STUDENT

-home atmosphere
-learned intelligence and background knowledge
-motivation

Motivational Descriptors
Student is competitive with self
and/or other children.
Student is a self-starter:
independent.
Student can interest self.
Student prefers challenging rather
than no challenging tasks.

Standards for Maximizing Student

Motivation
The student must believe the learning is

Valuable
Involving
Successful
Safe
Caring
Enabling

What makes children want to

read?
Intrinsic Motivation
Involvement (the
experience of
getting lost in a book
Curiosity (interest in
the subject)
Preference for
challenge (seeking
to figure something
out

Extrinsic
Motivation
Recognition
(awards, prizes,
etc)
Grades
Compliance
Competition

Motivating Students to Read

Assign the reading at least two sessions before it will be
discussed
Assign study questions
Have students turn in brief notes on the day's reading that
they can use during exams
Ask students to write a one-word journal or one-word sentence
Ask nonthreatening questions about the reading

What makes children want to

read?
Self-efficacy
Belief by the
student that s/he
can be successful
at reading so that
s/he approaches
books with
confidence

Social Interaction
Sharing with
friends and family
through discussion,
shared writing, etc.

Ideas to increase intrinsic

motivation (Rogers, Ludington, & Graham, 1997)

Provide meaningful choices

Provide frequent, specific, nonjudgmental feedback focused on
progress and growth
Embed learning in activities
students find enjoyable and
worthwhile
Protect the student from
embarrassment
Build positive self confidence
through evidence of success
Avoid the overuse of extrinsic
motivators
Match instructional activities to
students learning needs
Model learning with enthusiasm
Use cooperative learning (build
community)
Provide celebrations for success

Praise children in Ways Big and Small

Expect Excellence
Spread Excitement
Hand Over Some Control
Relating Lessons to real life examples
Track improvement
Reward positive behavior
Plandream field trips

Creating a Successful Learning

Environment

Be a good role model.

Motivate your child.
Monitor your childs performance.
Maintain contact with teachers.

A host of research findings. . .

Student benefits: grades, test scores,
attitudes toward schoolwork, behavior,
academic perseverance, homework
completion, attendance
What parents do to support learning predicts
scholastic ability better than who families
are.
Creating consistent messages about learning
across home and school helps increase the
probability students will perform their best.

Attitudes
Dialogue Time: What is the role of
attitudes in productive family-school
connections?
(Right side of room) - What teacher
attitudes help build constructive
relationships with parents?
(Left side of room) - What parent
attitudes help build constructive
relationships with teachers?

Parents and Teachers as

Partners
A student-focused philosophy collaborate
for the learning progress of the student
A belief in shared responsibility both in-and
out-of-school time impacts achievement
Quality of the relationship how parent and
teacher work together in meaningful ways
A preventive, solution-oriented focus create
conditions that encourage and support
students reading and engagement

Collaboration is evident when

parents and teachers:

Listen to one anothers perspective.

View differences as strengths.
Focus on mutual interests.
Share information to co-construct understandings.
Respect the skills and knowledge of each other by
asking for opinions and ideas.
Plan together and make decisions that address the
needs of parents, teachers, and students.
Refrain from finding fault no problematic
individuals; rather a problematic situation that
requires our attention.
Celebrate our successes.

New Beliefs and Principles about

Families Help Foster Relationships
All families have strengths, and their assets, not
deficits, are emphasized.
Parents can learn ways to help their children if they
are provided with the opportunity and necessary
support.
Parents have important information and perspectives
about their children that are needed by teachers.
Schools and families influence each other.
A no-fault, problem solving model is necessary
blame is not attributed to the family or school
because there is not a single cause for any
presenting concerns.

A challenge facing teachers. . .

It is the schools job. I dont have time.
Strategies for helping parents make education a
priority in the home are emerging:
Deliver a persistent message about the importance of
in and out-of-school time
Keep and sustain a focus on the salience of education
find a feasible way for all families to be engaged in
supporting their childrens reading.
Emphasize both academic and motivational home
support for learning.
Families do not need to be fixed; they need to be
supported.

Creating a Learning Environment for Young children

Reading Aloud to Children
Developing Listening and Speaking skills
Teaching about the Sounds of Spoken Language
Teaching about Print
Teaching about Books
Teaching about Letters
Building Childrens Background Knowledge and
Thinking Skills Teaching about Numbers and Counting
Checking Childrens Progress

You are Your Childs First

Teacher

Parent Involvement
The more involved you are in your
childs education, the more likely
your child is to succeed in school.
Research shows that parent support
is more important to school success
than a students IQ, economic
status, or school setting.

