Not every child enjoys school, and that’s okay. I remember having years I loved my classes, teachers and schoolwork and years that I’d rather forget about! As a parent, it’s important to let your children spread their wings and learn to be responsible. But! You can also help your child excel at school. We all want to ensure that our children do their very best so they live up to their potential. Studies suggest those children whose parents engage with their education generally do better than those who don’t! This year’s school year might be ending but it’s never to early to start setting up success for next year! Especially if your children will be heading off for their first year come fall.
Help Your Child Excel At School
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Start Early!
If you currently have very young children in your care, you can promote early learning with the toys you buy. From building blocks to interactive learning desks, there are all kinds of educational toys that can benefit your children’s future education. If possible you might consider enrolling your children into preschool. Preschool is an excellent opportunity for your kids to get used to learning and the school environment before starting kindergarten.
The creative learning benefits of Montessori Programs, as highlighted in the promo for Anaheim Preschool, have long been held in high esteem by parents looking to kickstart their children’s education, but consider the options provided to you in your location. Any source of education is better than none in your child’s early years and preschool options vary wildly. The most important thing to keep in mind is making sure you and your family are comfortable with the decision.
Look for Learning Opportunities Outside of School.
If your children have already started school you can help them prepare for next year. Word and number games that you can play together will help introduce new concepts. Taking day trips to learning places outside of the home, such as at libraries, museums, historical sites, and national parks can also spark curiosity and a love of learning.
Getting your children to read is important too, so buy them books that they might enjoy. As we discussed in this article on the book Tigeropolis, certain stories can also add to their learning; in the example we just used, this includes lessons on wildlife conservation. If possible you might also encourage your child to take part in after-school activities. A lot of these groups encourage learning through fun which appeals strongly to children who might balk at typical classroom learning. Consider scouting groups, for example, or hobby clubs that let your child engage more closely with the things they are passionate about.
Engage with your Child’s School
By speaking to your child’s teachers, you will get to know what they are learning. You can then find ways to complement their studies at home which goes a long way to help your child excel at school. These lessons don’t have to feel like homework! You can look for appropriate books they might enjoy, YouTube videos, Craft or DIY projects and weekend trips to places that fit in with your child’s academic studies.
By engaging with your child’s teachers, you can also find out where your child might be struggling at school. Working with your child’s teacher to support your child, so they don’t fall behind in their studies can make a big difference in the school year. As an example, you might spend more time at home helping your child with a specific subject or topic that they struggle with. If this subject happens to be something you struggle with too then you might consider hiring a tutor.
Encourage Your Child
This might seem like a no brainer and of course, we always want to be supportive when it comes to our kids! But, it’s also important to realize that life can be busy. When parents have to work, take care of the home and see to the day to day running of the household it’s easy to forget about asking our kids about their days at school. Especially as our children get older and have to be prompted to speak up rather than just jabbering on the moment they get off the bus!
Making a special effort to take an interest in their education by asking them about what they learned every day can make a big difference. Take time to listen when they come to you with tales of their accomplishments. Praise and reward them when they do well to inspire them to continue working diligently at school. Be sure to lift them up, whether they succeed or fail at something, as they will become more confident if you encourage rather than putting them down.
If you know your child could have done better and simply didn’t put forth the effort it might be worthwhile to talk to them about it. Find out why they didn’t try their best. Were they nervous? Distracted by classmates or other activities or just having a bad day? Coming up with ways to prevent this in the future as a unit will let your child know that you’re there to support them. They will know they can do better without making them feel like they have disappointed you.
With your support and encouragement, you can help your kids get through their school years to the very best of their ability!
Have you found a great way to help your child excel at school? Share it below!