The more we communicate with each other and interact with the environment, the better our language and ability to communicate becomes. The following are a variety of things that you can do with your child to help them to strengthen their language abilities. This will assist your child in becoming more confident in his/her ability to communicate thoughts, ideas and opinions, as well as become an independent problem solver. All of these skills are necessary to be a successful learner.

• Attend community activities exposing the family to various cultures.

• Discuss the similarities and differences between cultures.

• Attend ball games and have your child keep score.

• Talk about where the teams are from and find information about the area.

• If planning a trip, allow your child to map the trip prior to leaving and navigate .throughout the trip. *Have child calculate the mileage on a trip between stops.

• If an older student, allow them to make telephone reservations comparing prices.

• Compare prices of airline tickets via the internet and discuss advantages/disadvantages (price, stops, airport convenience).

• When shopping provide your child with a list of items, allow him/her to search for coupons prior to going.

• Cook with your child. Following a recipe requires many math and language skills.

• READ!! Read books together, ask questions and discuss outcomes. Talk about what you would do if you were the characters. How does the story compare to things in your own lives.

• Play games such as “Scrabble,” “Apples to Apples,” “Charades,” “The Alphabet Game” (pick an item and take turns naming using the letters of the alphabet). Word and trivia games are beneficial.

• TALK, TALK, TALK!!! Like all skills, practice makes perfect.