Solid research shows that children from homes where parents are engaged with their children, with other parents, and their children’s schools: • Earn better grades, • Get better test scores, • Enjoy school more, and • Are more likely to graduate from high school and attend university.
Getting involved with your teen’s school work may seem daunting but the good thing is that you do not have to be a math graduate before you can add value to your child’s academic life.
Here are a couple of tips that can help you stay actively involved:
1. Help Your Child Set Realistic Goals
If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything is a famous quote that rings true. Sit with your child and talk about school. Review the last terms results in a non-threatening way and help your teen set goals and expectations that are balanced. This gives a target to reach which keeps them motivated throughout the year.
2. Support Homework Expectations During the middle school years, homework gets more intense and the time spent is longer than during the elementary years. Help provide a well-lit, distraction-free study place. Also make sure that all materials needed are available. Be sure to be available to help as much as possible. This increases your child’s knowledge and scores, improves bonding between you and also teaches you new things. Encourage your child to ask for help when it's needed in school. Most teachers are available to help before or after school.
3. Send Your Child to School Ready to Learn
A nutritious breakfast gets your child ready for the day. In general, preteens and teens who eat breakfast have more energy and do better in school.
The right amount of sleep keeps our students alert and ready to learn all day. In general, preteens need about 10 to 12 hours of sleep each night and teens need about 8½ to 9½ hours.
Please supervise sleep time, as homework, sports, after-school activities, texting, TVs, computers, and video games, as well as hectic family schedules, can contribute to students not getting enough sleep. A consistent bedtime routine is a necessity.
4. Instill Organization Skills Help your teen get organized. Organisational skills are learned; so help them practice till it becomes a habit. Provide binders, folders and jotters to help your child. Everything should have its place is a good rule to follow. Teach your child how to use a calendar or personal planner to stay organized and schedule study times. Calendars or planners should include your child's non-academic commitments to help with time management.
5. Take Attendance Seriously
Students should take a sick day if they have a fever, are nauseated, vomiting, or have diarrhoea. Otherwise, it's important that they arrive at school on time every day, because having to catch up with class work, projects, tests, and homework can be stressful and interfere with learning.
Difficult assignments, low grades, social problems, or issues with classmates or teachers are some reason students don’t want to go to school sometimes. Talk with your child, then talk with the appropriate authority in school if you feel your child is making excuses, to find out what may be causing any anxiety.
6. Stay Involved Staying connected with preteens and teens as they grow more independent can be a challenge for parents, but it's more important now than ever. Talk about school often, so he or she knows that what goes on at school is important to you. Listen to them carefully, make eye contact, ask open ended questions that keep the conversation going and don’t multitask while they talk. When they can talk openly with you, the challenges of school are a lot easier to face.
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