At the September 25 Parent’s Coffee, we handed out a list of priorities for parents of children in the early grades. The list was the result of a survey we conducted of our grammar teachers asking, “What are the most important things parents can do to support their children through the early years of their education?” While this focuses on younger children the principles certainly apply to all Veritas students. Here are the takeaways from the survey:
 
1. Read aloud with your children. Read aloud to them. Have your children read aloud to you. Do this daily!
 
2. Model a love of Christ. A love for Christ, trust in His Word, and obedience to His commands should saturate the atmosphere in your home. Make reading the Scriptures together, praying together, and worshipping together an essential part of your daily routine.
 
3. Model a love of learning. Mom and dad must be lovers of learning themselves. Mom and dad should show the children what it looks like to be inquisitive learners, thinkers, and readers. Talk about what the family is reading and learning around the dinner table each night.
 
4. Be engaged with what your children are learning at school. Oversee their homework (do not do their homework -just oversee it 🙂 ), help them with memorization and studying, look over graded papers that are returned, stay engaged with what they are learning.