KEEPING UP WITH YOUR CHILD’S PROGRESS IN SCHOOL #starlingschool

As parents, you have a responsibility to know the state of your children in their school. No matter how busy your work schedule is, one thing you should be conscious about is monitoring your child’s education. This should be at the top of your to-do-list. You should be able to create time to attend some activities being held in your child’s school. Try to establish a positive relationship with your child’s teacher by taking advantage of every opportunity you have to meet with the teacher in person. This is an avenue for you to understand the progress of your child directly from the teacher, instead of relying on graded assignments as updates.
You may make use of the following tips to make your child’s education your top priority.

GET TO KNOW YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER: This is related to what was said earlier. You have to create time to get to meet your child’s teacher and try to have a good relationship with them. Not being able to communicate with the teacher is one of the biggest problems you may face in terms of monitoring your child’s education. The teacher is your partner when it comes to educating your child. Communicate with the teacher by any means necessary either through face-to-face meetings, phone conversation email messages or any other form of communication.

EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST AT HOME: This point is directed at stay-at-home-moms in particular. When your child returns home from school, stop what you’re doing and ask about the school day. You can begin this routine in Kindergarten and gradually it becomes a habit. As your child matures, you can add a regular time each week to discuss accomplishments and set goals for the next week.

INSPECT THEIR BACKPACK: As parents, your child’s backpack must be inspected. You should always empty your child’s backpack whenever he\she returns from school. Take out time to look at everything from the notes, completed works, homework, notes from the teacher etc. the backpack makes it easier for the teacher to communicate with you and easy for you to know the activities your child is working on in school.

ESTABLISH A HOME WORK ROUTINE: Children become involved in activities at young ages. Since they have specific start-to-finish times, extracurricular activities are easy to manage. Unfortunately, some parents try to fit in home work around them. Emphasize on the importance of school work. Establish daily homework or reading time. You should be able to create specific time for your child to study. Study times help in training your child’s brain.

GET ORGANIZED : Organization is a fundamental tool when creating a good study behavior. Get your child organized before study time. All the materials needed to study must be made available e.g. pencils, paper, erasers etc. A regular study area should be prepared for your child where all the essentials are readily available and easily accessible. Not only should the area be well stocked with study supplies, it should also be a conducive area. Choose a quiet location, free from distractions.

KNOW THE GRADES: Your child’s success is usually measured by grades in tests or exams scores. When you are closely monitoring your child’s education, formal grades shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. If the grades do not meet your expectations, address your concerns with the teacher.

CONVERSE WITH YOUR CHILD DAILY ABOUT SCHOOL : Check-in frequently with your child to understand how he or she is feeling and to see how your child thinks he or she is doing from his or her own perspective. However, be careful how you phrase questions. You do not want your child to think you are fishing for information or that you are suspicious of him or her. Be genuinely interested in hearing about his or her day.

SOCIAL PROCESS : Monitoring your child’s social process is also important. Know who your child’s friends are and get to know their parents as well. Make sure that your child has a healthy relationship with his or her peers. It is important that your child mingles with the right people and strive well in school. Make sure your child stays away from any form of trouble. Always ensure that your child is progressing positively both socially and academically.