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Home Environment. A supportive and stable home environment has
great benefits for a child's academic success. Things you can do that
research has shown to make a difference:
- Maintain a warm and supportive home.
- Get your child child ready for school every morning.
- Establish a daily family routine.
- Provide time and a quiet place to study.
- Have dinner together.
- Set limits on TV watching.
- Assign responsibility for household chores.
- Be firm about times to get up and go to bed.
- Check up on children when parents are not home.
- Arrange for after-school activities and supervised care.
Modeling. Parents and other adult caregivers influence children
through their own behavior. Things you can do that research has shown
to make a
difference:
- Communicate through questioning and conversation.
- Admit when you don't know something.
- Use reference materials and the library to find answers.
- Discuss the day over dinner.
- Tell stories and share problems.
- Write letters, lists, and messages.
Education beyond Schooling. Much learning takes place outside
of school. This learning has been shown to have a key positive impact
on school performance. Things you can do that research has shown to
make a difference:
- Read to your child.
- Listen to your child read.
- Talk about what's being read.
- Enroll your child in sports programs and music lessons.
- Recognize and encourage special talents.
- Use community services, such as Boys and Girls clubs, libraries,
the "Y."
- Talk with your child about current events.
- Expose your child to many learning opportunities outside of school,
such as visiting museums and nature centers, going to concerts,
etc.
- Listen to and talk with your child about things that are important
to you both.
Support and Expectations. Student success is closely related
to teacher and parent expectations that are both challenging and realistic.
Children also need to have their achievements recognized. Things you
can do that make a difference:
- Demonstrate that achievement comes from working hard.
- Set goals and standards appropriate for your child's age and maturity.
- Inform friends and family about your child's successes.
- Discuss the value of a good education and possible career options.
- Introduce children to role models and mentors.
- Have high expectations for your child's performance at school.
- Have high expectations for your child's later life choices regarding
education after high school and career options.
Engage in Academic Matters. Parents and caregivers who keep
in touch
with what's going on at school can have an enormous positive impact,
not only on student attitudes and achievement but on the actual quality
of the school. Among many ways to make this a strong connection, you
can:
- Show interest in children's progress at school.
- Help with homework.
- Stay in touch with teachers and school staff.
- Respect/understand a teacher's role in your child's education
as well as your own role.
- Talk directly with your child's teacher about concerns you may
have.
- Talk with the teacher about your joint expectations for your child's
growth and progress.
- Give spelling or math drills at home.
- Visit the classroom.
- Volunteer at the school.
- Share your knowledge with your child's class (your job, a skill
or interest you have).
- Help with tutorial and remedial work (your own child's or others').
- Work with small groups or individuals in the classroom.
Support the Teacher and the School. Even a small amount of assistance
can make an enormous difference to the teacher and to the educational
experience your child and all the children in the class receive. You
can:
- Assist teachers by obtaining and preparing class materials.
- Serve on collaborative decision-making committees.
- Operate a telephone network with other parents.
- Serve as part of a resource pool at your school.
- Help with field trips/assist with extracurricular activities.
- Raise money for school projects.
- Explain school programs and needs to the community.
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