As a parent, it can feel at times that you don’t have much say in how well your child is doing in school, nor what they’re taught. You don’t know exactly what they’re learning, and it’s not always easy to gauge how well they’re doing when you can only hear about it from them. However, while it might not be completely in your hands, there are a lot of ways you can be more involved in how well your child is doing at school, and how they approach education as a whole. Some children shy away from education because they don’t understand the opportunity provides – and it’s up to you to teach it to them.
Help to inspire them
While you might not be with them while they’re at school, you can help them to be more positive towards the subjects they’re being taught. There are plenty of fun ways to go about education, and if you can give them a good way to think about things, it might help them to pay more attention at school.
Try learning with them in a fun way, and you could make a game out of it. It’s important to be creative when you’re looking for a solution because every child is different and will have different interests.
Engage with their learning
Learning is no fun when you’re having a hard time, and it can make certain subjects really difficult to get along with. If you think your child is struggling with certain topics, let them talk about it – encourage them to tell you how they feel about it and why they’re having a hard time. It can be much easier and more enjoyable for them if you’re actively taking an interest in their subjects as well as helping them to further understand what they’re learning about.
If you’re actively trying to engage with your child about their learning, then it can make it easier for you to find difficulties that they’re having and decide whether there’s more you should be doing to help them learn.
Consider tutoring
Sometimes the classroom isn’t the optimal learning environment, and it can be hard for your child to get along with how the teacher structures their lessons. We all learn differently, and there’s not much you can do about how the teachers want to teach their subjects.
You don’t have to rely on the school system to help them learn extra, as there are many private tutors out there who are trained and able to help your children get a deeper education on the matter. Not only will it help them to get caught up, but regular tutoring sessions can help them to get ahead and have an overall better grip on their lessons.
Look for online resources
If you want to be more involved in what your kids are learning, then you should take to the internet for some answers. There are many different websites that offer resources to children, and they can come in many forms. You might find some online games that help to teach math or science, or you may even find word games. There are typically learning resources for people of all ages, and you won’t have to pay to access many of them.
Take YouTube, for example, there are many different videos and lessons to be found on YouTube and you can give them a quick watch-through to make sure they’re right for your children.
Don’t ignore signs of poor mental health
While you might not expect it, children can experience very complex emotions and conditions, and it can take a serious toll on how well they’re able to learn. Even if it’s not mental health, things like dyslexia and ADHD can severely affect their ability to learn in the classroom, and it would be making life harder for them to leave it untreated. These are things to take into account if you think your kids are struggling, and you should look out for any signs that they may be experiencing it.
Communicate with the school
If it turns out that your kids are experiencing ADHD or another potential disability, it’s important that you’re keeping the school informed. Your child may require extra attention, and without the teachers knowing, they won’t be able to get it. Making sure the school is informed of this can make sure that your kids are being treated fairly and given the chance they need to be on the same page as everyone else. They can keep learning, but they might need a little helping hand from the teachers.
Communicating with the school may allow you to get some insight into other issues that your kids are having.
Reading can be a fun activity
As a parent, you should be making sure that your kids pick up on good habits as early as possible. Of course, it’s not always appropriate to teach your kids things that are too mature for them early on, but reading is a must. There are plenty of books aimed at children, and it’s simple enough to get into once they’re old enough to read.
There are many children who prefer to do other things than reading, but it’s a valuable skill and interest that they can use later on in life. You should make sure to show them that it’s something they can enjoy and that they can get a lot from reading. Make it fun for them, take them down to the library, and have them pick out some books. It won’t always be easy, but if they’re good at reading at an early age, it can make learning so much easier for them as they’re growing up.
Teach them at home
If you wanted to and felt like you were capable of it, you could take some of the teachings into your own hands – if not all of it. There are many parents who are confident they can homeschool their children, but it’s not always recommended. Without constant social interaction, you could be starving your children of something they need.
It’s encouraged that you do some extended learning at home, and you can look into these printables that will help you to provide a well-structured lesson. There are a lot of resources like this you can find online, and you should make some good use of them. Getting more involved with your child’s learning is a great way to make sure they have an easier time at school.
Encourage failure
One thing that you should always teach your kids, no matter the context, is that failure is okay. If your children grow up afraid to fail things, then they’re often going to shy away from a challenge. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with trying something new and not being good at it – there’s nothing wrong with trying hard at something and getting a negative response. If you teach your children that failure isn’t a bad thing, then they’ll have an easier time gaining confidence in making good decisions for them.
While it might not help them early on in school, it will be very useful when it comes time to pursue their future career and education.
Reward them for trying hard
It’s important to reward your children when they succeed so they feel encouraged to do it again, but you should also show them that it’s worth giving something a try. Just like showing them that failure is okay, it’s also great to show them that trying their hardest is the most important part of it.
If they’re interested in something, they should give it a try. If they try hard at school, they can reap the benefits of it once they’ve gotten their results. Encouragement like this is important at a young age, as kids aren’t going to understand the repercussions of things like a low grade so early in life.
Don’t push too hard
Encouragement and support are a significant part of parenting, but there can be too much of a good thing. If you’re too forceful with your encouragement, then you might find your kids starting to take a negative stance on things. Make sure that whatever it is you’re supporting them in, it’s something that they want to do – else you should take a different approach.
For example, you can’t push your kids into a career that they don’t want as they get older, and if you do – they won’t have a nice time with it. It’s much better to help them focus on the things that they want to do, and that they feel passionate about – so that they can make something of it when they grow up. Encourage the subjects that they’re strongest at, and offer help with the ones that they’re having trouble with; just remember that applying too much pressure to them can be a bad thing.
As long as you’re present for their learning, you can help to make sure your kids are getting a good education while they’re at school.
