The other day I was looking through my son’s school folder and came upon a great test to determine if your home gives your child both support and encouragement for school learning.
Benjamin S. Bloom created a test to determine if your home encourages learning. Read the following statements and for each statement answer using the following point system:
Mostly true = 2
Sometimes true = 1
Rarely true = 0
1. Everyone in my family has a household responsibility, at least one chore that must be done on time.
2. We have regular times for members of the family to eat, sleep, play, work and study.
3. School work and reading come before play, TV or even other work.
4. I praise my child for good school work, sometimes in front of other people.
5. My child has a quiet place to study, a desk or table at which to work and books, including a dictionary or other reference material.
6. Members of my family talk about hobbies, games, news, the books we are reading, and movies and TV programs we have seen.
7. The family visits museums, libraries, zoos, historical sites and other places of interest.
8. I encourage good speech habits, helping my children to use the correct words and phrases, and to learn new ones.
9. At dinner or some other daily occasion, our family talks about the day’s events, with a chance for everyone to speak and be listened to.
10. I know my child’s current teacher, what my child is doing in school, which learning materials are being used.
11. I expect quality work and good grades. I know my child’s strengths and weaknesses and give encouragement and special help when they are needed.
12. I talk to my child about the future, about planning for high school and college, about aiming for a high level of education and vocation.
Your home ranks in the top one-fourth in terms of the support and encouragement you give your child for school learning if you scored 10 or more points. Your home is in the bottom one-forth if you obtained a score of 6 or less. Your home is average in the support you give your child for school learning if you scored 7,8 or 9 points.
Benjamin S. Bloom
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