Make new goals as clear as a bell

Ring in the New Year by helping your child improve her schoolwork habits. Help her identify negative habits she wants to get rid of and decide on new positive habits she'd like to embrace. Next, have your child cut some bell shapes out of paper. Write the habits your child wants to stop and start on the bells and hang them from some colorful streamers. Then ring out the old and ring in the new!

Reaffirm your commitment to help your child

Families have made a vital difference in education this year. 2020 may be over, but the need for your involvement continues until your child graduates. As we head into 2021, consider making this parent pledge: "I promise to monitor schoolwork and talk about school. I will expect my child to give school his best effort. I will read with him every day. I will tell my child I love him and I know he can do well."

Token earning can motivate learning

When learning something new, some children respond well to learning incentives. These are rewards your child earns for things she has done. Give points or tokens when your child does what's expected. Take them away when she doesn't. Let her trade the tokens for play time or small prizes. Don't make it too difficult to earn them, or your child may end up feeling defeated.

Prepare your child to tackle challenges

Competence leads to confidence. To give your child the confidence to face academic and life challenges, help him improve his organizational skills, so he'll always have what he needs. Also, give him plenty of opportunities to express his opinions and have them taken seriously. Talk to your child about how you handle your work challenges, too. Your attitude will inspire similar behavior from your child.

Whip up some enthusiasm for spelling

Here's a fun idea to help your child master the alphabet and the spelling of simple words: Spread a layer of whipped cream on a dark-colored tray or plate. Have your child use her finger to write letters and words. Mistakes are easily wiped away, and correct spelling is quickly rewarded with a lick of a finger.

Schedule time for the things that matter

There is no doubt about it. Routines help children feel comfortable and confident. Setting up routines can also help you avoid arguments with your child and develop his study habits. Consider making these items part of your family's daily routine: A discussion of what happened during each person's day; regular times for schoolwork, chores and preparing for the next day; family reading time and exercise.

Cozy up for family storytelling

Are you looking for educational family entertainment? Then grab some snacks and get cozy for a family storytelling night. To prepare, read a book to yourself enough times that you can tell your own version to your family. When you tell stories, your child creates visual images in her mind, an important reading skill. Have her tell a story, too!

One good book may lead your child to another

You know your child should read more, but he just isn't interested in picking up a book. Encourage him by asking him to tell you about a book he enjoyed (or one that at least wasn't too bad). Then look for other books that author has written. Get one and read the beginning aloud. If you can get to the "good part," your child may be more interested in reading the rest himself.

Teach empathy by example

Research shows that students do better academically and socially when their parents put as much emphasis on kindness as they do on grades. True kindness involves understanding how others feel. Model empathy for your child. Ask questions like, "How did that make you feel?" Then show that you listened: "It sounds like you were really relieved." Imagine together how other people might be feeling, too. Reward thoughtfulness with praise.

Build your child's cooperation skills

To succeed in school, students need to be able to work well with others. Take time to teach your child about cooperation. Let her know you expect her to take turns and share, and compliment her when she does. Encourage her to be honest by demonstrating honesty yourself. And teach her that you are proud of her when she admits her mistakes and takes responsibility for them.

Pull out a puzzle for family thinking fun

Jigsaw puzzles are a great family winter activity. And they help develop your child's thinking skills and ability to recognize patterns. Pick a spot where you can leave the puzzle out while family members work on it. To add to the game, leave a scorecard out to keep track of how many pieces each person adds. Or put a star on the back of a piece and offer a reward to the person who fits it into its proper place.

Provide some memory building practice

How do children boost their memory skills? By memorizing. Here's a fun way to help your child practice: Cut out five items from a grocery store ad. Ask your child to remember the items and their prices. Then remove the pictures. Can he remember the items and what they cost? Once he can remember five, try six, then seven and so on. Challenge him to beat his own record.

Banish boredom with a creative board game

If your family has been playing the same board games since the pandemic began, have your child invent a new one! Cover an old or worn-out game board with white self-stick paper, then give your child some colored markers and ask her to draw a new game. Next, have her write a set of rules for her game. Then play! If you want to preserve the game, cover it with clear self-stick paper. It will last until she's ready to invent another.

