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» ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LITERACY IS CRUCIAL to student success. Parents—if you do not speak English, find out if your child’s school offers a Community-based English Tutoring (CBET) program or other English literacy program for parents. Programs such as CBET will help you improve your own English language skills while learning how to help others—including your children—improve theirs. » READ BOOK WITH YOUR CHILDREN. Be a role model—let your children see you reading books and newspapers. Visit the local library, check out books, and make sure that books are available in your home. » TAKE ADVANTAGE of your local museums and zoos. Often, museums and zoos offer free admission days. By taking your children to public places such as these, you will be stimulating their curiosity and preparing them for life-long learning. » FAMILY CONNECTION to and involvement in the schools helps children to have positive early learning experiences. Parents—you should visit you child’s school for Back-to-School Night and other open houses, meet with your child’s teacher for Parent-Teacher Conferences, and participate in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), English-Language Advisory Committee (ELAC), or other parent organization. » MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP and have a good breakfast at home or at school. Children learn best and enjoy school most when they are well rested and well nourished. If children are allowed to stay up late, they get the message that school is not important. » GET YOUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL ON TIME and encourage good attendance. Help your children to prepare for school in the morning by getting their books and assignments together. » LEARN STRATEGIES for supporting your children’s educational success in the home. Provide a quiet, well-lit place for your child to study on a daily basis. » ASK YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR HOMEWORK. Set aside time—with the radio and television turned off—for your children to concentrate on and complete their homework. » MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN’S PROGRESS by taking note of their grades and simply by asking them how things are going at school. If your children appear to need additional academic support, contact your school to see about before- and after-school programs and other resources for which your children might qualify. » PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to scores your children earn on standardized tests. These scores can determine the types of classes your children are allowed to take. If scores indicate that your children need additional support, contact your school as suggested above. » TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN about attending college. It is not too early to start talking about college at the elementary level. » ASK COUNSELORS about appropriate summer programs offered at your school, in the community, or at local colleges and universities. For example, you could attend a UCSB summer camp! Check out UCSB Summer Camp programs at: http://www.par.ucsb.edu/youthprog/youthprog.html and the Young Writers Camp of UCSB’s South Coast Writing Program (see http://education.ucsb.edu/scwrip/ywc/site/main.html) for more information.
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