Over the past few weeks I have had tips for connecting and talking with your child to help you stay involved with them and their learning.
I had an interesting conversation at conferences which reminded me how important this is. I then had an email pop up in my inbox with; ‘50 ways to connect with your teen or tween’ which I thought I would share. How is this a literacy tip you might ask? I would argue anything that helps you connect with your child will help you be more involved with how they feel about themselves and life, which will have a positive impact on their learning in the classroom.
Here are the tips:
- Chat in the car (lack of direct eye contact helps)
- Go for hikes together
- Watch their favourite sports game together
- Walk a dog together
- Sit outside in the backyard chatting
- Shop for groceries together for a special meal
- Do nightly check ins as part of a routine
- Go on ‘twalks’ = walk + talk
- Play some of their favourite games together
- Take them out for lunch
- Listen to them talk about their favourite thing
- Ask them to teach you how to play their favourite game
- Listen to music together
- Play board/card games
- Have a ‘coffee date’ before or after an extracurricular activity
- Journal together as part of a night time routine
- On car rides, take turns DJ’ing and talk about music
- Look at family photos and videos together
- Play squash, frisbee or bowling together
- Go to a bookstore and grab a hot drink together after
- Colour together while listening to music
- Create a tradition, make tea and talk about the week
- Stop, drop and do a dance party
- Watch funny animal videos together
- Do a paint night at home
| - Do puzzles together
- Cook or bake together
- Watch their favourite sports game together
- Set up a fire pit with marshmallows and talk
- Go bike riding or skating
- Go to a concert or festival together
- Drive to a special place to do stargazing
- Sign up for a physical activity together
- Do family movie nights
- Watch their favourite YouTuber together
- Visit antique shops or flea markets together
- Send each other funny memes
- Create a TikTok video together
- Go to the movies together
- Have a writing date at a cafe
- Play chess at the kitchen table
- Go shopping for clothes together
- Make a music playlist together
- Write out family goals on a big poster
- Run errands together
- Start a bookclub and invite friends
- Take golf lessons together
- Create a weekend breakfast tradition
- Learn card tricks together
- Find weird facts about the world to teach each other
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What we’re reading: Mrs Murdoch thoroughly enjoyed The Midnight Library - Matt Haig. I Love love LOVED this book, great premise, thoughtfully done and immediately immersive. It was very thought provoking and a wonderful reading experience.
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South Otago High School
