On Wednesday, January 14, PS 217 and NYU LINCs offered a great workshop discussing some ways the parents can support their children in attaining the very desirable school success. Various interesting ideas and real life experiences have been exchanged among those present. Here are a few thoughts and suggestions that Denise, the NYU Lincs speaker shared with the parents:
The Physical Element
- Food and water
– Children have a need for more than 3 meals per day
– Not getting enough food leads to poor attention, concentration and attitude
– Water is important for them to keep hydrated. Yes to water, no to soda!
- Exercise
– All children require frequent exercise
– Exercise delivers oxygen to the brain
– Even 5-10 minutes can help children feel and perform better in school
- Sleep
– Young children require 11-13 hours of sleep per night
– Consistent sleep times are beneficial
– Nighttime routines are important
The Academic Element
- Read with the child as partners. For younger children, use storybooks with pictures and repetitive words.
- For older children, independent reading is ideal using books with chapters
- Younger children can be encouraged to draw pictures and tell a story about that picture
- Handwriting may be unreadable at times in younger children which is normal
- Older children will have a better grasp of handwriting and interpreting pictures as a story
- Explore math through stories, shapes in everyday items and patterns
- Practice writing numbers
- Use money to practice addition and subtraction
- A daily routine is important to complete homework
Many thanks to those of you who were able to attend, we truly hope it was an enjoyable morning. Stay tuned for future workshops!