4 Ways to Help Your Kid Succeed in School

It’s every parents dream to see his or her child succeed in school. The question is: Are parents equipped to assist their kids to do well in school? Children need their parents’ guidance and support to get good grades and the best part is that being there for your child is rewarding for you as well as your child. It helps strengthen the bond between family members when one member reaches out for help and another member goes out of their way to help them.

Following are some ways you can help your kid be at the top in their game in school:

1. Praise them when they do something well.
Nothing encourages children more than a parent patting their back after they successfully finish an assignment. Make it a point to encourage your child through positive reinforcement so that every time they put an effort in something, they are rewarded with words of encouragement and praise. As in everything in life, consistency is crucial. No matter how long your day at work was or how bad the headache is, make sure you praise your child when they show you their finished work. When they are praised consistently, they will form lasting neural connections that will make them feel good about getting work done. Before you know it, your kid will look forward to doing their homework without any pressure from you.

2. Meet your child’s teacher and discuss strengths and opportunities.
Do your homework before meeting with your child’s teacher. Make sure you have a good understanding of your kid’s progress report so you won’t have to rely on the teacher for everything. Teachers are busy and as classroom sizes grow so does their workload. When the teacher sees that you’re invested in your kid’s development in school, they’ll be motivated to do everything in their power to fulfill their duties as the teacher. Most importantly, don’t take offence in the teacher giving recommendations. Come to parent-teacher meetings with an open mind and remember your goal is to help your child improve in school. If the teacher lists any opportunities, take note of them and discuss with your partner what changes you can implement to help your child succeed. Lastly, let the teacher know that you’re available and willing to listen if they need to speak with you. Don’t hesitate to share you contact information!

3. If your child is struggling with grades, find appropriate resources.
There are many programs that help kids who are struggling with their grades. Talk to the school staff and find out what services are available and how your kid can take advantage of them. Some schools provide free tuitions in the evenings. If your kid has a reading disability or any other condition that hinders him or her from attaining their true potential, let the teacher and guidance counsellor know. They may be able to provide extensions on assignment and provide extra time during tests.

4. Ensure your child uses digital media in moderation
Perhaps your child is bright and the only hindrance to his or her success is too much time being spent on digital media consumption. Monitor the number of hours your kids get to watch TV, browse the internet and communicate through texts and other messenger apps. There is information overload out there and if you don’t prevent your children from this type of pollution, it may really impact their performance at school. Since digital media is such an important element of today’s world, moderation is key. You don’t want to isolate your kid from social media either because being internet literate is the key to success in both school and work.