Parent Tips
From modeling good reading and writing skills to locating quality in-school and out-of-school programs to advocating for your child’s rights for additional supports, as a parent, you play a critical role in developing your children's literacy skills. The articles below offer suggestions for supporting and encouraging your adolescent reader.
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4 Steps to Finding an Excellent Tutor for Your Child
Whether your child is lost in a haze of elementary grammar rules, sinking fast in a jumble of Newton's laws in middle school, or lost in the details of an AP biology class, you need help. And usually you need help quickly, before your child falls way behind the class and never recovers. You want to find help before she feels like a failure, loses self esteem, and gives up on school. So, exactly what can you do....NOW?
A Beach Bag Full of Summer Learning Resources
Did you know that two-thirds of the academic achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their higher-achieving peers is attributable to how they spend their summers? Learning shouldn't stop when school is out, so we offer you a veritable beach bag of ideas to help keep students engaged and challenged during the summertime.
Be a Reading Role Model
Your child walks like you, talks like you, and absorbs everything you do. So set the right example when it comes to reading. If you want your child to be a good reader, be one yourself!
Breaking Barriers Without Breaking the Bank
As a parent, you would do anything for your child. And when you see your child struggling, you want to jump in and help. But sometimes your instincts and desire aren't enough. When your child struggles with schoolwork and a tutor is necessary, one of the biggest roadblocks to getting help is money.
Designing a Dossier — An Instruction Book for Your Child
Many of the adults in your child's life are unfamiliar with learning disorders in general, or your child's unique pattern of strengths and limitations. Help their babysitters, coaches, teachers, church personnel, bus drivers, school support staff, dentists, barbers, neighbors, and relatives understand their limitations. Develop a short one- to three-page dossier that provides useful information about your child. This article describes key elements of such a document, and provides a sample.
Having Your Child Tested for Learning Disabilities Outside of School
Children who struggle with reading often need extra help. This help usually comes from the school, but some parents choose to look outside of the school for professionals who can assess, diagnose, tutor, or provide other education services. The following article provides information on how to find the right person for your child.
How Can I Help My Child Do Well On Tests?
Standardized testing is one form of assessment used in schools. Find out about standardized tests, how and why schools use them, and how you can support your child.
How Parents Can Be Advocates for Their Children
As your child's best advocate, you are in a unique position to identify and implement positive changes. This article gives advice on how to be effective. You should know the rules, keep records, gather information, and communicate effectively.
