If you want your child to succeed at school, no matter what year they’re in, support from you is essential. Children tend to perform better in school when their parents take an interest in their learning. The following tips from Mill Hill School, an independent school in London, should help you understand how you can encourage and support your child so that they succeed in school.
Be present
First and foremost, your child needs to know that you are present and attentive with regards to their academic life. Talk about school often, but try not to ask the same old questions every day. Think about incorporating some unique methods to get your child to share information about their day.
What’s more, make sure you attend their sports day, school play, parents evening and any other events at their school whenever possible and if you can’t explain to your child why you are unable to and express how sorry and sad you are about that.
Choose a school with an excellent kindergarten curriculum that emphasizes holistic education, encouraging creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This choice demonstrates active involvement in your child’s academic development.
Write important due dates for projects in your family calendar, stick art work on the fridge and help them with their homework. The idea is to emphasise the importance of education as well as letting them know that you are interested in their achievements at school.
Get them organised
As well as displaying a clear interest in your child’s school work, it will also help them if you encourage them to be organised. Try incorporating regular routines and make sure they get their homework done on time and they pack their school bag the night before.
Give them a hearty breakfast at the start of each day so they’re focussed and ready to learn. It might be worth putting together some checklists to help get into the swing of things too.
Set up a dedicated space at home for homework. Make sure it’s well-lit, quiet, and equipped with necessary supplies like pens, pencils, rulers, and a computer if needed. Provide your child with a planner or calendar to record assignments, project due dates, and extracurricular activities. Develop checklists for morning and evening routines. Include tasks like laying out clothes, preparing backpacks, and organizing materials for the next day.
Help your child break down tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. Teach them to prioritize assignments and allocate specific time slots for studying and completing homework. Periodically clean out backpacks and folders to remove unnecessary papers and ensure important documents, such as permission slips or completed assignments, are organised and easy to find.
Establish a consistent bedtime routine. A good night’s sleep improves focus and concentration during the school day. Encourage your child to ask questions in class, seek clarification on assignments, and communicate any challenges they may face. If your child uses digital devices for learning, help them organize digital files, create folders for different subjects, and regularly back up important information.
Ask for help
If your child is finding school hard then speak to their teacher. They might be able to explain why, make some changes or work with you to help your child succeed in school. However, if you do not feel school can do any more to help then it’s also important to note that you can get them some extra help if they are struggling in certain areas. Usually, if your child is struggling it will be with one or two subjects, and hiring a tutor for them could do wonders. Maths and physics tutors aren’t difficult to come across, and these are the subjects that a large number of children struggle with. A tutor will be able to take their time teaching in ways that a teacher can’t, giving your child a chance to understand better. There are also brilliant resources on line like TT Rock star and Educational Quizzes that they can use on their own to develop their understanding of certain topics.
Foster good study habits
The early nurturing of good study habits will increase productivity in kids and help them focus better. It reduces their stress and improves confidence as they take on different tasks in and outside school.
Help create a quiet time for studying. Impose less play or screen time at a certain period of the day to make way for reviews and homework. Let them decide what process, study spot, and schedule suits them. Instead of establishing a strict plan, allow them to do extracurricular things, like learning a new language or joining a bible study group.
If your child is studying for the 11 plus then you can also use these free 11 plus resources to help them succeed with the exam.
Of course, nothing you do can 100% guarantee your child’s success in school, but as a parent you can try your best to help as much as possible. The most valuable tool to help your child is to set a good example.