The holidays are a great time to teach children compassion and empathy for others. It is easy for children to be excited to receive gifts, but how do we develop the same enthusiasm for giving? Here are some examples of how you can involve your child in the joy of giving.

• Let your child shop for a few gifts for others using their own money
• Do a holiday craft or bake cookies to give to neighbors or friends
• Let your child wrap a few gifts themselves
• Have your child make cards for others
• Give your child the opportunity to present the gift to someone so they can see the joy it brings
• Volunteer in a local soup kitchen or participate in Toys for Tots

Reading Ideas:

*Read bedtime stories.

*Have your child read the grocery list as you shop.

*Write down a recipe for your child’s favorite food.

*Get excited to visit the library.

*Play a board game and have your child read the cards.

Reading Tips:

*Don’t leave home without it! Always have reading materials available to read in the car or at appointments.

*Once is not enough. Re-read favorite stories to help build fluency, speed and accuracy.

*Dig Deeper! Ask your child questions about what they just read.

*Be patient, correct gently and praise with enthusiasm

In school, we often use the term goals with your children. How can we help our students set realistic goals and stick to them? Consider these ideas you can also support at home:

1.     Make the goal specific. The target needs to be very clear for your child. Help him/her clearly articulate what it is they want to achieve. Instead of a goal to get better at reading, the goal could be to better understand what is being read.
2.     Set a short timeframe. Many goals fail because the time frame is too long. Set small, specific timeframes (2-3 weeks) that can be more easily monitored.
3.     Make a plan. Help your child figure out actions they can take to reach their goal. How will you better understand what you are reading? Will you write a summary after a certain number of pages? Will you ask questions as you read?
4.     Adjust the goal. There is nothing wrong with your child adjusting his/her goals. Adjusting will be more successful than quitting.
5.     Celebrate. Celebrate the small successes like sticking to the goal’s steps. There is something about acknowledging progress, even small progress, that propels us to keep at it and work toward the next small step along the road of attaining a goal.

Are you looking for a way to be involved in your child’s education or serve in their schools with real purpose? Consider becoming a substitute teacher, East Guernsey is always looking for qualified applicants.

Part of preparing students for learning is to help teach them to have a growth mindset. This means teaching them to recognize that there are certain things they are not able to do YET. To do this you can help your child think back to things they once couldn’t do like riding a bike, eating on their own or getting dressed. Helping them to have faith that if they try their best and remember that just because they can’t do something yet, doesn’t mean they won’t ever be able to. This mindset helps students approach learning with an open mind.

Bring on time and having great attendance is extremely important in making the most out of your education. Here are some tips on how to make your time in E. Guernsey the best it can be.

•         Being on time sets each student up for success
•         Helping your child be on time shows them that you care about his/her learning
•         Learning begins when the bell rings
•         Your child could miss out on important information even if they are five to ten minutes late
•         English and Math are usually taught in the morning
•         Being on time helps keep your child from falling behind
•         Being on time is an important life lesson

East Guernsey faculty and staff regularly emphasize three keys to succeeding throughout school: attendance, work ethic and extra participation. Students who show up on time, work hard and get involved will certainly get the most out of their middle school and high school years. This is not to say that they will not face challenges. School should be challenging to adequately prepare students for life after graduation. Students who work on these three keys, however, will find the strength within and the resources around them necessary to achieve in the face of obstacles. These keys not only help students find academic success but lifelong fulfillment as well.

As parents and even teachers, it can be easy to default to certain phrases that we heard as children. Research has shown over the years that words truly matter and some slight changes can completely change the outcome that we’re looking for. Here are some examples.

Instead of: Try:

“Be quiet”    “Can you use a softer voice?”

“What a mess!” “It looks like you had fun! How can we clean up?

“Do you need help?” “I’m here to help if you need me”

“I explained how to do this yesterday” “Maybe I can show you another way.”

“Do I need to separate you?”       “Could you use a break?”

“Stop Crying” “It’s okay to cry”

“Do you have any questions?”  “What questions do you have?”

“You’re Ok.”        “How are you feeling?”

“It’s not that hard”      “You can do hard things.”

Which ones will you try with someone you love today?

Summer is a great time to enrich and enhance student learning in a fun way. Parents can plan small, inexpensive or free outings in and around East Guernsey that will allow students to expand their knowledge and pique curiosity. Parks and nature preserves serve as excellent outdoor classrooms where children can learn and explore. Children need to read daily, so picking out books at the library is a fun way to read for pleasure and keep up on reading skills. Going out with your child is not possible each and every day, playing at home and outside help children learn and grow.

        Many studies have been done that link sleep and learning. Researchers have found that well-rested minds are able to learn more easily and retain more information. So, how much sleep does your child need?

        1-3 years old            12-14 Hours per day

        3-6 years old            10-12 Hours per day

        7-12 years old          10-11 Hours per day         12-18 years old        8-9 Hours per day