Terry Bader on Help Your Child Succeed in School

One of the hardest ordeals a parent can go through is seeing their child struggle in school. From time to time students will be faced with academic challenges, whether learning a difficult subject or falling behind in a class. Just as often the parent themselves is facing their own struggle — not knowing where to start to help their child be successful in school. But there are a few simple steps you can take as a parent to ensure your child’s academic success.

Get Involved with the School
Your child’s school is the powerhouse of their education. By getting to know the staff and getting involved with the school, you’re showing support towards your child’s education. Talk with their teacher and other staff members to know how they’re doing academically and socially. Gaining insight on your child’s strengths and weakness will help determine strategies to aid them to be successful. Being in contact with their teacher also let’s your child know that what goes on in school will be shared at home. This will help them take their academics much more seriously.

You can get to know the school’s staff, ask questions or voice any concerns by attending parent teacher conferences and volunteering for the school’s extracurricular activities. Some kids at certain age levels may feel embarrassed by their parent’s presence around their peers, so it’s ideal to assure them you’re just trying to lend a hand to the school community. While volunteering, pick up on your child’s cues to determine how much interaction works for both of you. Ways to get involved is being a classroom helper, a chaperone of field trips, attending school board meetings, or planning class parties. This kind of involvement shows your child that you have interest in their education and encourages their success.

Give Support at Home
The best place to give support and aid your child’s academic success is at home. Home is where they spend the majority of their time and has a huge effect on their academics. Having a positive attitude and offering encouragement from home gives your child an unbeatable support system. Showing them a daily positive attitude towards school work will build their confidence as learners and give them powerful models, which benefits their success in school.

Homework must also always be a top priority in the household because it helps them develop a sense of responsibility and a work ethic, which goes the same for their studying habits and test preparation. Set aside a time and comfortable place at home specifically for homework and studying, without any distractions from technology. Keep your child organized and focused in their studies by staying in check with an assignment book and homework folder, keeping their study space neat, and coming up with a to-do list together. This will guarantee them to be ready and prepared for school on a daily basis

Talk with Your Child
The most effective way for your child to succeed in school is to talk to them. Time after time, parents and teachers set goals for children by talking to everyone else but the student themselves. Ask them what their goals are and what they want. For your child to be motivated to achieve academic success, they need to feel ownership of their education and set their own goal. Listen to them and offer your support.

The best way to open up this conversation is to ask them how they feel about school, what they want to accomplish this school year, tell them that they are the best judges of how they’re progressing toward their goals. During this conversation, be sure not to comment and hold back on giving them advice — just listen. This gives them ownership of their goals and gives you an insight to how they feel and what they think of their academics. From there the both of you can work together on reaching their goals and touch base with them weekly to track the progress they’ve made. Let them do the tracking and keep ownership of their goals by writing in a journal, keeping a chart or just by simply talking about them.

There will always be obstacles and roadblocks when it comes to helping your child in school. Whether it’s a new subject and a tough to manage workload, it’s important to always show your support and staying involved. The key to your child’s success in school is being active in their academics and working with them towards their goals.

Originally posted on TerryBader.com