Family engagement has been shown to increase a child’s motivation to learn, reduce behavioral problems, improve social-emotional development, and foster school readiness skills, such as impulse control, attention, memory, and planning. As a parent, there are many opportunities throughout the day to influence and teach your child a new lesson outside of the classroom. 

Learning Opportunities in the Home

• Aim to read to your child for at least 15 minutes a day. Reading books aloud together can be a great way to boost vocabulary and literacy skills.

• Have conversations with your child as you go about your day. The more children feel comfortable in sharing with you, the more readily they will learn from you.

• Use simple activities at home to help your child identify shapes and colors. For example, ask your child what the color of their toothbrush is, or ask them to name the colors on their clothing as they get dressed. Look for different shapes in your home, such as the shape of a rug or a book. 

Learning Opportunities on the Go

• Point out letters on cereal boxes, road signs, and in books. When you’re driving, you can do a letter hunt by asking your child if they can find the letter “A” on a passing sign.

• Practice numbers in the grocery store by having your child help you find different numbered aisles and have them help you count the number of items in your cart to see if you’ll need to check out in the express lane or the regular lane.

• Have fun with sizes and comparisons by asking your child which bag of your groceries is heavier, or which plate on the restaurant table is smaller than the rest of the plates. 

You Are Your Child’s First Teacher

• Parents, you are your child’s first and greatest teacher! Parental involvement and engagement are strongly linked to the development of critical skills such as reading and writing, as well as general life skills including patience, relationship building, and character development.

• Act as a role model for good behavior, since your children are watching and learning from you every day. Teach them not only early math and literacy skills, but the importance of being grateful, considerate, and kind.

• Learning new skills can take time. Children will need repetition and support as they gain the ability to complete tasks on their own. This requires patience and understanding from parents, teaching and re-teaching skills. 

You can also talk to your child’s teacher about specific activities you can do at home to help boost your child’s learning and development. In addition, our Child Care Resource and Referral specialists can connect you with resources to help support your role as your child’s first teacher. Check them out at https://www.elcpalmbeach.org/child-care-resource-referral.