Help Your Child to Succeed in School

A Guide for Parents to help their children to succeed in school

YOU ARE YOUR CHILD’S FIRST TEACHER.

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 tha a student’s IQ, economic status, or school setting.

WHEN PARENTS ARE INVOLVED

• Children get higher grades and test scores

• Children have better attitudes and behavior.

• Children complete more homework.

• Children are more likely to complete high school and enroll in post-high school education.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT BEGINS AT HOME

Spend time with your child

• Ask your child about his or her day.

• Use car time to talk with, and listen to, your child.

• Take walks or ride bikes together.

• Look for things to do as a family.

• Eat dinner together and sue this time to talk about the day’s events.

Help your child develop routines

• Have regular homework or reading time.

• Make sure your child has a regular bedtime that allows for plenty of rest.

• Give your child age-appropriate chores.

• Make sure your child has a nutritious breakfast every morning.

Teach your child to love to read

• Read to your child from an early age.

• Let your child see you read.

• Listen to your child read.

• Take your child to the library to check out books of interest.

• Provide your child with books and magazines written at his or her reading level.

Create a study environment in your home

• Do not allow the TV to be on while your child is doing homework.

• Make a study area that has paper, pencils, pens, erasers, a dictionary, and other materials your child uses to do schoolwork.

• Check your child’s homework when it is finished.

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.

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 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, playing video games, and surfing the internet.

Help Your Child Choose Classes

• 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 choose 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.