Falcon Tip of the Day: Series books are a great way to keep teens hooked on reading. Your teen might try sci-fi, mysteries, or graphic novels. Suggest asking the school or local librarian, or a teacher for recommendations.
Falcon Tip of the Day: You can use time watching TV or movies with your student to build thinking skills. For example, while viewing, you might ask questions about how a character could have handled a situation differently. Or discuss how two characters are alike or different.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Cold and flu season can mean missed school and missed assignments. Suggest that your student set up a network with friends so that when one person misses class, the others can text homework information to help each other stay on top of assignments.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Early relationships set the tone for dating later on. Remind your teen to show an interest in the other person’s likes and to respect personal boundaries. And be sure your teen knows that you’re available to offer relationship advice and answer questions.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Practice summarizing with a game. Let your teen give a one-sentence summary of a movie—without using words from the title. Example: “Kids win a contest and tour a candy-making company” (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory). The first player to guess goes next.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Some schools have a wellness committee so parents can work with the school to help plan fitness activities like walk-a-thons. Find out how you can volunteer and get involved (DCMS has one!). No committee? Ask about starting one.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Submissions open today for Google’s annual doodle contest, and a college scholarship is the prize. Suggest that your teen learn this year’s theme and start drawing. Your child can find contest rules and details by searching for “Google doodle contest.”
Falcon Tip of the Day: Watch for “teachable” moments to use to pique your student's curiosity. For example, if your child loves coloring mandalas in a book, you might suggest looking up where the art form started. Unusual weather? Research weather records for your town.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Try this geography game: Each player places a token on a U.S. map. Take turns rolling a die and moving from state to state, like spaces on a game board. Write the one you land on. Collect all the states first to win. Try world maps to learn countries, too.
Falcon Tip of the Day: (for HS students) Collecting letters of recommendation is often part of applying for college. The best letters will come from teachers who know your child well. Make sure your teen asks teachers early so they have plenty of time to turn in their letters.
Falcon Tip of the Day: (for HS students) Does your student know how to handle the car in bad weather? When possible, practice with them in an empty parking lot during rain, snow, or ice. It will give you the chance to provide tips while your child gets a feel for the car.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Suggest that your student pick a big goal for the new year (winning a competition, earning a high score, improving over last year, etc.) and make a vision board for it. Then, hang it up as a reminder of the goal. Need ideas? Search “vision board" online.
Falcon Tip of the Day: The right comment can show that you’re interested in what your student has to say and can lead to deeper conversations. Try, “Tell me more about that.” Or “How do you feel about that?” Or you might say, “This seems important to you. Can you tell me why?”
Falcon Tip of the Day: Creative writers often keep journals full of ideas. Suggest that your student start one to record story ideas, opinions, and random thoughts that could make good writing topics. Then, when it’s time to write a paper, your child won’t be stumped for an idea.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Food safety tip: Make sure your teen knows to wash ALL fruits and vegetables before eating—even those like oranges or melons that have an inedible skin. Bacteria can be carried inside by the knife used to slice or peel them.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Try this family word challenge that boosts vocabulary. One person writes a 5-letter word (chase). Players take turns changing one letter to make a new word, (chasm, charm, chars, czars). The last person to make a word gets to start the next list.
Falcon Tip of the Day: If your teen misses summer swims, suggest calling local hotels to ask about day passes to their pools. Some chains will let you use their indoor pools for a small fee and can provide your family with another fitness option during the winter months.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Get your family interested in current events by letting each person report on an area of interest over dinner. Encourage the science-lover to talk about an upcoming space mission, and a sports-enthusiast can share stats from the latest hockey game.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Give your teen experience working in a group to solve problems by using teamwork to resolve family issues. First, sit down and discuss the issue. Next, brainstorm possible solutions. Then, choose the best one and decide how to put it into action.
Falcon Tip of the Day: Did you know that many games can be used to build mathematical thinking and logic? For example, Mastermind teaches logic and Blokus is good for spatial reasoning. Suggest that your teen research others online, and consider adding one or more to game night.