Letter to Parents/Guardians

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Reading and writing are vital skills for anyone in this day and age. While our schools are working hard to provide a good foundation for our children, a strong language arts emphasis in the home is a great way to ensure your child's success.  Certainly, students can be taught without the home-school connection, but it has been proven repeatedly how teamwork between school and home creates the most lasting success for children, both academically and in society.

The home environment is an ideal place for language arts skills to be strengthened. There are things that your child can do each day to enrich his or her learning. Not only does this provide opportunities for your child to learn, but it sends that important message that you value these skills as well.

There are many things that you can do in your home. Below is a list of suggestions and writing habits to begin. Use these as a guide. Periodically I will send home, or post to my website, more activities that you can do at home with your child. Remember to alter the suggestions or ideas in a  way that would best meet the needs of you and your child.

Good Writing Habits Begin at Home

• Take regular trips to the library. Encourage your child to experience both fiction and non-fiction books.
• Encourage your child to develop correspondence with out-of-town family and friends. many youngsters connect with e-mail and never learn the art of writing and mailing letters.
• Encourage your child to keep a diary or journal of his or her own. Respect the privacy of this journal.
• read the newspaper with your child on a regular basis. Discuss the issues of the day at the dinner table.
• Have your child write the shopping list and keep track of items purchased. Have your child make a TO DO list for the day. He or she can cross off the items as they are completed.
• Write notes to your child daily or at least weekly. Leave notes all over the house or in a designated spot. You and your child will look forward to it!
• study maps and graphs with your child. Discuss the meaning of symbols and marks. Model how you read visual presentations.
• Have your child write down the directions on how to play a game. Give your child a chance to explain the directions. Ask questions and follow along.
• Help your child create a recipe box or cookbook. Your child should copy down the recipes that he or she would like to add to the cookbook. Encourage your child to cook and prepare one of the recipes for the family.

These activities and many more can help create life-long learners and writers.

Sincerely,

Amber Zeigenbein

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