Tips for Parents - How to Help Your Child Prepare for the ELA   Lamson Lam

Homework
Check to see that your child has done their homework and has done it well every night.

Reading

• Ensure that their reading time is a very special, very quiet time.

• Sit and read with your child as much as possible.

• Your child should stay in one place without movement or distraction for at least 30 minutes while they read.

• Your child should be staying with the same book every night until he/she finishes it.
   

Questions
Here are some questions to check your child's comprehension while they read:

• Who is the main character? Describe him/her.

• Who are some of the other characters?

• What are the relationships between the characters like?

• Where does the story take place?

• What is the problem?

• What is the main idea of the chapter you are reading?

Reading Responses/Reading Logs
When your child is finished reading, he or she needs to be writing a reading response and filling in their reading log every night (with the exception of Fridays).

Test Preparation Homework
If your time is extremely limited, and you only have 10 minutes a day to check your child's homework, ask them to show you their test prep homework.

Additional Activities that Would be Helpful

• Reading to your child and asking the same questions as above.

• Reviewing old work in their Blue Test Prep workbook. (if available)

• Doing practice work in store - bought reading comprehension workbooks.

• Ask your children to explain what they have been learning about reading and writing in school.