Tips Parents Can Use
To Help Their Children

Parents can help their children do well in school by using time at home to talk, read and interact every day. Following are some ideas for at-home practices and activities that will pave the way for positive school experiences. Pick one or two ideas to do that fit your child's age and interests and that fit your lifestyle.

Making Time Count

• Use car time to talk with your children. There's no phone or TV to interfere. No one can get up and leave. And kids know they really have your ear.

Read to and With Your Child

• Try relaxing your family's bedtime rules once a week on the weekend. Let your child know that he can stay up as late as he wants-as long as he's reading in bed.

Building Self-Esteem

• Keep a scrapbook to record your child's accomplishments. Have sections such as: Things I've learned in school, How I help, Artistic skills, Places I've been, Things I'm proud of, or Books I've read.

Discipline

• Use positive discipline to teach right from wrong, self-control, and cooperation in resolving conflicts. Give your child a respect for authority and for other people.

Solving Problems at School

• Make an appointment to talk with your child's teacher if you have concerns about how your child is doing in school,. Find out what the teacher sees at school. Then make arrangements to keep in touch through the phone, e-mail, written notes, or an assignment notebook. Let the teacher know promptly if you think your child is having a problem.

Motivating Your Child

• Children need the 4 "A"s as well as the 3 "R"s:
  1. Attention
  2. Appreciation
  3. Affection
  4. Acceptance

Building Responsibility

• To encourage taking responsibility for homework time, plan to read or do something quiet yourself at that time. You'll be a good example.

Reinforcing Learning

• Encourage your child to collect things. Whether he collect rocks, shells, leaves or bugs is not important. But by collecting, children are learning new ways to make sense out of their world.

Homework

• Try playing "Beat the Clock" with your child during homework time. Look over the assignment and figure out about how long it should take to complete it. Allow a little extra time and set a timer for that many minutes. No prizes are needed. There is great satisfaction in getting the work done on time.

When You Need Help

• Take steps if your child has a poor report card:
  • Talk with your child about each grade—calmly. Does he know why he got that grade? Cans he explain it to you? What does he think needs to be done?
  • Talk with the teacher to get her views on needed improvements and suggestions for ways to improve.
  • Find out what help your school offers. Tutoring may be available or after-school classes on study skills.
    

Compiled by John H. Wherry, Ed.D, President, The Parent Institute®

Want more ideas?
To get a more extensive list of ideas, click here.

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