Webster Springs Elementary School

Keep the focus of sports on sportsmanship If pressure is taking the fun out of sports for your child, talk with him about what it means to be a good sport. Remind him that fun should come first. If everyone is having fun, winning and losing don't seem so important. Make sure your child understands the rules of the game, too. Praise good sportsmanship when you see it, and always be a good sport yourself. Cheer for all the kids on both teams, not just yours. https://tpitip.com/?11kb18889

Start with easy questions to keep communication flowing If you worry about whether you'll be able to talk to your child when she's a teen, you're not alone. Worrying won't help, but good communication habits will. One helpful way to get a quiet child to talk is to ask specific questions, such as "What was the best thing that happened today?" Start with questions that aren't threatening, like "What do you think of this picture in the catalog?" Try it when you're relaxing together. https://tpitip.com/?11ka18889

Put learning on the list of things to be grateful for A positive outlook helps children do better in school. Gratitude builds that attitude. Take time to sit down with your family often and share lists of things you are thankful for. Be sure to mention school and any progress your child is making. Has a teacher done something special to help? Have your child take a few minutes to write or say "Thanks." https://tpitip.com/?11kY18889

To encourage reading, call for blanket time Here's a tip for promoting family reading: Grab a blanket and spread it on the floor. Have family members each pick a book and lie on the blanket. Then enjoy reading together! When children are young, parents can do the reading, but as kids grow up, they will enjoy reading to everyone else. Blanket time is a great way to connect and turn your children into happy readers. https://tpitip.com/?11kX18889

Look back at learning successes to revive your child's motivation Is your child less than motivated to do well in school? Put him on the right track by helping him see how much he has already accomplished. Remind him how his efforts have helped him master previous topics. If he's baffled by fractions for example, you might pull out some of his old math worksheets and say, "You really struggled with division, remember? But you practiced and got the hang of it. You can do that with fractions, too." https://tpitip.com/?11kW18889

Positive reinforcement improves self-discipline Teachers have found that talking to students about the good things they do is an effective way to reinforce the students' self-discipline. These informal talks work at home, too. For example, you can turn a bedtime story into a bedtime chat. When the lights are out, your child may open up. And when you give her a genuine compliment, she'll go to sleep thinking about something she does well. https://tpitip.com/?11kV18889

Collect all the states in a license-plate game Studies show that U.S. students tend to do poorly in geography. Here's a game to help your child learn where places are. When your child is in the car, make him the "license-plate lookout." He should write down the out-of-state license plates he sees. When you get home, help him locate the states on a map or globe and let him mark each one with a sticker. https://tpitip.com/?11kS18889

We’re thrilled to announce Webster County Board of Education’s new app! It’s everything Webster, in your pocket. Download the app on Android: https://bit.ly/3oKNJ3n or iPhone: https://apple.co/3ukSWjE.

Use loving notes to build vocabulary You can increase your child's vocabulary as well as her self-esteem by including an encouraging note with her lunch. From time to time, write a note for your child to let her know you are proud of her. Use simple words she knows and also a few challenging words that she might have to sound out or look up. She'll enjoy getting it and may even write back to you! https://tpitip.com/?11kR18889

Help your child stay organized with checklists Help your child be organized for school by teaching him to use checklists. He can use a "head-to-toe" checklist to make sure he's ready to go out the door: "My hat is on my head, my coat is on my body, my backpack is on my back. My gloves are on my hands. My boots are on my feet." Have him make another list of items he needs for school each day. Post it where he can check it as he gets organized the night before. https://tpitip.com/?11kQ18889

Creating acronyms can help your child remember To help your child learn lists of words or facts, teach her to use acronyms (words made up from the first letters of a group of words). To remember the names of the Great Lakes, for example, she can think of the acronym HOMES, which stands for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. What other acronyms can your child make up for lists of words to remember? https://tpitip.com/?11kP18889

Celebrate Geography Awareness Week with a map activity November 15-19 is Geography Awareness Week. Here's a fun activity that will give your child practice reading maps. Find a road map of the country online. Let your child choose a place he'd like to visit. Together, try to determine the best route. Have your child use the map's scale to estimate how many miles it is to your destination. How many hours or days would it take to drive there? https://tpitip.com/?11kO18889

School friendships help students thrive Children learn a lot from their friends, such as loyalty, sharing, leading and following. And research says friends can also help children do better in school. Children who know they have school friends are more likely to take positive risks, such as trying out for a team or participating in class. Encourage friendships by inviting your child's school friends to join your family for an activity. https://tpitip.com/?11kK18889

Promote responsible choices with encouragement You want your child to learn to make responsible choices, at home and at school. But constant lectures can wear him down. Instead, encourage good behavior by thanking him when he behaves responsibly on his own. Praise his efforts, not just their outcomes. And encourage your child's involvement in activities that keep him busy. Busy kids need less external control than those with too much time on their hands. https://tpitip.com/?11kJ18889

You are the teacher your child looks to most Parents are their children's first teachers. Even after kids start school, they spend only about 16 percent of their time in class. Parents have the other 84 percent of their children's time. Make your child's education a priority for that time. You are her most influential teacher. https://tpitip.com/?11kI18889

True or False? These strategies improve test success Many tests feature True or False questions. Share these tips for answering them with your child: For the answer to be true, ALL of the information in the statement must be true. Your child should also think carefully if the statement contains absolute terms such as "always" or "never." And if he doesn't know the answer? A guess has a 50 percent chance of being right. https://tpitip.com/?11kH18889

Learning perseverance is worth the effort Perseverance is hard work. But your child's effort to develop the habit now will help him achieve in school. Teach him that "You're never a failure until you give up." Talk about a time when you wanted to give up, but didn't, and overcame an obstacle. Then have some fun: Set out a jigsaw puzzle to do together, and don't quit until the last piece is in! https://tpitip.com/?11kE18889

Put the focus on learning with a hands-off approach Sometimes parents help too much with their child's school projects. It can be really tempting. After all, you want your child to get good grades. But there is a better approach. Instead of thinking about grades, think about what your child can learn from doing the project herself. Ask the teacher about the best ways to support your child's efforts. https://tpitip.com/?11kD18889

Celebrate the season with art projects Art teaches many lessons, including cause and effect, problem-solving and self-expression. And it is creative fun! Help your child explore his artistic gifts by making some seasonal crafts together. To turn a brown paper lunch bag into a colorful turkey puppet, have your child draw a turkey's face on the bag's bottom. Then he can decorate half a paper plate like a turkey's tail. Glue the plate to the bag so it sticks up behind the face. https://tpitip.com/?11kC18889

Show off your child's work in a special gallery When you display your child's excellent and improved schoolwork, it builds his sense of himself as a capable student. But there isn't always room on the refrigerator. One mom created a family gallery by installing a strip of corkboard along a hallway wall, low enough for her children to reach. Now the kids put their own work up for family viewing, and the displays change all year long! https://tpitip.com/?11kB18889