1.            Start at the beginning. Setting the foundation for reading success is necessary before your child begins first grade, and will be crucial to academic achievement in a variety of subjects. Research shows that reading to children as early as infancy can give them a strong base for language concepts and cognitive skills related to print. Introduce your children to colorful story and picture books to foster a love of reading. Establish a routine; reading stories at bedtime is a cozy way to promote literacy. Make it interactive. Have children help turn pages and encourage them to discuss the story’s plot and characters.

      2.            Explore your neighborhood library together. Take your children to the local library and introduce them to the wide selection of books, newspapers, magazines, and story telling programs that they have to offer. Also, don’t forget that your library’s computer provides the perfect opportunity to introduce your children to the Internet. Go online with them and show them how to do research for school projects and papers.

      3.            Volunteer at your child’s school. Studies show that parent involvement is correlated with reading achievement. Given adequate training, parents can help in the classroom by volunteering to serve as tutors in the school. Support the school’s literacy efforts and advocate for effective instructional materials and modern technology, including computers and access to the Internet, so that all children have excellent learning opportunities. Work through a parent organization, like the PTA, to develop and build strong relationships between parents and educators. Discuss ways that reading performance can be reinforced in the home.

      4.            Write it out. Writing gives children opportunities to use their reading competence. Support your children’s creative and expository writing efforts and encourage them to keep a journal or diary so they can practice at home.

      5.            Enroll your children in after-school, child care, or summer programs that cultivate and reinforce reading skills. If your school doesn’t offer these types of programs, urge the school’s administrators and the school board to provide them.

      6.            Be a "study buddy." You can help your child organize information, look for key ideas in books, and practice reading out loud. Point out everyday tasks like interpreting instructions, recipes, and road signs, that require solid reading skills. Be sure to have plenty of interesting reading materials at home such as books, magazines, and newspapers to encourage your child to read more frequently. Practice makes perfect.

      7.            Ask for help. If your child is having difficulty with reading, speak with your child’s educator about having the problem addressed.

      8.            Support school reform. Advocate at the local, state, and national levels for school reform efforts, like class size, teacher training, and parent involvement, which are proven to make a difference in early reading performance and other subjects.

      9.            Start the day off right. Make sure your kids are well rested, organized, and have a nutritious breakfast every day so that they arrive at school ready to learn.

  10.            Rhyme to reason. Giving children experience with rhyming is an effective way to build phonemic awareness and requires children to focus on the sounds inside words.

1. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Regardless of your own experience with school mathematics, you can encourage your child to develop a love of math through supporting their performance, helping with school projects, and discussing their homework. Help them appreciate how a strong foundation in math can lead to great opportunities in the future.
2. Stay informed. Keep yourself apprised of the specific academic standards that children are required to meet at each grade level. Let school administrators know that you support professional development for teachers so that all students can be taught by instructors who are well prepared in content and technique of mathematics training and current technology.
3. Make sure your kids are taking advanced courses. Encourage your child to master Algebra and Geometry by the end of ninth grade. The mathematics students study in the middle grades has a strong effect on whether they will be able to take the higher levels of mathematics necessary for admission to college and for an increasing number of jobs.
4. Be a champion for challenge. A challenging math curriculum can stimulate children to learn and can positively influence growth in other areas of their education. Advocate for mathematics reform efforts that focus on raising expectations for student performance.
5. Make math fun. Spend time with kids on simple board games, puzzles, and activities that encourage better attitudes and stronger math skills. Even everyday activities such as playing with toys in a sandbox or in a tub at bath time can teach children math concepts like weight, density, and volume. Check your television listings for shows that can reinforce math skills in a practical and fun way.
6. Mix in math. The kitchen is filled with tasty opportunities to teach fractional measurements, like doubling and dividing cookie recipes.
7. Use real world examples to teach math. Point out ways that people use math every day to pay bills, balance their checkbooks, figure out their net earnings, make change, and tip at restaurants. Involve older children in projects that incorporate geometric and algebraic concepts like planting a garden, building a bookshelf, or figuring how long it will take to drive to your family vacation destination.
8. Prepare them for a profession. Let kids know what vocations require a sound base in mathematics. Careers in carpentry, landscaping, medicine, pharmacy, aeronautics, and meteorology all require strong math skills. Let them know that they too can be successful in math. Ask local employers to sponsor school-to-work programs and career fairs.
9. Tune into technology. Encourage your child to use computers and the Internet at home, your local library, and after-school programs for tasks like developing charts, graphs, maps, and spreadsheets.
10. Encourage children to solve problems. Provide assistance, but let them figure it out themselves. Problem solving is a lifetime skill.