Ages & Stages

Homework and Dads
Kids who have involved fathers get better grades. Fathers build a child’s self confidence when they help a child discover the answers to math problems and listen while their child reads.

Be available to help with homework, but don’t do it for them. Dads can ask questions like “What subjects do you have homework in? Have you done it yet? What kind of help do you need from me tonight?” Elementary age children need Dad to check that homework is complete. Middle and high school youth need Dad to monitor that they get homework time.

Set a regular time either before or after supper. Provide a quiet, comfortable, well-lit place just for homework so your child won’t be distracted. Turn off the TV. For some youth, having music playing helps them “tune” out other distractions.

Be sure supplies are handy. Here is a homework survival kit that is especially designed for 4-6 graders but can be adapted for other grades:
*assignment book *glue or paste *colored pencils *construction paper *hole punch *crayons *folder *paper clips *markers *index cards * pencil sharpener * pencils * erasers * notebook paper * scissors * pens * pocket dictionary * tape * stapler

Quality Time, Quality Books

Experience with differently-abled people helps us discover the gifts that others bring to our lives. Get these books from your local library and read with your child. Then try out some of the outrageous Me & My Dad activities to do together.

Daddy Has a Pair of Striped Shorts
By Mimi Otey, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990.

You are going to wear that? Sometimes our fathers can impress us or distress us with their taste, or lack there of in clothing styles.>In this book a father’s exciting and colorful clothing selections sometimes embarrass his children. People seem to flock to this young girl’s father not because of his outrageous sense of style but because he is a kind, loving and gentle man. The young girl realizes despite her father’s colorblindness, which effects his sense of style, he is still a wonderful individual and father.

Dad and Me in the Morning
By Patricia Lakin, Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman and Company, 1994.

This children’s book illustrates the special bond between a deaf child and his father. This father and son awake early one morning to witness the glorious sunrise. Sign language and mouth reading are discussed, and the little boy must use hearing aids to aid him hearing. Dad and Me in the Morning also emphasizes the beauty of nature and the peacefulness and beauty that abounds in nature.

Me & My Dad activities

• With your child, volunteer at a Special Olympics event, or at a local special needs foundation.
• Find information on Seeing Eye dogs.
• Learn a few, basic sign language signs.
• Buy sunglasses with different colored lenses and wear them as you go for a walk.
• Tape your fingers together on your writing hand and try to write your names or draw a picture.
• Take a trust walk – close your eyes or tie a bandana around your eyes, allow your child to lead you around the house. Take turns safely guiding each other through a maze of couch cushions, furniture, table covered with blanket, etc. Talk about how important it is to understand the other person and to be able to direct them based on their height, weight, agility, etc.
• Have a contest to see who can dress the silliest. Award upside down ice cream cones (1 scoop in a dish with a cone on top) for everyone who participates.