Help Your Child Succeed in School

A parent’s guide in K-12

school success

Presenter: Missy Bullen

FHS Title I Resource Teacher

Every child has the power to succeed in school and in life and every parent, family member and caregiver can help. The question is: How can we help our children succeed?

Introduction

The answer comes from a combination of common sense and research about how children learn and about how to prepare them to learn.

We know, for example, that children tend to do the same things as their parents do. What we say and do in our daily lives can help them to develop positive attitudes toward school and learning and to build confidence in themselves as learners. Showing our children that we both value education and use it in our daily lives provides them with powerful models and contributes greatly to their success in school.

As your child’s first and most important teacher, it’s

important that you build and keep strong ties to your child’s

school.

Parent Involvement

• The more involved you are in your child’s education, the more likely your child is to succeed in school.

• Research shows that parent support is more important to school success than a student’s IQ, economic status, or school setting.

When Parents are Involved

• Children get higher grades and test scores.

• Children have better attitudes towards school.

• Children have fewer behavior problems.

• Children complete more homework.

• Children have less absenteeism.

• Children are more likely to complete high school and attend college.

When Parents are Involved

• Parents have better and more frequent communication with teachers.

• Parents have stronger parenting skills.

• Parents have a closer relationship with their child.

• Parents have a more positive attitude toward education and school staff.

When Parents are Involved

• Involvement raises school’s morale.

• Involvement creates a safer school environment.

• Involvement enhances curriculum and classroom activities.

• Involvement allows teachers and other staff to do their jobs more effectively.

• Involvement increased job satisfaction among school staff.

If you think about it, although school is very important, it does not really take up very much of a child’s time. In the United States, the school year averages 180 days. Clearly, the hours and days that a child is not in school are important for learning, too.

The Basics

Encourage Your Child to Read

Helping your child become a reader is the single most important thing that you can do to help the child to succeed in school—and in life. The importance of reading simply can’t be overstated. Reading helps children in all school subjects. More important, it is the key to lifelong learning.

Help your child become a reader

• Start early.

• Make sure that your home has lots of reading materials that are appropriate for your child.

• Show that you value reading.

• Get help for your child if he has a reading problem.

Talk with Your Child

Talking and listening play major roles in children’s school success. It’s through hearing parents and family members talk and through responding to that talk that young children begin to pick up the language skills they will need if they are to do well. For example, children who don’t hear a lot of talk and who aren’t encouraged to talk themselves often have problems learning to read, which can lead to other school problems. In addition, children who haven’t learned to listen carefully often have trouble following directions and paying attention in class.

Find time to talk

• As you walk with your child or ride with her in a car.

• As you shop in a store.

• As you fix dinner.

• As you fix or repair something.

• As you watch TV together.

• As you read a book with your child.

Be a good listener

• When your child talks to you, stop what you are doing and pay attention.

• When your child tells you about something, occasionally repeat what he says to let him know that you’re listening closely.

Create a study environment in your home

• Have a special place for your child to study.• Make a study area that has paper, pencils, pens,

erasers, a dictionary, and other materials your child uses to do schoolwork.

• Set a regular time for homework.• Do not allow the TV to be on while your child is

doing homework. • Check your child’s homework when it is finished.• Don’t expect or demand perfection.

Encourage your child to use the library

Libraries are places of learning and discovery for everyone. Helping your child find out about libraries will set him on the road to being an independent learner. • Introduce your child to the library as early as

possible.• Introduce yourself and your child to the librarian.• Let your child know that she must follow the

library’s rules of behavior.

Help your child learn to use the Internet properly and effectively

The Internet/World Wide WEB—a network of computers that connects people and information all around the world—has become an important part of how we learn and of how we interact with others. For children to succeed today, they must be able to use the Internet.

Using the Internet

• Spend time online with your child.• Help your child to locate appropriate Internet Web sites.• Pay attention to any games she might download or copy

from the Internet.• Use “filters” to block your child from accessing sites that

may be inappropriate.• Monitor the amount of time that your child spends online.• Teach your child rules for using the Internet safely.

Encourage Your Child to Be Responsible and to Work Independently

• Establish rules. • Make it clear to your child that he has to take

responsibility for what he does, both at home and at school.

• Work with your child to develop a reasonable, consistent schedule of jobs to do around the house.

• Make your child responsible for getting ready to go to school each morning.

• Monitor what your child does after school, in the evenings and on weekends.

Encourage Active Learning

Children need active learning as well as quiet learning such as reading and doing homework. Active learning involves asking and answering questions, solving problems and exploring interests. Active learning also can take place when your child plays sports, spends time with friends, acts in a school play, plays a musical instrument or visits museums and bookstores.

To promote active learning, listen to your child’s ideas and respond to them. Let him jump in with questions and opinions when you read books together. When you encourage this type of give-and-take at home, your child’s participation and interest in school is likely to increase.

In Elementary School

Talk with your child about schoolwork• Ask about homework and check to see that

your child has done all the work assigned.

• Ask your child to show you his or her schoolwork and note the grades and comments made by the teacher.

• Discuss how the skills your child is learning in school are an important part of everyday life. Let your child see you read, write, and use math.

In Elementary School

Talk with your child’s teacher• Introduce yourself at the beginning of the

school year.

• Attend parent-teacher conferences.

• If possible, spend time at your child’s school and classroom as a volunteer or visitor.

• If you use email, find out if your child’s teacher uses email to communicate with parents.

Turn Daily Activities into Learning

• Cook together. Your child can read the recipe and measure ingredients.

• Do laundry. Your child can sort laundry by color, read washing instructions, measure laundry soap, and time wash cycles.

• Go grocery shopping. Your child can write the shopping list, compare prices, and identify and classify food items.

• Organize the house. Your child can sort and arrange items in the junk drawer.

Help Your Child Feel Good about Education

Find reasons to praise your child every day.• Help your child focus on his or her

strengths• Let your child know that he or she is

a valuable, capable person and that you know he or she can succeed.

Help Your Child Feel Good about Education

Have high expectations for learning and behavior, at home and at school.• When you expect the best, your

child will rise to those expectations.• Be a good role model for getting

work done before play.

In Middle and High School

Reinforce the importance of school• Speak positively about your child’s

teachers and counselors.• Make sure your child gets to school on

time and completes homework.• Talk to your child about the benefits of

education.• Attend open houses and parent-teacher

conferences.

Support Your Teen

• Keep the lines of communication open.• Set fair and consistent rules, with your

teen’s input.• Set a good example through your own

involvement in the school and community.• Continue to make time for family

activities.• Limit the time your child spends watching

TV and playing video games.

Help Your Child Choose Classes

• In middle school, your child will take classes that will prepare him or her for high school coursework.

• In high school, your child should choose challenging classes that will prepare him or her for postsecondary education coursework – even if he or she does not plan to go to college.

• Help your child chooses classes that will meet college entrance requirements, and that may support his or her interests.

• Encourage your child to get involved in school activities that complement his or her interests.

Help Your Child Make Plans

• Help your child discover his or her interests and start making a plan for life after high school.

• Help your child set goals and plan how to reach those goals, through education and activities.

• Let your child explore educational and career choices while in school, so he or she can have a solid plan for post-high school education and work.

In Summary

• If school is important to you, it will be important to your child.

• Set high expectations for your child and support your child in meeting those expectations.

• Stay aware of your child’s social life, activities, and schoolwork.

• You, your child, and the school will benefit from your continued support.