Introduction

You and Your Child
Your job is to help your child excel in school. Everyone agrees that children bloom when their parents, family, friends, and neighbors nudge them to learn—from the Department of Education to the Parent Teacher Association, from research organizations known as “educational laboratories” to the local newspaper, from the National Endowment for the Arts to kids’ shows on TV. 
But state standards hardly make for enjoyable leisure reading, and plowing through reports on the best ways to teach reading and math can leave you rubbing your temples. You’re caught in the middle: you want to  help your child, but it’s not always easy to know how.
That’s where 1st Grade at Home comes in. We identified the core skills that first graders need to know. Then, we put them together along with some helpful tips for you and fun activities for your child. We built this  book to be user friendly, so you and your child can fit in some quality time,even as you’re juggling all your other responsibilities.

A Parent’s Many Hats
As a parent, you’re a cook, a chauffeur, a coach, an ally, and oh so many other things. So, keep it simple. Check out these ways you can use 1st Grade at Home to get involved in your child’s academic life. 
Teacher. You taught your child how to cross the street and tie his or her shoes. In addition, you may have worked to teach your child academic skills by reviewing the alphabet, helping your child memorize facts,  and explaining concepts to your child. By doing so, you are modeling a great learning attitude and great study habits for your child. You are teaching him or her the value of school. 
Nurturer. As a nurturer, you’re always there to support your child through tough times, celebrate your child’s successes, and give your child rules and limits. You encourage your child while holding high  expectations. All of this can help your child feel safe and supported enough to face challenges and opportunities at school, like new classmates, new teachers, and so on.
Intermediary. You’re your child’s first representative in the world. You’re the main go-between and communicator for your child (school-to-home and home-to-school). 
Advocate. As an advocate, you can do many things: sit on advisory councils at school, assist in the classroom, join the PTA, volunteer in school programs, vote in school board elections, and argue for learning  standards and approaches you believe in.