Congratulations! You have just taken the first step in ensuring your child’s success. Studies have shown that the single most important factor in a child’s success in school is parental involvement. What you do with your child is more important than the quality of their school, the neighborhood they’re in, or any other social or economic factor. Isn’t that exciting? You have the power to improve your child's education!
Here is a list of simple, easy things you can do now to help your child:
1. Attitudes - Yes, attitudes. Your child automatically picks up your attitudes, so be positive! Let them know you care and believe in their
success and in the importance of education. As another example, helping them have a "can do" attitude will help them throughout their life.
2. Communication - Talk to your child about their day, their school, what they’re learning and what successes or problems they’re having.
This will help you establish and maintain a good relationship with them and will pay dividends when you get to those "difficult" years.
3. Expectations - Expect excellence! Studies show that children tend to live up - or down - to your expectations. Let them know you expect
their best and won’t settle for less. Discuss things they can do to acheive these expectations.
4. Time management - Make homework and studying (there is a difference) come first- before TV, before Facebook, games,
texting or anything else. Be firm!
5. Responsibility - Hold them accountable. Help them see that they have the power to affect their results. Let them know there will be
consequences, good and bad, based on those results. Good grades should be rewarded, with praise if nothing else. Bad grades need to
be discouraged. Check to make sure their homework is done each day.
6. Involvement - Go over their homework with them. Don't do it for them, get them to think and analyze. This will also help you keep lines of
communication lines open with your child.
7. Assistance - Help them, or if you can’t help them, get them help from siblings, other students, relatives, tutors or whoever you can. Check
with teachers, the PTA, and the web for resources. Be creative!
8. Teach them - There are many things you can teach them throughout the day, from reading labels at the grocery store to teaching them math
while cooking or doing a woodworking project. It is also up to you to teach them your values and beliefs - no one but you can do that.
Keep your contact as positive as possible. Try to spend as much time on what they are doing right as on what they need to improve. Offer rewards
for achievements as well as punishments for not meeting standards.
You may find some of these suggestions too simple, too hard, or too naïve, but if you do them your child will get a better education. They are listed
in order of how much time each one takes, so even you can’t do them all, you can do the first five.
What would you like to see here? What problems do you have helping your child? We will be starting a forum to allow you to share your successful strategies, questions, and concerns. Until then, if you think of ways for this site to be of more help, please let us know.
For help specific to younger and older children, go to the Next page
This is the "pre-launch" version of our website. If you are here, chances are it is because someone invited you specifically to come. Please look around with a
constructively critical eye. We hope you will assist us to make this site as effective as possible. We hope we always continue to grow, but the more we can
do pre-launch, the better first impression we will make. Thank you for your time and your assistance, Michael V. Fowler, President fftng1@att.net
constructively critical eye. We hope you will assist us to make this site as effective as possible. We hope we always continue to grow, but the more we can
do pre-launch, the better first impression we will make. Thank you for your time and your assistance, Michael V. Fowler, President fftng1@att.net
