Although your child is the one going to school each day, you as the parent are equally as responsible for his success in school. It's your duty to make sure that your child finds success in school through completing assignments, loving to learn and dealing with the everyday stress. With the dropout rate hovering around 8 percent, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics, making school a priority as a parent can help him succeed.
Start Early
The U.S. Department of Education urges you to start early when it comes to learning in your child. Don't leave your child's learning up to a schooling system. Instead, begin at home with reading and comprehension skills so that she is ready to learn when she enters kindergarten. Read aloud to her daily for 20 minutes and ask her questions about books. Play small letter games, like asking her to spot letters on signs while driving. Plant the seeds of learning to give her the ability to succeed in school.
Instill a Love of Learning
Show that you value learning, suggests the University of Illinois, so your child understands how important it is. Finding ways to turn everyday experiences into learning opportunities teaches your children to look past the obvious and learn something new. Visit museums, gardens, planetariums and zoos as a way to promote learning through something interesting so that your child regards learning as something he loves to do.
Monitor Homework
Making sure that your child stays on top of any school assignments is an effective way to monitor your child's progress at school. The U.S. Department of Education recommends giving your child a quiet space that is free of distractions, and schedule homework time each day as part of your child's daily schedule. Always know what your child is studying at school, and routinely check her homework so you can verify whether or not she understands the concepts.
Talk to Teachers
Keeping the lines of communication open between your child's teacher and yourself is imperative to your child's success in school. The teacher can let you know how your child is doing in the classroom, and give you ideas of some things that you may want to work on with your child at home. Schedule regular meetings with your child's teacher and ask questions about the areas in which your child excels, as well as the areas in which he struggles. Your child spends around six hours with his teacher, so she'll be able to give valuable insight on your child's pathway to success.
Talk to Your Child
You can try to instill a love of learning, talk to your child's teacher and other tactics, but talking to your child is an important way to gauge their level of success in school. Talk to your child at weekly intervals, suggests the University of Minnesota. Ask questions about how she feels about school, what she likes and dislikes, ways to deal with school-related stress and ideas to make it better. Show interest in your child's schooling and let her know that you are available to listen any time. Show that you want to be her partner in success, instead of simply her disciplinarian.
