Reading, Writing, and Math: The Foundation of Basic Skills

As children first begin their journey of learning, they are introduced to many different skills that are essential for learning. Reading, writing, and math are the core fundamentals of education. It is to be understood that without practicing and encouraging your children to master these skills, they will lack knowledge and fall behind in other subjects.

• Surround them with as much reading material as possible. The more accessible reading material is, the more your children will want to pick it up and read it. This can vary from books, magazines, to newspapers.
• Spend 15 minutes a night reading to your children. Once you are finished, ask them comprehension based questions about the setting, characters, or plot. Let them think and recall what happened in the story. This will demonstrate how well their listening skills and comprehension skills are.
• Let your children read to you. Children get excited when a parent gives them one-on-one time. Let them practice their recognition of letters and words, and their fluency. Make sure to show them enthusiasm because your reaction has a great influence on how hard they will try to become great readers.
• Take trips to the library or bookstore. Let your children explore the heaping amounts of genres and books presented in a library or bookstore. Let them pick out a book that interests them.
• Be knowledgeable about your child’s progress and problems. Research what your child should be able to read at a certain age group. Discover if your child(s) is struggling with pronouncing certain words and sounds. Note his/hers progress and problems and address them accordingly. You can purchase additional learning tools such as educational learning books, computer worksheets, textbooks, or even hire a tutor.

• Provide children with as many writing tools as possible. Make sure there are notebooks, construction paper, crayons, pencils, or pens around. Let them choose a writing tool and let them write! Encourage them to write stories about fiction or non-fiction. As long as they are writing, they are learning.
• Have your children write letters. Letters are slowly becoming obsolete in today’s world, but they still play an important role in a children’s growth in writing. Letter’s are a different form of writing and capture a kids attention. Have your children write a letter to their friend or a relative and have them write about whatever they want. This gives them the freedom and luxury to tell a story about anything.
• Let them keep a journal. Keeping a journal will give your children a sense of privacy with their writing. In a journal, they can express the way they feel without having to worry about it being criticised. They are free to express their thoughts on a wide variety of subjects and events. 
• Write together. Writing together is extremely important. Children want to feel involved and engaged with their parent. You can take turns writing a short story and reading it to each other, or create a mini book. You can even have your children write up things for you such as a shopping list. The possibilities are endless!
• Give them prompts. Assign your children a specific type of prompt. This gives them access to learning how to write different types of stories/ essays. Four major types of essays are: 
• Narrative- tell a story to the reader
• Descriptive- paint a picture to the reader
• Expository- explain the facts to the reader
• Persuasive- convince the reader

• Teach them to write their numbers efficiently. In order for children to learn math, they must know how to write their numbers correctly. Have them trace over numbers you give them.
• Purchase additional learning tools. Sometimes school just is not enough. If your children are struggling, purchasing learning tools like textbooks or educational learning books can help. The web also has great learning tools. With a quick search, you can find practice worksheets or educational online games.
• Show them how to do the problem patiently. Even though your child is starting to become frustrated, you need to make sure you are patient. If you are patient, it can bounce onto the child. Take your time explaining the problem and show them that it does not matter how long it takes to do a problem. 
• Help them learn mathematics vocabulary. Mathematics has a lot of concepts to remember. Your children will never get a real grasp on what they are learning unless they understand it’s vocabulary. Take the time to research and really explain what a concept means to them and then have them define the new terms. If your children are having a hard time understanding, have them show you they understand by doing simple problems. 
• Incorporate math daily. Incorporating Mental  math everyday is very important. The more practice, the better they will become. Have your children count coins for you at the grocery store, or ask them to tell you the change. Ask your children to measure the width and height of different things in your house and compare them. 

Genie Academy offers a range of after-school educational activities for students, encompassing areas such as mathematics, reading, writing, and coding. Spread across New Jersey, including locations in Plainsboro, Hillsborough, East Brunswick, South Brunswick, Marlboro, and South Plainfield, these programs are specifically crafted for students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade.

Explore the math genie abacus simulator at Genie Academy to enhance your math skills with a hands-on, interactive learning tool designed for all ages. Start practicing today and take your mental arithmetic to the next level!