Encourage Your Child’s Learning

(material provided by The Incredible Years, Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Ph.D.)

• Take an active interest in your child’s play and school activities.
• Play, read, or do a learning activity with your child every day.
• Praise and encourage your child’s “efforts” in the right direction (not just the end product.)
• Set up tangible reward programs for doing the small steps it takes to learn something new or difficult.
• Be enthusiastic about your child’s school projects.
• Start with easy learning activities and gradually increase the challenge as your child seems ready.
• Be realistic about your expectations — follow your child’s lead in terms of what he/she is developmentally ready for.
• Focus on your child’s strengths not his/her weaknesses.
• Share something that was hard for you to learn.
• Project a positive image of your child’s ability in the future.

Part 2 of 13