 |
||
|
Cornell University : Cornell Cooperative Extension
|
||
|
||
| Yates Association |
|
|
Helping Children Succeed in School |
|
|
Research shows that if parents give help and support to their children's learning, their children will do better in school. Up until age 18, children spend only about 13 percent of their waking hours at school. What about the remaining time? Most of that time is spent under the educational guidance of parents. Here are some things parents can do at home to help their children learn. Find a positive way to get to know your child's teacher early in the year. Open the lines of communication by calling, writing a note, or making an appointment for a visit. Make it clear that you want to be an active participant in your child's education and that you want to be helpful. Even if you're pressed for time you can continue the notes during the year to celebrate progress or growth or alert the teacher to concerns. Get to know your child's school. Attend open house and parent/teacher conferences. Find out about school policies and programs. Explore opportunities for parent involvement and find a way to volunteer that fits your schedule. Let teachers or the principal know when you are pleased with something they have done. Bring any concerns to the attention of someone directly involved; resist complaining to friends and neighbors. Another way parents can be helpful is to provide space and time for study. If it is not possible to provide the young student with a desk, parents can promise that the child will be undisturbed at the kitchen table at a certain time each night. This communicates that the parent considers homework an important activity. Parents can also turn off the TV. Keep younger children away from the study area and minimize distractions during homework time. If there is no homework on a given day, have your child use the time to read or work on a project of his or her choice. Establishing a pleasant place and a flexible schedule, talking with your child about assignments, saving articles from magazines or newspapers relevant to study topics, taking him to a library or museum, or introducing her to people who are knowledgeable about a subject, are all ways to lend parental support. Parents can also help in making television time productive by monitoring the shows children watch, viewing shows with their children and discussing the meaning and values portrayed on those television shows. Watch your child's stress level. Don't over schedule activities so that school becomes secondary. Too many extracurricular activities and hobbies can leave a child too tired to focus on school. When tests and reports come home, take the emphasis off the grades and focus instead on the information and skills they learned by doing the work. Give children a chance to show what they know by asking simple questions about the subject. Make mistakes okay by talking about your own errors. Encourage your children to describe mistakes that they made, and then talk about solutions. When children can learn from their mistakes, instead of feeling discouraged by them, they are on the road to success. Parents
may also find it helpful to remind themselves that children are great
imitators. If they live with adults who read and talk about what they
read, if they are encouraged to join discussions in which each person's
ideas are listened to with respect, and if they can be with adults
who can say "I don't know" and then demonstrate ways to
find answers to questions, Finally, parents can remind themselves that a love of books can be very contagious. Making regular family visits to the public library, reading aloud to children as often as possible, encouraging questions and discussions, reading books your children enjoy, and recommending your own favorites will not only help your children in school but will establish them as life-long learners. For additional answers to questions about Family Living listen to other Dial Extension tapes or contact your county Cornell Cooperative Extension office. Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association |
