around them (building, tree, etc.). They can also include descriptive words like "tall" or "gray." When the time is up, see who can turn their word collection into the most creative sentence.

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18 days ago, Billie Cortez