Your participation in your child’s academic journey is the biggest contributor to your child’s academic growth and success. Sure, many other factors may affect your child’s educational performance. These factors include the quality and efficiency of the teaching methodology, the system of your child’s school, as well as the availability of learning materials and resources like books and modules that your child may need. But at the end of the day, your child’s study habits and learning approach will be largely influenced by your participation as a parent.
However, it has become a common issue in most schools that parents have become less involved in their children’s studies. Reasons for this include the fact that parents don’t possess the knowledge to help their children with homework. And of course, working parents barely find the time to personally follow up about lessons and homework.
However, it must be known that involvement doesn’t always have to mean personally helping your children with school work. There are various techniques you can apply to be more involved, such as the following practices that are listed below:
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1. Hire A Tutor
You may want to consider getting your child a tutor. This is beneficial if you often find it difficult to help your kids with schoolwork. There are many online tutoring services like tutorme.com which specializes in helping out all grade levels.
This set-up gives your children undivided attention which they don’t typically receive in a classroom set-up. Children who find it hard to focus tend to benefit the most in this setup. Through one-on-one lessons, children tend to remember the subject more and comprehension is significantly increased. Below are some other benefits of hiring a tutor:
- Enhances Social And Behavioral Skills: Hiring a tutor may help your kid develop skills that are usually not taught in school. These skills include communication, interpersonal skills, and other behavioral changes. Since tutorials are not essentially restricted to a particular curriculum or lesson plan, sessions can include extra activities and practical lessons that will help the child develop self-confidence, creativity, and other traits.
- Preparation For College: Tutoring can help your kids develop essential skills and study habits that would be important throughout their academic life. This includes learning advanced topics that are not taught in the classroom, time-management skills, and improved reading comprehension.
2. Assign A Designated Study Area For Your Child
If an area is repeatedly used for a certain task alone, the brain will more likely remember or associate that area with the specific task. This means that if your child has a designated study space and you teach your child to only use that for studying, then your child will more likely associate that place with studying. Most parents don’t know that not having a designated study area for their kids is a mistake, especially during the pandemic.
Therefore, you must designate a study area for your child. And make sure that the space is conducive to learning. Make sure that it’s well-lit and far from distractions. It will also be a good idea to have school supplies nearby so that your child no longer has to run around just to get a pen. You may also encourage your child to use creativity to decorate the area and make sure to teach them to keep the area tidy by cleaning up after every study session.
3. Instill A Good Study Habit
Source: Novak Djokovic Foundation
Children need assistance in building good study habits. Who else should teach them these habits other than their own parents? Be certain that you provide them with guidelines on how to build a good study habit, and make sure they can follow the guidelines consistently too.
You may start by allotting certain times of the day for studying or reading. But make sure to include breaks in-between too! You should inform your kid that it’s not good to overwork themselves and should regularly take breaks.
However, you should also teach them that breaks should not be spent playing or browsing the internet. Instead, instruct your kid to use this time to get a snack or maybe some fresh air. Also, make sure that breaks do not exceed the intended time allotted for it.
4. Steer Away From Distractions
Source: Oxford Learning
Multitasking is never a good idea. It only makes your child think they’re getting more things done when in fact they are not paying proper attention to the task at hand. This means that your child will find it harder to recollect the lesson they have studied later on.
This is why you must also train your child to keep away from distractions like computers or other gadgets. Instead, teach them to focus only on one task at a time to maintain focus and keen attention to detail. Most importantly, ensure that your child gets proper sleep and eats healthy food to sustain their ability to focus on a task.
5. Proper Nutrition And Rest
Source: verywellfit
If you want your kids to be more focused in school, you must make sure that their basic needs are met. Make sure to give them healthy and nutrient-rich foods that can help enhance the brain’s ability to focus and retain new lessons.
Fruits, whole grains, and fiber-rich food are usually good for the brain. If you’re short on time, then try meal prepping the night before or opt for fresh fruits, yogurts, and nuts for breakfast. All of which are easy to prepare and packed with healthy nutrients
Aside from healthy food, your child must have enough rest to be able to function and think well. Hence, you must ensure that they get enough sleep and are well-rested for the next day. Keep in mind that young kids need to sleep for 10 to 12 hours every night, while teens should be getting eight to nine hours of sleep.
To make sure your child gets enough sleeping time, you must put them to bed on or before nine o’clock in the evening. 30 minutes before that, make sure they stop playing with toys or even using digital devices.
Conclusion
When parents are more involved in their child’s academic journey, children tend to do better. The good habits they develop will not just help them in school, but will also help them succeed later in life.
Being personally involved with your child’s education doesn’t just mean sending your kids to a good school, or personally assisting them with lessons and assignments. It also means fostering good study habits, providing a conducive environment for learning, and ensuring they get the proper nutrition and rest.
