Reinforce the Value of Learning
Doing assignments reinforces subject matter in your teen’s mind. In the same way, regularly engaging in learning activities at home reinforces that learning is important, useful, and can be done anywhere!
To create frequent learning opportunities for your teen:
- Show interest in what your teen is learning in school. Ask to hear more about a concept, or have your teen show you how to solve a math or science problem.
- Ask your teen to research and explore. For example, whenever questions come up during family conversations, have your teen look up answers in credible sources. Or, ask your student to collect information about interesting places within driving distance for your family to visit.
- Discuss the jobs people do in businesses you visit together. Talk about the education needed for those jobs, but keep the conversation casual.
- Choose some projects to do as a family that involve math skills, such as building bookshelves, planting a garden or painting a room. Have your teen figure out how much wood, mulch, or paint you’ll need.
- Talk about current events. Many teens have strong opinions about what’s going on in the world. Ask, “What do you think, and what makes you think that?” Listen respectfully and thank your teen for sharing—whether you agree or not.