| Set boundaries around screen time. That includes all the screens – phones, TV, tablets, and gaming. Less screen time means more room for sleep, reading, and family connection.
Cheer them on, but let them do the work. Show genuine enthusiasm for what your child is learning. Ask questions, celebrate effort, and help when they’re stuck. But resist the urge to “pinch hit” and finish the assignment for them; struggling productively is part of how kids learn.
Help connect learning to everyday life. You don’t need a workbook to reinforce what’s happening in the classroom. Cooking together, for example, involves measurement, fractions, and multi-step problem-solving. In other words, math in action!
Ask questions. Lots of them. Ask your child about their day. Ask their teacher how things are going. Ask the school counselor what resources are available. Curiosity is one of the most powerful tools parents have.
Finally, know that you don’t have to do this alone. United Way of Northern Arizona is proud to support local nonprofit partners who help families put these habits into practice every day:
- Boys & Girls Club of Flagstaff’s “Power Hour” builds dedicated homework time into after-school programming, giving kids structured support to stay on top of schoolwork.
- Chicanos Por La Causa’s Parenting Arizona offers parent training sessions that build school readiness and creative problem-solving skills, so parents feel equipped to support their child’s learning at home.
- Tynkertopia has a hands-on learning environment where kids build STEAM skills and connect the math and science they learn in school to real-world problems.
If your family could use support this year — or you know one who could — please reach out. Helping kids succeed in school is a community effort, and we know that United is the Way to ensure all of our students thrive. |
