Reading Practice -Grades 6-8 - with Audio Version

Give your child a chance to ask questions "on the job."

Take a walk and examine the many types of plants and animals along the trail! Suggested by Tim McDonnell, teacher Victor Middle School

Do your children beg for a particular brand? Do a blind taste test and compare the results!

Have your child practice estimation skills at the store and incorporate tax into the equation. Submitted by Theresa MacCheyne, teacher, Romulus Central School

Keep track of family fitness levels with resting pulse rates. Compare how fast everyone's heart rate returns to normal after moderate exercise.

Interview community members to gain knowledge about peoples' careers.

Did you ever notice that most of your family members have brown eyes? Is your child asking why? Check it out!

Family recipes have been handed down through generations. Is there any way you and your child can alter the recipes to make them healthier?

Give your child an opportunity to interview relatives and community members.

Use this real world opportunity to plan the amount of space, the type of seeds, the cost of the production, etc. with your child. Enjoy the "fruits" of your labor!

Compare the more expensive name brands to the generic varieties available. Keep a chart of the cost differences. Estimate how much it might save in a week, a month, or several months.

Curious children wonder about salary ranges. Use their interest to improve estimation and research skills on the Internet.

Act out real life situations that happened at work. Let your children and their friends practice scenes that work out and those that backfire!

Use family photos as a motivator for speaking and writing activities!

Are you in the mood for a puzzle? You can make your own at this website. Other suggestions include using information from the family tree to develop crossword puzzles or word searches.

Think of ways to volunteer and spread the spirit of cooperation throughout your community.

Let your child talk to all different levels in an organization from the ground up.

Keep a record of the temperature in Farenheit for five days straight. Then use the formula to convert to Celsius. Submitted by Theresa MacCheyne, teacher, Romulus Central School

Pretend that your family is going to move. What are all the factors that must be considered? What can you do with all the data?

Use the grocery store as a means for comparison shopping. See if your child can devise inexpensive meals based on sale items.