How do you teach your child to distinguish real news from alternative facts? Can you create a home environment that fosters both a love of learning and an ability to think critically?

The Straits Times will be organising its first series of parenting masterclasses to help parents understand how to provide their children with life skills that cannot always be taught in the classroom.

Conducted by teaching specialists Debra Ann Francisco and David Tay from ST Schools, as well as expert trainers, the workshops are targeted at parents with children aged five to 12.

They will impart parenting skills such as guiding children to read the news critically and supporting them in acquiring essential mathematics knowledge.

Parents can also learn how to enhance their children's language abilities through reading about current affairs and better engaging in daily communication.

A total of six different workshops will be held at the Singapore Expo on March 18 and 19 from 10am to 5.30pm as part of SmartKids Asia, the largest educational children's event in the region.

SmartKids Asia is organised by Sphere Exhibits, the events arm of Singapore Press Holdings, which is also the parent company of ST.

The parenting workshops will last for up to an hour each. Tickets are available online at www.smartkidsasia.com and cost $16.05 for one session or $48.15 for a single-day pass, which will allow access to five sessions.

Fifty lucky ST readers who RSVP online at http://bit.ly/2mzn7Fi will receive a free pair of single- day passes to The Straits Times Parenting Masterclasses.

For details on the giveaway, call 6590-3403 or e-mail trurong@sph.com.sg.