When Parents are Involved

Children get higher grades and
test scores.
Children have better attitudes and
behavior.
Children complete more
homework.
Children are more likely to
complete high school and enroll in
post-high school education.

Parent Involvement Begins at Home

Spend time with your child
Ask your child about his or her day.
Use car time to talk with, and listen
to, your child.
Take walks or ride bikes together.
Look for things to do as a family.
Eat dinner together and use this
time to talk about the days events.

Parent Involvement Begins at Home

Help your child develop routines
Have regular homework or reading
time.
Make sure your child has a regular
bedtime that allows for plenty of
rest.
Give your child age-appropriate
chores.
Make sure your child has a
nutritious breakfast every morning.

Parent Involvement Begins at Home

Teach your child to love to read
Read to your child from an early age.
Let your child see you read.
Listen to your child read.
Take your child to the library to
check out books of interest.
Provide your child with books and
magazines written at his or her
reading level.

Parent Involvement Begins at Home

Create a study environment in your
home
Do not allow the TV to be on while your
child is doing homework.
Make a study area that has paper,
pencils, pens, erasers, a dictionary, and
other materials your child uses to do
schoolwork.
Check your childs homework when it is
finished.

In Elementary School
Talk with your child about
schoolwork
Ask about homework and check to see that
your child has done all the work assigned.
Ask your child to show you his or her
schoolwork and note the grades and
comments made by the teacher.
Discuss how the skills your child is learning
in school are an important part of everyday
life. Let your child see you read, write, and
use math.

In Elementary School
Talk with your childs teacher
Introduce yourself at the beginning of
the school year.
Attend parent-teacher conferences.
If possible, spend time at your childs
school and classroom as a volunteer
or visitor.
If you use email, find out if your
childs teacher uses email to
communicate with parents.

Turn Daily Activities into Learning

Cook together. Your child can read the
recipe and measure ingredients.
Do laundry. Your child can sort laundry by
color, read washing instructions, measure
laundry soap, and time wash cycles.
Go grocery shopping. Your child can write
the shopping list, compare prices, and
identify and classify food items.
Organize the house. Your child can sort
and arrange items in the junk drawer.

Help Your Child Feel Good about

Education

Find reasons to praise your child

every day.
Help your child focus on his or her
strengths
Let your child know that he or she is a
valuable, capable person and that you
know he or she can succeed.
Have high expectations for learning
and behavior, at home and at school.
When you expect the best, your child
will rise to those expectations.
Be a good role model for getting work
done before play.

In Middle and High School

Reinforce the importance of
school
Speak positively about your childs
teachers and counselors.
Make sure your child gets to school
on time and completes homework.
Talk to your child about the
benefits of education.
Attend open houses and parentteacher conferences.

Support Your Teen

Keep the lines of communication open.
Set fair and consistent rules, with your
teens input.
Set a good example through your own
involvement in the school and
community.
Continue to make time for family
activities.
Limit the time your child spends
watching TV and playing video games.

Help Your Child Choose Classes

In middle school, your child will take classes
that will prepare him or her for high school
coursework.
In high school, your child should choose
challenging classes that will prepare him or her
for postsecondary education coursework even
if he or she does not plan to go to college.
Help your child chooses classes that will meet
college entrance requirements, and that may
support his or her interests.
Encourage your child to get involved in school
activities that complement his or her interests.

Help Your Child Make Plans

Help your child discover his or her
interests and start making a plan for
life after high school.
Help your child set goals and plan
how to reach those goals, through
education and activities.
Let your child explore educational
and career choices while in school,
so he or she can have a solid plan for
post-high school education and work.

In Summary
If school is important to you, it will
be important to your child.
Set high expectations for your
child and support your child in
meeting those expectations.
Stay aware of your childs social
life, activities, and schoolwork.
You, your child, and the school will
benefit from your continued
support.

You are your childs protector, teacher, and role model, as well
as parent.
Every child is unique and different.
Parenting is also a very individual experience.
Love and cherish your child.
Positive infant and child experiences include:
Bonding Love, hugs, comforting, reading to your child.
School readiness Encourage talking, singing, curiosity and
learning new things.
Physical development Balance of activity, rest, nutrition,
routine and structure. Speech and language development Talk,
read and listen to your child. Make eye contact with your child.

You cannot turn back time, but you can move forward and do the
best you can for your child. How can you do this?
Take things one day at a time.
Dont give up.
Ask for help when you need it.