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Helpful Ideas and Tips for Parents

Free Resources
Barnes and Noble's Summer Reading Challenge:
If your child reads eight books over summer they receive a FREE book, go to the link below!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/

Seven Tips to Help Your Child Succeed in Science

1. Promote a Climate of Scientific Inquiry at Home. Children ask many questions, like: How does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly? Or what’s that green stuff growing on the food? Encourage these questions and help them figure them out.

2. Learn to Use the Language of Science. Words like observation, prediction, evidence, and classification can be integrated into daily conversations: What are your weather predictions? What evidence do you have to support what you just said? Remember, keep it fun!

3. Encourage Your Child to Act Like a Scientist. As parents, we don’t have the answers to everything. So use those out of left field questions to do “joint research”. Go to the library and discover together!

4. Shine a Positive Light on Science. If you had a bad experience with science when you were young, don’t allow that to spoil your child’s interest. Make an effort to discover the natural world through your child’s curious eyes.

5. Find Out What Your Child is Learning in School. Find out what your child is learning in school and find ways to connect it at home or in your community. For example, in the fourth grade students learn about electricity and magnetism. This would be a great opportunity to ask where/what relays electricity/magnetism.

6. Establish Contact with the Teacher. Find out how your child’s teacher likes to communicate: email, phone, in person. Then, ask what you can do to promote science at home.

7. Volunteer During Science Time. If you have the time, volunteer at your child’s classroom during science instructional time. Contact the teacher and let them know you are available to help.

Join the Summer Reading Program at Sylmar Library! (Ages 11-19)

Sylmar Reading Program

High School Juniors are encouraged to apply for the 2010 Hispanic Heritage Youth Award.
To apply, visit:

Hispanic Heritage Youth Award