Reading is a critical aspect of any individual's education. While some people are blessed with the ability to figure things out on their own, many people will need to refer to a manual for assembly instructions. Reading is a part of every curricular area and is a past-time that few of our struggling readers are willing to participate in. If your child is a reluctant reader, try to make his/her reading reflective of his/her interests. Would your child prefer comic books? Could you hold a conversation over breakfast regarding the nutritional breakdown of his/her cereal to yours? How about asking your child to read the instructions to you as you assemble his/her new bike or swing? It is of the utmost importance that your child values the material prior to encouraging reading. Without this, the joy of reading is lost. Encourage your child to think about what the main idea is, and to summarize the point of the story in one sentence. When your child experiences comfort in this area, ask him/her to find the supporting details for the main idea. If your child struggles with understanding sequences, cut up a cartoon strip and ask him/her to put the frames in proper order.

Cornwall Public Library Check in to see what is happening at your local library.
Government of Ontario Reading tips for all age groups.
PBS Parents Guidance for choosing books and encouraging reading. Reading Tips A website from the U.K. to encourage reading.
Making connections A comprehension strategy used at school which makes connections: text to (a) self, (b) text and (c) world.

ReadPlease Free text-to-speech software that allows the user to cut and paste text into a reading window.

Encourage your child to write for pleasure. Encourage the creation of birthday or special occasion cards. Ask your child to write out the grocery list as you dictate what needs to be included. After viewing a movie, encourage your child to retell the events following one of these methods:
Who-What-Where-Why-When-How
What happened at the beginning, middle and end
Complete a search for “Graphic Organizers” or “Plot Summary” online and choose one style that fits the material viewed. Have your child complete the graphic.

Graphic organizers A user-friendly site, especially for the beginner. Graphic organizers Many more sites to choose from!
Story Plot Grades 8 and above… but it can be simplified for younger people.

Flash cards for multiplication and division are readily available at economical prices...visit your local dollar store. Alternately, you could use recipe cards and have your child create their own flash cards. On math worksheets, encourage your child to highlight the required operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) prior to having them complete the questions. Perhaps a different colour can stand for the different operations. When looking at word problems, have your child identify which operation(s) would be necessary to answer the question prior to answering. Also, please remember that measurement typically is taught in the metric system, therefore you can talk to your child about meters, centimeters, kilograms, grams, kilolitres and liters.
Does your child struggle with math? Is your child aware that everything mathematical has a pattern? While knowing the area of a triangle is valuable for some professions, basic numeracy skills are more important as steps towards the next goal. Next time you accompany your child to the grocery store, explain to them how you use multiplication facts to quickly figure out how many boxes of cereal, loaves of bread and bags of milk you can afford with a limited amount of money. Don't be afraid to challenge them: as you are driving along the road, ask simple multiplication facts, and then explain to them how division is the opposite.

Funbrain Interactive math games
Best practice for numeracy skills Compiled by Literacy and Numeracy Sectretariat of Ontario.
A+ math Interactive math games
Math Instruction Websites This is a linking page, where you choose your interest area and follow to another site.

Set your child up for positive encounters and keep regular routines. When children know what to expect, there is less chance that they will become upset by minor changes. Also, give your child advanced notice of things that may not occur, such as your planned trip to the beach for supper hour, on account of work or weather. Reviewing situations that have occured as a team (parent and child) can allow growth in your child's reflective ability. Although the situation has already occured, you can encourage your child to brainstorm alternative ways to handle situations. By doing this, you have enabled your child to understand that the immediate reaction they wish to offer is not the only option.

Behavior Advisor A thought-provoking site with suggestions and links.
Choice_at_home This site consistently emphasizes the importance of choice for children as a way to minimize behaviour troubles.
Ten Tips for Parents Advice on how to change a child's behaviour through your thoughtful approach.

Set your child up for positive encounters. Accompany your child to the corner store for the purchase of frozen goods on a hot summer day. Prompt your child as to what they should say to be polite citizens. Modeling also is a wonderful way for your child to behave in the way you expect them to.

Home and Community Social Skills This one-page outline gives valuable suggestions regarding good skills practices.
Practicing Social Skills with Children Especially important in this article is the 4P system that you establish with your child: Practice, Praise, Point out, and Prompt.

In a growing information technology age, do not be afraid of the computer. Text-to-voice software can enable your child a level of reading comprehension that would otherwise be lost on account of spending too much time and energy on decoding. Voice-to-text software allows students who struggle with the written portion of their assignments to speak their thoughts and have the computer capture and turn their oral work into something that can be published. Keyboarding skills are very important, and proper placement of fingers on the home row will assist every student to succeed, from beginner through to professional. Increasingly, data entry on a computer is a valuable skill that could earn your child a part time or full time career.

Ontario Licensed Software Available to your child's school.
2learn.ca Success stories from many exceptionality categories - all stories have the common thread of Assistive Technology.
Selected links to AT Compiled by Linda J. Burkhart. An excellent resource for anyone interested in understanding or investigating aspects of Assistive Technology.

Work Habits /

Time Management /

Organization Skills

Encourage your child to persevere. We live in a society that continuously sends us the message that it is alright to not be successful, but we also need to ensure that our children can find something of personal value, or a goal, and aim for that goal. When children encounter difficulty with being organized, they are encouraged to try an alternate plan. Think back to the first time you watched your child ride a bike unassisted: it was only possible due to the effort you put in to ensure that he/she could be independent. Your child’s success is dependent on his/her ability to persevere with a task that may seem too overwhelming. Perhaps you could seek assistance in knowing when something is too hard for your child, and how to modify it to a level that he/she will feel empowerment through task accomplishment. When asking your child to complete assigned homework, be mindful of his/her ability to continue concentration on the task, and be sure to allow for mental breaks (2-5 minutes, ideally paired with a physical activity). Parents and teachers are encouraged to directly teach "step-wisdom" to individuals who have trouble knowing where to begin. This direct instruction will ultimately teach the student to consider how overwhelming tasks can be 'chunked' and made manageable. If committment to task is a continual issues, use an egg timer to encourage your child's interaction with the material for a specific amount of time. After the break, flip the timer and have him/her begin again. Is your child unable to be ready to go when you are? Perhaps you can play some games revolving around time estimation and time telling: begin by asking how long it will take to clear the supper dishes from the table, check the clock, clear the table, recheck the clock, and figure out the difference (good math skill as well). Above all, encourage self-evaluation in your child. Ask him/her for an honest interpretation of his/her effort during work and after task completion. A child who protests "I don't get it!" is demonstrating excellent self-monitoring skills.

Homework guide An excellent resource outlining the benefits of homework, the responsibilities of individuals in the homework process, and giving general guidelines.
Encouraging Organization in Children Every task should be as easy as 1-2-3. This easy-read strategy suggests that 1-Get organized, 2-Stay focused, and 3-Get it done. All children can use this strategy for any purpose, academic or social.