by Bozena Hartley

Created on: March 29, 2009

Elementary school is a very important time in your children's life. That's when they acquire basic skills like reading, writing, math, etc., develop interests, discover their talents and acquire habits that will last their lifetime. Here is how to make the elementary years count.

1. Set a curfew.

A school age children's day starts with an adequate rest. They have to be in school by certain time, therefore they have to be able to wake up and get ready. The rule of thumb is: if your child cannot wake up by himself as latest a half an hour before it is time to go to school, then he needs an earlier bedtime. By allowing children to stay up late on a school night, parents are giving them disfavor. This is something you need to be strict about.

2. Provide proper nutrition.
Spending several hours in school, children need to be at their highest physical and mental level. Nutritious meals play a very important role in a child's performance. A healthy breakfast is the best way to start a day. If you let your children to buy lunch, you can go to the school's web site and download the lunch menu for the current month. Often school lunches aren't of the best quality. On a 'bad lunch' day prepare lunches for your children.

3. Teach discipline.
Children need to be disciplined by their parents, but also they need to learn to discipline themselves. Homework given by teachers is meant to teach discipline, it's not just for practice. Elementary schools have a schedule they follow every day. This isn't an accident. A schedule also teaches children discipline: work first, recess later. They learn that once they are done with their work, there will be time to play. Reinforce that at home. First should come homework, than chores (you can post a chore list on your refrigerator), and after that games or TV time.

4. Encourage reading and writing at home.
Practice makes perfect. Your children will not be good readers and writers unless they practice often. Make a reading contest for your children. For example, if they read 20 minutes a day, five days a week, they can get a reward at the end of the month, like: an extra TV time, or going bowling, or swimming. After they finish reading, you can have them write a few sentences about what they read. You could ask prompting questions, like: 'How did the main character look like? What was the most interesting part of the book? How did the story end?' There are also several great children's magazines, like Highlights, Kids Discover, National Geographic

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