Help Your Child Succeed in School
How can you, as a parent, actively and constructively help your children do their best in school? It may not be enough to nag them about homework. Here are seven ways to really help them out:
- Teach them to love learning.Show them that it's not just about making the grade. Learning is a way of life. Take part in educational activities beyond schoolwork, like going to a museum or watching a good documentary.
- Get involved.Participating in school activities or functions shows your children that you really are interested in what they do. Chaperone your children's classes on field trips or phone other parents.
- Stay in touch with teachers.You can call your child's teacher on an occasion beyond the regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences. You can even e-mail teachers and ask about your child's progress, or what's being taught in the classroom.
- Get your child organized.Help map out a schedule of assignments for your child and help him or her plan ahead. For big projects, you can help develop a plan that breaks down the assignment into manageable chunks.
- Make family meals a must. Kids whose families eat together generally have better literacy rates.
- Don't forget about the importance of progress.Steady improvement is as important as the end grade.
- Expect a lot.High expectations give kids a reason to work harder and achieve more.