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Communication, Encouragement & Sharing: Steps to School Success
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As
children return to the classrooms, it’s time once again to review ways
that parents support each child’s success. After all, school is a
three-way partnership involving the child, the teacher and the parent.
Without the parent, the teacher and child lack a significant pillar of
support.
The first responsibility of a parent is to meet their
child’s teacher(s). Attend orientation and conferences. Sign up for
school email alerts. Check in regularly with the teacher via email or
phone to clarify reports and resolve any misunderstandings. Keep the
conversations positive. Remember the teacher is your colleague and
partner. You are working together to help your child succeed.Following
school each day make time for every family member to share stories
about what happened in school, at work or at home today. Pay
attention. Laugh at mistakes. Celebrate successes. Reward effort.
Set
aside some time each day for homework. If none is assigned, this is a
good time to ask your child to teach you something he/she learned today
or to work on skills that need more practice. It may also be a good
time to start working on big projects that will be due later.Reviewing
homework means verifying that it is done. Ask your child to explain
the work to you. Encourage completeness and good presentation.
Encourage pride in a job well done. On the other hand, avoid
“correcting” the work or doing it for your child. You are not the one
who is building new skills.
Kids need time to decompress or
change the pace from their school day. Encourage each child to pursue
individual interests and talents or try new activities. Allow time to
“just play.” After all, it is a great learning experience.
Take
turns reading to each other. Discuss the story together and share
ideas that grew out of the story or the discussion. Explore new words
and learn to use them in sentences.
Bedtimes are important. It’s
hard to do your best when you have no energy. Make sure your child
gets enough sleep every night.
When grades come, focus on
strengths. Instead of paying for grades or punishing bad ones, talk
about what things contributed to each grade. Celebrate the successes
and help your child develop strategies and goals to make improvements.
Be realistic. Remember that every child is not a famous artist, a math
genius or a Rhodes Scholar, but each child can strive to do their
personal best, even if it is “C” level work.Keep
all of your school related interactions positive. Getting angry or
upset over grades or things that happened at school is
counterproductive. If a problem exists, talk to the school and work
together to find a solution. Model the attitudes and behaviors that
your child needs to succeed in the world. After all, you are his/her
best teacher.
Start this year off on your best foot. Meet your
new school partners and establish your communications links. Plan your
family evenings to support time for each family member to work on their
personal stuff, explore individual interests and passions and yet have
time to spend together. Come midyear, celebrate your success when you
revisit these helpful (we hope) hints.
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