But if parents can help children involve their entire bodies, they can make it possible for children to master difficult material.

Here are some ways parents can help their children work on their reading skills:

• Write on big sheets of paper, using thick crayons, magic markers or a large paintbrush.

• “Write” with a flashlight in a dark room.

• Draw letters and numbers in a sandbox.

• Make an alphabet from sandpaper, bread dough, macaroni, yarn, clay, toothpicks, straws, twigs or wire.

• Ask your child to act out what he has just read.

Math, too, can be learned in a way that involves all the muscles in the body. Here are examples:

• Draw a number line on the sidewalk or driveway. Children can practice addition and subtraction problems by moving along the number line.

• Use small objects (bottle caps, chips, paper clips) to move around as children learn basic math facts. (Teachers call these manipulatives.)

• Help children learn about measurement by having them use their own body to measure. How many child-size “feet” long is your kitchen?

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