Children often have no comprehension of how good grades and a positive overall experience in public education can improve their lives for the better. This is why we as parents should do everything we possibly can to help make sure our kids enjoy school and get the best grades possible. Typically, kids that do well in the early years continue to confidently do well in school as they get older. The biggest issues with children doing poorly in school usually develop in the earliest years of school, typically grades K-3.
Parents who have successfully helped their kids to do better in school often have a number of different strategies in common. We’ll take a look at five of them today.
Teach Organizational Skills & Routine
Successful human beings learn to implement structure in their lives. Parents that can provide a good structure for their kids and help them understand the importance of having a well thought out and constant routine can greatly help them improve grades. Storing things properly and knowing how to quickly find them is important. Having a predetermined time for doing homework (before playing with the neighbor kids) is essential. An important component of structure is routine. Here are six benefits to developing and maintaining a regular routine:
- Routines help dispel power struggles.
- Routines boost cooperation and help relieve stress.
- Regular routines help children become more independent and be responsible for their own tasks.
- Routines also help children look further down the road towards long-term goals, which helps them learn to put off the instant gratification so many are enslaved to.
- Routines help with sleep routines thus improving health.
- And possibly most important for us parents, routines help maintain consistency and create smooth system of operations in the home.
Have a Quiet Place for Study
The physical environment for studying without distraction is very important. The environment also needs to provide all of the tools and resource materials that the child is going to need. Having a quiet study place makes a huge difference in helping the child concentrate and it sends a strong message that study is important. A study place also becomes part of the important routine and provides a place for filing homework assignments and facilitating organization.
Encourage Curiosity and Creativity
Curiosity is a very important aspect of learning. Children that have a high degree of curiosity and are encouraged to follow and learn from the questions they have, tend to be self motivated and do well in school. Watch the movie “Gifted Hands” to see a picture perfect example of that. Parents should never discourage questions or curiosity.
Creativity is closely related to natural curiosity and should also be nurtured and valued. Part of encouraging curiosity and creativity is allowing for free time for them to learn and study subjects that interest them. Whether it’s making model airplanes or catching frogs and insects, these are the some of the most important activities that will shape their lives and career choices.
“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.” Albert Einstein.
Integrate Technology
We live in a tech-centric world. Most kids will be using a computer and numerous types of technology when they grow up and get employed. The early adopters seem to be the best prepared for using technology when the schools integrate it into the curriculum. Purchasing a child a tablet PC for educational purposes and encouraging them to become proficient in using it can have a very positive impact on their current and future grades.
Communication with Teachers
As obvious as this may sound, many parents neglect building relationships with teachers. From a practical vantage point, it is difficult to know how to help a child if the challenges they are facing are not apparent. A teacher can provide a very specific explanation of what the weak areas are and a game plan for strengthening them. From a political point of view, just knowing that the parent is concerned and helping from home often motivates the teacher to pay more attention to the child and to implement a plan to get their grades up.
What are some things you do to help your kids in school?
