There are many responsibilities parents have in terms of helping their children succeed in school. If you’re unsure of how you can support your child as they continue to learn, here are a few things you can do.
Open House/ Parent-Teacher Conferences
It’s important to establish a relationship with your child’s teacher. Make sure you have and maintain an open line of communication. Check in with them to see if there is anything you need to do at home to help your child be more successful in the classroom. These people spend a tremendous amount of time with your child each day. Make sure you heed their advice where appropriate.
Prepare your Child to Learn
A huge part of your child’s success at school starts at home. Prepare your children each day by making sure they sleep well. Feed them a healthy, well-balanced breakfast so their minds will be ready to learn. Simply doing these two things can help your kids tremendously. It will help them regulate their bodies and minds and ultimately make learning and engaging so much easier.
Teach Organizational Skills
Teach your kids to stay organized! An article written by Kathryn Hoffses, PhD for kidshealth.org explains, “When kids are organized, they can stay focused instead of spending time hunting things down and getting sidetracked. What does it mean to be organized at the elementary level? For schoolwork, it means having an assignment book and homework folder (many schools supply these) to keep track of homework and projects. Check your child’s assignment book and homework folder every school night so you’re familiar with assignments and your child doesn’t fall behind. Set up a bin for papers that you need to check or sign. Also, keep a special box or bin for completed and graded projects and toss papers that you don’t need to keep. Talk to your child about keeping his or her school desk orderly so papers that need to come home don’t get lost. Teach your child how to use a calendar or personal planner to help stay organized.”
Volunteer
Make it a priority to volunteer at your child’s school. It helps your children understand how important education is. When you take time out of your busy schedule to volunteer in your kid’s class, it sets an excellent example. You will be able to watch your children in a school setting and help their teacher do additional work that would be difficult or impossible to do without assistance.
Prioritize Attendance
Another thing you can do to help your child succeed at school is to prioritize their attendance. It might be easier to keep them home at times, but it’s important that they show up for school. It will help them stay on track with their learning and prevent any anxiety they might have from falling behind.
Helping your child succeed at school is easy. Stay involved, keep open communication and prepare them at home as best you can.