Tips to Help Your Young Child Succeed This School Year
Helpful Tips To Use For Before School Starts:
1. Meet the Teachers
Schools often hold a “Welcome to School”, or a “Welcome Back to School” event before the first day of school. This gives parents the chance to meet their child’s teachers. It also gives parents the chance to take their kindergartners or first-graders into the school and show them around.
Attending these events shows the faculty that you care about your child’s education. During this time, you should also talk briefly about your son or daughter so their teacher can get to know them better.
Inviting your kid’s teacher to call you, or e-mail you, if they have any concerns about your child is another step in the right direction. It shows that you want to keep in touch and stay aware of what’s going in with your son or daughter’s education.
2. Meet the Rest of the Gang Too
When I attended elementary school, I used to think my mother was one of the friendliest people I knew. Because, she knew everybody, from my bus drivers, to the cooks who made and served my lunches in the cafeteria each day.
As I grew older, I realized that knowing the rest of the school staff also helped my mother stay in touch with what was going on. And, to help calm my fears of seeing all these “strange” people, Mother introduced them to me as well. She also told me the names of school secretaries, janitors, cooks, and the other personnel she couldn’t introduce me to so I wasn’t as afraid of them. This tip helped me feel more “at home” when I started my first day of school.
3. Prepare Your Child Mentally
Sit down and talk with your son or daughter before their “Big Day”. This tip is especially important for kids who are just starting school. But it’s also a good idea for parents of children who are already “veterans.”
Explain to your child about the new routine they are going to start. That is, they’ll need to know the date school starts, when their bedtime will be, what time they’ll need to get up in the morning, what school bus they’ll be riding, (if applicable), when their lunchtime at school will be, and so on. Encourage them to ask questions about school not just now, but throughout the year as well.
4. Prepare Your Child Physically
Another important tip to help your young child succeed this school year is to help their bodies get adjusted early to their new routine and schedule. At least two weeks before the first day of school, have your son or daughter go to bed at the time you have set for “school nights.” Then, have them set their alarm clock so they can get up in the morning at the time they’ll need to get ready for school.
Helpful Tips To Use WHEN School Starts:
1. Set Up A Study Time
I never had homework when I was in elementary school, but times have changed. In order to help your young child succeed this school year, set up a study time for each night. This time can be spent doing homework, working on projects for school, or just reading. During this time, have your child tell you what they learned in school that day too. This will help you keep in touch with what’s going on. It will also help your child by repeating the day’s lessons so he or she can learn them better.
If your son or daughter is having problem with Math or Reading, for example, you should use this time to help them with problem areas so they can succeed.
And, if your child hasn’t learned to read yet, then take some of this time to read to them. Statistics prove that children who are read to when they are young get better grades in school.
Not only that, but children are often influenced by their parents. Children who see their parents reading and enjoying it are more prone to read themselves.
2. Set Up A Quiet Study Place
Your child needs a quiet, well lit, comfortable place for them to spend their study time in. He or she also needs a desk and a chair, or a table and chair, for them to study, read, do homework, or work on school projects at. The kitchen table can work for a study place, as long as family conversation or television can’t be heard.
3. Be Involved
To help your young child succeed this school year, you should be involved in their school. Examples of additional ways you can be involved are to join organizations such as the PTA; volunteer to do tasks for your child’s classroom;
participate in school events; and check the school’s website on a regular basis so you can be aware of events and activities. Many school teachers even post the subjects their classes are working on so parents can stay aware.
4. Teach Your Child To Reach For The Stars
You can send your young child to school, you can teach them at home, you can even hire a tutor to drill dates and facts into their minds. But, when it comes to actually learning, if your son or daughter doesn’t have self-confidence, then they will fail. Children must believe they are capable of learning. Believing creates self-esteem within them. And, that self-esteem in turn helps your young child succeed this school year… and every year thereafter!
