Orange County Public Schools

Parent Activities to Support Instruction

• Talk to your child about school, ask questions, show him/her that you are interested in his/her learning, and be excited about what he/she is learning.
• Provide learning experiences outside of the classroom. Visit the Science Center, the Zoo, the History and Art Museums, and the library. After your visit, have your child draw pictures or write about what he/she experienced or what was his/her favorite (or least favorite) part.
• Read to, read with and talk to your child about what you are reading and ask questions while reading. Reread favorite books, then have your child change the ending or act out a play in your living room based on the books.
• Encourage your child to draw. Talk and write about what he/she drew. Provide art materials for him/her to express themselves freely. Display works of art created by the whole family around your house even sculptures made from clay. Then, walk around and pretend you are at a famous art museum, like the Louvre in Paris. Put paintings on the ceiling and pretend you are Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.
• Limit TV and computer time. Both can be educational in limited amounts of time. Spend the extra time talking about school.
• When papers come home from school, discuss the papers with your child. This communicates that school is as important to you as it is for him/her. Don’t forget to return papers as well.
• As you read with your child, have him/her point out such things as front and back covers, the title, and where you should start reading on a page. Have your child point out the names of authors and illustrators and tell what those people do.
• Sing or say nursery rhymes and songs. Play word and board games. Playing games with your child teaches him/her about turn taking and the importance of not winning every game.
• Count everyday objects (like buttons, crayons, grapes, etc.), Then take away some of the objects or add more. Talk about what "take away" and "add to" mean. Use math words with your child to build his/her academic vocabulary.
• Teach and use a calculator with your child.
• Use shapes to create more shapes, talk about the differences between shapes, and the difference between 2-D and 3-D shapes. A circle and a sphere are not the same.
• Join the PTA.
• If applicable, have your child participate in an after-school club or sport.