Tips for Creating Successful Students
Now that the school year is in full swing and fall routines have been established, it is likely that your kids have begun to bring home homework and other assignments. Getting the most out of education requires a commitment to learning in the classroom and at home. So what can you do to promote school success at home? Read on to learn our tips for supporting successful students throughout the school year.
Consistent Daily Schedule
Structure is one of the key ingredients to supporting successful students because it can be used to build-in time for completing school work and studying. By helping your children plan out their daily activities and assisting them in establishing times for work and play, you reinforce the requisite principles of prioritization. Setting up ground rules such as no leisure activities until your homework is done or no video games during the week can lay the ground work for lifelong productivity habits that extend beyond school.
Quality Control
Setting expectations for the school and working with your children to create goals based on your expectations has been proven to result in more successful students. A study done by the Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching demonstrated a 30% improvement in academic performance for students who set goals versus those who did not. It is also not a bad idea to insist on checking your kid’s homework each night to make sure they are grasping the material and properly completing the assignments given to them. While your kids may protest, incorporating a little quality control can go a long way toward improving their educational performance.
Stay Plugged In
Being aware of what is going on in your child’s academic life is one of the best ways of cultivating successful students. Having a copy of the syllabus for each class or list of due dates and material to be covered can help you as a parent gauge the level of effort your kids are putting into their school work. It also provides you with clues of when to make slight adjustments to their schedule to accommodate the demands of their classes. If possible, try to maintain some contact with your child’s teachers throughout the school year so that if an issue arises, you already have rapport with them to address the problem head on.