Send a strong message about substance abuse

Here are some facts all parents should know: Kids who begin drinking before age 15 are six times more likely to develop alcohol dependence during their lifetimes than those who start after age 21. The median age for first alcohol abuse among teens is 14, and the most commonly abused drugs among 12- to 13-year-olds are alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and prescription medicines. It's also true that kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs and alcohol from their parents from elementary school on are 50 percent less likely to use them.

Unwrap holiday meanings for your child

Holidays offer lots of fun activities and chances for families to create bonds, even if they may look different this year. Set aside some quiet moments to talk with your child about the meanings of the holidays your family celebrates, and why you do what you do. Read books together about December holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Can your child think of a new holiday tradition your family can start?

Engage your child in active thinking

To boost your child's thinking skills, help him be an active thinker. Encourage him to ask questions. Then listen and take his questions seriously. When your child expresses an opinion, ask him to find facts to support it. As you and your child go about daily activities, encourage him to guess how things work and to make estimates: "How long do you think it will take to do this math?"

Listen to your child…and to the teacher

It's important for children to feel heard and believed. If your child tells you something the teacher did that seems unkind or unfair, you should listen. But don't assume the incident is as bad as it sounds. If you are concerned by what your child says, contact the teacher. Calmly express your concern and ask for the teacher's point of view. If there's a problem, work together to solve it.

Create a checklist for a smoother morning

Even children who wake up early seem to have trouble getting ready for school. But a little bit of planning can make your morning routine less hectic. Make a list with your child of things that must be done each morning before anything else. Post the list and a pencil where your child can reach them, and let her check off tasks as she completes them. She'll start her day with a sense of

Encourage responsible behavior three ways

You want your child to learn to make responsible choices about school and life. But constant criticism can wear him down. To encourage positive behavior, thank him when he behaves responsibly on his own. Praise his efforts, not just their outcomes. And encourage your child's involvement in hobbies that keep him busy. Busy kids need less external control than those with too much time on their hands.

Use the news as a teaching tool

The newspaper is a great source of learning activities for your child. Take turns at dinner having each family member report on something (even the comics) they read in the paper. Or you can take turns reading a brief article aloud with your child and discussing what each of you thinks is the most important fact. To build your child's geography skills, help her find states and nations in the news on a world map.

Give priceless gifts without spending money

As you think about holiday gifts, remember there are some gifts that last a lifetime that only you can give your child: The gift of your time: reading to him, helping him learn and just hanging around with him. The gift of understanding that your child will make mistakes, and that you can help him learn from them. The gift of confidence in your child that will help him believe in himself.

Preserve the memories of an unusual year

Let your child know you think she's special by making her a school memory book. Collect mementos like photos of your child working at home, the super-hard math problem she finally solved, etc. In the spring, lay them on the floor in chronological order and let her choose what she wants to include to remember this unusual school year. Put the items in a scrapbook. If you do it each year, your child will have a collection to be proud of.

Respond to struggles with encouraging praise

Praising children can boost their self-esteem and help them persevere when things aren't going well. But sometimes, it can be hard to find something nice to say. Kids always know when you're lying, so if you your child is struggling, try to focus on something he has done right. You might also say "That was a creative idea," or "That looks like a tough problem, but you are persistent and I know you can do it."

Turn words into action with a fun game

Writers carefully choose verbs that best paint the picture they want to convey. To help your child practice, play the Name That Action game. On slips of paper, write verbs that describe a precise action, like skip, hop, stomp, tiptoe, limp and crawl. Take turns drawing a slip and acting out the word. Whoever guesses the word goes next. Your child's writing will come alive when she learns to choose the right descriptive verb.

Encouragement can turn classmates into friends

One of the challenges this year for many children is how to make school friends. Whether your child is learning in school or at home, attitude makes a difference. Classmates like to be friends with kids who accept them and build them up. With your child, brainstorm a list of supportive statements, such as "Good answer!" "Nice try!" or "Great idea!" The more you use them with him, the more likely he will be to use them with classmates.