Parents and Guardians-
It comes as no surprise that a student’s success or failure— often stems from the home. Good communication, consistent routines, and healthy habits support students are they navigate the worlds between home and school.
Modeling Healthy Habits
Set a reasonable bedtime. Sleep is a vital component to the success of your child at school. Healthy behaviors such as eating breakfast and having a nutritious lunch build toward these habits. Just as we set positive habits, we need to cut back on the less productive ones, such as minimizing screen time and encouraging other activities instead.
One Place
Just like a frog from a lily pad, we all need a launching station. Have the kids put their belongings in the same place when returning home. Organize the area with hooks and cubbies, this will also cut down on the searching for possessions in the morning.
When returning from school, each child should have a special place to study that meets her needs. It’s helpful to make a study caddy. You can get a little caddy from the dollar store and fill it with school supplies your child may need. This gives your child comfort in knowing that she has what she needs to complete assignments and is mobile in case the study location changes.
Read, Read, Read!
Reading is the gateway to all kinds of learning and continuing to develop and advance literacy throughout a child’s school years is vital. Model reading on your own, read with your child and listen to your child read.
Creating a lifelong learner
Always look for opportunities to make real life experiences a learning one too! Why is this the way it is? How did it come to be? For example, when driving home from a family trip, your son points out his favorite sports car. Look at those shiny rims! Ok, let’s think about this, if the diameter of the tire is 16 inches, let’s find the tire’s circumference and area. How would we do that? How would the rim play a part in this?
Expect Success
Set expectations, be clear, and support your child with a consistent and loving home. Emphasize to your child that she is more than capable of attaining her goals with persistence and discipline. Make sure to encourage her and reach out for educational support as she needs it.
I hope you have a successful and happy school year!