Starting school on the right foot

As the school years begins, one of the best ways to help your children get on the path to success is by helping them strengthen their literacy skills.

• One child out of four starts kindergarten without the developmental skills needed to succeed. That’s nearly 9,000 students each year.
• 11,000 students a year are not graduating from high school.
• 20 per cent of B.C. students have difficulty reading.
• 1 million adults in British Columbia don’t have the basic skills to read a newspaper or fill out a job application.

For elementary school students

• Set aside time each day for family reading, and let your children see you read. It’s the best way to set an example.
• While you’re making dinner, have your child to read to you. It’s a good way to build their oral reading skills and a clever way to bond.
• Get a library card with your child and take weekly trips to the library.

For intermediate/middle school students

• Set up a homework area away from the TV with enough supplies and good lighting.
• While they’re doing their homework, do yours. Use the quiet time to balance your chequebook, pay bills, or read. Set an example of strong study skills.
• Be available to help them, but never do their homework for them.

For high school students

• Continue with the established homework routine.
• Have your children take 20 minutes each night to read over and review their notes for that day, in order to retain information longer.
• Encourage your teenager to read a wide range of magazines and appropriate websites. It’ll challenge their minds and open them up to new ideas.