Education is a critical foundation for not only professional achievement, but also for achieving happiness in life. There are many downstream benefits for encouraging a love of learning in your children, and in doing all you can to ensure they have positive experiences with learning. Fortunately, there are many ways to help your child to achieve academic success.
Each child is unique and even the needs of an individual child will shift over time. Too much support may undermine confidence. On the other hand, when a child struggles or becomes frustrated, we need to be there to offer help before they get too discouraged.
One thing is certain: for children to succeed academically, parental support is essential.
Here are 15 ways we as parents can help our children get on the right track to succeed in school.
15 Ways to Help Your Child Achieve Academic Success
Help Your Child by Getting to Know Your Child’s Teacher
Meeting with your child’s teacher as soon as the academic year begins can be a great way to set up your child for success. Express your desire to assist your child in learning. Let the teacher know you want to be contacted if your child ever has issues. Establishing rapport with your child’s teacher can help make it easier to brainstorm ways to improve your child’s academic performance and attitude, if need be.
Help Your Child by Monitoring Homework
Teaching children the value of education and consistently emphasizing the necessity to complete homework daily is a basic and essential way to set your child up for academic success. We can demonstrate our respect for these requirements through our own behaviors. A few suggestions include 1) establish a dedicated study space, 2) schedule a regular time to work on homework each day, and 3) block off distractions like the television and social phone calls during dedicated study time.
We may all be hesitant to assist our child with homework when we lack subject knowledge. At times like these, we can help by demonstrating our interest in the subject and assisting our child with organization and materials. We can also ask our child about daily assignments, check to see that the work is finished, and acknowledge their efforts.
Prepare Your Children for New Classes
As children advance, they will be introduced to more complex topics. Preparing them beforehand can help. We can begin by helping our kids set achievable goals for their next class, and in being sure they have all the necessary school supplies. For instance, we can obtain educational resources like 9th grade worksheets if our child is moving up to this class. Getting ahead of new requirements can help ensure our child’s academic success and also help to prevent our children from developing anxiety or experiencing stress.
Help Your Child by Helping Out at Your Child’s School
Teachers appreciate parents who volunteer. Fortunately, there are many ways we can assist. For example, parents can volunteer for our child’s class or the school library. We can also prepare food or treats for a school function. In most schools, parents also have a forum to meet to discuss school issues. The PTA or PTO are common names for this organization. These organizations provide an excellent opportunity to interact with other parents and collaborate on ways to ensure children’s academic success.
Academic Success is Easier When We Make Studying Fun
It is very helpful to make our child’s learning environment interesting. Providing diverse educational opportunities at home can be helpful. Every child does not have the same enthusiasm for education at school. By offering rewards for finishing assigned work, we can encourage a child’s enthusiasm for learning. We don’t want to undervalue the importance of praise, in general. At the same time, we must try to avoid linking praise to performance. Instead, we must work to praise our children for all the things they undertake, including school. Correct them gently when they make mistakes, assuring them that mistakes are inevitable, and they will overcome them. Soon the joy of accomplishment will become its own reward as they begin to demonstrate academic success on their own.
Communicate with Your Children
Children’s academic success in school is greatly influenced by their ability to talk and listen. Children learn the language skills required to succeed by listening to their parents and other family members. Those who don’t hear as much verbal communication may struggle when reading, causing additional issues in school. Children who haven’t learned to listen intently may also struggle to pay attention in class and follow instructions. Talking with your children can help you encourage language development.
Help You Child by Encouraging Strong Attendance
If a child has a fever, is nauseated, vomits, or has diarrhea, they should not attend school. Children must be punctual for school otherwise, as catching up on missed lessons can be unpleasant and hinder learning. Ask instructors if there is homework your child missed. Knowing the school’s attendance regulations is a good idea, so keep this in mind.
Support All Learning Methods to Best Encourage Academic Success
Both quiet learning activities like reading and doing homework and active learning are necessary for children. Asking and answering questions, resolving issues, and pursuing interests are all part of active learning. Active learning can also occur when your child participates in sports, hangs out with friends, participates in a school play, plays an instrument, or visits libraries and museums. Encourage active learning by responding to your child’s ideas. Let your children respond to comments and questions when reading books together. Your child’s participation and interest in school are likely to rise if you foster this kind of give-and-take at home. This can be a critical component to your child’s academic success.
Help Your Child Develop Independence and Responsibility
Working independently and accepting responsibility are crucial traits for academic success. You can help children develop these qualities by establishing and enforcing fair rules and emphasizing to your child that he must take responsibility for his actions at home and school. You can also teach them to break a task down into manageable steps. Monitor what your child does after school, in the evenings, and on the weekends. Give your children the duty of calling you to discuss their plans if you won’t be home when they arrive from school.
Help Your Child Achieve Academic Success with a Healthy Breakfast
Children who have a healthy breakfast are better able to face the day. They also perform better in class and have more energy, both of which enable academic success. You can aid your child’s attention span, concentration, and memory by serving breakfast items high in whole grains, fiber, and protein and low in added sugar.
Help Your Child by Being Vigilant About Sleep
Children must get enough sleep to stay alert and learn all day. Most children require 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night. Try to prevent late bedtimes because this may cause tardiness and fatigue in kids. They may also find it difficult to concentrate in class when sleep-deprived and it may also lead to irritable or hyperactive behavior.
Understand School Disciplinary Rules
Student handbooks typically reference a school’s disciplinary procedures and the student code of conduct. The rules cover expectations for things like student behavior, dress regulations, using technological devices, and appropriate language, as well as repercussions for not fulfilling the expectations. The rules might cover fighting, using weapons, cheating, attendance, and anti-bullying. Your child needs to understand what is expected of them at school and that you will support the school’s disciplinary measures if those expectations aren’t met. Children perceive both environments as secure, nurturing places where they can collaborate well. This is easier when school norms are consistent with home.
Help Your Child Visit the Library to Encourage Reading
Encourage reading. It is impossible to exaggerate the value of reading. Reading benefits kids in all academic fields. What’s more, it is the foundation for lifelong learning. And one way to promote reading is to leverage your community library.
Everyone can learn and discover new things in libraries. Moreover, your children will be better prepared to learn independently if you help them learn about libraries. Keep in mind that libraries are frequently open late and provide a calm setting for pupils to finish their schoolwork. It’s best to schedule a regular time to visit the library – weekly, if you can manage it. Also, consider bringing your kids when it’s story time when the librarian can read their favorite books.
Seek Help If Needed to Ensure Your Child’s Academic Success
If it’s challenging for you to assist your children with homework or other schoolwork, try to locate someone else who can. Get in touch with the school, tutoring organizations, after-school activities, and libraries. You can also ask an older student or a friend for assistance.
Spending time identifying potential challenges your child might face in the future can also pay great rewards. Looking ahead and anticipating solutions that will work best for them can make all the difference when it comes to academic success.
Thank you as always for reading.
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Joan Senio is the founder of KindCompassCoach. Her career includes 20+ years as a health care executive and 15 years (and counting) as a consultant. The common thread through Joan’s professional life has been a commitment to lead, mentor and coach current and future leaders, and women from all walks of life. KindCompassCoach provides information and advice grounded in Joan’s personal experience; however, all articles are backed by research and provide facts and advice from a wide variety of experts. Joan also serves as a thought-leader for KuelLife.com and is a regular contributor to PsychReg and Sixty and Me.
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