Port Barre Elementary School

Put your child's personality on a poster Creating an "all about me" poster together is a great way to celebrate what makes your child special. It's also a fun way to learn more about your elementary schooler. Look through magazines and catalogs together for pictures of activities your family has done. Also look for images of things your child likes, like pets, foods and clothes. Have your child arrange and paste the pictures on a large sheet of paper. Then, encourage your student to write a few words about each. https://tpitip.com/?14fc17376

Look for opportunities to encourage conversation Meaningful conversations with your child are hard to schedule; they happen when they happen. But there are things you can do to encourage them. Many children prefer to talk while they are doing other things. Find the time when your child is most likely to open up: while walking the dog, for example. Use this time for conversation. To keep it going, ask your child follow-up questions, like "What happened next?" https://tpitip.com/?14fb17376

Inspire your child with real-life superheroes Being a positive role model for your elementary schooler is important. But don't stop there. Create a gallery of heroes for your child. Find pictures and stories of real people who have overcome great odds, starting with people in your family. Did someone persist in the face of obstacles, or give up a lot so you could get an education? Talk with your child about these heroes and what you both can learn from their example. https://tpitip.com/?14fa17376

Make learning part of the fun this summer To combine learning and fun this summer, try having a family spelling bee (give each family member words that are appropriate for their skills). Or, add math to a family outing (How many miles until we get there? How much gas will we need? How many steps to climb the hill?). Ask questions about things you see in nature and try to find the answers together. You can also tell family stories that connect history to your child's life. https://tpitip.com/?14fZ17376

You don't have to give your child everything Families who give their children everything they ask for often create unintended problems. Their children eventually feel entitled. In school, they may feel they "deserve" top grades without putting in the work. Offer your child unlimited love, but not unlimited gifts. Insist that your student live up to responsibilities at home and at school, and put in effort. You'll be teaching your child to thrive and succeed. https://tpitip.com/?14fY17376

Turn unfortunate viewing into a positive lesson It happens. Despite your best efforts to avoid it, your child watches a show that uses rudeness and bad behavior as humor. To redeem the situation, turn it into a learning opportunity. Point out the objectionable scene. "That boy sure made a rude remark to his mother." Ask how your child would handle it differently. "If you were as angry as he was, how could you express your feelings without being rude or hurtful?" https://tpitip.com/?14fX17376

Hang a brag line to celebrate and motivate Showing that you are proud of your child's hard work is an effective way to encourage your student to keep it up. One way to do this is by displaying your child's best writing, most-improved schoolwork and most creative art on a "brag line." String a long piece of yarn up against a wall from one end of the room to the other. Attach your child's work with clothespins or tape and start bragging! https://tpitip.com/?14fW17376

Please note the updated policy on water bottles for the 2024-2025 school year.

Promote learning on local field trips You don't have to travel far to find interesting places where your child can learn. Check out a local shopping center, and have your child calculate the percentage of stores that sell food. At a garden center, learn about different varieties of evergreen trees. Or, pick up the nutrition information brochure from a fast-food restaurant, and use it to teach your child to make healthy food choices. https://tpitip.com/?14fV17376

Help your child be an active reader To develop a love of reading, help your child get actively involved with the reading material. One way is to ask why your child thinks the characters act the way they do. Why would a spider like Charlotte want to help a pig like Wilbur? You can also ask about how a book is or isn't like your child's own life. Has your elementary schooler ever felt like one of the characters does? Would your child handle a situation differently? https://tpitip.com/?14fU17376

Experiment with the concept of floating Try an experiment at home to help your child understand why a large boat can float. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil the same size. Squeeze one into a dense little ball. Help your child shape the other piece into a small boat. Put them both in water. What happens? Explain that the ball sinks because it is denser than the amount of water it moves aside. The boat shape, filled with air, is less dense than the water it displaces, so it floats! https://tpitip.com/?14fT17376

Improve word skills with dictionary brainteasers Here's a fun word game that will build your child's dictionary skills. Get out a dictionary (or help your child use one online). Then, challenge your child to use it to answer these questions: Do anvils come in vanilla? Can you bustle, hustle and jostle at the same time? How much bread is in a breadfruit? Can you abandon an abalone? Now it's your child's turn to use the dictionary to think up some questions for you! https://tpitip.com/?14fS17376

Encourage your child to appreciate others Children are naturally self-centered. But their families can help them learn to cooperate and work with others. The first step is to help your child appreciate other people. Encourage your student to compliment at least one person every day. Suggest being on the lookout for good things friends, relatives and classmates do. Then your child's praise will be genuine. Do this yourself, too. Each day, talk together about the compliments you gave. https://tpitip.com/?14fR17376

Love and respect support student success The ways parents behave with their children make a big difference in how the children feel about themselves. Say "I love you" directly and often to your child. Also, always treat your child with the same courtesy you would like your child to show to you and others. Above all, listen when your child talks about personal interests. You'll show that what your child says matters to you. https://tpitip.com/?14fQ17376

Send your child on a reading scavenger hunt Encourage reading by challenging your child to a scavenger hunt in your own living room. Set your child up with a newspaper (in print or online), and a list of things to find things in it. These might include: A picture of a person running for office. The time a movie will show at a nearby theater. A map of your state. The score of a baseball game. The name of a store having a sale. The price of sugar at your local market. https://tpitip.com/?14fO17376

Help your child find out about careers of interest Elementary school is not too early for children to begin learning about careers. To help your child explore the possibilities, ask questions that encourage thinking and dreaming about the future. What kind of a life would your child like to have? What kinds of activities does your child like in school that might be fun to do on the job? Also, discuss the jobs held by people your family knows. If something seems interesting, see if your child can talk to that person about their work. https://tpitip.com/?14fP17376

Show your child the science in your home Your home is a wonderful science lab for your child. To promote scientific thinking, use a magnifying glass to view household items. What looks different and what looks similar with and without the glass? You can also ask questions and help your child look for answers: Which cereals get soggy in milk? You can even conduct some experiments: Will bread get moldy faster in a baggie in the refrigerator or in a baggie on the counter? https://tpitip.com/?14fN17376

Chores are rewarding, but should they be rewarded? Chores at home teach children many things that can help them in school, from time management to responsibility. But should you pay your child for doing chores? For everyday tasks, probably not. Kids should make their own contributions to keeping the family and home running smoothly. For big or extra jobs, consider assigning points that your child can accumulate and cash in for rewards. https://tpitip.com/?14fM17376

Give your child reasons to be optimistic Research shows that there are benefits to optimism, including better school performance. To help your child see that life isn’t all bad, solve problems together. If your child is worried about doing poorly in a subject, for example, help brainstorm actions your child can take to improve. If you hear "I messed up. I can't do this," foster an attitude adjustment by having your child say "I made a mistake. I can learn from it." https://tpitip.com/?14fL17376

Fill the day with pattern play Pattern recognition is an important math skill. Try some of these activities to help your child practice it: See how many patterns you can create together using only knives, forks and spoons. Or, help your child learn about the phases of the moon. How long does each phase last, and how long it is from full moon to full moon? Or, take a family nature walk. Collect leaves, rocks and other natural items to use to make patterns. https://tpitip.com/?14fK17376