As a parent, you play a major role in setting your child up for academic success. When you’re present and engaged at home and at your child’s school you are the best advocate to ensure that your child receives a quality education. Here’s what you can do to help make sure your child lives up to his or her potential in the classroom.
Evaluating Resources
To make sure that your child is getting a quality education, a good first step is to evaluate the condition of your child’s school and the resources provided such as textbooks and computers. The quality of the tools and resources available in your local school is a good indicator of how much administrators and the school board are investing in their education. If they are not in good condition, ask for replacements or talk to the school administration about how you can get involved to help find funding for key projects. You and other parents in your community should hold politicians accountable for the condition of local schools by demanding adequate funding.
Creating a Conducive Home Environment
Learning doesn’t stop when the last school bell rings. Giving your child a good learning environment at home is important to make sure they don’t check out as soon as they walk through the door. One way to keep kids engaged is to talk to them daily about setting goals and encouraging them to create a plan to meet those goals. Whether it’s getting up in the morning on time or perfect classroom attendance, even a small victory can get your kids excited about reaching their goals.
Another thing you can help with is building organizational skills. Make sure your child has a schedule planner for school and writes down homework assignments daily. You should also help your child prioritize homework by deadline and by the amount of time required to complete an assignment. By breaking large tasks into smaller ones, assignments become more manageable and ward off the temptation to procrastinate.
Schools and parents that have high expectations for all students—and give them the support necessary to achieve those expectations—can expect better results than those that don’t get involved. Educating young people is a partnership between administrators, teachers, students, families, and the community. It’s up to all of us to help engage children in school so when they graduate they will be prepared for the challenges ahead.
