At YES Prep, we are working to have a strong return to school. We want to ensure every single student is on a pathway to college and that requires work at school and home.  

Families often ask us, “What can I do to support my child at home?” There is so much you can do!

Here are three specific strategies for supporting your child at home, so we all have a strong return to school and a successful year.

Three tips for elementary school

1. Imagine Learning - 30 minutes a day

Spend time every day on Imagine Learning Math, Language & Literacy or Español. Imagine Learning technology programs help students improve their skills. This program is proven to ensure students do well on their exams. Students should spend 30 minutes a day at home on one of their programs. The program is already on the student's laptop! 

2. Typing Club - 20 min, two to three times a week

Typing Club is a technology program to help students improve their typing and keyboarding skills in a fun way. Students in grade school should spend 20 minutes two to three times a week at home on Typing Club. This program is also on the student's laptop! 

3. Reading with your child - 20 to 30 min every day

Spend time every day reading with your child at home. Your child will be checking out books from their school and classroom library to read at home independently and with a family member. Reading aloud to your child will help them become proficient readers. Every Spark should have books to read! Students should spend 20-30 minutes a day at home reading independently or with a family member.  

Three tips for middle school

1. Review and discuss class schedules

Take a moment to review your child’s class schedule in Skyward and discuss their schedule with them.  

Below are some questions you can think about, and we encourage you to ask your child: 

• How many courses are on your schedule? Each student should have 6-7 courses each year. 

• Which course are you most excited about this year and why?  Which courses do you feel you may need extra focus and support in and why? 

To view your child’s schedule, log in to your Skyward account. To learn how to access Skyward, visit this site: Family Dashboards 

2. Practice math in IXL

This year, we are excited to add the IXL Learning Platform to our Online Toolboxes for students enrolled in Math Intervention, Math 6, Math 7, and Math 8.  All students will have an account that they can access at school, and at home that helps them with the skills they need. Students will be provided with account login information in the first few days of school. For more information on IXL, please check out this website. 

3. Independent reading - every day

Ensure your child has time every day to read independently. Students are all reading texts from the YES Prep Atlas as part of their English curriculum and should be reading from the text at home regularly. Additionally, students can check out independent reading books from our online library or Harris County Public Library through our online reading application, Sora. Click here for more information about the YES Prep Atlas and here for more information on Sora.  

Three tips for high school

1. Review and discuss class schedules, plus graduation requirements and seminar classes

Just as you do in middle school, review your child’s class schedule by visiting Skyward and discussing it with them. Aside from asking them about their courses, which they should have between 6-7 classes, also ask your child: 

• Are you on track with all of your graduation requirements? (i.e. English, Math, Science, Foreign Language, etc.) To learn more about our district’s graduation requirements, visit our Student Handbook and Code of Conduct 

• Are you taking any AP courses? Why or why not? 

• 11th & 12th Grade: Do you have junior or senior seminar on your schedule? What did you do this summer to prepare for your college process?  

To view your child’s schedule, log in to your Skyward account. To learn how to access Skyward, visit this site: Family Dashboards

2. Math support in DeltaMath Plus

To provide all of our students with opportunities for support as well as acceleration, math teachers at YES Prep have been provided with accounts for DeltaMath Plus. Through DeltaMath Plus, students can complete assignments from their teachers, explore additional topics of interest, and watch videos for further support with needed skills. For more information on DeltaMath Plus, please check out this website. Within the first few weeks of school, math teachers will be providing students with the information needed to access their accounts. 

3. Independent reading 

The importance of reading independently also carries into a student's high school years. Make sure your child is reading daily at home. They have a list of books already from the YES Prep Atlas, which is part of their English curriculum and, as mentioned above, they can also access books through Sora or the Harris County Public Library. 

As always, we are here to support you and your child. If you can’t find a program, or if you need more resources on how to support your student, reach out to your student’s teacher.

---

This resource was compiled by Nella Garcia Urban, chief program officer; Lance Menster, managing director of elementary programming; Larkin Logette, managing director of academics; Roberto Treviño, managing director of college counseling.