Tips for a more successful school year

The Holiday break is a welcome pause from school responsibilities for your child. While most children look forward to the chance to relax and unwind, the holiday break is the perfect time to gear up for a great second half of the school year. Don’t forget- the Georgia Milestones tests are now just around the corner. If your child is struggling, or just wants to maintain momentum in the spring semester, holiday break is the perfect time to reset and refresh. Here are several tips to help students “recharge their mental batteries” and be ready for the Milestones.

Review current grades. Do your child’s grades indicate that he or she is prepared to excel on the Milestones tests? At this point in the school year, C’s are serious warning signs- take them seriously. If your child is getting C’s, talk about why. Are projects, homework, and other assignments being turned in late? Help your child create a system to ensure all assignments are turned in on time. Are low test grades the problem? Weak critical reading skills may be the culprit. If so, an Academic Evaluation from Huntington, https://center.huntingtonhelps.com/lp/alpharetta/milestone-2 can help pinpoint any weak skills.

Set new goals. A new semester might mean new classes and certainly means new opportunities for your child to develop and learn. Have an open discussion about what your child wants to achieve in the remainder of the school year. Raise a grade? Work on his or her organization? Procrastinate less? Whatever the goals, encourage your child to lay out how he or she intends to work toward them.

Ask, “What have you learned?” Talk about what challenges arose in the fall semester and how your child overcame them, and any other meaningful experiences that had an impact. Remind your child that every failure means your child has learned something important. Where did your child become stronger as a result of overcoming something difficult?

Fine tune any study habits. Many children take a little time to acclimate to a new school year, so now that you’re several months in, consider what your child could use to improve any study or organizational habits like planner maintenance or the morning or homework routine.

This holiday break, make sure your child enjoys time with family and catches up on some relaxation, but don’t forget to take time to reflect on the last few months and set a positive tone for the rest of the year. The start of a new year is an ideal time for both parents and children to get into a good frame of mind to make necessary adjustments. If your child has things he or she wants to fix or just wants to stay on the same upward trajectory, sit down and make a plan together wherein your child takes initiative and you offer your support.

If school is a struggle, call Huntington. In school, small problems can become big ones before you know it. If homework time has become a stressful ordeal, Huntington can help get to the root of the issue and help get back on track. Call 1 800 CAN LEARN or visit
to find out more about Huntington’s tutoring program.

About Huntington

Huntington is Atlanta’s premier tutoring and test prep center. Our certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. We also prep for the Milestones, SAT and ACT. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Learn how Huntington can help at https://center.huntingtonhelps.com/lp/alpharetta/milestone-2