How to Help Your Child Achieve Better in School - by Dr Grace Williams

“If you want it seriously enough, you’ll soon find a way to get it”. A common saying that is easy to understand but how easy is it to actually do what it says?

One of the problems young parents face is that of helping their young kids achieve well in school. Many parents are aware that their children would need a little extra help but some of these parents are either not educated enough themselves, are too busy, or have not got the resources to give their children that extra push.

Giving your children the extra push doesn’t have to cost a bomb. You can start by doing the following:

Show real interest in your child’s school work

Every child knows school is an important place to be because you, the parent, takes him/her there every school day. However, while inside the class room, some children feel isolated and unhappy. Some are even bullied by other children and are therefore, afraid to make friends and truly belong.

It could also be the case that the school subjects are a bit difficult to understand or that some teachers are not always helpful. Whatever the case, your child may not be willing to share any of their experiences in school, whether negative or positive, with you unless you show constant interest in their school life. Simple questions like:
“How was school today?”
“What new story were you told today – can you tell it to me?”
“What did you find difficult to do in school today?”
“Who are your friends? Did you play with any of them today?” etc.
It’s no use asking your child questions if you are too busy to listen – really listen and then make relevant comments. Your child will know that you really care about what happens in school if you genuinely show interest in their school life generally.

Set a regular Study time at home and give the help you can

Homework plays a great part in every school child’s life. So what can you do to help your child with his or her homework?

If it is an English homework, chances are, you can find out difficult words in the dictionary and explain the difficult expressions to your child. Better still, ensure that you have bought a good easy dictionary that you leave at home and that your child also has one to take to school.

It is always a good thing for a parent to study with the child, so set a time aside every evening for that. This creates a habit which the child will get used to during week days. For example, one hour per evening – whenever is most convenient for your child. This will create a sense of seriousness and importance in your child’s mind. It will make the children realize the importance of school. You may not know it, but your child would be very grateful for your assistance when they begin to achieve higher grades in their school work.

Always find out how well your child achieved in all the work you helped your child with. Please remember that it should be your child’s work, not yours that gets sent off to school. It would not serve any useful purpose if your child just copies everything you say and does not put it anything from their own knowledge. If this happens, the teacher will soon discover that your child is cheating. That would be counter-productive.

Next in this series we will discuss: How to Get Expert Help for your child.

To give your child a good start or a treat, and buy them some learning toys or books, visit: http://www.youngsterswarehouse.com.

For help with excellent parenting: Visit:
http://www.amazingsuccesscoach.com.