DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE ENOUGH EDUCATIONAL OUTLETS? HIGH SCHOOL Your home is a place where you can lie back, relax and forget about what awaits you the next day at work. But don’t let this be the case for your child—learning shouldn’t stop once the final bell rings. As a parent, you play an important role in expanding your child’s education outside of the classroom. 1. Do you encourage reading and writing at home? A love of reading and writing will benefit your child in every school subject and in life. Here are several ways to keep them reading in your home. Bookstore gift cards. Instead of spending all of their money on clothes, video games and food, get them into the bookstore. There’s a big difference between putting a book into a teenager’s hand and letting her choose one on her own. Magazine subscriptions. While some magazines may not seem like a challenge, magazines keep teenagers reading when the classics just can’t. Whether it’s YM, Cosmo Girl or National Geographic Adventure, magazines allow teenagers to explore their interests through “light reading.” Writing Contests. Encourage your teenager to enter a state or national writing contest. Visit www.writing-world.com/contests for more information. 2. Does your family play educational board games? Board games will keep your child’s brain from collecting dust at home. Below are several board games that are fun teenagers. Oval Office, by Talicor Inc. As players the race to the presidency, the game tests knowledge of current affairs, politics and history. Trivial Pursuit 20th Anniversary Edition, by Hasbro. This special collector's edition includes 3,600 questions spanning the last 20 years. Cranium, by Cranium Inc. This game with 14 activities requires players to hum, whistle, sketch, sculpt, act, complete puzzles and even spell backward to win. All American Trivia, by Outset Media Corp. With more than 2,000 questions, the game has four categories: geography, history, arts and general trivia. Judge for Yourself, by Pressman. The game presents players with 500 real-life court cases. Players must guess how the court ruled. 3. Are you taking advantage of computer and online resources? You don’t have that computer for nothing—so take advantage of it! Below are several ways to get your teenager off the phone and onto learning. Interactive CD-ROMs—Adventure games or educational CDs can help encourage reading when other methods aren’t “cool” enough to grab their attention. Bandwidthteens.com—From horoscopes and music to help with homework and college prep, this site has it all. America’s Teens.gov—Found at www.afterschool.gov/kidsnteens2.html, this site provides information on everything from the arts to the government. By Lauren Strandquist