Parent and Family Connection

As the fall season is now upon us, we're here to offer suggestions on how to assist your child during the months leading up to the winter break. With November and December brimming with holidays, these occasions present excellent opportunities for increased learning time within the comfort of your home. In this edition, we will provide you with holiday-themed activities that can enhance your child's English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. These activities can be easily implemented at home, benefiting students from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

The following educational websites are free resources schools have shared that will help your child improve their English language skills.

The November Thanksgiving break can be a time for your child to show appreciation for others by writing a Thank You card for you, a family member, or friend. A plain sheet if paper is all that is needed. Fold the paper in half and have your child design the front as they wish. Inside, have your child write a thank you note to the person they are thankful for. Be sure they include the name and three reasons that they are thankful for the person chosen.

Basic map skills and directions are important for kids to know. During free time at home, have your child draw a map of your home marking all the rooms and furniture. When complete, have them hide a gift or item in one of the rooms and mark it on the map for you or a sibling to find. Have them describe the directions to arrive at the item using the words “above, below, left, and right.” This can be a game that can be played regularly!

Preparing for college begins as early as elementary with learning about different kinds of jobs. In middle school, students begin having conversations about different kinds of classes available that will help them prepare for different careers. The article entitled “The Importance of Career Prep: How to Plan for your Dream Job,” talks about just that. Career prep, the article explains, begins as early as high school. It will be helpful for your child to have an idea of what their interests are before entering high school. This will increase their chances of taking the right classes before they graduate high school.

The article says that the best way to prepare for today’s job market is to find a few career paths that interest you, learn about various career options, and talk to a counselor. While students continue to learn academics, the article also emphasizes the importance of soft skills such as oral communication, teamwork, and critical thinking will improve a student’s success in both college and career.

One of the best ways to relieve stress is to take time for yourself each day. The first idea in the article, “Why Self-Care?” focused on putting yourself first. As parents, we need to give ourselves permission to prioritize self care because it will benefit the entire family in the long run. A stress-free parent can provide patience and energy to meet your family's needs.

Self care doesn’t need to take a lot of time either. Start by giving yourself 10 minutes each day to sit down and take a breather. Maybe have a cup of tea or coffee. This small step can go a long way in the midst of the day’s many tasks.

TXEL.org is a web portal that provides information and resources that are relevant, accessible, and impactful to support educational leaders, teachers, parents and families, and community partners to ensure the academic success of the State’s emergent bilingual students.