The following list of ways adults can assist a student with learning was developed by the Sarasota Public School System:

KINDERGARTEN

• Encourage reading by having newspapers, magazines and books around your house.
• Give your child books and magazines as gifts.
• Read aloud to your child to build vocabulary and listening skills.
• Share and discuss books and stories at home to motivate your child to read.
• Ask your child to help you sort change, (pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters)
• Use positional words such as above, below, right and left when putting toys away with your child.
• Use words that describe shape, size and colors
• Discuss how each member of the family depends on the others.

FIRST GRADE

• Encourage reading by having newspapers, magazines and books around your home.
• Read aloud to your child every day to build vocabulary and listening skills.
• Share and discuss books and stories at home to motivate your child to read.
• Give your child books and magazines as gifts.
• Ask your child to help you sort change (pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters).
• Take a walk and have your child observe the environment.
• Talk about the living and non living things he/she sees and hears.
• Discuss fire safety with your child. Make and practice an escape route from your house.
• Visit important buildings, statues or monuments in your area.
• Discover the history of these places and your community.
• Help your child develop a personal calendar for marking and scheduling important dates, holidays and responsibilities.

SECOND GRADE

• Encourage reading by having newspapers, magazines and books around your home.
• Read aloud to your child to build vocabulary and listening skills.
• Share and discuss books and stories at home to motivate your child to read.
• Writing at home can be encouraged by leaving notes for your child around the house.
• Have pens, pencils and paper around for writing.
• Help your child develop an understanding of time by creating a schedule for the day.
• Discuss how much time should be allotted for each event of the day.
• Take a walk and have your child observe the environment. Talk about the living and non living things he/she sees or hears.
• Interview an older relative with your child and discuss traditions and customs that are unique to your heritage.

THIRD GRADE

• Encourage reading by having a variety of newspapers, magazines and books at home.
• Read aloud to your child to build vocabulary and listening skills.
• Share and discuss books and stories at home to motivate your child to read.
• Discuss news at home.
• Write at home. Leave your child notes and messages. Encourage your child to write you notes, too.
• When preparing meals, ask your child to be responsible for timing items cooking on the stove or in the oven.
• While shopping, give your child a predetermined amount of money to spend. Have him/her make decisions about what he/she can or cannot buy with this amount.
• Have a family plan for reducing, reusing and recycling materials at home. Collect data and chart or graph your efforts.
• Identify animals in your yard or nearby habitat.
• Use various sources to learn about life in other countries. Compare and contrast to life in the U.S. Are there ways family members can or do make responsible contributions at home, school or in the community?

FOURTH GRADE

• Encourage reading by having a variety of newspapers, magazines and books at home.
• Share and discuss books and stories at home to motivate your child to read.
• Provide experiences by attending plays and movies.
• Provide opportunities for your child to communicate through writing.
• Discuss news at home.
• Help your child develop a better understanding of money. Provide opportunities for your child to practice making change after a purchase.
• Practice using a ruler.
• Use the newspaper to encourage your child to observe temperatures. Plot graphs of temperature highs and lows over a period of time.
• Visit a planetarium or look at the night sky through binoculars or a telescope.
• Visit historical places with your child. Before taking a trip, plan your route on a map with your child. Let your child use the map while in the car to follow the route.

FIFTH GRADE

• Encourage reading by having a variety of newspapers, magazines and books at home.
• Share and discuss books and stories at home to motivate your child to read.
• Provide experiences by attending plays and educational events.
• Provide opportunities for your child to communicate through writing.
• Discuss news at home.
• Plan a shopping trip to the grocery store. Work together on your list of items needed. While you shop, have your child record the actual cost of each item. When you return home, have your child figure out how close the estimate came to the actual cost.
• Check out science experiment books from the library and help your child do experiments.
• Use a U.S. map to locate well known places. Plan an imaginary trip that includes visiting at least four places.
• Figure the mileage, time frame and possible costs.
• Visit a historical site in our area. Discuss what the area might have looked like a hundred years ago.