How can you best help your child to succeed at school?

Maintain an interest in everything your student does at school. Know his/her friends and ask about them regularly.

Provide routines and structure, especially when it comes to completing homework. Provide a set place and time for homework/reading. Start today and stick to it!

Do not overbook your child. Education should be the priority. The odds of getting athletic scholarships are very thin and are often tied to academic achievement.

Provide support, but not a crutch. At this stage they should not have to be rescued but you should be able to coach them and allow them to respond.

They need to learn a sense of urgency and responsibility before high school. If you rescue them now, these skills won’t develop. Grades are important…but the SKILLS they need to be successful in high school and beyond are far MORE important.

Provide consequences and rewards, but do not help them avoid consequences, or they will not learn personal responsibility.

Help them with long term planning, especially for projects/tests. Have a monthly calendar posted and teach them to establish milestones for their project and to keep track of deadlines. Outstanding work is not created at the last minute (unless you want a nervous breakdown).

Provide proper nutrition, especially make sure they eat a proper breakfast and lunch, encompassing more protein and less sugar. Poor diet often translates into poor sleep and lack of concentration and energy when they attend school.

Talk to them about personal hygiene. Social success and acceptance help teens to have a good opinion of themselves.

Monitor their use of the television, the Internet (especially their use of instant message programs, Facebook and or MySpace, and cell phone. These are big time wasters and are very distracting. Monitor the content and the amount of time your student spends on these activities. If you limit these, you will have more control over what is influencing your child’s value system, AND your child might turn to READING as a pastime. (There is software to help you limit computer activity).

Strive for perfect attendance at school and miss as few school days as possible. For the next several years, attendance is critical to success because so much is explained, reviewed, and assigned during an actual class. It is not enough to just “get the notes” or check the teacher website. It is nearly impossible for a teacher or tutor to replicate the instruction that took place in class on a one-on-one basis as children also learn from their peers and the questions that are asked in class.

Visit a major university sometime in the next two years, so that your student can understand the goal to which he/she is working. This helps motivate students to do their best.

Model a positive, optimistic attitude. Ask “Tell me something good that happened to you today.” Don’t encourage your student to find fault with his/her day.

Treat teachers as partners, not adversaries. Keep all email mature, calm, and professional. We love your kids and want to help…let’s work together and keep all relationships positive and productive.

Encourage your child to read. If you have time, read to them. Make weekly visits to the library or local bookstore. Fifteen minutes of reading a day for a year can improve your child’s reading comprehension and vocabulary scores three times what they are presently. Give your child this gift!

Best wishes to you and your child for a successful year; together teachers are partners in your child's success.