Tips for Helping with School Work at Home

This is a wonderful time of year, kids are dreaming of Christmas and adults are enjoying fellowship with neighbors and friends.  The holidays are a magical time of year but they can be difficult for kids in school.   Some students will struggle to concentrate and perform well on exams before the holiday break.  Dianne England, assistant superintendent of instruction in the School District of Oconee County offers these tips on helping students with schoolwork at home.  “Reading at home with students is key.  Encourage them to read and explain with them what they read.  Read more non-fiction like biographies and newspapers.  Reading to younger siblings at home.  Encourage them to write thank you notes and letters.  Talk to your kids at home because it increases vocabulary.  As far as Math, help them to look at Math problems from a real-world standpoint.” England offers these examples on improving Math skills at home.  “Compare the cost of items to the amount of money that you have, show them how to balance a check book, using fractions to figure out how many bags of garden soil you need to buy in order to do a job at home.  Again lots of talking with children to improve their vocabulary.” The School District of Oconee County recommends parents visit two websites to find more easy ways to help with schoolwork at home; www.smarterbalance.org and www.quizlet.com.