How Parents Can Participate

Think how often you have said, "Gee, I was just thinking about that," when someone spoke to you.

Our brains like to connect things. Children learn better when they can connect new ideas with things they already know. As your child is learning about maps, people, and places, you can help by talking and reading about similar places with your child at home. As the class at school learns about a new place, you can read and compare with it. Search for books about the various continents at your local library. To find other useful books, take a look at TeachersFirst's CurriConnects book lists about Maps or Geographic Wonders. CurriConnects offers book lists including interest grade levels, ESL levels, ISBN numbers, and more. As you read together, you will be encouraging a very important reading skill: connecting what you read to what you already know. Your child will have new ideas to contribute as the class discusses a place you read about at home. The connections work both ways and build reading AND geography skills.

The best part is that you can read and have fun together as a family.