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Maximize Your Child's Education
As a parent, you want to make sure your children do well in school
and get the best education
possible. But, you may not realize that your involvement is
what really makes
a difference.
No, you
can’t attend class with them. But you can partner with their
educators to help them develop the skills and habits they need to
become successful students. Here’s how:
Work With Your Child
Set goals. Help your child develop realistic, but
challenging, academic goals. Have them write them down and come up
with some strategies for meeting them.
Provide educational activities at home. Reading is critical
to academic success. Make sure you encourage it at home—and don’t
forget, newspapers and magazines count too. A reading chart with
incentives may help (look online or at your
library or book store).
Monitor their work—not just their report card. Ask to see
their work and don’t let
report cards be a surprise. Many schools now offer online grading so
you can stay informed from your home or office.
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How to Do Homework |
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Teaching your children how to
“do homework” is an integral part of making them
successful students. Here’s what you can do: |
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1. Set a scheduled homework time (not right
before bed time). |
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2. Help them look
ahead and manage time appropriately—especially for
projects. |
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3. Provide a quiet,
distraction-free place in which to work (turn off
the TV and cell phone). |
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4. Stock the area
with needed supplies (pencil, paper, dictionary,
computer, etc.) |
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5. Do the hardest
work first. |
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Talk to your student. Discuss your child’s day and
take note of any issues they may be having with friends, other
students, teachers or difficult subjects. It’s important to recognize possible
warning signs before they become a problem.
Encourage involvement in school activities. Children who are
involved in extracurricular school activities or clubs feel more
connected to their school and are typically better students.
Do Your Part
Know your school staff. Build relationships with your child’s
teachers and administrators from early on. Let them know of any
special concerns or needs you have. E-mail is a great way to do
this.
Attend school events. Don’t miss open houses, parties,
parent/teacher conferences and fundraisers. These provide great
opportunities to get to know your child’s teachers and staff—and
your attendance makes your child feel important.
Carefully read all school communication. Read and save all
communication from the school and check school Web sites regularly.
Make school attendance top priority. Only keep children at home
when they are sick.
Know your school resources—and use them. Many schools offer
resources outside the classroom. You may have access to counselors,
diagnosticians, speech pathologists, libraries, tutoring programs,
financial aid and more.
Special needs—know your rights. If your child has a special
need (including learning disabilities like dyslexia), make sure you
know what resources are available to you. See the
US Department of Education Web site for more information.
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