Page 30 - Family Resource Guide Fall/Winter 2024/2025

EDUCATION NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE FALL/WINTER 2024/2025
and entertainment focus. Sept-May. chico- performances.com. 400 W. 1st St. CSU, Chico Laxson Auditorium. (530)898-6333.
Chico State Ecological Reserves Outdoor Classroom; Forest Ranch. Free hands-on sci- ence field trips for 3rd-5th grade, addressing state standards and environmental steward- ship in a fun and engaging way. Field trips at Big Chico Creek and Butte Creek. csuchico. edu/bccer/education/outdoor-ed.shtml. For public hikes visit facebook.com/bigchicocre- ekecologicalreserve. 3521 14 Mile House Rd. jaull@csuchico.edu. (530)898-5010. Gateway Science Museum; Chico. Inspiring young people to become future scientists, engineers and technology professionals through NGSS based field trip activities
for grades K-12. Hands-on and minds-on exhibits change seasonally. csuchico.edu/ gateway/. 625 Esplanade. (530)898-4121. Gray Lodge Wildlife Area; Gridley. Year-round wildlife viewing in a 9,100-
acre wetland area. In fall and winter see
vast numbers of migratory waterfowl. A museum, paved trail to a viewing platform and seasonal guided tours Oct-Feb. Annual events include a children’s fishing day. Open sunrise to sunset. wildlife.ca.gov/ Lands/Places-to-Visit/Gray-Lodge-WA. 3207 Rutherford Rd., along the Pacific Flyway. (530)846-7500, Sat-Sun (530)846-7505. Kinetics Academy of Dance & Gymnastic; Chico. Bring your group to us or we can come to you. Besides providing a basic dance or gymnastic lesson we talk about the benefits of these disciplines and provide students with take-home knowledge they can apply. We can tailor our expertise to fit your desired needs. 18 months & up. kinet- icsacademyofdance.com. 627 Broadway St., Suite 100. (530)345-2505.
Lott Home; Oroville. The C.F. Lott Home in Sank Park was built in 1856 by Charles F. Lott, a gold-rush pioneer, California senator and judge. Book a guided school or group tour to learn captivating stories of the Lott family and their importance to early Califor- nia history. The house & garden encompass an entire city block. Fri & Sat 10:30am- 2:30pm. See Museum Listings under Parks & Tree Department at cityoforoville.org. 1067 Montgomery St. (530)538-2401.
National Yo-Yo Museum; Chico. The world’s largest public display of yo-yos and yo-yo memorabilia. Free weekly yo-yo club prac- tices and lessons. Check website for current hours. nationalyoyo.org. 320 Broadway. (530)893-0545.
Oregon City School; Table Mountain.
The oldest standing one-room school in Butte County. Photos of past students. See the covered bridge and tour the nearby Cherokee Museum (by appt). During the wildflower season stop and picnic under the trees. buttecountyhistoricalsociety.org for opening hours. 2100 Oregon Gulch Rd. (530)533-9418.
Gold Nugget/ Depot Museum; Paradise. The museum currently features rotating mini-exhibits in the lobby while they work towards opening their exhibition hall. Ad- mission is free, though donations are graciously accepted. Website offers online artifact collection. gnmuseum.art. 475 Pear- son Rd. (530)762-2613.
30 North State Parent Family Resource Guide Fall/Winter 2024/2025 • www.northstateparent.com
Homework Help: 15 Ways to Support Your Child
BY JANEEN LEWIS
Let’s be honest – sometimes parents dread homework as much as their kids do. But homework connects parents to what their children are learning in school
and research shows that children are more likely to be successful in school when their families support them. By following these tips, even the most homework-challenged parents can help their children have a successful homework year.
1. Understand the reason for homework.
Homework reinforces what is being taught in the classroom and teaches students important life skills – responsibility, time management and task completion. Children should be able to complete the work with minimal help from parents and they shouldn’t come home with an entirely new concept to learn. Homework should be practice or an extension of what they’ve already learned.
2. Know the teacher’s philosophy.
Teachers have different philosophies about how much homework to assign. Some think piling on a ton of homework helps build character. Others think children have done enough work during the day and don’t assign any homework. Understand where your child’s teacher falls on the homework spectrum, so you are not surprised as the homework does (or doesn’t) come home. If you are unsure what a reasonable amount of homework is, The National Education Association and The National Parent Teacher Association recommend 10- 20 minutes of homework per night in the first grade and an additional 10 minutes per grade after that.
3. Learn what the homework rules are.
At Open House, learn the homework policy of the school and your child’s teacher. What are the consequences for lost or forgotten homework? Don’t be quick to bail your child out every time you get a frantic text message about forgotten homework. One of the purposes of homework is to teach responsibility.
4. Get organized.
Your child should have a backpack and homework folder to carry assignments between home and school. Teachers of primary students usually send homework correspondence each night. If your older child’s teacher doesn’t require students to record schoolwork in an assignment book, provide one yourself and teach your child how to fill it out.
5. Schedule a consistent time.
With sports, service projects, religious and community activities, it can be hard to schedule one set time every day to do homework. Aim for as much consistency as possible when scheduling homework around after-school activities. Having a consistent homework schedule gets kids in the habit of doing their homework routinely, making them more likely to complete homework. And a little studying every day at a specific time is more effective than cramming for a test the night before or completing an entire project in one day.
6. Designate a study space.
Pick a homework space free from distractions. Consider your child’s personality and ability to focus when selecting a homework station. Some children concentrate best in complete quiet at the kitchen table or a desk. Others study well on their bed with background music. And reading areas can be creative like a reading tent or comfy bean bag. Make study areas free from video games, television and the games of other siblings who finish homework early.
7. Create a supply caddy.
Fill a plastic caddy or bin organizer with items your child might need for homework. Some good supplies are pencils, markers, crayons, highlighters, glue, tape, stapler, three-hole punch, paper clips, notebook paper, small wipe-off board with dry erase markers, art paper, graph paper, calculator, protractor, compass, ruler and a dictionary/thesaurus combo. Also provide a wipe-off calendar for important due dates.
31
Troubleshooting Tips: Support for Common School Work Struggles
What if my child breezes through homework or is under-challenged in school?
Talk to your child’s teacher about giving your child more challenging work. If your child still seems to be on Easy Street, you might consider having him or her tested for gifted services. If the problem persists over time, ask to have your child promoted or see if he or she can take classes in areas of strength in a higher grade.
What if my child is getting too much homework?
Too much homework can be a drain on family time. And if your child is spending hours completing homework every night, they may get burnt out. Talk to other parents in your child’s class to see if they are encountering the same problem. Then approach your child’s teacher diplomatically with the problem. If the problem doesn’t get any better, you might consider discussing
it with the administration or the school’s Parent Teacher Association to see if a more reasonable and uniform policy can be decided for the school.
What if my child is taking too long to complete homework?
If you have a good homework routine in place and your child is working hard but struggling, don’t panic. Sometimes kids take longer to learn some skills than others. But if the problem becomes pervasive, this could be a sign your child needs some extra help. Consider hiring a tutor or see if your school offers homework help at its after-school program. If your child begins to fall behind, testing him or her might be a good course of action to rule out any learning challenges. Remember, keep an upbeat attitude. Don’t lose heart and chances are your child won’t either.
If your child is struggling with homework, find more help and support in “Help Your Child Build a Strong Foundation for Learning” in this section.